PRINCE CASPIAN by C.S. Lewis On to Prince Caspian! After being back in their own world for a year, the Pevensie children are about to catch trains to head to boarding school. The boys will be going one direction and the girls another. Suddenly, they are pulled out of the train station by magic and find themselves deposited on an overgrown island. They don't recognize anything, and it's clear no one has inhabited it for years. After searching and making discoveries, they realize they are in the ruins of Cair Paravel. Someone has blown Queen Susan's horn and called them out of their world. The rightful king and Narnia are in need of their help. Prince Caspian is a coming-of-age story. It highlights the character traits of honor, accepting one's responsibility, obedience (even when we can't see or understand), and standing up for right even if you are out numbered. As with all the Narnia books it is beautifully written and well worth the read.

PRISONER B-3087 by Alan Gratz Alan Gratz has done it again. He has written another heart wrenching story that makes you grateful to live in the time period you do, in the country you do. However, this one is based on the true story of Ruth and Jack Gruener. Isaac finished Prisoner B-3087 first and brought it to me saying, "You gotta read this one, Mom. It's better than Refugee!" I did read it, and it is AMAZING! Prisoner B-3087 is set in Poland when the Nazis come in and occupy it. It revolves around a boy named Yanek Gruner whose whole family and most of his neighbors are taken to concentration camps. What makes this book so amazing and different is that Yanek, himself, ends up living in ten different concentration camps where he is subjected to all kinds of inhumane treatment. It is unbelievable what he endures personally and what he sees. This book is not for the faint of heart. Heads Up- You are dealing with concentration camps and the constant moving of Jews to them. Sometimes people are taken out and shot. Sometimes they die in the train cars because they are packed in too tightly. Sometimes dogs get them, etc. etc. It is rough, but it is real.

THE BETRAYAL OF INVESTIGATION: A COLD CASE INVESTIGATION by Rosemary Sullivan The Betrayal of Anne Frank by Rosemary Sullivan has been my porch swing reading book over the past few days. I saw this book in the bookstore a couple months ago, put it in my pile, then put it back. When I got home I saw a news story that the Dutch publisher was suspending the publishing indefinitely. I called the bookstore and asked them to hold the book back for me until my next visit. I wanted to read what all the upset was about. I didn't realize how many times people have delved into the Anne Frank story trying to figure out how their hiding place was discovered. Was it betrayal? Was it just an unlucky stumble across? How had they managed to stay in hiding for over two years and then be discovered? In The Betrayal of Anne Frank, a team of Cold Case Investigators headed up by a retired FBI agent spent six years looking into solving the mystery that ultimately took the lives of all the members of the Frank family except the father, Otto. The book helps the reader get a very good picture of the structure of the Frank family. It walks through all the steps Otto took to try and get his family out before relying on close friends to help hide his family. It's really amazing reading the lengths that the CCI team went to to follow as many leads as they had. They poured over documents, interviewed family members, visited many places etc. They had special computer programs written to help organize data, to have the computer process how many times certain names and interactions came up, to recreate scenes, etc. So why has the publisher halted the printing of more copies? For me to tell that is to give away the ending with as little detail as possible. So if you don't want to know what happens, don't read the SPOILER ALERT! Heads Up- Just a couple minor heads up warnings. The book does talk about sexual relations with Nazis. That's all it says. It doesn't go into details. There is also a lady who would sell Jews out who was a Lesbian. No details to her relationships are given, but it is very interesting since homosexuals were also put in concentration camps. The book gives the idea that homosexual men were put in camps more than women. SPOILER ALERT - The reason the book was pulled is because ultimately the team feels that the evidence most strongly points toward a prominent Jewish man who gave them away. It is thought that because of that it plays into the idea that Jews were responsible for the Holocaust (Holocaust inversion). I certainly didn't walk away from this book feeling that way. The idea was that a man sold out the Frank family (and others as well) to protect his own. It is very clear it was the Nazis who placed him in this position. As I write this I thank the Lord that I am not in that position, and I pray I never am. I also fully place the blame of the Holocaust on the backs of the Nazis led by Hitler. It is also very clear to me that the Jews are God's chosen race that brought Jesus to the earth. Satan has been trying to wipe them out through all of history. There is no other race that has been so persecuted on earth.

