The Windeby Puzzle by Lois Lowry

5 + stars Middle School/YA

Wowza! I read this book on a car trip and well, my husband heard it secondhand as I couldn’t stop talking about it. Lois Lowry is one of my all-time favorite authors and she really had me along for the ride on this one. I was thinking more of a young children’s novel when I originally picked this one up but it turned into quite a tale for all ages. Based on a true account, this story was such an enjoyable story.

I was first whisked away to Germany in the middle of 1952 when I opened this book for a group of workers were working in a bog, digging up some peat. What? Lois went into a discussion about these words which seemed foreign to me: peat and bog. Back in the day, this area sounded like a spooky area with some hidden dangers which could have been fun depending on the individual. While the workers were digging, they discovered some bones. Animal bones? No, human. This was not something for the police but it was a human body that had been buried in the bog. Come to find out, over the years, there have been hundreds of bodies that have been found buried in bogs. This was crazy!

The one that they discovered that day was a young child that they believed to be a female. They found some interesting traits on her body which I’ll let you can read about but yep, I totally intrigued about bog bodies and how this this body in Germany was going to be related to the story I had in my hand. Scientists had some theories as to why this young girl died in the bog, at the age of thirteen which I found very interesting. Actually, I found all this information about the bog very interesting and now, I was interested in these bog bodies. Giving this girl a name, which they do to all bog bodies, Windeby Girl was born.

Lois was also intrigued with Windeby Girl and she decided to create a story about her. With her research in hand, Lois constructed a story about a girl named Estrild who became just as real to Lois as the bog girl was that the workers discovered. Lois wanted to recreate what she thought her life was like before she ended up in the bog. Using research and her creativity, Lois weaves a story about Estrild, a girl whose death still remains a mystery.

Lois breaks down the book into chapters, five to be exact. There is History (where this story comes from), Estrild’s Story, History (Lois takes her story and relates that to the history of the Windeby Girl), Varick’s Story (Estrild’s best friend in the book), and History (Lois thoughts and more history about this discovery). Each chapter begins with some black-n-white illustrations, a central theme running through them.

Estrild wants to be a warrior. She doesn’t want to follow in the footsteps of the women before her, she wants more. The males were the individuals who were celebrated and rewarded in their community for who they were. The females on the other hand, Estrild noticed, grew tired and worn. Women worked until their bodies could take no more and for what reason? Estrild wanted to change all that, she wanted to give women an option.

Varick is Estrild’s best friend. From a young age, Estrild noticed how special he was and their friendship grew over the years. Varick has been on his own since he was very young and because of his health, he will not be able to carry a weapon like Estrild hopes to do. What will happen to Varick, I don’t know but I worry about him as the days pass. Estrild knows that Varick knows how to become a warrior and she asks for his help. Early morning sessions has Varick assisting Estrild in the ways of the warrior. I enjoyed these secret meeting. She’s determined to learn and be successful and he’s aiding her although, he knows how wrong it is. The Councilor’s will call forward each new warrior at the spring ceremony and this is the day that Estrild is looking forward to.

It’s the spring ceremony and Estrild is standing amongst the young boys waiting for her name to be called. The anticipation is building and I’m just waiting for something dramatic to occur. Estrild wasn’t prepared for what happens next and neither was I but Estrild must act quickly to try and get control of the situation. Estrild, oh girl……I don’t know if you’re this strong?!? I was enjoying Estrild’s and Varick’s relationship and I wasn’t looking forward to the day Estrild would try to make a name for herself. There is no going back and now, everything has changed. There are more twists to the story and what a fantastic ending to this book, amazing!! 5+ stars!!!

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Windeby_I

Nana Loves You More by Jimmy Fallon

5 stars Children’s Picture Book

Yes, Nana does love you more. As a Nana, I can say I do love this book. My grandson and I make comments to each other like the ones printed in this book but to have a book that puts it all in print, my heart was full. I like the size of the book too, it’s a square. The text is simple and sweet. The text says a lot, the illustrations are bright, colorful and grab your attention. Thank you, Jimmy Fallon. 5++stars

“Nana will read to you and sing you to sleep. And fill you with memories that you’ll always keep.” “More that cats with SUPER cat powers.”

Endlessly Ever After: Pick Your Path to Countless Fairy Tale Endings! by Laurel Synder

5 stars Children’s Fairy Tale Retelling

Holy Mogoly! This book is just amazing! I started this book over and over again and every time, I got a different outcome. It truly was one terrific book. If you love children’s books, love fairy tales, love twisted stories, or just love choose your own path stories, this book is for you.

