The Magician's Nephew by C.S. Lewis

The Magician's Nephew.  The Chronicles of Narnia.  Book #1 by C.S. Lewis

Digory and Polly are neighbors and live side by side in a row house. They met when Digory and his mother moved in with his aunt and uncle.  Digory's mother is very ill and needs to be cared for.  Polly and Digory become fast friends.  One day, they decided to have an adventure when they climbed into the attic and followed the rafters to the next row house.  What they found surprised them as they opened the door into the forbidden study of Uncle Andrew, the magician.

Uncle Andrew is devious and gives Polly a ring. When she puts it on her finger she disappears before their eyes.  Digory is appalled and must save her so he puts on a ring and follows her to another world to try and bring her back.

This is the first book I have read in the Chronicles of Narnia series.  I wish I would have read it as a child but I was never introduced to it.  I have seen the three movies on the series and loved them and have always wanted to give this series a try and I am so glad I did.  The Magician's Nephew explains the creation of Narnia and it is comparable to the Christian creation story.  It is a quick read and one I am glad I undertook.

The Magician's Nephew is adventure filled and is even at times comical.  It explained so much about the world of Narnia that I knew so little about.  The biggest thing the reader learns is how the witch gets into Narnia as well as the lamp post.  Narnia is a magical place.

The Magician's Nephew was the sixth book published in the Chronicles of Narnia series but it is currently labeled as the first book in the series.  I wonder why the publisher want readers to read them in this way.  Maybe I should have started with a different book?  What book did you read first?

The next movie in the Chronicle of Narnia series will be The Magician's Nephew.  I can't wait!

Infidel by Ayaan Hirsi Ali

Infidel by Ayaan Hirsi Ali

Infidel begins with the murder of filmmaker Theo van Gogh.  Stabbed to his chest is a five page letter addressed to Ayaan Hirsi Ali.  In her page turning memoir, Ayaan takes the reader on a geographical and religious journey through her past, detailing her life from the girl she used to be to the woman she has matured to today.

Ayaan grew up with an eccentric grandmother, an erratic mother and she is the eldest of three siblings.  Her father drifts in and out of her life as the family moves from Somalia to Saudi Arabia, to Ethiopia and then to Kenya.  Ayaan details the traditional life of a Somalian Muslim woman from her earliest memory.  Ayaan has created a engaging memoir that takes you in the house and heart of a Muslim woman and her radical change that leads her to deny Islam's control of her life and become an Infidel.  

Ayaan escapes an arranged marriage in Germany and seeks asylum in the Netherlands.  She changes her name and lies to gain Dutch Citizenship.  She undergoes a cultural shock and a personal transformation as she figures out that she has been tricked by religion into complacency.
Ayaan attends college, earns her political science degree and runs for political office. 

Infidel is amazingly powerful book written by an extremely courageous woman.   I read this book aloud to my World History class and all of us were enthralled from the very first page.  We learned about Somalian history and why there are so many Somalian immigrants in our community.  We learned and had great conversations about the final days of Said Barre regime, female genital mutilation, the dangerous plight of refugees and refugee camps, arranged marriage, unstable countries, honor killings, the Muslim Brotherhood, child abuse and so much more.

Infidel states, that of the three monotheistic religions only Islam has not been through a reformation and that for women, a reformation is essential for human rights.  Women suffer through arranged and forced marriages as young as 9 years old as well as honor killings by husbands and brothers.  If a woman is caught bringing shame to her family or committing adultery she will be killed by the male members of her family and no one prosecutes the men because it is their god given right.  Ayaan Hirsi Ali called for a change in Islam and is a crusader for Muslim women and their human rights.
 
If you have not read Infidel yet, I suggest you get a copy and start reading now.  This is one of the most important books of the decade and is extremely timely as governments must find a way to incorporate new religious doctrines into their democratic societies and maintain human rights for all.

Mercedes and the Chocolate Pilot by Margot Theis Raven

Mercedes and the Chocolate Pilot.  A True Story of the Berlin Airlift and The Candy that Dropped from the Sky by Margot Theis Raven
Illustrated by Gijsbert van Frankenhuyzen

This is a true story about a American pilot named Col. Gail S. Halvorson USAF and a little German girl named Mercedes Wild.

