Dragon's Library

Monday, August 29, 2022

Healer and Witch

Written by: Nancy Werlin

First line: On a warm April morning, a week after the terrible day on which Grand-mère Sylvie died, Sylvie walked away from her home.

Why you should read this book: Sylvie grandmother warned her to be cautious with her new healing powers, but Sylvie was only trying to help, and her failure was so terrible that she's decided her only option is to run away from home and try to find a more powerful healer to teach her how to fix her mistakes. But the year is 1531 and life is dangerous enough for a girl on her own (or even accompanied by an annoying little boy who refuses to go home), let alone one who might be accused of witchcraft if the wrong people catch wind of what she can really do. What I loved most about this book is that it was never predictable, and always went in a surprising direction with every step.

Why you shouldn't read this book: You literally believe in the devil.

The One and Only Bob

Written by: Katherine Applegate

First line: Look, nobody's ever accused me of being a good dog

Why you should read this book: Sequel to the heartbreaking and uplifting The One and Only Ivan, this book shows us the world from the eyes of Bob, the scrappy stray mutt who now has a comfy home with a little girl and gets to regularly visit his friends Ivan the gorilla and Ruby the elephant at the animal sanctuary down the street. Everything seems copacetic until Bob, Ruby, and Ivan find themselves swept up in a natural disaster that threatens to bring tragedy to all creatures, human and otherwise, in the animal sanctuary and the town. With more grace than anyone could imagine, Bob proves himself equal to the task and perhaps a better dog than he'd like to admit.

Why you shouldn't read this book: Trigger warning for really bad weather.

Thirst

Written by: Varsha Bajaj

First line: Sanjay and I sit on the top of the hill and stare out at the huge, never-ending Arabian Sea.

Why you should read this book: In the poorest parts of Mumbai, where Minni lives with her parents and older brother, so much depends on access to the communal water source, which is limited to certain hours and requires long waits in line to collect this precious resource. Even worse, although the poor people in Minni's neighborhood use less water than anyone else, criminals are stealing their water, and, worse still, Minni's brother witnesses the theft and has to leave town to protect his own life. Then her mother gets sick and has to leave as well, and now Minni has to balance all her mother's work, including fetching water, with the life she wants to have, going to school and taking extra-curricular computer classes.

Why you shouldn't read this book: This is a harsh reality.

Babymouse Queen of the World

Written by: Jennifer L. Holm and Matthew Holm

First line: Are you getting up, Babymouse?

Why you should read this book: Babymouse dreams of glamour, excitement, and adventure, but instead she has to go to school with a broken locker and daydream about living a more interesting existence in more interesting worlds, and and contemplating how great her life would be if she could just be friends with the most popular girl in her class, Felicia Furrypaws. Babymouse does everything she can think of to earn a coveted invitation to Felicia's slumber party, and finally achieves her coveted goal, by compromising herself. In the end, Babymouse realizes the true meaning of friendship, which does not involve debasing herself to go places where she isn't really welcome.

Why you shouldn't read this book: Babymouse's compromise involves aiding and abetting plagiarism.

The Absolutely True Story...

Written by: Willo Davis Roberts

First line: My mom thoughts the Rupes were a nice, normal middle-class family.

Why you should read this book: It's got all of Roberts's trademark themes: normal "good" kids, messed up "bad" kids who lack adult supervision or guidance, adults who are so ridiculously oblivious/caught up in their own psychological problems that they don't even notice the horrible things that are going on right in front of their eyes, and really horrible things going on right in front of adults' eyes. Normal, "good" siblings Lewis and Alison are invited to go on a fantasy road trip with the Rupes, to serve as companions/babysitters for the Rupes "bad" kids while the parents basically ignore the children, and the rules of the road, and of common decency, and the fact that they're being stalked across the country by actually bad men, and everything else. Includes some nice descriptions of Yellowstone National Park.

Why you shouldn't read this book: It is a little bit silly.

FAQs

What's in Dragon's Library?

The intention was to create a record of every book that I read. I wish I'd had the idea about twenty-five years ago, but better late than never.

What's the deal with all those Amazon links?

Dragon's Library is a real, live Amazon affiliate site. Go ahead! Click those links. You can buy any book on this site (heck, you can buy any book in the world) directly from a trusted source. [Disclosure: I get 4% of the sales. Please buy a book and help support a struggling artist.]

How do you choose books?

Years of reading to elementary kids has given me a good sense of what kids respond to. I only review children's books if both my students and I enjoyed them. Otherwise, I favor speculative fiction, classic literature, and non-fiction books about science. However, I have been known to read just about anything.

Will you review my book (or a book I like, or a book I am publicizing)?

Yes. Yes, I will. I will review pretty much anything you send me, provided it does not suck. I do not review books I don't enjoy. If I like it well enough to finish it, it will appear on this site. Email me for further details.

Read to Your Dragonet

Studies show that children who regularly hear books read and see adults reading books have an easier time learning to read. If your children do not realize that books are fun and contain interesting ideas, they will be less motivated to learn how to read and write. Children who do not learn to read and write have difficulty succeeding in school and at life.

Even infants can enjoy books. You can check baby board books out of the library. Your baby will enjoy sitting on your lap as you read the words and point to the brightly colored pictures. If your baby wants to chew on the book, that's OK too.

Toddlers and pre-schoolers should understand how to hold a book (right side up) and how to turn the pages (left to right in English). Even if they're not ready to read, you can help your child prepare for school by teaching them how to talk about the stories they've heard. Pre-schoolers should be able to tell you something about character, setting, conflict, and resolution. After reading a story, prompt your child to tell you who the story was about, where it happened, what the problem was, and how it was solved.

If your grade-school child has difficulty learning to read, you can advocate for them. Your public school district is required to provide special help to kids with learning disabilities. If you suspect your child has dyslexia or some other difficulty in recognizing words, you may have to fight for your child's rights. Your child has the right to be tested by the district to determine the level of his or her disability, and your child has the right to a qualified specialist who can understand the best way for your child to learn. Some districts may be reluctant to pay for the extra help your child needs. Don't give up! Make sure your child gets the help he or she deserves. In America, every child has a right to an education.

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.

If you can't get to the library, but you have an Internet connection, you can find many full-text books on-line. For adults, Project Gutenberg offers thousands of full-text books you can download for free.