Suzanne's bookshelf: read
Sarah is a princess after my own heart! She loves books as much as I do, and can read them in several languages. Books hold so much knowledge and can entertain one for endless hours. I love her imagination and how she tells such grand st...
My grandson is fascinated with lizards and reptiles. His aunt just gave him a leopard gecko, so we had to read this book to find out all about it. I learned so much I never knew. For example, the gecko gets its name from the sound it mak...
Stellaluna is a baby bat who is separated from her mother. She falls into a nest of baby birds when her mother scrambles in the night to escape an owl who is after them. Since Stellaluna was so young, she didn't notice her differences rig...
I am inspired by the life of Louisa May Alcott! Reisen's account of her life left nothing out, and I learned many things I didn't know about LMA. All I really knew about her prior to reading this book was that she wrote Little Women (and ...
I bought this for my grandson when he was 5yrs. old
He loved the accompanying CD and learned the song perfectly after only a couple of listens. Along with the song the story is based on, Peter Yarrow sings "Froggie Went a Courtin...
He loved the accompanying CD and learned the song perfectly after only a couple of listens. Along with the song the story is based on, Peter Yarrow sings "Froggie Went a Courtin...
This story reminded me of my son Luke, when he was a toddler. His blanket acquired the name “money” for some reason. Luke had his own language for a lot of things, but “money?” Well when you have money you have security, and we are talk...
Real eggs are better than candy eggs any day! In this story brother & sister bear discover the wonder of new life when they find a nest of Robin hatchlings. Though I am the first to admit I'd rather have a chocolate egg over a hard boiled...
I saw this movie years ago (1970s?) and never realized it was based on a book until I taught middle school and found the book. Of course I had to read it with students, since I loved the movie so much! I think part of the attraction was t...
Frankie lived a hard life in Limerick! Although Angela’s Ashes is the story of a horrible childhood, the dark humor used to look back on the suffering reflects the author’s will to live and his positive outlook. Set in the 1940’s McCourt’...
I learned a lot from this picture book. The art is beautiful, with very expressive characters. I could feel the emotion behind Rosa's words when she refused to give up her seat. The exhaustion of being a second class citizen had finally ...
Strega Nona is the town “witch” but not in a bad way. She can cure headaches, mix love potions, and remove warts. She stays so busy helping the townspeople that she decides to hire an extra hand. Big Anthony takes the job doing chores f...
This story starts off with the misfortunes of Freckles and miraculously ends with a complete change in circumstances. Freckles is a homeless orphan with only one hand. He became maimed as an infant in an accident, and has grown up with th...
I read this book as a bedtime story with my grandchildren. The pictures are beautiful, and show the excitement of snowfall. Since Sara's daddy is sick, she gets to help her mom feed the sheep. When snow distracts Sara as they head home fr...
This book was fun to read! I read it to preschoolers for story time. The worm tells the day-by-day highlights of his activities in a very humorous way. One entry tells of doing the Hokey-Pokey at a school dance. Of course all he could d...
Babar has just returned to his jungle village and marries Celeste. They are made King and Queen of the elephants. For their honeymoon, they travel by balloon to seek a romantic adventure. They are swept to sea in a heavy wind storm and t...
I remember Babar from when I was a small girl. This was one of my favorite books. (published in 1931) I remember having sad feelings for the baby elephant when his mother was killed by the hunter. I also remember how happy I felt for him...
I really enjoyed listening to the audio about this amazing man. Now I want to get the hard copy and check out all the photos. There were unabridged excerpts of Twain's work read throughout the narrative of his life. A very informative and...
The story tells about a precious present that when found will make you forever happy! You can't get it by wishing, or looking anywhere, because you already have it. Once you realize what it is, you will be content... only you can give yours...
My recollection of this story was definitely enhanced by reading the original Barrie tale. I grew up with the Disney storybook version and remember playacting Wendy's part. I thought there was a chemistry between Wendy and Peter. She was...
I think I'm partial to Neil Young, because something about his voice reminds me of my dad. He does have some classics that I love too ... "Heart of Gold” and "Cinnamon Girl." Prior to reading this graphic novel, I watched t...
