OWLS IN THE FAMILY by Farley Mowat We've been seeing some owls recently. Traveling back and forth to basketball practice in the dark, there's a stretch of road where it's not uncommon to see an owl swope out in front of the headlights. It's magical. It's a length of country road with no houses, just acres of fields with a few trees that sporadically dot the landscape. All of a sudden, a winged guide drops down in the car's lights and leads us up and down the hilly terrain before disappearing into the darkness. I love owls. Sightings like this are one of the things that makes the half hour commute to practice worth living out in the country. Since I have owls on the brain I thought I'd share one of our favorite owl stories today. Owls in the Family is a delightful chapter book based on the childhood adventures of author Farley Mowat and his two owls, Wol and Weeps. Set in Saskatchewan, Canada, this story will have you laughing at all the antics this unlikely trio gets into. Everything you can imagine happening does with some extras thrown in - skunks, a postman, the minister, school you name it! Highly recommend!

BERNSTEIN BEARS I don't think we ever outgrow Bernstein Bear books. Whenever a certain daughter of mine spots the books at the bookstore, she checks them out to see if one needs to come home with us and join our collection. Her latest pick is The Bernstein Bears and the Prized Pumpkin. Papa and the Cubs have decided that it's time to grow the biggest pumpkin and compete at the fair. It doesn't really matter if the competition they're up against has been winning for years. Trying something new and good healthy competition are all great things.The only problem is that for our favorite bears the only accepted outcome is winning. Ouch! That expectation can be painful, but leave it to Mama Bear to wrap the experience up with a great lesson and a positive outcome

THE OLDEST STUDENT: HOW MARY WALKER LEARNED TO READ by Rita Lorraine Hubbard. Illustrated by Oge Mora Recently, my youngest daughter was memorizing a poem entitled "Learning to Read" by Frances Ellen Watkins Harper. Listening to her recite the lines about an African American woman named Chloe who learns to read at about the age of sixty reminded me of a very moving picture book about another woman who learns to read much later in life. Mary Walker, also African American, learned to read when she was 116 years old. Both women were born slaves but desired to read their Bible, and even though they were told it's too late, they persevered. Learning is such a gift that we take for granted. The ability to read , to be able to open a book and learn about endless topics, eclipses just about any earthly treasure (excluding people). Our children may complain about the repetitious lessons - sounding out words or memorizing sight words, but the gift they receive in exchange far outweighs the time spent. So when your children need a little reminder that learning is a blessing, as mine sometimes do, reach for this book about Mary Walker and let her story speak to your children.

HOW TO CATCH A TURKEY by Adam Wallace and Andy Elkerton Do you have a young one who struggles with stage fright? If so, this fun Thanksgiving read may be just the ticket to help them see things in a new way. Written in rhyming verse, the turkey takes off when he finds out he has a front and center spot on the stage during the Thanksgiving play. Leading everyone on a wild goose chase through the school, this humorous story will keep readers laughing right up to the point the turkey decides that maybe the stage isn't so bad after all.

SUBURBAN DANGERS by Megan Whitson Lee I recently decided it was time to purchase a Christian YA read to try, so I settled on Suburban Dangers. While this is a difficult read due to heaviness of content, I do feel that it is pertinent to today's youth. Let's start this post with a look at the author. Megan Whitson Lee is a current high school English teacher in Virgina. Increasingly concerned about the high school trafficking, sexting, drug epidemic, etc that are currently on the rise with our youth, she penned this book. Kaki Jones is your typical high schooler. A good student and decent in track, she flows along with life and doesn't cause worry or concern for her parents who keep her needs met, but don't pay her a lot of attention. That is until she befriends the new girl in school, Sydney. Sydney's popular, and she already seems to know everybody. When she introduces Kaki to an older guy, Damien, that has taken an interest in her, Kaki is seriously flattered. She just doesn't know what Damien's true intentions are. They aren't innocent. Before she realizes what's going on and with the aid of some heavy duty manipulation, Kaki becomes the latest victim of high school trafficking for a local gang. There is no other way to say it, but this book is heartbreaking and as raw as it gets. It doesn't go into intimate details behind closed doors, but the reader understands without a shadow of a doubt what is going on and how slippery the slope is paved by attention, compliments, gifts, and threats. Trafficking isn't the only topic dealt with in the book. Heavy duty alcohol and drug use, sexting and pornography are all included, because frankly, when trafficking is involved so are all of these. While the characters in this story are broken almost beyond repair by the end of the story, notice I said almost. Lee doesn't leave the reader with complete despair and hopelessness. She serves a Savior who is a master at repairing shattered lives, and He shines through the darkness of this story. I will just leave you with this. Know where your teens are. Know what they are doing. Know who their friends are. I'm not suggesting helicopter parenting, but I am advocating for accountability parenting.

PAWN'S PLAY ( BOOK 2 IN THE BLACKGAARD CHRONICLES) BY Phil Lollar Now that Connie and Eugene have lost their jobs at Whit's End for completely disregarding his rules with the complex computer program, Applesauce, they are both on the hunt for new employment. Eugene ends up working at Campbell Community College in their IT Department. It doesn't take long to figure out that a grade changing scheme is going on. There's some intense complications in whose behind it and why. Eugene will be faced with some tough decisions. Meanwhile, Connie spends her summer at Camp-What-A-Nut as a girls' counselor. Ironically, she ends up in a position where she has to enforce a difficult rule with the last person she would have guessed would be a rule breaker. This series continues to be a fun, yet convicting read. There are reasons that rules are created, and when they are broken, there's no getting away from the consequences.

