Hi readers! This is Linden, presenting another of my favorite books. Seriously, I was obsessed with The Penderwicks (and the rest of the Penderwicks series) for a whole summer a few years back. And after tons of rereads, it still holds its place as one of my top 10.
The first Penderwicks book starts off when four sisters, their single dad (their mom died a few years before), and their dog are in desperate need of a vacationing spot. The beach house they usually rented had been sold, so they head into the Berkshire Mountains in western Massachusetts for a new vacation spot: a nice, cozy little cottage. But when they get there, they discover it’s not just a cozy little cottage - it's a cozy little cottage next to a majestic mansion surrounded with mazes of elegant gardens, and the owner of the mansion turns out to be none other than the formidable Mrs. Brenda Tifton --snobby, selfish, and stiletto-heeled. If a vacation spent next to a snobby, uptight heiress sounds like no fun, you would be right. But there's a catch. Mrs. Tifton has a son-- Jeffrey-- who's just the right age to be included in all the Penderwick girls’ (mis)adventures… I love books with vivid and relatable characters, and I loved this book because the Penderwick girls were just that-- they truly feel like girls you might just meet sometime. I also appreciate a good plot, and while there’s no mystery to solve in this book, there are a whole lot of adventures: some exciting, some cozy, a few sad or bittersweet… but most of them hilariously funny! I almost guarantee you will read parts out loud to whoever happens to be around you. But my favorite thing about the Penderwicks? After reading this book, I was eager to read the other books in the series: The Penderwicks on Gardam Street, The Penderwicks at Point Mouette, and The Penderwicks in Spring. And at some point through the books, I really felt like I knew the four sisters personally. I laughed with them and shook my head over them, fully knowing every quirk of their personalities and seeing those personalities come out in their stories. Needless to say, I dearly love these books because to me, the characters are more than just characters: they're kinda like friends.
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Hello everyone! It's Phoebe welcoming you back to another post. Today I wanted to write a post reviewing Stella by Starlight, a novel by Sharon M. Draper. I recently read this book and I enjoyed it a ton! I've left out any big spoilers from the synopsis but there are plenty of captivating plot twists that'll keep you hooked once you start reading it. Let's get onto the post! Stella Mills is an eleven years old living in Bumblebee North Carolina, a town facing severe segregation in 1932, with her mama, papa, and little brother. Stella and her family are living with the "unwritten rules" that Negros were expected to follow: take care of your own problems and take care of each other but don't mess with white people. Stella isn't allowed into some stores because of the color of her skin which she finds awfully unfair and confusing as other stores have their doors wide open to anybody. Some white people are kind to her like Ms. Cooper or Mr. O'Brian, but some are downright mean and treat her and her family as if they were nobodies. Stella also finds herself going to school in a worn down old schoolhouse with every negro child in town aged six through seventeen in the same room with only one teacher. Despite the fact that the white children have a shiny new school books and supplies and different classrooms, Stella likes her teacher Mrs. Grayson, loves learning and fueling her raging curiosity, and enjoys the company of her classmates and neighbors whom she has grown up with. That's really the only constant in Stella's life: community. The whole negro side of town is there for each other, comes together to tell stories and share food, and lends a helping hand when a family needs it the most. To Stella, the hatred and the kindness all sort of even out. The Klan hasn't caused any trouble lately, and people are moving in the right direction. But one night, Stella and her little brother JoJo witness the flames of a burning cross and the white robes of men on horses--Klansmen. With uncertainty and fear in the world now bigger than ever, will Stella decide to choose bravery? Because, after all, "What's the sense of living if you're ashamed of yourself?". Throughout the story, Stella is determined to write. She sneaks out at midnight to write by starlight, in secret, where she won't have to worry about what anyone thinks of her and she won't let self doubt creep into her mind like it does in the daytime. Writing helps Stella fight fear and build up bravery which she'll need in these chaotic times. I found this story really compelling. I love the characters that Draper so wonderfully illustrated and I felt a real connection to many of the characters because they were very relatable. I won't give anything away but there was one tender moment in the book that brought tears into my eyes. I especially loved how Draper gave such a sense of love within the families of the African American community. Also, the writing is so wonderful and captivating that it made me feel like I was right there in Bumblebee along with the characters (I guess that's part of what I mean when I say it's a relatable story). Although it's a fantastic book to read anytime, February is Black History Month and this is an amazing historical fiction book on that exact topic so I would totally recommend this book to anyone (probably age 9 and older). Thank you so much for reading this post! I'll see you next time. -Phoebe Have YOU read Stella by Starlight? What did you think? What was your favorite character? Would you recommend this book to your friends? LET US KNOW IN THE COMMENT SECTION BELOW! Hey book addicts! It's Phoebe back with another post just for you. So I'm in middle school and though there are many novels that are geared just for these junior high grades (6th-8th), it can be hard to find great age appropriate literature with enough plot to keep me engaged and relatable but complex characters. It can be a hassle to go through bunches of books to find one that meets your standards as a great novel. Well I know the struggle and today I'm bringing you my absolute favorite middle school book (I would also totally recommend this book for high-schoolers.) It's called The Wednesday Wars by Gary D. Schmidt.
Okey dokey, let's get right into this! Holling Hoodhood is a seventh grader trying to survive the 1967-'68 school year at Camillo Junior High in Long Island, New York. First off, his class is practically made up of Jews and Catholics, Holling being the only presbyterian and this means that on Wednesday afternoons, when the Catholics attend mass and the Jews attend Hebrew school, Holling is left alone with his teacher Mrs. Baker, who he is sure hates him very much for being the only one keeping her at the school throughout the afternoon. He becomes even more convinced of this when Mrs. Baker starts assigning him long, confusing, Shakespeare plays. After reading them, though, he is surprised to find that he really enjoys the plays and the compelling language that comes with them. He starts to understand Mrs. Baker more when he learns that her husband is fighting in the Vietnam war. Even aside from his time with Mrs. Baker on Wednesdays, juggling middle school and the relationships that come with it is hard for Holling, especially since he must stay on his best behavior at all times because his father is the founder and head architect at Hoodhoods and Associates and is obsessed with making sure that no one in his family messes up his opportunities to get more business. The story follows him not only managing the adventures of middle school but also learning to get out from underneath the shadow of his father. I love The Wednesday Wars because it has a lot of plot and also you get nuggets of historical fiction from the time period that he book is set in such as Holling's sister Heather wanting to become a flower child and also some historical events take place during the book such as the shooting of Martin Luther King. But, although history adds another level to the story, there isn't an overwhelming amount of it which is great for those who aren't crazy about history. This book left me wanting more and kept me totally engaged throughout. I would totally recommend the novel to anybody age 10 and over. Thanks for reading the post! I hope you enjoyed it. Please be sure to leave me a comment down below and let me know if you've read The Wednesday Wars and also if you have any other favorite middle school novels! -Phoebe (your executive worm:) |
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