Billy Colman wants coon hunting dogs so bad that he works two years to save enough money and buy them. He decides to call his pups Old Dan & Little Ann after seeing the names Dan & Ann carved into a tree.
There is a fierce bond of love...
There is a fierce bond of love...
My daddy raised me on old-time music, and hearing the songs today makes me homesick for the mountains. I also remember hearing that Ralph was a big Dylan fan, and had recordings of his folk songs put to banjo. When this book came out, I k...
The unnamed character in this novel was the victim of a car accident that resulted in extensive burning of his body. While in the burn ward at the hospital, he is visited by Marianne Engel, who tells him that they have been lovers for over...
I was most surprised to learn that HeLa cells went to the moon! It astonishes me how far researchers go to discover what can be learned and accomplished. It is amazing that a microscopic piece of an abnormal growth can do so much. How ir...
Scenes from this novel are certainly horrific. I wonder how the characters could make it though terrible times, such as the scene on the beach in Nigeria. I don't know how Sara had the strength to lose her finger. I can only imagine how Ch...
This story has down-to-earth characters, that felt like part of an extended family to me. The tragedy that the story revolves around in the beginning, is nothing like the surprise towards the end. I should say the end isn't as tragic as i...
I just listened to Hank the Cowdog on CD with my grandkids today. Now I know what everybody's talkin' about! If you haven't turned on to Hank yet, you're missing out. This is a very funny story where Hank is recruited by Beulah (another ...
This picture book is a photographic journey that introduces a new fawn's first days as he learns to live in the wild. His mother has to care for him from a distance, and checks on him as he learns to stand and strengthen his legs. He meets ...
The setting of the Appalachia Mountains is what drew me to this book. My family is from the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina, and I spent most of my adult years in Tennessee. Amy Greene describes the scenery with flawless detail.
...
...
Red Hot Chili Peppers / Yertle the Turtle
There are three Suess fables in this book. I read the first and last and will have to go back and finish the book. The moral of the stories seem to be about not being snobbish, or a br...
There are three Suess fables in this book. I read the first and last and will have to go back and finish the book. The moral of the stories seem to be about not being snobbish, or a br...
I love this story! First there is a rabbit that brags he can hear better than anyone ... he supposedly hears a fly sneeze over 90 miles away ... then not to be outdone a bear says he can smell better than anyone ... he says he can smell a ...
I like how Nikki Giovanni compares loves to bicycles ... both need trust and balance. These poems are full of longings and ecstasy. If you’ve ever experienced the loneliness of lost love, the connection of a soul mate, or second guessed ...
Claudia and Jamie Kincaid are brother and sister. Claudia, the older, has a plan to run away … just as an adventure ... and to make her family appreciate her. Jamie is recruited to go along, mainly because he saves every penny and he is ri...
These illustrations are shades of black and white, and the text is displayed in easy-to-read, big font; perfect for beginning readers.
Kitten thinks the full moon is a bowl of milk in the sky.
Kitten thinks the full moon is a bowl of milk in the sky.
Foxie is a little small dog that gets his name because he looks like a fox. One day after losing his boy in the city, he is taken in by a man who has a striped cat and a rooster. When the man plays the piano at night, Foxie begins to howl...
The cat and two dogs in this story ARE incredible. Their journey proves this. After several close calls and a long dangerous trek through Canadian wilderness, these beloved pets find their way home. The bond between the animals and their...
Add another book to my all-time favorites! Lawrence uses lyrical prose to tell the story of the Brangwens spanning three generations. The characters are intense, as the focus on their emotional and spiritual needs surface while they live,...
In this book, Jeanette tells the story of her grandmother's life. Her memories are enhanced with imagination making the book fiction, rather than a biography. Lilly Smiths' legacy is a very full and rich life, certainly one of adventure!
...
...
I love Chris Van Allsburg's art! This story is an adventure like no other. The boy in this story is chosen by Santa to recieve the "first gift of Christmas." I think when he was swept away on a late night train ride to the Nor...
This not-so-jolly Santa is still a loveable character. I liked Briggs’s style of using frame art to illustrate Santa's routine on Christmas Eve. Santa seems more human, dreading the cold, facing obstacles such as ariel antennas, and enjoy...