World War II has ended and the four allies, Russia, Great Britain, France and the United States all controlled parts of Berlin.  Russia controlled East Berlin, while the three remaining countries controlled the three sectors of West Berlin.  On June 24th, 1948 Stalin tried to take over control of all of Berlin, thereby creating a blockade of West Berlin by cutting off all routes to the city.  The Allies did not want to start World War three and so they created a sky bridge and  flew supplies day and night into West Berlin, known as The Berlin Airlift.

Mercedes is seven years old and lives in a bombed out section of West Berlin.  Airplanes continuously roared overhead and her chickens were so scared they wouldn't lay the eggs her family desperately needed.  The planes rained down supplies, like flour, clothing, coal and candy.  One day, Mercedes mother read a story in the newspaper of the American pilot, Lt. Gail Halvorson who parachuted candy to the children of Berlin. He earned the nickname The Chocolate Pilot and people from all over America donated handkerchiefs for parachutes and candy for the children of Berlin.  Mercedes decides to write him a letter.

Lt. Halvorson and the people of America who donated supplies to the Berlin Airlift brought hope to the people of Berlin.  Mercedes and the Chocolate Pilot is a beautiful work of art and a testament to the kindness and civility of people after World War II.  President Truman said on that fateful day on June 24th, 1948 "There is no discussion.  We stay in Berlin.  Period." The Berlin Airlift lasted from June 26, 1948 to September 30, 1949. 

I never knew this piece of history until I read this story and I am so glad I did.  Mercedes and the Chocolate Pilot was very moving and inspirational.  It is a true story about the kindness of others that we all hope will be extended to us in our time of need.  You need to buy some candy, read this book together with your family and enjoy this sweet and delicious story.  Children's books are not just for kids.

Harry Potter and The Goblet of Fire

Harry Potter and The Goblet of Fire by J.K. Rowling

I just finished reading the fourth installment of Harry Potter's battles with Voldemort and his adventures at Hogwarts aloud to my children.  We started this book in late October and finished 9 months later in June.  I have to say this is the longest book I have ever read aloud.

Out out all the Potter books, the Goblet of Fire is my favorite so far.  I was unable to figure out the plot as I had done in previous books and so this book was a welcome surprise. 

Reading aloud Potter books and other fun young adult novels to your kids is a great way to spend quality time together.  I give my characters different voices and my kids love it!!  I read Hagrid's character with a southern accent.  I don't have a English accent that is very good so I totally improvise and it is entertaining and my confidence as a reader has soared. 

Our family tradition is to read the book first and then see the movie.  My kids both have dyslexia and if I didn't read aloud some long books, like Harry Potter, they would never read them, ever!  So I read, they listen and we all watch the films as a family and have done so for the past four years.  I am so glad we are sharing this Harry Potter adventure together as they grow up and I hope they will remember it always.

Next up, Harry Potter #5.  We will start in October again and since it is one of longest books in the series we will probably finish in July. 

Until then, I will see you at Hogwarts by the whomping willow.  Don't forget your scarf and a warm glass of butterbeer.

Hole in My Life

Hole in My Life by Jack Gantos

Jack Gantos is a young man with a hole in his life.  We've all met someone with a hole in their life.  Maybe they are missing love, understanding, ambition, creativity or self-esteem.  Whatever is missing causes crippling decision making and leaves the person wondering what went wrong and why do bad things always happen to me.

Jack wants to be a writer and this memoir of his tragic life experiences lead him to follow his dream.  Jack wants to go to college to learn to be a writer, except every time he wants to write he becomes crippled.  He starts drinking and doing drugs and goes home to a blank page and then sinks deeper into despair.  He makes a major life decision to transport drugs from the island of St.Croix into New York City in 1971.  He will earn 10,000 dollars which he plans to use toward college.  Except he gets busted by the Feds and sent to prison for an indefinite period of time.

I read this book aloud to my 9th grade World Studies class.  I would describe this book as gritty, edgy, shocking and at times hard to swallow.  My students loved it!  Gantos does not sugar coat his prison experiences and in fact many of my students got the message that they don't want do drugs or mess with the law.  Prison is not a fun place to be.   Throughout the book, Jack compares his life and his wish to write to authors and their books.  The book contains an excellent reading list.

