Book Review: Hattie Big Sky by Kirby Larson

What a gift it is to have Sherry Early as a friend! Sherry has been my librarian “phone-a-friend” more and more of late. As I worked with my patron, I asked Sherry for a list of books suitable for a teen girl with strong morals. She has a particular interest in historical fiction and specifically Westward Expansion. She likes The Virginian, The Girl of the Limberlost, and Bargain Bride. She loves a great number of the classics. And, of late, she has been reading and re-reading Jennifer A. Nielsen because of her carefully researched and exciting wartime fiction. Sherry and I both appreciate Nielsen as well and so Sherry knew what we were after. 
Because I know that you will ask, here is a link to the list that Sherry compiled for me.Please remember that she made this list based on her standards for her library and in consideration of my needs. Please note that wherever either of us has reviewed the book, we have linked to that review and encourage you to read those reviews to determine the appropriateness of the recommendation for your needs. 
Read More: https://plumfieldandpaideia.com/hattie-big-sky/

Book Review: A Break With Charity by Ann Rinaldi

This book is utterly compelling. 
In the Author’s Note at the end of the book, Rinaldi explains that her research into the Puritan era revealed that “people went right from childhood into adulthood, with no benefit of an awkward age in between. An orphaned child was allowed to choose his or her own guardians at the age of fourteen; the laws applied to all persons of the age of sixteen, which was also the age at which boys were liable to serve in the military. On the other hand, the average age for marriage was twenty-two for women and twenty-seven for men… They had no amusements or entertainment. Music, dancing, and even the traditional holiday of Christmas were forbidden. Toys were nonexistent. Anyone caught with a doll or “poppet” was suspected of practicing forbidden arts. Meeting on Sunday lasted several hours. Reading consisted of studying the Bible.” 
 
https://plumfieldandpaideia.com/a-break-with-charity/

Book Review: Straw Into Gold by Gary D. Schmidt

I have to say, this is part of why I love Gary D. Schmidt. Because never have I wondered why Rumpelstiltskin wanted the boy prince. Never have I wondered why he was so insistent. Those questions simply would not occur to me. But I sure am glad they worked their way into Schmidt’s imagination, because this is a fairytale re-imagining that I found to be exciting, unpredictable, elegant, and thoughtful. Leave it to Schmidt to turn a fairy tale into 172 pages of a princeling’s coming-of-age story. And to do it in a way that was devoid of tired tropes and modern prejudices. This felt like a fairy tale unto itself, and I delighted in it. Read More: https://plumfieldandpaideia.com/straw-into-gold/

Book Review: Just Like That by Gary D. Schmidt

Just Like That is hard. Not Okay For Now hard, but hard. It is also lovely. And tearful. And sweet. Typical Gary D. Schmidt, it has several key literary influences that are obvious, but it also reminds me of things that are not mentioned in the text. Diane and I both thought that this one had strong roots in Oliver Twist and maybe a little bit of David Copperfield. I also felt like it reminded me of the Anne of Green Gables books and the Kevin Sullivan mini-series – “Anne of Green Gables: The Sequel,” specifically the Kingsport Ladies College scenes. While this one can absolutely be read as a standalone, it makes sense to have at least read The Wednesday Wars so that you know who Meryl Lee is. 
As I always try to do in my reviews, I will tell you enough about the story to catch its flavor, but I will try to avoid any real spoilers. That said, in the next paragraph, I need to talk about The Wednesday Wars. Something happens in the first paragraph of this book that is essential to your understanding of the rest of this story. If you do not wish to have any spoilers of any kind, know that this book opens with something shocking, and then Schmidt spends the rest of the book dealing with grief. I still think that Okay for Now is Schmidt’s most powerful work, but this one was very compelling and brilliant. Schmidt’s wife died in 2013, and while this book was published in 2021, I felt as though he let his characters carry his grief with him. Just Like That is tender and beautiful. Read More: https://plumfieldandpaideia.com/just-like-that/

Book Review: Okay for Now

"Of Schmidt’s three companion books, The Wednesday Wars, Okay for Now, and Just Like That, I think Okay for Now is the richest. The characters are full and believable and Doug’s growth over the school year is substantial. Doug finds himself surrounded by caring adults who see the best in him and mentor him through hard times." 
Don't miss our book club on this compelling book: 
https://plumfieldandpaideia.com/show-notes-okay-for-now-book-club/

Book Review: Lizzie Bright and the Buckminster Boy by Gary D. Schmidt

The title characters of this story are Lizzie Bright, a black American girl who lives with her grandfather on Malaga island, and Turner Buckminster, the son of a New England minister. Their friendship causes scandal and an awakening throughout the town. But, it ends in so much tragedy. This story is not hard, until it is. And once it is, it never gets much better. And it is all the worse because it is true. But, it is told well and is an excellent story to have in our hearts. Full Review: https://plumfieldandpaideia.com/lizzie-bright-and-the-buckminister-boy/ 

Book Review: The Drovers Road Trilogy by Joyce West

https://plumfieldandpaideia.com/drovers-road-trilogy/

Book Review: The Iron Ring by Lloyd Alexander

“The dazzling mythology of ancient India has always delighted and fascinated me… India’s national epics, the Mahabharata and the Ramayana, are profound, powerful masterpieces that rival the Iliadand the Arthurian legend. Admittedly, this mythology may seem alien, strange, even forbiddingly complex. As in any encounter with a different culture, what appears difficult or incomprehensible quickly grows familiar. The farther we journey through its rich landscape, the more we understand that what lies beneath the brilliant, exotic surface is, in essence, a world we recognize. The warrior’s code of honor, for example, is nearly identical with the knightly code of chivalry. Earth-shaking clashes between good and evil, courageous heroines and gallant heroes, steadfast love, daring rescues, loss and recovery, these are elements in our universal heritage of story” – from Lloyd Alexander’s Author’s Note in The Iron Ring

Book Review: Words on Fire by Jennifer A. Nielsen

Perhaps because it is historical fiction (one of my favorite genres), this modern book doesn’t feel quite like a modern book. It does have a certain pacing and dialogue style that is more typical of some modern books, but I enjoyed it and felt that it had a timelessness to it. In fact, as I was reading, it reminded me of Alta Halverson Seymour’s Tangled Skein or maybe a little bit of Hilda van Stockum’s Borrowed House. Both authors told powerful stories about teens in wartime that edified while they entertained. This story is also a good one for our teens to chew on. I suspect that we will do this one as a book club. And I look forward to reading more of her wartime novels.Full review here: https://plumfieldandpaideia.com/words-on-fire/

Book Review: Please Return to the Lands of Luxury by Jon Tilton

In this interesting and compelling new story, author Jon Tilton invites middle-grade readers into a modern fairy tale about a girl who embarks on a hero’s journey in order to right a wrong. 
Discount Code: PLUMFIELD
https://plumfieldandpaideia.com/please-return-to-the-lands-of-luxury/