The Girl Who Could Fly by Victoria Forester

This was an employee pick at Barnes & Noble (my favorite date night destination!) a few months ago, and it caught my eye.  When I found it sitting on the "New Arrivals" shelf at the library (it's not that new, but I'm not complaining), I snatched it up, eager to squeeze it in between two other books I was reading.

For the first half the book I read with quite a critical eye.  The cover of the book has a comment from Twilight's Stephanie Meyers: "It's the oddest/sweetest mix of Little House on the Prairie and X-Men . . ." This totally threw me--there was little or no Little House on the Prairie involved.  But then halfway through the book it started to really grab me.  What a sweet story!  It was exciting, interesting, clean (okay, it had one bad word), and it even had a good moral.  Perhaps what I liked most about it was its potential for discussion between parents and their kids who read it--about how the story symbolizes the choices we make and the tools used by the adversary (especially distraction!).

So while Piper McCloud, the main character, has a bit of a forced accent and seems a bit Pollyanna-ish--hey, what's wrong with that, right? :)

The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate by Jacqueline Kelly

I loved the title of this book and the cover, but when I read the summary I wasn't too excited.  However, lest I scare you away, let me preface my summary by telling you that I ended up really liked it.  A quick read--it moved along pretty swiftly.

Callie Vee is a preteen girl growing up in 1899 Texas.  The story takes place in the summer and fall of the year, just before the turn of the century.  Callie, surrounded by rowdy brothers and expected to learn to knit and sew and become a debutante (yes, I had to look it up--I totally thought it meant something else . . .), discovers in her grandfather both a friend and mentor.  Together they study the species of flora and fauna near their home while he instructs her in everything from Darwin to Copernicus, Chopin to Vivaldi.  The title sums up the story beautifully--while Callie is studying evolution, she herself evolves and makes many self-discoveries.

This book was clean--maybe a light cuss word or two?  I can't remember, but I truly enjoyed it (the book, not the cussing).  There were a few coming-of-age things that younger kids wouldn't get--not bad or anything, just scientific things about animals mating, etc.  I would say twelve and up would be old enough to read it.  Kelly has a very entertaining writing style, speaking from Callie's point of view; modern enough that you can empathize with her, yet with enough old-fashioned qualities to set it apart from a lot of the junk being written nowadays.

Gilead by Marilynne Robinson

We are reading this book for our book club, and I admit I wasn't very excited about it.  The name sounded quite forbidding and sermonizing somehow, and as I thumbed through the pages, I saw little or no dialogue.  But since it is a Pulitzer Prize winner, I thought I'd better give it a sporting chance.


And I am so glad I did!  Both reflective and inspiring, but with a good story line (yes, it does have a story, even without the dialogue!) it wasn't preachy like I suspected.  Ironically enough, it is the fictional autobiography of a preacher in Gilead, Iowa, nearing the end of his life.  As he writes to the son who will not remember him, he discovers that even in old age there is much to learn.  It is so beautifully written!  Marilynne Robinson's writing style kept reminding me of C.S. Lewis in his more serious books (i.e. Mere Christianity, etc.).  No swearing that I can recall, and nothing inappropriate or risqué.


It was one of those books that made me contemplate how I treat others and what I judge them by.  It seemed to go right along with our prophet's words from the General Relief society meeting last weekend:


"Mother Teresa, a Catholic nun who worked among the poor in India most of her life, spoke this profound truth: 'If you judge people, you have no time to love them.' . . . I ask: can we love one another, as the Savior has commanded, if we judge each other? And I answer—with Mother Teresa: no, we cannot. . . .I have in mind the charity that impels us to be sympathetic, compassionate, and merciful, not only in times of sickness and affliction and distress but also in times of weakness or error on the part of others."


I hope you find time to read and enjoy this one!  And  Pres. Monson's talk too, if you have the chance!

Because of Winn-Dixie by Kate DiCamillo

Because of Winn-Dixie is about a girl who has moved into a new place and doesn't have any friends, until she finds a dog who helps her find new friends in her neighborhood. Because of Winn-Dixie is a great book.

A Thomas Jefferson Education by Oliver Van DeMille

Look at me, reading a non-fiction book!  I'm quite proud of myself.

Thomas Jefferson, Abraham Lincoln, Newton, and countless other great leaders received their education through the use of two things:  a great mentor and an in-depth study of the classics.  Oliver Van DeMille (who, coincidentally belongs to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints--I had no idea until I ran across a quote by Neal A. Maxwell), founder of George Wythe University, makes the assertion that these great leaders became great because they learned from past great leaders and their writings.

I'm warning you, this book will probably really change the way you think about how you raise and teach your children.  And although DeMille's principles are probably best used in a home school setting, there are definitely some jewels of wisdom in this book that can be used by public school parents and teachers to make us all better statesmen.  (By the way, a statesman, by his definition, "doesn't mean being famous or even involved in government; it means that you demonstrate virtue, wisdom, diplomacy and courage in whatever you are called upon to do.")

I love his idea of reading books with your children, then discussing and writing about them afterwards, asking probing questions and applying the lessons learned from books like Great Expectations and Jane Eyre to real life.

Here are a few quotes that really rang true to me:
"As students become familiar with and eventually conversant with the great ideas of humanity, they will learn how to think, how to lead, and how to become great.  The classics, by introducing the young mind to the greatest achievements of mankind and the teachings of God, prepare children to become successful human beings, parents and leaders in their own time."