Going to prison helped Jack Gantos seal the hole in his life and was the impetus to begin his writing career.  Today he is a successful author of children's books and Young Adult works.  In fact my own children have come home from the library with his Joey Pigza books.  Hole in my Life is a Printz honor book.

Life is a journey and sometimes you have to take a lot of back roads and wrong turns before you can live your dream.  Are you living your dream?

The Quiet Little Woman

The Quiet Little Woman.  A Christmas Story by Louisa May Alcott

Louisa May Alcott is one of my favorite writers so when I found this volume of Holiday stories in a thrift store, I quickly grabbed it.  It is a lovely combination of three short stories that focus on the lives of teenage girls.  Each story imparts moral lessons with Christmas as the backdrop.   This is a very short volume of Louisa May Alcott's work that can easily be read in one sitting or read aloud to children.

These three stories were written for a home-produced magazine called Little Things.  Little Things was produced by a group of impoverished sisters, the Luken girls, who wanted to emulate Little Women's in home family paper called The Pickwick Portfolio.   The Luken girls were very successful with their paper and amassed 1000 subscribers, at which point the paper began to be a burden and so they sold off the paper's rights.

These stories stayed hidden for years and thankfully were found and re-published to be enjoyed by another generation.

Louisa May Alcott was a nurse during the Civil War and with her many stories that were published, she was the person who pulled The Alcotts out of poverty frequently.  If you are interested in reading a good biography of the Alcott family try reading Eden's Outcasts.  The story of Louisa May Alcott and her Father by John Matteson.  It is a large volume, sometimes a bit dry but very informative and interesting especially if you are a big fan of Alcott.  What I found most interesting was how Little Women was created and fashioned after Alcott's own family.  Her health after her short career as a nurse in the Civil War was greatly affected by the mercury poisoning she suffered after getting typhus.  It explains her death at a young age. 

Louisa May Alcott and her family are fascinating and her stories are timeless.

Last Day to Enter - Author of the Month Contest

Last Day to Enter - Author of the Month Contest

The author of Elvis and Olive, Stephanie Watson, is giving away 5 personalized copies to 5 winners.  To enter please click on the link below:  The last day to enter is today until midnight, central time.  This contest is open internationally.  Good Luck!

Elvis and Olive Contest

You can check out my review of the book here:

Elvis and Olive Book Review

You can read an interview with the author Stephanie Watson here:

Stephanie Watson author interview


Stephanie's second book is called Elvis and Olive Super Detectives.  She is currently working on a proposal for her third novel.  The excerpt below is from Good Reads.


Natalie and Annie decide to put their detective skills to use as they open the E & O Detective Agency to solve neighborhood mysteries. Together they stumble across an incredibly intriguing one when Mrs. Warsaw, their elderly neighbor with memory problems, begins spreading news about a woman named Zina Zeolite hiding in her bedroom closet. Mrs. Warsaw often speaks of seeing strange things so Natalie doesn't believe her. But Annie insists that they take the case. As the detectives start investigating, Natalie and Annie discover that Zina Zeolite is the name of the world's first female comic book superhero. But could Zina Zeolite also be a real person? And what does a superhero have to do with the ailing Mrs. Warsaw?

The girls must band together to help Natalie win her school election, solve this mystery, and stay friends.

I hope you have enjoyed meeting new author, Stephanie Watson, and learning about two great new books on the market.  Please support Stephanie and read her books.  You can also check out her website at www.stephanie-watson.com

Elvis and Olive

Elvis and Olive by Stephanie Watson

Natalie is a smart, conservative girl who always does what is right.  Annie is a energetic mixture of truth and fiction.  Annie has just moved into a house across the street and Natalie isn't sure how to handle this strange girl and her crazy ideas.  It seems highly unlikely the girls will become friends until Annie concocts a wild plan to become neighborhood spies.  Elvis and Olive are secret code names for two girls who are destined to become the best of friends in their search for adventure.

This book is a little like Pippi Longstocking meets Nancy Drew. Every 10 year old girl (including my daughter) is going to love the creative characters, the bike rides around the block, pink cowboy boots,  the secret meeting place under the porch, the creepy bug killing boy and his really cute brother.

