Week in Review: January 18-24

The Red Pencil. Andrea Davis Pinkney. Illustrated by Shane Evans. 2014. Little, Brown. [Source: Library]
The War That Saved My Life. Kimberly Brubaker Bradley. 2015. Penguin. 320 pages. [Source: Library]
Operation Bunny. Sally Gardner. Illustrated by David Roberts. 2014. Henry Holt. 192 pages. [Source: Library]
Dory Fantasmagory. Abby Hanlon. 2014. Penguin. 160 pages. [Source: Library]
Horton Hatches An Egg. Dr. Seuss. 1940/1968. Random House. 64 pages. [Source: Library]
Chasing Freedom: The Life Journeys of Harriet Tubman and Susan B. Anthony Inspired by Historical Facts. Nikki Grimes. Illustrated by Michele Wood. 2015. [January 2015] Scholastic. 56 pages. [Source: Review copy]
The Case for Loving: The Fight for Interracial Marriage. Selina Alko. Illustrated by Sean Qualls. 2015. [January 2015] Scholastic. 40 pages. [Source: Review copy]
The Windy Hill. Cornelia Meigs. 1921. 210 pages. [Source: Bought]
Trifles. A Play in One Act. Susan Glaspell. 1916. 20 pages. [Source: Read online]
Jezebel's Daughter. Wilkie Collins. 1880. 304 pages. [Source: Bought]
Remember the Lilies. (Women of Courage #3) Liz Tolsma. 2015. [February] Thomas Nelson. 352 pages. [Source: Review copy]
Love Gently Falling. Melody Carlson. 2015. Center Street. 192 pages. [Source: Review copy]
Living As A Christian: Teachings from First Peter. A.W. Tozer. 2010. Regal. 224 pages. [Source: Bought]

This week's recommendation(s): It *might* be easier to list what books I'm not particularly recommending. But. That wouldn't be fair. So I'll try to pick and choose my absolute favorites even though I feel like recommending almost all of them!

I'm recommending Dory Fantasmagory because it's hilarious. Dory is priceless. She is. So very, very imaginative. From start to finish, this one just ENTERTAINS. All the little details combine to create this wonderful picture of a 6 year old girl. Operation Bunny is also hilarious.

Red Pencil is easy to recommend because of the richness of the narrative. This is a verse novel. I don't typically "like" verse  novels. But this one worked for me. The narrator is a young girl who wants more than anything to learn how to read and write.

The War That Saved My Life. I'm recommending this one not because I think it is the most flawless children's book I've ever read, but, because I love books set during World War II. I know I'm not alone in that. (I think you either really, really do--or you don't at all.) This one reminded me of Goodnight Mr. Tom.


© 2015 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews