ESIO TROT by Roald Dahl Esio Trot has been around for a few years, but I didn't learn about it until we went to Claire's dramatic arts' school's student productions in May. One of the second year students did this for his production, and it was so well done! I promptly went home and ordered the book to read! Roald Dahl's Esio Trot (tortoise spelled backwards!) is a hilarious read no matter your age! Mr. Hoppy and Mrs. Silver are balcony neighbors. They are both single and of the senior citizen age. Mr. Hoppy has secretly loved Mrs. Silver for years but was too shy to do anything about it. Then one day, he discovers a way to Mrs. Silver's heart by helping her with her much loved pet tortoise. This short story will have you laughing in no time! Absolutely delightful!

BORED - NOTHING TO DO by Peter Spier Two brothers who are "Bored" with "Nothing to do" equal a whole lot of mischief (begging the pardon of those of you who have 2 or more boys!). The wording of this book is very simple and to the point, but the illustrations are to die for! When major things start missing around the house and something big is being constructed from them all, my inner child starts cheering, but my momma heart starts thinking "oh crap!" If you can get a hold of this Peter Spier book I have one question for you after you have read it - can you only imagine?!

BEST WORD BOOK EVER by Richard Scarry One of the first books I can remember having as a child is Richard Scarry's Best Word Book Ever. My copy fell apart, so when Claire was born I asked for another one. My kids learned their basic counting, mixing colors, ABCs, shapes, etc by reading this book. Richard Scarry's illustrations are so much fun to look at! Lots of humor make the learning that's going on seem very enjoyable!

THE LAST BATTLE by C.S. Lewis Just finished The Last Battle with Isaac which wraps up the Narnia series. Where Magician's Nephew tells the story of Narnia's creation, The Last Battle tells the end of the Narnia we have known through the books and takes the characters into the REAL Narnia (Heaven). It is fun to see beloved characters from previous stories return, and it is so very sad to learn who is missing. Lewis was a mastermind at creating content that generates thought and discussion at all age levels! There is a lot of sobering reality in The Last Battle that we can unfortunately understand in today's world. Praise the Lord we can also understand that this world is not the end! Something better is coming! Keep looking "Further up and Further in!"

CRESS WATERCRESS by Gregory Maguire Cress Watercress (protagonist's name) by Gregory Maguire (author of the very popular Wicked series which inspired the Broadway musical) is the story of a young bunny coming of age. After her father goes out one night and doesn't come back, her mother knows something has happened to him and moves Cress and Kip (her younger brother) to a new home. Their new home is the basement apartment in a run down hollow tree called Broken Arms. Also inhabiting Broken Arms is the landlord owl, a family of squirrels, and an old mouse and his wife. No other rabbits live in the area. What is her mother thinking? Cress must learn to be responsible as her mother needs her help, and she must learn who her true friends are even if they aren't rabbits. This book is being compared to Wind in the Willows and Staurt Little. My own thoughts are that it reminded me a little bit of Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of Nimh. While a good read, I don't put it quite on the same level as these literary classics. HEADS UP - One small questionable moment in 216 pages. Cress eventually does run into another rabbit, a rebellious rabbit named Nasty. After Cress encounters her, the last sentence of the chapter reads " Cress was in love." Now it could be her self-assured nastiness that Cress loves, or it could be a gay moment. Nothing else is ever mentioned again in the book even though there are other run-ins with Nasty.

THE CANDY DISH by Kobi Yamada. Illustrated by Adelina Lirius Kobi Yamada writes picture books that are absolutely delightful with a good message. The Candy Dish is no exception. I love the opening two lines. "There once was a child who was like nothing the world had ever seen. So in this way, she was just like every other child." This picture book deals with the gift of life! A little girl has a candy dish where each morning a single piece of candy arrives. Each piece is different, but a wonderful experience within itself. The little girl is not satisfied with one piece. She wants more and tries to break open the dish to no avail. Through trial and error she must learn to appreciate the gift of her own life and the experiences she has. Adelina Lirius's illustrations are beautiful and full of lots of flowing life. Alongside Activity- it truly would be beneficial to each one of us if at the end of the day we stopped to think about the gifts we experienced that day. They can be as simple as hot water for a shower, a cup of tea/coffee, a good book to read, a walk, to bigger experiences such as vacation, etc. We have so much to be thankful for that we take for granted. So often our eyes are fixed on what others have or are doing. It's time to appreciate and thank the Lord for what is right in front of us!

JESSE AND HER BROTHERS by Carol Kinsey Local author Carol Kinsey has written an easy chapter book based on stories she used to tell her own girls. Frog Pie is the story of Jessie and her three brothers. When Jessie has to go inside to work in the kitchen and her brothers get to stay outside to finish their work, Jessie makes up a story that she's going to bake a "frog pie." Of course her brothers are all in for that, but Jessie finds herself trapped more and more in her lie the closer the time comes to actually baking the pie. How is she going to get out of this one? Written to help kids understand the importance of telling the truth and how one lie grows into many lies, Frog Pie is a fun way to experience this lesson.