There is a special bond between the bear and Johnny that is clearly evident in Ward’s expressive art. In modern times, readers may look at this book as cruelty to animals, but in the time the story was first written this wasn’t considered a...
Nice illustrations and informative text. Thanksgiving didn't orignate with pilgrims and Indians; it traces it's roots all the way back to Eygptian days with the god Min. Egyptians gave thanks to the ferility god Min after a good harvest. ...
The story is written as a verse, an actual prayer, and narrated by a little girl. I thought the illustration accompanying the blessing of “all the children far and near,” showed how this book represents all cultures. In the crowd of child...
This is the first book I ever remember reading! In fact, I read this book so much that I memorized it and still remember it today!!
"Big A little a, what begins with A? Aunt Annie's Alligator ... A a A"
"Big A little a, what begins with A? Aunt Annie's Alligator ... A a A"
Katie's older sister taught her the word "kira-kira" (Japanese) meaning beautiful. Katie admires Lynne and considers her to be her best friends as well as her sister. Their family is one of the minority Asian families living in ...
I am a great fan of Woody Guthrie's music, much of which centers about the lives of people during the Dust Bowl. What makes this book truly unique is that it is written in blank verse, which gives it a lyrical quality.
It is the s...
It is the s...
This book enlightened me about the trials Japanese-Americans went through during the internment period with WW II. The facts of this time period were never discussed at length in any of my American History classes, high school or college. ...
Randy Pausch literally gives his "last lecture" at Carnegie Mellon University. He was a professor of computer science, diagnosed with terminal pancreatic cancer. Despite the unfortunate hand fate dealt him, he remained upbeat an...
I never knew about this historic event. Only through books like this will things we missed in history class be remembered. Hampton Sides tell the story of WWII’s greatest rescue mission from two views. One side describes the horrendous tr...
This artist had a big impact on my son. His story proves that God can heal a messed-up situation. Keep the FAITH and as Welch says ... realize "I am second."
This story revolves around a song that evolves from generation to generation. The novel begins in the Appalachin Mountains, and the song begins in the Scottish Isle. Lark, the main character, is searching for a song she vaguely remembers ...
Although written for children, at their stage in life I LOVE YOU FOREVER, by Robert Munsch, may not hold as much sentimental value as it does for adults. This story’s message means more with age, because it makes us aware of the passing o...
This story told the life of Albert Spirit and the struggles he faced as a misfit on a Spokane Indian Reservation. Albert was sheltered as a child, because he was born with an enlarged head and had to have surgery. He was expected to suffe...
In this story, one family is making a trip to visit another. It is told from the perspective of a family member on the receiving end of the visit, referring to the visitors as the relatives.
The artwork is illustrated with light sha...
The artwork is illustrated with light sha...
The adventures of the Walls family were certainly exciting. I still don't know if I'd want to be an "excitement addict" like Jeannette's mom. Rex Walls was an inspiration to his children, despite his serious vices. I can unders...
Beach Music is full of excitement and brings a dysfunctional family together with love and tragedy. Jack has left South Carolina for Rome, Italy after his wife Shyla commits suicide. He is determined to raise their two-year daughter away ...
Three parts – 102 chapters ... I love this Western! I first read this book after the mini-series came out on TV. With the 25-year anniversary of McMurty’s masterpiece, I listened to the audio this time. The characters, mainly the Hat Cr...
This story takes place in the southern town of Cold Sassy and is narrated by Will Tweedy, a fourteen year-old boy. His family is outraged when his grandfather marries a much younger woman, just weeks after his grandmother dies. His perspe...
Laughing on the outside... but unsure, depressed, scared, on the inside… Norma Jeane Baker aka Marilyn Monroe is a real person, not the airhead, blonde, sexpot portrayed on the silver screen. Joyce Carol Oates was able to channel Norma Jean...
This books tells about the atrocities faced daily by North Korean prisoners, through the first-hand experiences of a survivor. Yong Kim's life has certainly been full of ups and downs! When I say downs, I mean DOWNS!! As a war orphan, he ...
Briony was a reflective character that saw things through the eyes of a writer. I liked the insight into the process she used to transform feelings into print. It was a shame, that once she created the picture of events, she was unable se...
