Doris Kearns Goodwin is a respected presidential historian who has won many awards. This is easy to understand as she writes about her subjects in a detailed and engaging way.
This time, in this illustrated title, Goodwin is writing for the middle school reader. In this book, she tells the stories of four men who became president. They are Lincoln, both Roosevelts, and Johnson. Readers will learn much about their early years, influences and what they brought to the presidency.
I find this title to offer an inspiring view of these men who became leaders. This is so encouraging and optimistic to think about in our divided times. It would be great if some kids who read this book are inspired to look at political careers and/or to study history.
Starting with the introduction, Goodwin speaks directly to her audience. I hope and trust that she will engage them.
It is easy to recommend this book. It belongs in school libraries.
Note the many boxes filled with additional information. For example, one of those in the section on Lincoln explores how slavery became part of American history.
By the way, adults may also find this book to be quite interesting.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing. All opinions are my own.
Remember when the first Harry Potter title was published? It went on to become one of those books that just took off and has been loved by so many. Similarly, I think that Impossible Creatures has every chance of being that next, very special book.
This novel tells an involving story of two children and a created world. First readers meet Christopher. One day he rescues a baby griffin and his life changes for ever. On this very same day, Christopher meets Mal (and her magic coat). She is in need of his help. Of course the two join forces.
Over the course of this book much happens to these characters in a story that is heroic, magical and engaging. Note that the illustrations add much pleasure to the reading. These are whimsical and quite appealing.
In my opinion, young readers will be very eager to get their hands on this one! I am sure that it will get kids reading. Yay!
Many thanks to NetGalley and Random House Children’s-Knopf Books for Young Readers for this title. All opinions are my own.
Delicious Dairy-Free and Gluten-Free Cakes, Cookies, Breads, and More
by Danielle Cochran
#CraveworthyBaking #NetGalley
This is a book that will excite its intended audience of bakers who need dairy and gluten free recipes. However, those without restrictions may well want to try them too.
Following an introduction and a section on “Kitchen Essentials” there are many recipes. These are organized by categories including Cookies & Bars; Cakes & Cupcakes; Cheesecakes, Puddings & Custards; Pies, Tarts & Pastries; Sweet Breads, Muffins & Rolls; and finally, Savory Breads.
It is hard to pick a few examples of recipes as so many of them sound delicious. How about Turtle Chocolate Chip Skillet Cookies or Rainbow Confetti Cheesecake? Maybe try Pumpkin Streusel Muffins or Cathead Biscuits? There are lots of others too. For each, the directions are clear and the photos are mouthwatering.
This book looks like a terrific resource to me.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Quarto Publishing Group for this title. All opinions are my own.
To my mind, Ms.Quinn is a bit of a chameleon. Her latest novel, The Briar Club, felt quite different from say The Rose Code (a favorite of mine). That is not to say that I didn’t enjoy The Briar Club because I very much did.
A few things about the structure of the book:
The house gets some chapters as events unfold.
The story is told almost as a series of short stories with a section given to each of the main characters.
There are recipes from each of the main characters included.
As regards the story itself, which unfolds during the McCarthy era, right from the beginning readers know that there has been a murder. There may be more to come (no spoilers). Who was killed and why? Of course, readers want to know. They will keep turning the pages to find out.
The character who moves in to the house right at the beginning of the story seems to be the glue between characters. It is Grace March who draws everyone together and it is she who organizes the regular weekly tenant dinners. The residents who attend are quite different from one another. One character works at the National Archives, another is a mother with a young child, someone is more involved with the McCarthy hearings, an older woman was once an artist and is now down on her heels. These are just some of the women and all of them have backstories.
I would read anything by Kate Quinn and this book does nothing to change that opinion. I recommend it highly recommend it as do Library Journal and Publishers Weekly which both gave this a starred review. Readers will remember the women and events at Briarwood House.
Many thanks to NetGalley and William Morrow for this title. All opinions are my own..
The month-by-month guide to your best ever gardening year
I found this to be a lovely title. There are attractive illustrations as well as many photos throughout. Gardeners will find much helpful information in these pages, while non-gardeners will enjoy the virtual visits.
This title is organized by month. Each month begins with an illustration and a thoughtful and evocative paragraph. Information follows on many topics. To name some, there are what to do in (that month), plants of the month, projects, info on things like average rainfall, challenges and more. I liked the many entries on “Horticultural Heroes.”
This title belongs on British gardeners bookshelves. I can imagine that its audience would want to purchase this one every year.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Quarto Publishing Group for this title. All opinions are my own.
