Wednesday, August 17, 2011

5 Books I Read This Summer

Hi everyone!  Sorry about my absence this summer.  I was away for all of July and half of August.  But now I have a little list for you...five books I read this summer for the first time! I hope you enjoy hearing a short review of the books, and maybe consider checking out a few.  I thought they were great!

1. One Crazy Summer by Rita Williams-Garcia. 
This book (set in summer of 1968) starts off with main character Delphine trying to calm down her two little sisters while on their first plane ride ever, heading to Oakland, California to visit their mother.  But when they finally meet her, their mother Cecile is nothing like they expected.  This book is a great read, educational and entertaining. 

2. Skellig by David Almond.
This is a beautiful story of friendship and hope.  Main character Michael has just moved to a new place, but his baby sister is still sick and his parents are more distraught than ever.  Then one day he steps into the forbidden garage and discovers...Skelllig.  What is Skellig?  This book is a magical if slightly creepy tale that I found quite heartfelt.

3. I Capture The Castle by Dodie Smith.
This is a great book about a poor family in england.  The book is told through main character Cassandra's journals where she writes about everything from her dislike of being poor to her descent into love.  This was an unexpected read for me, as I am not really a very romantic reader and this book is very romantic.  However it is also witty and real. 

4. The Wanderer by Sharon Creech.
This book is set in an unusual spot-on a sailboat on the Atlantic!  It's told through the sea-logs of Sophie, the adopted girl who feels the call of the sea and gets herself a spot as the only girl on board, and her cousin Cody, the joker who struggles to redeem his relationship with his father.  They are sailing to see Grandpa Bompie, but how does Sophie know all his stories despite never meeting him?   This is a sweet story with some mystery floating around in the background.

5.Something Invisible by Siobhan Parkinson.
This book's main character Jake has never had a little sister before, and he's not sure how much he likes it.  But when he meets a new friend Stella, things get a lot more interesting.  But then there is a tragic accident that shatters his world, and he has to rely on the people who love him to get him back on his feet.  This story is touching and really shows how important friends are.

Well, those are five of the new books I read this summer! I enjoyed them all and I hope you do too!