Stephanie Watson has written a strong book series for girls.  There are currently two books in the series and I hope she continues, Elvis and Olive's adventures.  This book made me feel nostalgic for my younger years when I was carefree and running wild in the streets with my best girl friends.  Every night we played "kick the can" after supper and made up dances on the porch.  What did you do with your best friend from your younger years?

I am Nujood, Age 10 and Divorced

I am Nujood, Age 10 and Divorced by Nujood All with Delphine Minoui

Nujood is a heroine to little girls all over Yemen because she stood up to her husband and parents by obtaining a divorce at age 10.  She is the first child bride in Yemen to obtain a divorce and her plight to end her marriage ended in International attention and the world came knocking on her door to learn her story.

Nujjod, age 9, was married against her will to a man in his thirties.  Her father arranged the marriage and on her wedding night she was raped by her husband.  She was a child who didn't understand what was happening to her and why her husband terrified and tortured her every night.  By day her mother-in-law refused to let her play with other children her age and made her work like other wives.  Nujood was able to escape her husband on a trip to visit her parents.  She ran to the courts in Yemen to demand a divorce, which was a incredible journey considering she was a unattended female in a Muslim country.

Note:  The picture is Nujood with her lawyer, Nasser.

Forced marriage of children is considered a violation of human rights and yet it happens all over the world, including right here in the U.S.  This story takes place in Yemen where most little girls are married by the age of 15 to men 30 years older than them.  Many girls are not educated, most are raped and many die young in childbirth.  It is major problem that is finally obtaining international attention.  The Yemeni government is trying to change the legal marriage age to 17 but most families choose ignore this, claiming it goes against Sharia or Islamic law.
                                                                                                      
"In Yemen, many factors drive fathers to marry off their daughters before they reach puberty.  Husnia al-Kadri reminds us that, poverty, local customs, and a lack of education play a role."  Family honor, the fear of adultery, the settling of scores between rival tribes-the reasons cited by parents are many and various.  Out in the countryside, adds al-Kadri, there is even a tribal proverb:  "To guarantee a happy marriage, marry a nine-year-old girl." Page 172.

Since Nujood has been divorced two other girls have have left their husbands and filed for divorce in Yemen.

I read this book aloud to my ninth grade Humanities class and it was very thought provoking.  The class and I learned a lot from Nujood.  I am very thankful that my 9 year old daughter never has to be forced into a marriage.  I am so thankful Nujood told her story in a book and I sincerely hope that women and men all over the world read this story.  My hope is that people all over the world will fight, help and educate women so that no one is forced to be a child bride.

Seriously, Read This Book!



 

How to Break a Dragon's Heart

How to Break a Dragon's Heart by Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III.  Translated from Old Norse by Cressida Cowell

This is the eighth book in the Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III series.

  Our adventure with Hiccup all began when I found a little book called How To Train Your Dragon and read it aloud to my son when he was around 6 or 7.  Since then we have become addicted to Hiccup and his crazy adventurous friends, Fishlegs and Camicazi. My favorite character is probably Toothless, a tiny little dragon who fits in Hiccup's shirt pocket and is a little stinker.    Toothless does the funniest things that make us laugh, like swallowing a magnet or pooping on Hiccup's father (Stoick the Vast's) bed.

I am not sure if this book has been released in the U.S. yet as Max and I can't wait long enough for it to arrive and always order the books from the United Kingdom as soon as they are available.  If you haven't heard of the Hiccup series than you are in for a rollicking adventure through the archipelago complete with man eating dragons and crazy fun characters.

How to Break a Dragon's Heart begins when Hiccup's friend Camacazi has disappeared and the Hooligan tribe were looking for her when they stumbled into Uglithug territory, dangerous ground for Vikings.   They landed on the haunted Beach of the Broken Heart where their boat sinks and they find a enormous throne.   Stoick the Vast exclaims "THUNDERING THIGHS AND GINGERY WHISKERS AND LITTLE TWIRLY BITS OF THE GREAT GOD THOR!"  pg 34 for now they would have to spend the night on the haunted island.  In the middle of the night, Ug the Uglithug shows up, and demands to know who is sending his lovely daughter Tantrum O'Ugerly love letters from the Hooligan Tribe.  Ug is threatening to kill every unmarried man in the tribe.

