THREE BLUE HEARTS by Lynne Kelly Max can't seem to stop disappointing his dad. What makes the problem worse is his dad is a well-known politician in the city he lives in. Everything always has to be about appearances, and Max just doesn't live up to the expectations. When Mom suggests a summer away at the beach where she has a work project, Max is all for it. New town, new people, no expectations. First day there, Max walks down to the beach. After wandering around a bit, he comes upon an injured octopus. With the help of a new friend, they get the octopus to a vet's office that has experience with ocean animal rescue. In one instance, a whole new opportunity for the summer opens up. New friends, helping to care for Ursula (the octopus), and an unforgettable experience that is guaranteed to change him for life. HEADS UP- One small caution. Max becomes good friends with the vet's family especially the daughter, Ollie. At one point, they were caring for an injured ape named Ramona. Ollie became very attached to Ramona almost considering her to be the younger sibling she never had. When Ramona is moved to a recovery facility, Ollie is devastated.

ALL ALONG YOU WERE BLOOMING by Morgan Harper Nichols I go through seasons where I like to have poetry in my TBR pile. Something that I can slowly meander through in-between chapters of the books I'm reading. I came across All Along You Were Blooming at a bookshop while on vacation. I sat myself on the floor with the book in my hands and began to read. The words slipped off the pages and into my soul. Words of hope and healing, of support when going through hard times, of feeling seen on days when you may not feel seen. It was beautiful! The book is divided up into 4 sections: For The Heart (What You Feel), For The Mind (What You Think), For The Body (What You Do), and For The Soul (Who You Are).  If you are a lover of poetry or if you are looking to add some into your reading rotation, this is a great place to start! This would also be a wonderful book to gift to a friend who's going through some struggles! Author Morgan Harper Nichols is a Christian songwriter and musician. It's easy to understand how that combination flows seamlessly over to the world of poetry.

THE LION, THE WITCH, AND THE WARDROBE by C.S. Lewis I stood at the kitchen counter and opened the Amazon box. As soon as I did, my muscle memory kicked in. My lips pulled back in dislike and my digestive system from my mouth to my stomach tightened just a bit. Turkish Delight. Many years ago, after reading The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe to my kids, we came across some Turkish Delight in a store. I remember being surprised at the picture of the candy on the box. I had imagined something that looked a little different than what was pictured there. Maybe something chocolate with coconut...? Definitely not this. Surely, this stuff must be amazing. After all, Edmund sold his soul for it and possibly the lives of his three siblings not to mention the hope of Narnia living in freedom and restoration. This stuff has got to be good! We left the store and eagerly went home where the kids, and I opened the box, selected a flavor, and took a bite. This was Turkish Delight? There honestly was not a single thing that was "delightful" about it! We were so disappointed, and I'm pretty sure we all began mumbling to each other about how in the word Edmund could have sold out for this nastiness! Fast forward a few years. My oldest daughter lived out of state and was attending a Dramatic Arts School. If you really know her, you know she loves experiences! So when we were in town, she couldn't wait to show us this authentic ethnic food restaurant not too far away from where she lived. It was delicious, and wouldn't you know, there was a grocery store filled with food and staples from the country. There, sitting on one of the shelves, was Turkish Delight. I convinced myself that what I bought from the store previously couldn't have been the real deal. Here it was right in front of me now, and this box was going to redeem our understanding of Edmund's decision. I purchased it, took it back to the hotel, and we opened it. Utter disappointment. None of us could understand Edmund's decision. It was clear he had never tasted the good possibilities of sugary sweets! Reading through TLTWATW again for the umpteenth time with my high school group brought up Turkish Delight again. Most of them had never tasted it, so I dutifully promised to remedy that for them. So here I stood at the counter with this box of disappointment in my hands. However, this time my mind went to something different. How many times in scripture do we read about an event where someone made the wrong decision, and we want to reach through the pages and shake them while asking them how they could be so stupid? I mean hello?! Let's start with Adam and Eve in the Garden eating the forbidden fruit. Certainly, none of us would have made that same mistake. The Hebrews wandering around in the desert complaining about wanting to go back to Egypt, we all know that story. God delivered them from slavery, He promised them a wonderful future, and He revealed Himself and His power in the Ten Plagues and the Crossing of the Red Sea. How could they be so stupid? if you stop and think a moment, the examples really keep coming. There are so many ways that they missed the mark that we never would, right? But that's just it. I do miss the mark everyday. There is some form of Turkish Delight in my life and in your life, that we choose over Christ, over relationships with loved ones and friends, and over doing what is right. Oh, it doesn't look or taste like Turkish Delight, but its root is the same. Greed, Pride, Selfishness, Lust. You name it. It's there, and we all fall for it. Praise God that just like Aslan redeemed Edmund when he humbled himself, so Christ redeems us. He forgives us, restores us, and removes it away as "far as the east is from the west." So this week, when I pull out the box of Turkish Delight in class and pass it around, I'll be asking the teens to think about what their "Turkish Delight" is in life, because we all have it. There isn't a more perfect time to start to reflect on this as we enter into the Christmas season where Christ set aside his Godship and entered our world to be the sacrifice. So with that in mind, what's your Turkish Delight?