This is a great book! Kathryn Stockett's characters are very realistic. I liked the way she told the story from each protagnonist's viewpoint. Abilene , Minnie, Skeeter ... all were courageous and making changes. The way the story ends, ...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5kP6cDoIH...
This You Tube video features Barack Obama reading this book to children at the 2009 White House Easter Egg Roll.
Sendak's book is a 1963 Caldecott Medal Winner. The illustrati...
This You Tube video features Barack Obama reading this book to children at the 2009 White House Easter Egg Roll.
Sendak's book is a 1963 Caldecott Medal Winner. The illustrati...
This is a very beautiful book that shows a perspective of WWII from the eyes of Death. Yes, Death narrates the tale of The Book Thief. The thief is Liesel, a young girl. She becomes a book thief by stealing a Gravedigger's Manuel when her...
Sam Spade needs a “fall guy” and in the end finds a “fall girl!” This mystery revolves around a mysterious ornament … a golden bird covered with black enamel to hide its worth. Bridgette O’Shaughnessy becomes one of Spade’s love interests...
Maggie's story is tragic, and the ending left me in tears. She was a character that acted impulsively, and drew my sympathies. Her brother Tom may have been annoying and sometimes cruel, but he was her connection to her past ... who she w...
Stephen King highly praises this Gothic writer, so in beginning the novel I braced myself for some horrific scenes. The Monk is about the downfall and demise of Ambrosia who is put on a pedestal for his spiritual godliness. He...
This story is told in double time as the present investigates the past. Roland, a literary scholar studying the poetry and writings of Randolph Henry Ash, discovers a letter that suggests a private romance. While searching for answers he ...
This story centers around Jack Burns who with his mother Alice, has been on a lifetime quest to find William, Jack's father. William left Before Jack was born ... never married Alice. Knowing that he is an ink addict, after her father gave...
My favorite Jack London novel! I love how he writes from Buck's perspective. I felt I could relate the the dog on a personal level... feeling like I knew what he was going through.
Lucy and George were destined to find each other. Forster's Victorian romance begins slowly, but stay with it and things pick up.
Thank goodness Lucy broke things off with Cecil before she was trapped in a loveless marriage. ...
Thank goodness Lucy broke things off with Cecil before she was trapped in a loveless marriage. ...
This story seems hard to read when you consider the premise. But beneath the violence, brutality and greed, there is sympathy for the main character Katniss. Life in Panem is not fair, and Katniss's instinct for survival has brought her th...
I loved this book! I read it with children at our library's pajama storytime, and the parents really enjoyed it too. It was funny when Clugar the Cougar was scooped up by Blue Eagle and almost dropped midair. His nasty attitude changed ve...
Kyle is transformed into a beast because of his inconsiderate, conceited ways. Though he was quite handsome on the outside, he was rotten on the inside. When he finds himself trapped in the body of a beast, he begins to see what life is l...
Bilbo Baggins had the most adventurous adventure! Tolkien’s tale includes dwarfs, trolls, giants, goblins, elves, fairies, a wizard, and a dragon. But with this tale came Hobbits, a brand new fantasy creature. (Thank you J.R.R.)
...
...
Chris was one that admired the beauty of nature, a thoughtful and relective soul. His study of literature made me fall in love with his mind(the way it worked that is). I admired this boy's pilgrimage to discover the wild, and be a part o...
I listened to the audio and thoroughly enjoyed it! Eugenides won the 2003 Audie Award and the 2003 Pulitzer Prize. The audio used music of the story's time period to transition between episodes. I really liked the early pieces (Artie Shaw...
This author is now on my list of all-time favorites! After reading my first Kingsolver novel, I am adding others to my ever growing list of books to read. I love her way with words, and the unique voice she gives to each of her characters...
Sayuri is a character that stays with you. Arthur Golden amazed me that he could write so in tune with the female prespective on this lifestyle. I felt like I stepped into the geisha world and became one myself. When the geisha were ente...
This is my all-time favorite book. I love the March sisters, and find something in common with all of them. I especially relate to Jo and her love of books. I remember one of her greatest pleasures was to curl up with a book and a crunch...
Set in Minnesota this story carries the reader across the Midwest to Mexico. The year is 1915 and Monte Beckett is struggling to complete his next novel, following the success of his first publishing. Finding his mind and pen have reached...