Oh what fun and unbelievable antics ensue as Hiccup tries to find Camacazi, save Fishlegs from being fed to enormous beast along with at least 10 other fiances, while being locked in a cage with a tiny little dragon who swallowed a mass of non-edibles.  It is hilarious and the pictures are brilliant.  Every boy I know under the age of 14 will love this book and the Hiccup series.

My son loves the Dragonese especially if done in a baby voice imitating the tiny dragon Toothless.  Here is an example of dragonese:
Toothless:  Me coglet ta cack-cack indi hovel,  Toothless, summa, yarra ista?
Hiccup's translation:  Toothless, I know you've done a poo in this room, now where is it?

Dear Cressida Cowell,  We want to know, can you write any faster?

Lucy's Hero. Remembering Paul Wellstone

Lucy's Hero.  Remembering Paul Wellstone by Karen Shragg
Illustrations by Bryan Klotz

Today is October 25th and it marks the anniversary of the deaths of United States Senator Paul Wellstone, his wife Sheila, daughter Marcia,  three campaign workers, Tom, Will and Mary, and two pilots whose plane went down in Northern Minnesota in 2002. The announcement of their deaths played over the radio at 1pm as I was driving to pick up my kids.  I remember that I had to pull over to the side of the road due to the tears in my eyes.  I did not personally know Paul or Sheila Wellstone but Marcia and I taught high school together at South High in White Bear Lake for a few years.  Paul Wellstone was a great senator and a great man and his loss meant that he would no longer be working for a better future for Minnesotans.  It was such as sad day. 

Lucy's Hero is a children's book that remembers Paul Wellstone as a hero to many Minnesotans.  Lucy is a fictional character but the details of Wellstone's senate race, the little green bus that could, and many other remembrances are real to many people.  Paul is Lucy's hero because when she writes to him to help her and other farmers in need of emergency aid, he follows through and helps her family keep their farm.  Lucy helps Paul campaign and when she learns of his death, heads to Saint Paul to grieve with others at his campaign headquarters.  It really is a lovely story.

Paul Wellstone taught Political Science at Carleton College, in Northfield, MN and his daughter Marcia taught high school Spanish.  Paul's students dared him to run for political office and that is when he bought a little green bus and drove it all over the state to campaign for the U. S. Senate.  It was a grassroots movement that Minnesota hasn't seen since.

I read this book aloud to my junior and senior Government class. Their current assignment is to write a children's book to teach concepts of Government and this book, I hoped, would prove inspiring as well as teach them about Paul Wellstone and his legacy.  Happily, one of my student chose the topic of how to become a U.S. Senator as the subject of her book.  I am going to continue to read this book to my Government classes and I plan to donate a copy to the school library where my own children attend school.  It is a important book that shares a legacy of a man, that all children should know.

The Sea of Monsters

The Sea of Monsters by Rick Riordan

Percy Jackson is my favorite 7th grade hero right now.  What I love about Percy is that he has ADHD, Dyslexia and is a demi-god.  My son and the author's son also have ADHD and Dyslexia and I think I have my son convinced he is a demi-god. My son faces challenges that other kids don't have to and so when a great character comes along in a book that faces similar challenges with courage, the book earns a big thumbs up.

Percy has just begun 7th grade at a new school and the year starts out great since no one has tried to kill him yet.  During gym class, he ends up playing a death match game of Dodge Ball and is forced to escape to Camp Half Blood for fear of being eaten by Cannibals.  (I loved this chapter).  Camp Half Blood is changed as Thalia's tree is poisoned and dying, Chiron is being blamed and forced to quit, Grover is dressed in a wedding gown ready to be married and eaten by his betrothed Cyclops and Percy must set off with Annabeth to the Sea of Monsters to save Grover and the camp.  It is a rollicking wild adventure and so much fun to read.  I only wish I could go to camp half blood. 

I read this book aloud to my two children this summer and just finished.  So it took me about 4 months to read 279 pages, complete with my unique voices.  I love Greek Mythology and I love that this series includes the myths with modern twist.   My kids are learning a lot and I have paired these books with George O'Connor's graphic novels on Zeus and Athena. 

If Percy Jackson and Harry Potter were to duel, I would be standing behind Percy rooting him on.  I cannot wait to read more of Percy's adventures.