 Crushing the Red Flowers by Jennifer Voigt KaplanMy rating: 3 of 5 stars This is a solid middle grade historical fiction, but I do feel like there are better options. This book has unique perspective from the lives of two German boys living among the growing anti-Semitism that led to Kristallnacht and eventually the Holocaust. Emil is a funny, tubby kid that just likes to explore and get dirty in mud puddles, trying hard to ignore the growing stress among his Jewish family. The other, Friedrich, is a member of the Hitler Youth. Friedrich questions his cruel leader and the group's drastic changes from what started as fun scouting experiences to hate-filled speeches and brutal attacks against Jews. The boys eventually cross paths and have to determine what truths they really believe in. "The Night of Broken Glass" is a peak moment in the book, and it was chilling to read how the characters experienced this awful event. The main issue I have with this book is that the boys' voices read much younger and felt more childish than what a middle grade book deserves. View all my reviews
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PrologueOne of the things we've been doing at home a lot more than normal during the stay-at-home order is cooking and baking. Lancaster Cupcake and many other local businesses are offering carry-out and delivery. They even have take-home decorating kits that would be perfect to battle the boredom with kids. Turning Pages
 I have a confession to make. I didn't read this book. GASP!! However, both of my daughters did, and they give it glowing reviews. So instead of my input, I'm going to sum up their review of the first book in this middle grade Wendy Mass series. It's a perfect combination for a blog entry about sweets. I debated using Charlie and the Chocolate Factory as it's an absolute old favorite of mine, but ultimately decided to give my kiddos the opportunity to be the book reviewers. Kid Review Summed Up:
Four kids enter a competition to make their own candy. The winner gets to have their candy creation made for the public. Each of the kids narrates his or her own view of the competition. One kid, Phillip, is really snobby. Daisy is a spy. Logan is the real candymaker's son. Miles is shy and appreciates the way words sound. It's really cool the way it's written because you learn secrets about the characters in each new part. This book is exciting and makes you want to turn the pages quickly. 
Looking for a middle grade series full of adventure and treasure hunting? Although the 39 Clues is not my cup of tea, my girls, ages 8 and 11, absolutely love them and highly recommend them. If you don't have access to the print versions, look for digital copies in Libby by adding your local public library's digital collection or if in PA, set up a free account at the Free Library of Philadelphia.
 One False Note by Gordon KormanMy rating: 3 of 5 stars I really didn't think I could handle another one of these books, but my kids love them. As much as I dislike the characters and dialogue, I can appreciate the adventure. They forced me to listen to another one, and it was slightly more tolerable than the last. This time Amy and Dan Cahill travel with their au pair to Vienna and Venice to continue tracking the clues leading to their family's powerful secret. All of their adventurous locations revolve around the famed composer, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. The interesting thing about this series is that each book is written by a different author. I was hoping they'd get bored with it, but they already begged to start number three. Clearly the series holds major appeal to the younger set. View all my reviews |