BLUEBERRIES FOR SAL by Robery McCloskey The season of blueberries is upon us. When I can get up in the dewy mornings and go out and stand in the middle of the bushes and eat to my heart's content, it is time to reach for a classic, Blueberries for Sal by Robert McCloskey. I have been reading this book aloud to my kids since Claire was a toddler. I think we both loved the sound Little Sal's blueberries made as they hit her tin pail only to be whisked out again and eaten. Oh the summers we spent at the berry farm before my own bushes were bearing! I would put the baby on a blanket up under the bushes out of the sun with some toys to play with, pass out baskets to the rest of the kids, and pick away. Blueberries hold precious memories for me! The end page pictures of Sal on a chair playing at the kitchen table while her mother cans the berries for winter are the perfect ending thought! Alongside Activity- Go berry picking if possible! There is nothing like sweet fresh berries to snack on, top your cereal with, make a pie or cobbler, etc. If not possible, buy some and snack away as you read Blueberries for Sal! With July 4th coming up, if you are feeling extra adventurous, I like to make Barefoot Contessa's Flag Cake decorated with blueberries and raspberries. I don't pipe the extra icing on. I let the berries be my decorations. It is delicious!

STICKS AND STONES by Patricia Polacco Sometimes we go through hard times in our lives that help to cement unlikely friendships together. That is the theme of Sticks and Stones by Patricia Polacco. Polacco typically writes her books from her own life or her family history. Sticks and Stones is no different. After her parents divorce, she spends part of the year in California and part in Michigan. She convinces her parents to let her stay in Michigan to attend school for the year. The day school starts she breaks out in a red rash all over her face. Unfortunately, she is then paired up with the other 2 outcasts of her class. One classmate in particular picks on the three of them, but a bond forms and some amazing things unfold as the school year progresses. Be sure to read Patricia's Author's Note at the end where she updates you on what happens to the three friends later in life. I have sung the praises of Patricia Polocco on some of my other posts. What makes her books so amazing is the down-to-earth real life experiences in which she writes from. We can all relate to them in some form, because they just ooze with authenticity. Alongside Activity- This book will give you the perfect opportunity to share your own past experiences that you may have had being picked on, or it will allow your children a good platform to be able to share things that they have experienced or are going through. I think it is important to share that those seasons are painful. They can be so darn ouchy, but they come to an end. That end can happen any number of ways: adult intervention, moving, new school years with different student mix-ups, etc.

TOPS AND BOTTOMS by Janet Stevens Tops and Bottoms by Janet Stevens is the story of a smart hare and a lazy bear. After Hare lost a bet to the Tortoise he had to sell his land to the bear, so he comes up with a brilliant plan. The hare and his family will plant and work the land. The bear only has to decide - does he want the tops or the bottoms of whatever is grown? This book will keep you groaning at the bear's bad decisions and laughing at the hare's brazenness. Tops and Bottoms offers an excellent opportunity to have some good character discussions with your kids!

