April was a busy month for us both. Cari found and applied for a literacy specialist ‘dream’ job.  Read the May review next month to find out how it turned out.  I (Holly here) left the country for the first time ever in my life to travel to the Dominican Republic with my great husband for our 10 year anniversary. We had a great time and came back appreciating clean drinking water and missing sugary-sweet fresh pineapple. While I was out of the country my husband and I took the time to visit an orphanage, one of many in the DR, and were able to pass along a few books in Spanish as well as some basketballs, a frisbee and some really louds fu-fu toys. We hope to help with some efforts to give these wonderful kids a hand up.

Despite a wonderful week of relaxation and fun that theoretically should have carried over to make my life serene for at least two weeks after getting home, I returned to have my kids all get the stomach flu one after another for all of last week. So, now that we are back on our feet and I have a couple of nights of sleep under my belt- let’s get to the May uh, I mean April review.

Our Double Scoop this month was a great read by one of our favorite authors called  A Year Down Yonder by Richard Peck

Cari’s Pick of the Month: Hmm. . . since I only reviewed three books it should be easier right, wrong! I think I will go withFablehaven by Brandon Mull.

Holly’s pick of the month: I picked two this month Greater Than Angels by Carol Matas (this was part of my reading for National Holocaust month) and On the Wings of Heroes by Richard Peck, also a WWII story.

Books Holly reviewed:

• On the Wings of Heroes by Richard Peck read by Lincoln Hoppe
• Greater Than Angels by Carol Matas
• One Eye Laughing the Other Weeping, The Diary of Julie Weiss
• Lisa’s War by Carol Matas
• Good Night, Maman by Norma Fox Maze
• Mongoose by Janet Halfmann
• After the War by Carol Matas
• Beatrix Potter Nursery Rhyme Book and CD
• A Long Way From Chicago by Richard Peck
• Satchel Paige: Don’t Look Back by David A. Adler, illustrated by Terry Widener
• Tisha , The Story of a Young Teacher in the Alaska Wilderness as told to Robert Specht

Cari reviewed:

• A Very Touching Book for Little People and Big People by Jan Hindman, Illustrated by Tom Novak
  
• Fablehaven by Brandon Mull
  
• Onward: A Photobiography of African-American Polar Explorer Matthew Henson by Dolores Johnson