Let me start by saying that this is an oversized children’s book which provides the reader with some pretty fantastic illustrations. The faces and the drama that occurs in this book falls right into your lap as you open this book. When the author says “ENDLESS VARIATIONS” they definitely mean it. As I read this, Little Red Riding Hood ran into characters from other Fairy Tales including Hansel & Gretel, Sleeping Beauty, Jack, Snow White, the wolf, a witch, a goose, some piggies, and a grandma.

Little Red is headed to her grandma’s with a cake, Rosie as she is known in this story needs to pick out a coat to wear. Does she wear her favorite red cape or a cozy faux fur coat? This first choice will have you turning to page 6 or page 20. What will it be?

If you chose the red cape, you (Rosie) find a wolf waiting on the path. Oh, no! He looks ornery and he starts asking you lots of questions. You (Rosey) wish you’d never seen him or talked to him. But now what do you do? Go back home and start over tomorrow or continue on your journey?

If you chose the cozy faux fur coat, you’re (Rosie)skipping along but you soon notice a different house on the path. Do you knock and meet these new neighbors or do you continue on to grandmas?

You never knew what awaited you when you turned the page on this book. Was it is a good choice or a bad choice? I thought that each time I created a new story, it wasn’t a short, senseless story but it was fun. I enjoyed making all the choices that I got to make and the illustrations were amazing and they really helped make each story great. I can’t say enough about this book except you have to read it – you really do!! 10 stars+++

Four for the Road by K.J. Reily

5+ stars Fiction YA

“We’re all just trying really hard to cling to something we’re not entirely sure can hold us up.”

I read this book over 2 months ago yet as I think about these characters and their story, I am reliving every moment of this fantastic book! It’s only been 12 months, 3 weeks, 1 day, 6 hours, and 14 minutes since Asher’s mother died. As the thick smoke fills the house and makes seeing the television screen impossible, Asher continues watching the television as the fire consumes his home. In the hospital, the support groups that Asher initially walks into provides more than just support for him.

Asher meets a variety of individuals and I loved every single one of them. With unique personalities and stories, these individuals have so much to offer while still dealing with their own issues.

“We’re all just trying really hard to cling to something we’re not entirely sure can hold us up.”

As the groups gathers, Asher hears his own struggles and pain coming from the mouths of those around him. These individuals know the battles and scars that he has, he’s not walking alone.

“I’m not completely alone in my head with this monster.”

Asher needs closure so he can move on and these individuals are there for him. With a list of questions, Asher decides to find the answers. It’s a road trip and Asher is not going alone. The new friends that he includes in this ride are perfect. I was smiling, laughing, and enjoying this car trip so much. What a ride! The group does more than just get answers to Asher’s questions, they have an adventure. Everyone benefits from this excursion.

With short chapters, fun and entertaining characters, this was one book that I couldn’t put down. I enjoyed the author’s use of language as there were many great passages inside this book. I thought the author did a great job handling the topics covered inside this book. One of the best books I read this year. I highly recommend it!!! 5+ stars

“Then I start thinking about how many grieving groups they would need to have just for the 10,262 people killed last year by drunk drivers and how there just aren’t enough days in the week to take care of that many people with dead family members so I just sit down on the garage steps and think about hammers and baseball bats and then my dad sits down next to me.”

The School for Good Mothers by Jessamine Chan

What if your “very bad day” suddenly became your worst nightmare? Frida’s drive to get a coffee and a few papers at the office ended up being a 2-hour excursion, which wouldn’t have been such a big deal, but she left her toddler at home, alone. Luckily, her daughter was okay but Frida was turned into authorities. For her irresponsible behavior, she must now face the consequences.

Welcome to The School for Good Mothers, a new rehabilitation program for mothers, who need help to become better mothers. There are many reasons why the mothers that attend this school have been listed on the roster. When Frida joins the ranks, she finds herself amongst a variety of different women which makes this story very interesting and intense at times. During their time at the facilities, the mothers are given rules which they must abide by or they will pay the consequences. The mothers are also given a variety of different tests which will be graded. They need to pass them or they will have to pay the consequences. These mothers will be pushed physically and mentally and the tension will run high as these mothers strive to succeed and prove to themselves and others just who they are. Frida’s 2-hour excursion cost her a year in this facility but the physical and mental cost will go beyond that time period.