I very much liked the illustrations in this storybook. They are very sweet and appealing. To me, they are the best part of this title.
The story itself is a simple one about an animal community celebrating Christmas. My favorite part was how presents were found-they were located after finding a series of notes. This seems like an idea that many families could try.
This might be an addition to a family’s collection of holiday stories for children. It is not unique but it does get into the spirit of the season.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Atmosphere Press for this title. All opinions are my own.
Those who enjoy reading traditional mysteries will, I think, enjoy this first title in what I hope will be a series. It has a good setting, good characters, an interesting mystery and jigsaw puzzles.
When the husband of Alice’s best friend Ruby is murdered, the stage is set. George was cheating on Ruby but would this be enough for her to murder him? Who was the mysterious wigged woman with George right before he died? Still, all of the motives may not be personal; is it possible that his role in the government with budget power led someone to go too far? Could there be other reasons based on George’s behavior? Find out and enjoy spending time with Alice, her granddaughters and the many others in these pages.
Puzzle Me a Murder offers a good puzzle and a fun read. Recommended for its audience.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Kensington Publishing for this title. All opinions are my own.
Here is another title in this excellent series of short biographies for kids. This time, I got to read about Mary Kom, someone whom I did not know. As is always the case in the Little People, Big Dreams titles, readers will find a story with inspiration, this time about a girl who dreamed of becoming a boxer. Learn how she achieved this, how she grew along the way and how she gave back.
This book is beautifully illustrated and tells Mary’s story well. Give it to a child to show them how dreams can lead to accomplishments.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Quarto Publishing Group for this title. All opinions are my own.
I am very excited to be a part of this blog tour. I have enjoyed everything that I have read by this author. Fans of historical fiction will too. This book is definitely worth a look!
Many thanks to everyone at HTP for this opportunity.
About the Book:
A heartwarming story about a mother and daughter in wartime England and the power of books that bring them together, by the bestselling author of The Last Bookshop in London.
In Nottingham, England, widow Emma Taylor finds herself in desperate need of a job. She and her beloved daughter Olivia have always managed just fine on their own, but with the legal restrictions prohibiting widows with children from most employment opportunities, she’s left with only one option: persuading the manageress at Boots’ Booklover’s Library to take a chance on her with a job.
When the threat of war in England becomes a reality, Olivia must be evacuated to the countryside. In the wake of being separated from her daughter, Emma seeks solace in the unlikely friendships she forms with her neighbors and coworkers, and a renewed sense of purpose through the recommendations she provides to the library’s quirky regulars. But the job doesn’t come without its difficulties. Books are mysteriously misshelved and disappearing and the work at the lending library forces her to confront the memories of her late father and the bookstore they once owned together before a terrible accident.
As the Blitz intensifies in Nottingham and Emma fights to reunite with her daughter, she must learn to depend on her community and the power of literature more than ever to find hope in the darkest of times.
Start reading:
PROLOGUE
Nottingham, England April 1931
JUST ONE MORE CHAPTER. Emma lingered in the storage area on the second floor of her father’s bookshop, Tower Bookshop, with Jane Austen’s Emma cradled in her lap. Sadly, not her namesake—her parents had named her Emmaline for an aunt she’d never met, who had died on Emma’s seventh birthday ten years ago.
Still, the book was one of Emma’s favorites.
“Emma.” Papa’s voice rose from somewhere in the bookshop, sharp with irritation.
She frowned. Papa was seldom ever cross with her.
Perhaps the smoke from the man who had come in with his cigar earlier still lingered in the shop.
She settled a scrap of paper into the spine of her book.
“Emmaline!” Something to that second cry snapped her to attention, a raw, frantic pitch.
Papa was never panicked.
She leaped up from the seat with such haste, the book dropped to the ground with a whump.
“I’m in the warehouse,” she called out, racing to the door.
The handle was scalding hot. She yelped and drew back. That’s when she saw the smoke, wisps seeping beneath the door, glowing in the stream of sunlight.
Fire.
She put her skirt over her hand and twisted the knob to open the door. Thick plumes of smoke billowed in, black and choking.
She sucked in a breath of surprise, unintentionally inhaling a lungful of burning air. A cough racked her and she stumbled back, her mind reeling as her feet pulled her from the threat.
But to where? This was the only exit from the storeroom, save the second-floor window.
“Papa,” she shouted, terror creeping into her voice.
All at once, he was there, wrapping a blanket around them, the one she kept in the shop for cold mornings before the furnace managed to heat the old building.