THE NARNIA CODE by Michael Ward When I first started into The Narnia Code, I have to admit I was thinking "this is interesting, but do I really care?" I really don't like putting words in authors' mouths or stating what I think motives are behind authors when they're dead and can't weigh in on the discussion. However, the more I read this book, the more interesting it became, and I feel that we can extend some credibility to author Michael Ward as he is the senior research fellow of Blackfriars Hall at the University of Oxford and worked as a warden/curator of The Kilns (Lewis's home), even sleeping in his old bedroom and using his study. With all of that being said, I do keep front and center the fact that Lewis is not here and therefore cannot validate the information, but boy is it interesting. As a child Ward loved The Chronicles of Narnia but was bothered by some of the unique characters that Lewis included such as Father Christmas or Bacchus in the books. They seemed almost randomly placed in the story, unanchored by the point of the plot. Knowing that Lewis was a deep thinker, it never quite sat right with Ward that they weren't placed there purposely. The more Ward read Lewis's additional writings the more he became aware of overlapping elements until he stumbled upon what he felt was the "key" to unlocking "The Narnia Code." The explanation that Ward presents in his book is an interesting possibility, and he offers a fair amount of "evidence" to support his theory. This book is not just a surface read book. It is deep, and I feel that it's one that I really need to read a few times to ponder the explanations given. It did hold my interest and oftentimes I would have to set it aside and digest the offerings. It is a book that will make it to my personal shelf, and I will visit again.

RASCO AND THE RATS OF NIMH by Jane Leslie Conly. Illustrated by Leonard Lubin. Most of you probably know by now that Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH is one of my all time favorite reads from my upper elementary years. I think it was one of you wonderful members that told me there was a second book written by a different author. RASCO and the Rats of NIMH is the continuing story of Timothy Frisby and a young rat named Rasco. Both are traveling to Thorn Valley for schooling from the NIMH rats, but RASCO has a secret that connects him to the rats that he doesn't want known. It's one that could threaten his very welcome at Thorn Valley. Meanwhile the existence of Thorn Valley is threatened. Humans have invaded the space and a new dam is under construction that would completely flood the valley taking out the rats' compound. Having left all their technology behind when they moved, the rats are scrambling to figure out how to stop the dam. While not as well written as Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH, RASCO and the Rats of NIMH is still an entertaining read with some great lessons that make it worth the time.

THE PERFECT PLACE by Matt de la Pena. Illustrated by Paola Escobar It's easy in life to look at our situation and think that others have it so much better. If only things could be perfect. Lucas longs for perfection. He's embarrassed by his family and their lifestyle. One night he gets to experience what he thinks perfection would look like. But what does it mean to really be perfect and is it worth the price to have it? While not a fall or traditional Thanksgiving book, this wonderful picture book can open up some great conversation in your home as it encourages readers to be thankful for the blessings in their lives.

YOU ARE MY SUNSHINE by Sean Dietrich You Are My Sunshine is one of those special nonfiction books that comes along that challenges us not to wait in life to attempt really big things. When Sean's wife, Jamie, finds out she has cancer, she makes Sean promise on the other side of all of this, they'll do something "really big." Her "really big" happens to be a bicycle adventure on the Great Allegheny Passage and the C&O Canal Towpath, a grand total of 519 miles. I think I failed to mention something. Sean Dietrich doesn't bike. Forced to honor his promise to his wife, she researches and purchases a bike for herself and a trike for Sean, and they set out on their grand adventure together. Get ready to experience lots of laughs, frustrations, fears, and about everything else you can imagine in this excellent book!

HOLMES MARPLE & POE by James Patterson and Brian Sitts If you have followed this page for any length of time then you know that I am a huge fan of mystery. You also know that Sherlock Holmes and Miss Marple are some of my favorite protagonists. With that being said, there was no way I could pass up a book with this title. Holmes, Marple, and Poe are a mysterious trio that have recently opened their own PI agency. No one really knows much about them. Their personalities definitely bear a bit of resemblance to their namesakes in their habits and methods, but are they truly related to the well-known figures from the past? Positioning themselves ingeniously in the midst of crimes that local law enforcement are struggling to solve, Holmes, Marple, and Poe bring their extraordinary skills into the midst of murder, abduction, and art theft. With multiple, intense cases swirling around them, the average person would be lost, but as each steps up to take point in one of the cases, little by little the facts fall into place and what is left are answers. There is a lot to be aware of in this book. HEADS UP- Language including f-bombs. The first case revolves around a lesbian relationship. Poe has multiple sexual encounters. Holmes is a drug addict. He ODs once. He attempts suicide once. In the end he seeks help for his addiction.

THE SECRET LIVES OF BOOK SELLERS AND LIBRARIANS by James Patterson and Matt Eversmann Why no rating on this one? Well, that would be because I QUIT this book. Ninety-six pages in and this book, which is divided into short "chapters" dedicated to bookstore owners and librarians, has mentioned three separate times by three separate people that they recommend James Patterson books. I really am sitting here asking myself if I just paid for a hardcover book for this author to advertise to me? I'm done. What a shame! It could have been such a great book!