I loved this book, I seriously did. I can’t stop thinking about it and I talk to everyone about it. I loved how all the genes of the book came together and I enjoyed how this book made me think. As I read, I kept thinking about how wrong the idea of this school was, yet I thought perhaps we should have schools like this for other criminal offenses. I also thought who were the people who ran these schools and put these individuals there? Do they make the rules based on personal decisions or is there a standard that everyone must abide by? There is so much going on in this book, from the father’s program, the phone privileges, the relationships, the evaluations, every part of this story and its characters, I enjoyed so much. Getting close to the end, the tears were falling down my face; I didn’t want this story to end but I wanted to know how it was going to end. This book was exactly what I needed and I really enjoyed it.

“You can’t just have the cow jump over the moon, Frida. You need to have the cow consider his place in society. If you’re telling the Red Riding Hood story, you need to talk about the kinds of woods, the kind of food in her basket.” ………” How was Little Red feeling as she made her journey in the woods? Ask those open-ended questions. Get the children thinking. You’re teaching her about being a girl.”

“Everyday, she’ll learn about girlhood from you.”

What! Cried Granny an Almost Bedtime Story by Kate Lum

This book is hilarious! Granny is amazing and Patrick innocence is charming. I didn’t like the illustrations when I first read the book but after looking at them, they fit the book. The illustrations are quirky and different. It most definitely should be read at bedtime and then, read it anytime!

Patrick is spending the night at his Granny’s house for the very first time. It’s getting dark so Patrick is asked to get ready for bed. But there is a problem. Remember, this is Patrick’s first time staying over with his Granny, so he doesn’t have a bed. Big problem? Nope! Granny runs out the door, chops down one of the tall trees growing in the yard, takes it to her workroom and creates Patrick a bed with her tools. Wowza! She did all that while carrying her purse on her arm. Granny now has blue paint splattered on her apron from painting the bed but with the red mattress on it, Patrick is ready!

But wait, Granny mentions a pillow and Patrick doesn’t have one. WHAT? Yep, Granny to the rescue! Granny does have some chickens, some cloth, thread and a needle. A little later, Patrick has a pillow! Do you see how this book is set up? It’s so comical. Granny is running around getting things ready so Patrick can go to sleep and Patrick, well he’s playing with a variety of toys and watching TV., waiting for Granny. Now, that Patrick has a pillow, Granny tells Patrick to climb into his bed (has that now), lay his head on his pillow (got that now), pull the blanket up (WHAT, no blanket yet), AND ……. (off we go again)

This is a hoot! Granny is amazing, she can do almost anything! Patrick is so lucky to have her. I’m going to have to find a copy of this book. It’s a keeper.

To listen to the story:

Just Beyond the Very, Very Far North by Dan Bar-el

I was thrilled to see this sequel because after I had read the first book in this series, I needed more of Duane and his friends. I love the way that the author narrates the books and I really enjoy the characters. It’s how the characters relate to one another, how they view themselves in their world and their own unique personalities that make these characters stand out. You don’t need to have previously read the first book to enjoy this book in the series but I highly recommend that you read it because you’ll love it.

His winter slumber is over, as Duane walks out to find his friends and they bring him up-to-date on what he has missed. Starving, the friends head down to the beach for a picnic. They were a great, cheerful group of friends but now, a new face has arrived and he’s causing waves among the small group. It seems that this weasel has a comment about everything and everyone. They’re such a tight group of friends that, when one of them is affected by the weasel, the whole group is impacted. That darn weasel!

There were some great moments in the book, moments that made me smile and laugh. I loved how Duane removed the snow without using a shovel. If only that would work in real life, I would love to be able to do that. As I sit here now, in Iowa with over 14 inches of snow on the ground, I’m thinking I could roll myself a nice-sized fort. The concern and the effort that the characters put forth for Duane and Boo was so sweet. That’s what friends do for each other and they each did what they wanted and what they were capable of doing also. I can’t wait to see how much Musk Ox changed, if any, when he returns back to the Very, Very Far North. I was afraid that he was going to be gone for a while but I’m glad to see that he’s coming back shortly. I enjoyed the letter he wrote.

This was a great sequel and I can’t wait to share it with my grandchildren when they get older. It’d make a great read aloud or it’s a great chapter book.

