Many of us avid readers know the basic story of the Princess and the Swans, but for those who need a refresher, here’s a summary: Like so many classic fairytales, this one begins with a princess who’s mother has died, and her father remarries a wicked woman who is a witch. She is determined to get rid of the king’s 11 sons and 1 daughter. Zahler’s book only has 5 sons and the faerie’s in her story are evil, rather than good, but it’s a great re-telling. Zahler clearly knows her folklore and fairytales well.

Winner of the Mom's Choice Gold Award! Sea Lions are adorable, and Astro is the perfect poster boy for his species- Steller Sea Lions. Many, if not all of us love stories about chubby round baby animals, and little Astro will pull on anyone's heart strings. Here's a quick summary: Poor Astro is found as a baby without his mother, and after being cared for by The Marine Mammal Center in...

Darth Paper and Origami Yoda by Tom Angleberger are full of fun origami and middle school drama. A great fun read. If you liked the Diary of a Wimpy Kid, I think you’ll like these too.

Mercy Carter is amazing. She survives an Indian attack in the middle of freezing winter temperatures, only to find herself confronted with constant ethical dilemmas. After a grueling march and incredible trek, Mercy wrestles with how to reconcile her anglo upbringing with her loving Indian captors and their traditions. She witnesses many kind and generous acts which seem to be in direct...

The voice of Sophie sucked me right into this story! The lyrical text had me riding my own waves as I read the story. Thank goodness sea-sickness can't follow you into a story! Sophie is sailing with her cousins and Uncles to England to visit her Bompie. She has many adventures on the way and learns a lot about herself and her family. What I really liked about this book was the subtle mystery...

The mostly True Story of Jack is another compelling, debut children's book. I seem to be reading a lot of these lately. There is a mystery that pulls you along from the very first page. I think that many younger readers will find this to be a little bit spooky and shivery tale. 'Something' magical steals children in Hazelwood, takes their souls and erases them from memory. Their families don't...

The 2002 winner of the Michael L. Printz Award for excellence in Young Adult literature. Young Ju comes with her family to America. As they fly in the plane, Young Ju thinks they must be going to Heaven. Her Uhmma seems so happy to go to this America, it must be as wonderful as Heaven. An Na's language took me back to college days when I had 3 Korean roommates. Her subtle language reflects...

I met Debra Terry Hulet this summer during an author event at our nearby Kuna, Idaho library. She has an amazing story and if you ever get a chance, you need to go meet her! Her debut novel, Independence Rock, is somewhat unusual in Mormon Fiction because it deals with touchy subjects that are often glossed over in feel-good, faith-promoting literature. The protaganist, Katie McBride has an...

A Few Things on My Summer Reading List…The key to reading even when you’re busy is having a book every place you might have a moment to read. Even with four kids, there is always a moment to read. Like, that 3 minute time slot when everyone is taking forever to buckle their seatbelt… don’t get mad, read! They’ll get the point eventually, and even if they don’t, you’ll get more reading time 🙂 So, without further ado, here is the list:

You might find yourself discussing some important subjects about equality of the sexes and traditions that don’t make sense, but that are hard to question because they are so entrenched in society. Lela and her family live in India at the cusp of Gandhi’s new political and social ideas. Lela has the misfortune of losing her ‘husband’ at the young age of twelve, making her a widhwa, or widow. I love the parallels that Sheth weaves throughout the story between the political and marriage practices of 1918 India.

Cabin Creek Mysteries: The Clue at the Bottom of the Lake by Kristiana Gregory is a formulaic novel similar to Nancy Drew and Hardy boy mysteries, but is geared for a younger audience. With the perfect amount of suspense and fingernail biting, brothers Jeff and David, along with cousin Claire, solve mysteries in their cozy home in the Blue Mountains. The mystery of the moment all starts when Jeff and David witness someone dumping a lumpy, heavy bundle into the lake, across from their home and right in the front yard of their secret fort on Lost Island.

  Elmer is an adorable patchwork elephant who enjoys Elmer's Day once a year, when he gets to dress up like all the other elephants and look like a normal elephant. All the other elephants look forward to Elmer's day because they get to decorate themselves in any creative form they desire. There are so many amazing elephants in this book! This year, the other jungle animals are complaining...

Teachers and schools would greatly benefit from incorporating The Black Death into their curriculum. The pictures are engaging- artistic interpretations of the horrible suffering and gruesome realities of the Black Death. Zahler’s book focuses on the first great plague…

What teenage girl hasn't heard of Lurlene McDaniel? I always got a good cry out of her books, maybe that means I'm sappy. Hmmm. McDaniels is known for her books that deal with hard realities. Sometimes, there are so many in one book, it's a little unbelievable, but hey, it's all about tugging on those heart strings! Sissy is a very lovable main character whose older sister has skipped their...

As Earth Day is rapidly approaching, I would like to recommend a fun read for kids. Bluebird and the Nature Squad help to teach kids about the importance of caring for our environment. Knowing what things are unnecessary and what things are actually useful for nature is paramount. I had no idea that blue birds prefer to nest in dead trees. Culling our forests of all dead growth deprives them of...