Praying at the Sweetwater Motel

Sunday, July 6, 2008

Praying at the Sweetwater Motel

Author: April Young Fritz

First line: Hello, God, it's me, Sarah Jane Otis.

Why you should read this book: When she helps her mother and little sister escape from her abusive, alcoholic father, Sarah Jane doesn't bank on ending up in the run-down Sweetwater Motel in Dublin, Ohio, the last place in the world her father will ever look for them. Now they're broke and alone and Sarah Jane has to start school, make friends, and hide her situation from the wealthy kids around her while coping with the grief of losing her father, her grandmother, her home, her best friend, and also her grandmother's horse. An uplifting story about the power to write your own narrative and make your own mistakes, knowing that there are always loving adults ready to catch you when you stumble.

Why you shouldn't read this book: You believe a marriage is an iron-clad contract between men and god and therefore shouldn't be broken for any reason.

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You can learn more about children's books at the American Library Association website. Your public library is a great place to introduce your children to books. They will have special programs and incentives for kids of all ages to love reading. In most systems children are entitled to their own library cards from the time they are old enough to write their own names. It's a great way to teach responsibility as well as foster a lifelong love of learning and books.

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Dragon's Library

Sunday, July 6, 2008