Ginger Pye

Emmeline got assigned Ginger Pye by Eleanor Estes for a Newbery book report at school, so I decided to read it too so I could better help with the assignment if needed. This book was the Newbery winner in 1952. It is about Jerry and his sister Rachel who get a pet dog they name Ginger. The book follows their adventures with their dog--until their dog disappears on Thanksgiving Day. Jerry and Rachel are determined to find their pup that they love so much.

This was a great read. I've read some children's books that were written a long time ago (like Half Magic), and I felt like they weren't quite as good as this one. This one was just written so well from a child's perspective and had some funny, clever parts that just made me chuckle (like how the parents met, and Benny saying his name was "Uncle Benny"). It was also fun to read knowing Emmeline was ahead of me in her own reading of it and was really enjoying it.

Rating: * * * (3/3 = Loved it)

Roll with It

I saw Roll with It by Jamie Sumner recommended on the A Mighty Girl Facebook page. It is about 12-year-old Ellie who has cerebral palsy and is in a wheelchair. She and her mom move to a new state to help take care of her grandpa with dementia, and Ellie has to transition to a new school.

This was a fun read. I was engaged, finished it quickly, and enjoyed the story. I didn't enjoy it quite as much as similar types of books like Wonder or Out of My Mind, partially because the characters seemed a little bit too exaggerated or stereotypical. I really do love distinct characters, but these seemed a little more forced to me than some books. The author's note in the back said that the author's son has cerebral palsy, which made me really like that the perspective for Ellie was authentic. I thought it was a good read and will probably recommend it to my daughter to read.

Rating: * * (2/3 = Liked it)

Other Words for Home

I saw Other Words for Home by Jasmine Warga recommended online and got it from the library. The book is about Jude, who leaves Syria with her mother to live with relatives in the United States. She has to leave behind her older brother and father and adjust to a new world as a refugee in America.

This was a wonderful book. It is written in verse, which I always enjoy. The story was really meaningful and super applicable to today's world. I loved getting a glimpse into the life of a refugee/immigrant, including parts about the ESL class, for example. Great read. This is another one that would be great for Emmeline in a couple years.

Rating: * * * (3/3 = Loved it)

White Bird

I heard that R.J. Palacio wrote another Wonder story--a graphic novel called White Bird--so I checked it out from the library. This book elaborates on the Julian chapter of the original book and tells Grandmere's story as a young Jewish girl during the Holocaust.

This was a beautiful, powerful read. I loved the graphic novel format for the book, and the author did a great job telling the story. I read in the afterward that this book was meant to be an introduction to the Holocaust for children. Emmeline would not be emotionally ready for this book now (age 9), but I would love for her to read it in a couple years. I'd highly recommend this read!

Rating: * * * (3/3 = Loved it)

Wish

I saw Wish by Barbara O'Connor at my daughter's book fair last year and finally got around to putting it on hold at the library. Here's the book description from Amazon: "Eleven-year-old Charlie Reese has been making the same secret wish every day since fourth grade. She even has a list of all the ways there are to make the wish, such as cutting off the pointed end of a slice of pie and wishing on it as she takes the last bite. But when she is sent to the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina to live with family she barely knows, it seems unlikely that her wish will ever come true. That is, until she meets Wishbone, a skinny stray dog who captures her heart, and Howard, a neighbor boy who proves surprising in lots of ways. Suddenly Charlie is in serious danger of discovering that what she thought she wanted may not be what she needs at all."

I loved this book! It was so well-written, and the story just took me along on Charlie's heart-wrenching journey of discovering herself. I loved all the supporting characters like Bertha and Gus and Howard and Mrs. Odom. I was happy with how the book came together at the end and enjoyed the read. I'm recommending this to my daughter next.

Rating: * * * (3/3 = Loved it)

Beverly, Right Here

Beverly, Right Here by Kate DiCamillo is book three after Raymie Nightingale and Louisiana's Way Home. This book follows Beverly's story, a few months after the previous book ended. Here's the book description from Amazon: "Beverly Tapinski has run away from home plenty of times, but that was when she was just a kid. By now, she figures, it’s not running away. It’s leaving. Determined to make it on her own, Beverly finds a job and a place to live and tries to forget about her dog, Buddy, now buried underneath the orange trees back home; her friend Raymie, whom she left without a word; and her mom, Rhonda, who has never cared about anyone but herself. Beverly doesn’t want to depend on anyone, and she definitely doesn’t want anyone to depend on her. But despite her best efforts, she can’t help forming connections with the people around her — and gradually, she learns to see herself through their eyes."

This was another beautiful story with amazingly well-developed characters. The story was engaging, and although I didn't enjoy this one quite as much as the last, it was still a great read and a nice conclusion to the three stories.

Rating: * * (2/3 = Liked it)

Louisiana's Way Home

Louisiana's Way Home by Kate DiCamillo is the next book in the series after Raymie Nightingale. This book follows a second main character, Louisiana, and what happens to her months after Raymie Nightingale ended. The description from Amazon says it best: "When Louisiana Elefante’s granny wakes her up in the middle of the night to tell her that the day of reckoning has arrived and they have to leave home immediately, Louisiana isn’t overly worried. After all, Granny has many middle-of-the-night ideas. But this time, things are different. This time, Granny intends for them never to return. Separated from her best friends, Raymie and Beverly, Louisiana struggles to oppose the winds of fate (and Granny) and find a way home."

This book was even better than the first. It was so beautiful and heart-wrenching and well written. I loved the characters and became so emotionally involved in the story. Highly recommended.

Rating: * * * (3/3 = Loved it)