THE LIGHT BETWEEN APPLE TREES by Priyanka Kumar The Light Between Apple Trees is really two books mixed together and offered up as one. On the one hand, you have the science of the apple tree: origins of different varieties, the fact that once upon a time there were 16,000 different varieties and now there is just a fraction of that, the conditions to grow them in, the hardships they are enduring, etc. On the other hand there is the love relationship Kumar has with one of America's icons. However, she takes us on journeys outside the borders of the US to chase down heritage and also personal childhood memories. Apples don't just belong to America! For me there is a lot of beauty written into the pages of this book. Following Kumar as she searches for remnants of historical orchards that disappeared, the description of nature around the found trees (presence of bears enjoying the apples, etc), the taste of biting into heirloom varieties, the sharing of her journey with her husband and children, these parts are soul-filling. There is such a feeling of leaving the hustle and bustle path of life and embarking on the slower, rewarding one. There is also frustration. I am not an evolutionist and that is the explanation for the arrival of the apple and other things. I can easily read past that. But the reference to Europeans messing things up and later in the book noticing a group of ATVs bearing the Punisher Flag "a popular right-wing symbol with a likely nod to January 6" pushes me just a bit too far. She goes on to talk about how she thinks this group is "distracted" by false threats instead of the ones she deems more serious such as wildfires. Assumptive reaches like this detract from the focus of the book. HEADS UP- Evolutionary content. Climate change. A few negative contents, as stated above, about topics such as Europeans and right-wing individuals.

THE PERFECT PUMPKIN PIE by Denys Cazet Some of you will find this hilarious. Some of you will say this isn't a fit. Here goes! This book is actually set on Halloween night, but since it revolves around pumpkin pie, I'm going to slide it in here. Old Man Wilkerson is as grumpy of an old man as you can get, but he does love his pumpkin pie. However, it must be done perfectly. When his wife cuts him up a slice, and he's about to take a bite, he falls over dead. (Remember- he is an old man.) His wife sells the house and moves away. New owners move in - Jack and his grandma. One day Grandma makes a pumpkin pie and who should appear, but old Man Wilkerson 's ghost. He's in search of a piece of perfect pumpkin pie, and until he gets it, he's going to stick around.

A TURKEY FOR THANKSGIVING by Eve Bunting. Illustrated by Diane de Groat. Mr. and Mrs. Moose are getting ready for Thanksgiving dinner. Everything is coming together nicely except for the fact that Mrs. Moose wants a turkey for Thanksgiving. "Everyone else has one." So off Mr. Moose goes to find one. He finally does, catches it, and brings it home. The poor thing thinks it's about to be the main part of the meal for everyone, but it's not! SPOILER ALERT Mrs. Moose just wants a turkey to join them at the table. After all, if you notice, all the animals gathered around the table are herbivores. Funny with some great sweetness!

GOD GAVE US THANKFUL HEARTS by Lisa Tawn Bergren. Illustrated by David Holm. This is a precious picture book that helps us get our hearts tuned to an attitude of gratitude even when things may not be going as perfectly as we would like them to be. This is such an important message for all of us no matter our age. Little Pup is so disappointed that it's hibernation season and a lot of his friends won't be around to play with him. For him, the fall ushers in a season of loneliness, but his parents help him see that there are some positives to the time of year. This opens the door for Little Pup to start looking for the good in difficult times in a variety of situations. ALONGSIDE ACTIVITIES - After reading this book, it is well worth sitting down with your kids and talking about some difficulties that they are dealing with and helping them find a positive in the middle of the situation. There are definitely some situations that can be very hard to find something to be thankful for in them. The answer to this may be that we have the Lord to lean on and He promises to never leave us or forsake us, the promise of Heaven and being reunited, the strengthening of friendships who were there during hard times, etc.

TURKEYS IN DISGUISE by Cynthia Platt. Illustrated by Josh Cleland Okay, it's time to add a few more reads to the Thanksgiving BOOKLIST! The first one I'm adding is a hilarious new picture book called Turkeys in Disguise. Written in rhyming verse, this is a fun read about kids who try to disguise a group of turkeys so they don't end up on the Thanksgiving table. I'll just tell you that the result is a vegetarian meal, which will fly for some of our readers and not for others! Either way, the process of the kids disguising the turkeys is quite funny!