“Stay at my side.” Papa’s voice was gravelly beneath the blanket where he’d covered the lower part of his face. Even as he led her away, a great cough shuddered through his lean frame.
Beyond the wall of smoke was a vision straight out of Milton’s Paradise Lost as fire licked and climbed its way up the towering stacks of books, devouring a lifetime of careful curation. Emma screamed, the sound muted by the blanket.
But Papa’s hand was firm at her back, pressing her forward. “We have to run.” Not slowing, he guided her to the winding metal staircase. She used to love clattering down it as a girl, hearing the metal ringing around her.
“It’s hot,” Papa cautioned. “Don’t touch it.”
Emma hugged against his side as they squeezed down the narrow steps that barely fit the two of them together. It swayed beneath their weight, no longer sturdy as it had once been. The blazing heat felt as though it was blistering Emma’s skin. Too hot. Too close. Too much.
And they were plunging deeper into the fiery depths.
The soles of Emma’s shoes stuck to the last two steps as rubber melted against metal.
What had once been rows of bookshelves was now a maze of flames. Even Papa hesitated before the seemingly impassable blaze.
But there was nowhere else to go.
The fire was alive. Cracking and popping and hissing and roaring, roaring, roaring so loud, it seemed like an actual beast.
“Go,” he shouted, and his grip tightened around her, pulling her forward.
Together they ran, between columns of fire that had once been shelves of books. An ear-shattering crack came from above, spurring them to the front as fire and sparks poured down behind them.
Emma ran faster than she ever had before, faster than she knew herself capable. Papa’s arm at her side yanked her this way or that, navigating through the fiery chaos. Until there was nowhere to go.
Papa roared louder than the fire beast and released her, running toward the blazing door. It flew open at the impact, revealing clean sunny daylight outside. He turned toward her even as she rushed after him and grabbed her around the shoulders, hauling her into the street.
Emma gulped in the clean air, reveling in the cool dampness washing into her tortured lungs. A crowd had gathered, staring up at the Tower Bookshop. Some came to Emma and Papa, asking in a frenzy of voices if they were hurt.
In the distance came the scream of emergency sirens. Sirens Emma had heard her entire life, but had never once needed herself.
There was need now. She held on to Papa’s hand and looked behind her at the building that had been in her family for two generations and was meant to become hers someday. Her gaze skimmed over the bookshop to the top two floors where their home had once been.
The fire beast gave a great heaving howl and the top floor crumpled.
Someone grabbed her from behind, dragging her back as the rest of the structure came down, ripping her hand from her father’s. She didn’t reach for him again, unable to move, unable to think, her eyes fixed on the building as it crashed in on itself in a fiery heap. Their livelihood. Their home.
All the pictures of her mother who had died after Emma was born, all the books she and her father had lovingly selected from bookshops around England on the trips they’d taken together, everything they’d ever owned.
Gone.
Emma choked on a sob at the realization.
Everything was gone.
“We need a doctor.” A man’s voice broke through her horror, pulling her attention to her father.
He lay on the ground, motionless. Soot streaked his handsome slender face, and his thick gray hair that had once been the same shade of chestnut as hers was now singed in blackened tufts.
“Papa?” She sagged to the ground beside him.
His eyes lifted to her, watery blue and filled with a love that made her heart swell. The breath wheezed from his chest like a kettle’s cry. “You’re safe.”
Once the words left his mouth, his body relaxed, going slack.
“Papa?” Emma cried.
This time his eyes did not meet hers. They looked through her. Sightless and empty.
She shuddered at how unnatural he appeared. Like her father, and yet not like her father.
“Papa?”
The wailing sirens were still too far-off.
“I’m a doctor.” A man knelt on the other side of her father. His fingers went to Papa’s blackened neck and the man’s sad brown eyes turned up to her.
“I’m sorry, love. He’s gone.”
Emma stared at the man, refusing to believe her ears even as she saw the truth.
It had always just been Emma and her father, the two of them against the world, as Papa used to say. They read the same books to discuss together, they worked every day at the bookshop together, friends and colleagues as much as they were father and daughter. Once Emma had completed her schooling, she’d even traveled with him, curating books like the first editions they were still waiting on to arrive from Newcastle.
Now that beautiful light that shone in his eyes had dulled. Lifeless.
Madeline Martin is a New York Times, USA Today, and internationally bestselling author of historical fiction and historical romance with books that have been translated into over twenty-five different languages.
Joyce's mystery and fiction book reviews with some non-fiction too! 