SEA OF TRANQUILITY by Emily St. John Mandel When it is discovered that different people from different time periods in history have a similar experience of being in their normal surroundings and then all the sudden being in an airship terminal hearing a man playing his violin, time travelers from the future want to know why. Is it possible that life is a simulation and there's a glitch? In Sea of Tranquility by Emily St. John Mandel each chapter follows a different person from one of four time periods: 1912, 2020, 2203, and 2401. All have a similar experience that has a lasting effect on their lives and somehow there is a connection. If you enjoy futuristic-type books that will make you question what you would do when faced with hard decisions that could affect others' lives and your own, , this book is for you! Heads Up- There are 3 f-bombs. If there is any other language than that, it is very sparse. There are a couple of gay relationships mentioned including a kiss, but they are not the focus of the story.

THE STORY COLLECTORS by Kristin O'Donnell Tubb First, I hope you all had a wonderful Memorial Day. Whether you were surrounded by friends, family, or just enjoying some quiet time by yourself, I hope it was soul-filling before you returned to normal life! Second, the book I get to share with you today is fantastic! It is a part of Sonlight's Summer Readers collection, and it is a great adventure! For all of you who love the idea of being locked in a library how about one step better and live in a library? The Story Collector by Kristin O'Donnell Tubb is set in The New York Public Library and is inspired by true events. Viviani Fedeler is the daughter of the library superintendent, and her family actually lives in the library in an eight-room apartment. When some crazy things start to happen and some precious display items are stolen, Viviani begins to wonder if the stories about the library's ghost are true. This book has lots of fun action and great messages about what it means to be a good friend. Alongside Activity- Each chapter is named by a Dewey Decimal Series category with its accompanying number. Head to the library and get some hands on practice using the DDS by locating some of the chapter names/numbers on your own library shelves. Look through a few titles in the category and see if there are any you want to select to bring home.

MAPS by Aleksandra Mizielinska and Daniel Mizielinska "Travel makes one modest, you see what a tiny place you occupy in the world "                                                 - Gustave Flaubert Maps by Aleksandra Mizielinska and Daniel Mizielinski is a fun way to learn about other countries. This isn't your typical book of maps showing elevations or all the different bordering countries of the place you are viewing. Instead, the authors give children a view of customs, architecture, animals, cities, plant life, foods, etc. that are native to that country. While I do like to look at a map that shows my kids where a place is located, we then move to this book to experience what the country is like. The illustrations are very kid friendly and fun to dart your finger around and discover what that country offers. This is a great resource!

AQUANAUT by Dan Santat The Aquanaut by Dan Santat is a graphic novel about freeing the marine creatures from a local marine park called Aqualand. The book begins with a sinking ship and 2 brothers, marine scientists who had desired to save endangered marine life, are on it. One brother survives, and one, who has a daughter named Sophia, goes down with the ship. Now Sophia and her uncle must keep the dream of Aqualand alive, but their investors want to make money by turning it into more of an attraction than a research facility. Enter in the Aquanaut. The Aquanaut is a group of endangered sea creatures inside an old diver's suit. They found Sophia's father's journal after his ship sank and are looking for a safe place to live, so they head to Aqualand. What they find is a fractured relationship between Sophia and her uncle and a theme park with animals that need to be freed. Lots of chaos, humor and a resounding "family comes first" message make this book a fun read.

APPLE: SKIN TO THE CORE by Eric Gansworth Apple: Skin to the Core by Eric Gansworth is a book that caught my eye on my most recent trip to the bookstore. Flipping through it I discovered Gansworth is Native American and he is sharing his life story in free verse poetry. He begins by telling about his great-grandparents and their five children. One day a man comes offering them an "opportunity" to send their children 300 miles away to a boarding school for 5 years that would give them the ability to learn the white way of life.(What they actually learn is how to work for white people.) His great-grandparents agree to this, and the result is two children never return to the reservation, one who lives on the outskirts, and two that come back including Gansworth's Grandfather. What launches from there is the author's heartfelt words on being strung between two worlds, the Native American culture that is being lost and the white that is almost impossible to break into due to how a Native American is viewed. Gansworth shares his journey on the reservation where it can be difficult to fit in. His father is often absent. His small home is a revolving door to different siblings and family members needing a place to live. School on the reservation is lacking and then after 5th grade students from area schools join together at an integrated school. Gansworth continues sharing his journey into adulthood that takes him somewhat away from his people and the difficulty of that. So what does the term "apple" mean? To the Native Americans the term apple means "red on the outside, white on the inside." Note that Gansworth's subtitle is "Skin to the Core." Heads Up- There are a handful of words in the 323 pages including two F-bombs in quotes. He talks a couple of times about physical puberty changes. He has a friend later in life that poses nude for an art class, and he agrees to pose 1 time for a sculpture. He does mention towards the end of the book that " I've been writing a lot about reservation life, and being in love and my partner Larry, who is not the right age, or the right class or the right race or the right gender." This is not something that is discussed really past that. I think what I appreciate the most about this book is the straightforward manner that the author speaks. He doesn't blast whites. He just tells his story and lets the reader decide how they will react. I found it very thought provoking.