THE ISLAND by Natasha Preston On my last trip to the bookstore, I came across The Island in the YA section. After reading the back cover, I realized this was sort of a mix between And Then There Were None and Jurassic Park. There are no dinosaurs, but you'll get the connection in a moment. Billionaire, Malcolm Wyatt has just completed the ultimate playground for the rich - a plush, high-intensity amusement park built on the remote location of Jagged Island. Wanting to make the biggest splash in the social media world with his unveiling, he invites six of the biggest social media influencers, Liam, James, Will, Ava, Harper, and Paisley, to experience everything the island has to offer and video and post as much of it as they want before the island opens up for guests. Thrilled beyond belief, the six can't wait to start uploading videos of everything as they try it out. There is so much to see and do, why would anyone want to leave? That is, before the murders start happening. One by one the six are being taken out, but why? There's no known connection between them or is there? Just like And Then There Were None, this story will take readers on a roller coaster of thrills and chills. Unfortunately, it's not without some content to be aware of. HEADS UP- As mentioned, murder is a big part of the story. I'm not into descriptive gore. I'm giving this one a medium on the gore chart. The killer is using a knife, so there is a bit. Language is present. No f- bombs, and overall for a YA this is a medium as well. There is 1 comment made that makes you think a couple may be sleeping together. It's a comment about the mattresses. Will, one of the guy influencers, is a beauty blogger. Not much is said about this, but he does wear make up.

THE WITCH OF BLACKBIRD POND by Elizabeth George Speare The Witch of Blackbird Pond is a Newberry winner classic that was written in 1958. Even though it's 67 years old, every time I read it with kids, it is a hit. Kit has left Barbados where she lived with her English grandfather all her life to travel to Connecticut, the home of the last living member of her family, an aunt on her mother's side that she's never met. Before she reaches Connecticut, she has her first unfavorable experience with a Puritan woman. When a child's toy falls into the ocean water, Kit immediately dives in to rescue it. Everyone gasps. No one else around her can swim. Only witches can float in water. With that we are introduced to how much different life is going to be for Kit among the restrictive Puritan people. She works hard to mend her ways and fit in, but when she friends the outcast of the town, the Quaker, Hannah Tupper, she may have just sealed her deal in the eyes of the townspeople. The Witch of Blackbird Pond is a wonderful, historical fiction read. It highlights themes such as faith, family, relationships, but ultimately belonging. Through the story, we watch as Kit matures and begins to care for others outside of herself. It is a beautiful process and one that each of us desires for our children! Oh, and by the way, there actually aren't any witches in the story.

CORNBREAD AND POPPY by Matthew Cordell What a perfect day to be writing about this early reader chapter book. It's brisk and windy outside, and every once in a while a few snowflakes come dancing down in the gusts. CORNBREAD and POPPY are two mice that are best friends but are quite a bit different in personality. I completely relate to Cornbread. He knows the cold is coming, so he's prepared with lots of grains, cheese, and preserves. Poppy, on the other hand, is not prepared. She's been too busy fitting in as many activities as she can before the snow starts flying. Finally, she's decided today's the day to gather, but everything around them is gone. The only place left to check is the mountain: the place mice go and never come back. Being the dedicated friend he is, Cornbread goes with her, and the adventures start! This great beginning chapter book is going to be on a similar level as Nate the Great and a step before Magic Treehouse. I will be checking out more in this series in the near future!

THE NINE MOONS OF HAN YU AND LULI by Karina Yan Glaser Karina Yan Glaser, author of The Vanderbeekers and Duet for Home, is back with a heart warming tale set in two different places during two difficult time periods in history. The stories swirl around two Chinese children: Han Yu in 731 in China and Luli in New York in 1931. Unbeknownst to them both, there is a bond that connects their stories across the years in a beautiful way. Han Yu is a unique child. Known to understand animals in a way that most can't, it's said that a tiger protects him wherever he goes. When a horrible sickness breaks out in his village and affects his family, Han Yu steps up to fulfill a job his father had lined up making deliveries along The Silk Road. Known to be fraught with dangers and filled with thieves and worse, Han Yu knows his family desperately needs the money this delivery will bring. The ultimate question is will he have a family to come home to if he makes it? Luli's family has been scrimping and saving every way they can to purchase the building they live in. With a restaurant, a giftshop, and a handful of apartments, this building represents their future in the United States. They almost have it paid off when the effects of The Great Depression come knocking on their door Now, no one comes to the restaurant or the gift shop. Desperate to restore hope, Luli works on a plan to honor her people that may have a much bigger effect than she anticipated. This is a moving, coming-of-age read. Sometimes in life, difficult circumstances occur. The solutions that present themselves may involve kids stepping up to monumental tasks. The beautiful part is sometimes it works, and a rewarding lesson is learned along the way that we all have strengths in different areas and that that strength doesn't need to be the same as someone else's. HEADS UP - There are some light Chinese myth/magic type references.