The Summer of the Swans

The Summer of the Swans was a pretty good read about a girl that realizes what she has when she is faced with losing something incredibly important to her. I don't usually like "coming of age" books. I think that they are usually downers. I thought that this was a sweet story about a girl and her brother and what she experiences on a difficult day.

Dear Mr. Henshaw

I just finished Dear Mr. Henshaw. It too was in diary/letter form. It was a pretty good story about a boy that writes to his favorite author for advice and such. I have also written to an author that I like - and even got an email response!

A Gathering of Days

Last night I finished A Gathering of Days. It's a journal-type story. It really reminded me of Little House On the Prairie, but in diary form. It was pretty good, but it took me a little bit before I "got in to it."

Jacob Have I Loved

I just finished listening to Jacob Have I Loved on CD. It was an okay story. I kind of felt the same way about Bridge to Terabithia - I just didn't totally love, love the book. This one seemed to have a pretty mature theme. I don't know - I guess it's just not my cup of tea.

I also read Mercy by Jody Picoult. I didn't love it. I've actually really liked other books by her (with the exception of one other book.) I really didn't think that I'd like her books - I guess I have a thing against serial writers - those that have so many books that I can't fathom that they could be any good, you know? For the most part, I really like the ethical situations that Jody Picoult writes about; they really make you think. This book, however, was too much like what I'd originally expected her books to be like (why I'd never read them until recently.) Unfortunately, if this had been the first book I read by her, I can't say that I'd read another.

Ida B

I just finished reading a book that's not from the Newberry list called Ida B: And Her Plans to Maximize Fun Avoid Disaster and Possibly Save the World. It was a really cute book about a little girl that has some tough problems and how she faces them. She's quite the character!

The View From Saturday

I just finished The View From Saturday. The story follows four sixth-grade students and their teacher as they compete in an Academic competition. The story explains how and why they are so successful in the competition. This is a great story about friendship and helping others.

Missing May

I also read Missing May over the weekend. It is a sweet story of a family that has to deal with the death of a loved one. Short but sweet.