"If we will let them, the classics can teach us lessons without the pain of repeating certain mistakes ourselves. . . . As we read we experience despair, heartache, tragedy--and we learn to recognize what causes them and avoid it in our own lives. . . .First we are caused to think about the characters in the story, then about ourselves, then about people we know, and finally about humanity in general."

I loved the beginning and middle of this book.  There were parts towards the end that I felt were perhaps a bit excessive, but it was a fast read and well worth the time I spent in it.  I hope you enjoy it too!  (And thank you Leslie for the recommendation!)

Ella Enchanted by Gail Carson Levine

Now, if you've seen the movie, Ella Enchanted, don't despair; the book is ten times better.  I mean, don't get me wrong--I liked the movie okay, and I think Hugh Dancy is a great actor, but they changed a lot of things and made it somehow modern in ways it wasn't supposed to be.  So . . .  all that aside, back to the book.

There have been countless retold fairy tales about Cinderella, but I love the twist on this one--that Ella has to obey any order she is given.  You'll find all the elements of the original story (i.e. the glass slippers, the ball, pumpkin carriage, and wicked stepsisters) along with a spunky, spirited heroine who has a mind of her own.  This one is appropriate for about 4th grade and up--clean and cute, and hey--a Newberry Honor book!

Stargirl by Jerry Spinelli

If you're looking for something light and quick to read, this might just be the ticket.

Stargirl Caraway, the eccentric, spontaneous heroine, always sings to her fellow students on their birthdays and always looks out for those who might be having a rough time.  Slightly odd, but always genuine, she is unafraid to be her own person.

If I had a pre-teen/teenage daughter (or son, I guess, although I can't see boys getting into this one much), I'd probably encourage them to give Stargirl a try.  It was clean and a really quick read--I think it only took me a day or two--but it was well-written and kept me reading to find out what would happen.  I believe it has a sequel (which I haven't read yet . . . ) called Love, Stargirl--I'll be sure to post if I ever read it!

Our Hearts Were Young and Gay by Cornelia Otis Skinner

Light-hearted, hilarious, old-fashioned yet witty, this book is so much fun!  My grandma gave me her copy when I was in high school, and I have read it a few times whenever I needed a "'tweener"--something to read between hefty or intense novels.  More a travelogue than a story, it's the cheery tale of two 19-year-old girls on their first "independent" tour of Europe.  They encounter one mishap after another, from a shipwreck to spending a night (unwittingly) in a brothel--and it's all true!  I think it's the way Skinner puts things that makes it so entertaining.  (It reminds me of The Egg and I by Betty MacDonald, another delightful autobiography of sorts.) There is no underlying plot or "the moral of the story is . . ." but everyone once in a while it's nice to have a book like that, you know?

My copy looks like this (c. 1942):

. . . but apparently the newest version on Amazon (used for $7.50) is more like this.  Worth looking into!

North and South by Elizabeth Gaskell

I don't know if it's because I watched this movie a few years back and loved it or whether it's because I'm so in love with Victorian novels, but I couldn't put this down.  Literally.  At 11:30 one evening Seth turned to me (he was watching the news while I was sitting by him, engrossed in the romance between Mr. Thornton and Margaret . . .) and he said, "Honey, I just need you to really be with me for a minute.  Do you think you could put the book away?"

What Seth failed to appreciate is that in contrast with the Jane Austen books (I am NOT dissing them, by the way--they are my favorites!), the hero has an actual job (Seth's biggest issue with my "British movies").  John Thornton, a working-class, self-made man falls in love with Margaret Hale--not your typical beauty, but a strong personality and very interesting character from Southern England.

What makes this book so beautiful and intriguing is the Elizabeth Bennett/Mr. Darcy nature of their relationship.  I enjoyed watching the characters unfold and grew to like them more as I read.  It's not quite a Jane Austen, but on the whole I think you'll enjoy it if you like her romances.  Elizabeth Gaskell has such an approachable style to her writing--it's not intimidating or overly verbose, and she paints only the picture she needs to without leaving out details, but also without cramming them down your throat.

And if you don't get around to reading the book, you ought to at least give the BBC movie version a try.  It is absolutely beautifully done--almost better than the book--and the casting couldn't be better.  And I love the theme music!  I think I've just talked myself into watching it again . . . anyone up for a girls' night?

The Great and the Terrible Series by Chris Stewart

This was a very interesting series. Now, I am not an LDS fiction reader, but this came highly recommended from a friend, and although I didn't love it, I'm not sorry I read it.  It's about a group of the noble and great spirits who make their way through life during the last days of the world.

Likes:  It really made me think about how Satan works (sort of put me in the same mindset as reading C.S. Lewis's "The Screwtape Letters"--only that's a completely different book--and such a good one--maybe I'll re-read it!).  The first book takes place in the author's rendition of the pre-existence, where you get to know the main characters of the series.  Good dialogue, good writing style, and the guy definitely knows his military stuff.

Dislikes:  It's definitely packed with action and a bit too much blood and gore for my taste.  I don't like reading about people's brains getting blown out, etc--maybe if I were a guy I would have liked it more.  Also, the whole adversary and devil's helpers thing started to scare me a bit.  And all the evil that leads up to the end of the world was just too much for me.  I'm afraid I did a lot of skimming through so I could get to the end and find out what happens.  The first and last books were my favorites.

If you are interested and want to know more, DeseretBook.com has a great review summing up the entire series.