UNASHAMED by Lecrae I just recently finished reading Unashamed by Lecrae. It's a book that definitely has taken me on a Christian emotional rollercoaster. Beginning with his backstory, Lecrae takes the reader into a world of sexual abuse, drugs, women, some violence, and a whole lot of emptiness. From there he shares his journey of becoming a Christian and all the legalism he adopted.It 's very easy to see why he craved a lot of rules, structure, and the desire to look perfect after what he had come out of, but it only led to more emptiness and a slipping back into old ways when it was impossible to tow the line. Then he has a point of understanding that it's not his strength and power and perfection that is saving him, it's his acknowledgement of his weakness and need for a Savior. He then takes off the perfect Christian mask in his music and becomes real about his personal struggles. From there we plunge into his modern day world which is to leave the music genre of "Christian Rapper" and become a "Christian Who Raps" when he realizes that his music is not reaching people in the lifestyle he left. He talks about the criticism he has received from Christians about touring with rap groups that are known for unacceptable content. I find myself wanting to question him, but then I find myself reading his responses and my objections are silenced. It truly seems that he is trying to be salt and light to meat in a dark place. It also seems that he has put in place some good accountability. I hope so, because in our day and age it gets tiring hearing about the fall of Christians in the public eye. I know, I know - don't put people on a pedestal. We say that, but if you're a public figure, you're a public figure - no pedestal needed! His thoughts do challenge me about what I'm doing in my own life, which I appreciate. HEADS UP - My recommendation on this book is for high school and above. There is quite a bit about women, sex, parties, sexual abuse, etc. Excellent book for discussion with your teens and definitely thought-provoking!

A DUET FOR HOME by Karina Yan Glaser A few months back a friend of mine, who is a part of this group, posted about this book on her personal Facebook page. She was very moved by the story, and being the reliable sort that she is, I ordered a copy for my own book pile. I am so glad I did! Most of you will be familiar with the name Karina Yan Glaser, author of the popular Vanderbeekers series. In A Duet for Home, Glaser pens a very touching story surrounding homelessness. After a young girl named June loses her father in a bike/car crash and her mother is fired from her job when she can no longer get out of bed in the morning, they, along with June's little sister Maybelle, are forced to move into a homeless shelter named Huey House. There they meet several other families that have fallen on hard times for various reasons. When it is discovered that the city government is trying to move people out of Huey House into unsafe homes often located far away from jobs so it can look like their homeless numbers are decreasing, it's time for the residents to become a family of their own and take their case to the mayor. Glaser writes this story from personal experience. Her first job out of college was working for an organization that provided transitional housing for homeless people in NYC. The seeds for this book were planted then.

ON ACCOUNT OF THE GUM by Adam Rex To every Mom or Dad out there that has ever had to remove gum from your child's hair, this book is for you! If you have ever had to consult Google or your relatives on how to remove that sticky mass of goop, this book is for you! On Account of the Gum by Adam Rex is written in a similar cause and effect fashion to If you Give a Mouse a Cookie. Blessings to all parents that have to solve immediate crises in 10 seconds before you are expected somewhere, because that's when they always happen! By the way, I have always had success with peanut butter or oil (such as olive) to remove gum from hair.

WHAT DO PEOPLE DO ALL DAY? by Richard Scarry What Do People Do All Day? by Richard Scarry is a classic! This book has several short stories introducing kids to all kinds of different occupations. Everything from building a house, to mailing a letter, to farming, to making paper is included. The cute animal illustrations and happy endings make this a fun book to read.

TO BE LIKE THE SUN by Susan Marie Swanson. Illustrated by Margaret Chodos-Irvine My garden has been in since the last week of May except for 2 things- my sunflowers and my wildflower patch. Today the sunflowers went in, so in honor of that completion is one of today's book choices. To Be Like the Sun by Susan Marie Swanson follows a little girl as she plants her sunflower seeds. Her sweet little thoughts and questions as she watches her plants grow and bloom are enjoyable to a mom's heart that has watched her own children interact with nature. Precious illustrations make this a delightful book for gardening parents and children to share together!

CARS AND TRUCKS AND THINGS THAT GO by Richard Scarry Cars and Trucks and Things That Go was one of my kids' favorite Richard Scarry books. The pig family's adventure is cute, but it was the hunting for Goldbug in each picture that really hooked them! As in all Richard Scarry books, the hilarious, catastrophic illustrations are always a hit as well! Highly Recommend