To all the beautiful and strong women out there…Happy Mother’s Day! We appreciate all that you do for us. You are always so kind and loving, and know exactly what to say. To my own mom…once again, thank you for all that you do. I love you so much! 💕 Have a great rest of your day, everyone, with the women who make your life special! Be on the lookout for a new read coming your way on May 15th! Cheerio!
Hey guys! Can you believe April is almost over? Crazy to think about right? I just wanted to post a little something about books to pick up your day and mine.
Books are an escape, something we can go to in times of need. Whenever I sit down to read, I’m able to take a deep breath and truly breathe. I love stories that make me cry, laugh, gasp, scream and love all at the same time. So I encourage you: for May, make a goal for yourself just to sit down and read once a day. Doesn’t matter what, for how long, or anything like that, just sit down and read. A lot of terrible stuff is going on in the world right now (if you look at the news, it’s super easy to get depressed) so I encourage you to escape in a book. Forget about all your problems and forget about the world for 10 minutes. I can promise you that you will so much more relaxed (unless you read a Stephen King book 😝) and it will really pick your day up.
Remember these words of wisdom for this week and face whatever comes your way with a book. Now, I will leave y’all with a poem I absolutely love. I will talk to everyone soon (because is almost May 1st!!) and have a great rest of your week!
-your fellow book lover
I Opened a Book
by Julia Donaldson
I opened a book and in I strode,
now no one can find me.
I left my chair, my house, my road,
my town and my world behind me.
I’m wearing the cloak, I’ve slipped on the ring
I’ve swallowed the magic potion.
I fought with a dragon, dined with a king,
and dived in a bottomless ocean.
I opened a book and made some friends,
I’ve shared their tears and laughter.
And followed the road with its bumps and bends
to the happily ever after.
I finished my book and out I came
the cloak can no longer hide me.
My chair and my house are just the same,
but I have a book inside me.
Happy reading!!! ❤️📚
To my dear readers,
Happy Easter! Have a great day celebrating this blessing-filled day and spend some great quality time with your family!
-your fellow book lover
A Solitary Blue by Cynthia Voigt
A Solitary Blue is eye-opening book about a boy named Jeff Greene. The book starts with Jeff being a second grader, but focuses on Jeff as he grows up into a young man. Jeff has a challenging relashionship with his mother, Melody, and his father, the Professor throughout the story. His parents are divorced and Jeff lives with his father, so he doesn’t get to see his mother very much. But that all changes when one summer she invites him to come stay with her. Jeff, having always been quiet and someone who doesn’t care, starts to come out of his shell with his mother. But that turns out to be a mistake, and now Jeff can’t feel anything other than the pain. Read this book to find out more.
My Review
I absolutely love this book! If someone was to ask me for a book recommendation, this would definitely be on the top of my list. However, this book requires a certain type of reader. I recommended this to one of my close friends and she didn’t like it. If you love books with character development, drama, and a little touch of humor, this book is definitely for you. Little warning, this book does start off a little slow, but keep persevering and you will look back on it fondly.
Recommended Age
I would recommend this book for 11 and up because it’s not a hard read but its not an easy one either. It is, as you can see, a Newberry Honor book. Its 250 pages, so not tediously long. I read this book when I was 11, which was the perfect age for me to read it.
Conclusion
A Solitary Blue is absolutely one of my all-time favorites. I loved how Jeff was able to discover himself through solitude. Being more of an introvert myself, meaning I recharge better alone, I can definitely appreciate his experience. The two link below are for buying the book on Amazon and the other one is more information on the Cynthia Voigt. If you have any questions or comments about this book, definitely share them below! If youhave any positive feedback, book suggestions or anything else that would help me develop my blog, I would so appreciate it! Thank you everyone! Happy reading!
Hannah’s Grade: 8.5 stars out of 10.
Links
Find on Amazon here.
More about Cynthia Voigt here
Pay it Forward: the Young Reader’s edition by Catherine Ryan Hyde
Summary
When your teacher gives you an assignment to change the world for the better, it can be difficult to imagine how one person can make a difference. But Trevor McKinney, a small boy in California, comes up with an idea that could work. Do a favor for someone, a really big one, and instead of asking them to pay it back, ask them to pay it forward to three other people. Trevor starts to put his plan into action. It doesn’t seem to be working, until one day, unexplained reports of kindness start to pop up everywhere. And no one can explain how it started. Read the book to read more about Trevor and his ambition to make the world a better place.
My review
I absolutely loved this book! It was such a heart-warming, lift-you-up book that I could not put down. I love how Trevor, Arlene and Mr. St. Claire went through many trials together and came out victorious. Not everyone was supportive of Trevor’s movement. In fact, many kids scoffed at the idea. This goes to show that if you believe in something with all your heart, your dreams could come true. The Pay it Forward Foundation is real, founded by the author of this book, Catherine. The foundation inspires extraordinary random acts of kindness throughout the world each day. Use the link belwo to learn more about their cause.
Recommended Reading Age
I would recommend this book for ages 12 and up because of the overall concept. While light, the concept would need a more mature mind to create an impact in. I do believe that, like in the book, these acts of kindness could some day be a regular occurrence.
Conclusion
Pay it Forward is a inspiring book that makes you laugh, cry and smile all at the same time. I loved this book because of the determination of the characters, who all wanted to succeed in life badly. Thanks for reading everyone! If you would like to buys this book on Amazon, the link is attached below. If you would like to learn more about the Pay it Forward Foundation, the link is also attached below. Like I said before, please give me any positive feedback on my blog, any book suggestions that I should check out and please share this blog with anyone who you would think might like it! Thank you all so much! Happy reading!
Hannah’s Grade: 9 stars out of 10
Links:
Link to buys this book on Amazon here
Link to learn more about the Pay It Forward Foundation here
A Drowned Maiden’s Hair by Laura Amy Schlitz
Summary
Everyone wants to be loved by one person or another and Maud Flynn is no different. As an adventurous and naughty orphan girl, Maud backtalks and creates trouble on a day-to-day basis. So when a lovely looking lady called Miss Hyacinth comes to the orphanage and adopts her, Maud is more surprised than anyone. Maud is taken into a lovely home with Hyacinth’s two sisters, Victoria and Judith, who are good to her. Maud finally feels that she is loved and has a family. However, the sisters aren’t normal. They tell Maud that she is to be a secret child. But why? And what secrets are the sisters keeping from her?
My Review
This book is a page turner and leaves you in major suspense. Like a graveyard mystery, people are messing with the line between the living and the dead that shouldn’t be messed with. I loved this book because through this journey, Maude discovers herself and how much she is willing to endure to be loved.
Recommended Age
I would recommend this book for 13-14 year old’s because of some of the vocabulary and the overall concept of the book. However, I think it could be really great for 12 year old’s as well. Early teenage years would be the perfect age to read this book.
Conclusion
If you love humor, a little tinge of creepiness and a whole lot of trouble, then A Drowned Maiden’s Hair is the book for you! Below is the link on Amazon to buy the book. Also below is a link to more books that Laura Amy Schlitz has written. Please like and comment below about improvement on my blog, book recommendations for me to check out and positive feedback! Thanks so much for your support! Happy reading!
Link to buy A Drowned Maiden’s Hair here
Link to learn more about Laura Amy Schlitz and her books here