Sweet Child o’ Mine by Guns N’ Roses

I absolutely adored the cover of this book when I first laid eyes upon it. This song has tons of memories attached to it and I couldn’t wait to read it. Picking it up from the library, I sat inside my car, reading and singing the words to myself, as I looked through the pages before driving home. What a great tribute to a fantastic song as this child reminds us that music is everywhere around us.

The energy that this book projects is powerful as the young girl hangs out with her father. The sights and sounds of the world around her, spin out on the page from the windchimes, to the bees and butterflies on the flowers. She’s enjoying the open countryside with her father until a storm whips up nearby. They find refuge at a market that is having a music festival where they can forget their troubles for a while. The storm passes as the song continues, the pages are turning and “Where do we go? Where do we go now?” becomes the question as they head outside to finish out their day. With fantastic illustrations and the text, that will leave you singing their song in your head, this book is one that you’ll need to check out. Thank you Guns n’ Roses, for taking me there, I really enjoyed it. 5 stars

Bird Hugs by Ged Adamson

What a fantastic uplifting book! Bernard is different, I mean really different. He’s a bird with really long wings. While all the other birds are learning how to fly, Bernard is grounded. He’s tried to fly but it didn’t work out. He’s had a few friends who have encouraged him but things just haven’t worked out. Eventually, everyone leaves him as they’re birds, as they fly off to find themselves new homes which leaves Bernard sad and then, I’m sad just thinking about him.

One evening Bernard hears something that changes his life forever. Bernard discovers that the noise is someone who is more heartbroken than he is. Wanting to help, Bernard wraps his long wings around the sobbing orangutan and gives him a huge hug. This hug is a huge success for the both of them.

I really enjoyed this book. I thought it was great that Bernard tried to come up with solutions to his issue and that he became emotional during this time. We can’t deny our feelings and Bernard definitely felt many emotions coming to terms with his gift. I loved that Bernard went out of his way to find the source of the noise when he heard it and that he did what came nature to him, when he saw that it was the orangutan. The ending was fantastic and it left a huge smile on my face. I need this book! It reminded me of the book, Donna O’Neeshuck Was Chased by Some Cows which I have loved for years.

Until Tomorrow, Mr. Marsworth by Sheila O’Connor

Covers can be deceiving and this one truly was. I thought the cover of this book looked dull yet the inside of the book was just the opposite. Written in letter correspondence, I found myself on an incredible journey with Reen, as she tries to save her family. What started out as a business correspondence between Reen and Mr. Marsworth turned into something more impressive than they both expected.

Reen and her older two brothers have been living with their grandma, since their mother’s death. Since Reen has no other friends, she hangs out with her youngest brother Dare.

Mr. Marsworth was a customer on Reen’s paper route and she needed important information to do her job. Known as a loner/recluse, Reen (11), takes to paper and pencil to get the answers she needs. In his responsive letter, he’s right to the point but that’s not the end of this. Reen keeps the letters flying a few times back and forth. Reen is a talker but in this case, a writer, and so she does, to Mr. Marsworth. Soon, it’s just Reen writing and waiting, waiting for a reply from her new friend. I really got impatient and angry too, why wasn’t he responding to her and when she pleaded to him to respond, what was he doing?

Reen begins to pour out her heart to Mr. Marsworth in her letters. It’s not just the newspaper information she needs now but she needs a friend, someone she can talk to. I could feel the love, the anxiety and the desperation in her words as she wrote. She wrote him about her day, her issues and she’d ask him some questions. She found that there are some questions that Mr. Marsworth just couldn’t answer. Those questions were too difficult and/or he just wasn’t ready to answer them for her. How Reen handled this really said a lot about Reen, I thought. What she had with Mr. Marsworth meant more to her than the answers. Now, that is good stuff!

The story occurs in 1968 when the Vietnam War was on everyone’s mind including Reen’s. Her old brother, Billy’s future is on the line: college, sign up for the military, or be drafted? For Reen, there is only one answer and she’s determined to make that happen.

Reen also has been corresponding with a soldier in the war. She received his name from her teacher as part of a project. Reen now knows first-hand what war is all about. I loved how she takes this project seriously and how much time she devotes to it.

That ending was fabulous! I had suspected something an ending like that but nothing as involved as that. I had to get out the tissues as the tears were flowing and I couldn’t stop them. What an awesome book!! Good heavens!! Can someone erase my brain so I can read it over again?? I loved it!