Pam Webb

a writer's journey as a reader

Archive for the tag “Literature”

22 Sep 2025
9 Comments

Bard Bits: See You Later Summer


When the Montana Shakespeare Troupe arrives in August to our fair town, it is a generally accepted acknowledgement that summer is on the wane. Pleasant weather still lingers, although it is a bit chill in the early morn and evening. There remains the essence of summer.

And then the calendar chimes out its equinoxal announcement that summer is past and autumn is now upon us. I’m not quite ready to bring in the patio furniture yet.

Shakespeare eloquently presents a metaphorical passing of one’s age in his often quoted Sonnet 73:

That time of year thou mayst in me behold

When yellow leaves, or none, or few, do hang

Upon those boughs which shake against the cold,

Bare ruin’d choirs, where late the sweet birds sang.

In me thou see’st the twilight of such day

As after sunset fadeth in the west,

Which by and by black night doth take away,

Death’s second self, that seals up all in rest.

In me thou see’st the glowing of such fire

That on the ashes of his youth doth lie,

As the death-bed whereon it must expire,

Consum’d with that which it was nourish’d by.

This thou perceiv’st, which makes thy love more strong,

To love that well which thou must leave ere long.

Back when in my AP teaching days, this was a poem we studied for its rich imagery and underlying message of mortality. However, bypassing an analysis (I hear that sigh of relief), I do want to focus on the last two the lines, the ending couplet.
In the previous lines the speaker has expressed his concern how he is aging to his lover (maybe even a child–oops, that’s analysis) and in the ending couplet we see the volta, or turn, that indicates a change of mood. Here the speaker interposes the thought that though he might be aging in his own eyes, and in perhaps his lover’s eyes, it is this very state of aging that should initiate an even deeper love for the narrator.
In other words, though summer (his youthfulness) is diminishing and hints of winter are coming (touches of grey in hair), this season of in between, autumn, should be even more cherished as it is the in between time before winter is fully realized.

Yeah, what Shakespeare said.

I welcome spring, enjoy summer, and embrace fall. Fall or autumn still has the warmth of summer, yet it ushers in harvest and nature’s graceful transition into a foliage showcase of beauty. Since retirement I am taking advantage of the gentle warmth of September afternoons. Previously (20 years worth) I wouldn’t get home until after the shadows filled my backyard and I would mourn having missed out on the sunshine having been inside a building all day (okay, mourn is a bit extreme, but I really disliked having to wait until the weekend to enjoy the fall sunshine).

Hoping you are appreciating the fall weather.

Posted in Reflections and tagged , , , , ,
21 Apr 2025
2 Comments

Goats and Monkeys: the other aspect of Shakespeare


National Poetry Month is still among us for a few more days and I would be remiss not to mention Shakespeare and his sonnets. There–duly mentioned.

I am sorely tempted to give a brief lesson about the sonnet, something I miss teaching from my AP English Lit days. BUT (which is an indication of the turn in the sonnet mood or message known as the volta–see what I did there? Yes, I did squeeze in a brief lesson), I shall refrain and instead spotlight that other aspect of Shakespeare.

No–not him being a playwright. Did you know he started out writing sonnets and not plays? That he considered himself more poet that playwright and that he inserted many a sonnet into many of his plays? There are four sonnets in Romeo and Juliet alone. The prologue that introduces the play is a sonnet (watch for the volta–hint, hint “which” works as well as “but”):

Two households, both alike in dignity,
In fair Verona, where we lay our scene,
From ancient grudgeParenthesis break to new mutiny,
Where civil blood makes civil hands unclean.

From forth the fatal loins of these two foes
A pair of star-crossed lovers take their life

From forth the fatal loins of these two foes
A pair of star-crossed lovers take their life;
Whose misadventured piteous overthrows
Doth with their death bury their parents’ strife.
The fearful passage of their death-marked love,
And the continuance of their parents’ rage,
Which, but their children’s end, nought could remove,
Is now the two hours’ traffic of our stage;
The which if you with patient ears attend,
What here shall miss, our toil shall strive to mend.

There I am talking about sonnets again. Well, it is National Poetry Month. And being such a famous, well-known poet it is difficult not to have spent at least a bit of time about how the Bard rocked sonnets.

Sonnets. Plays. He did write them supremely well. We still read them, watch them, recite them, discuss them and you know what? Just watch a master recite the master discussing April–very appropriate, wouldn’t you say?

The cat is a nice touch.

Here I meant to talk about the other aspect of Shakespeare, and sonnets distracted me. A worthy distraction, true that. Yet, (another word that works as a volta, since I am changing the direction of this focus), beyond the perfect prose and poetry Shakespeare is so admired for there is a darker, mmm, not quite the right word–ribald, yes, Shakespeare has a definite ribald side to him: his insults!

Throughout his plays his characters lob the cheekiest insults at one another. Keeping in mind the majority of those attending Shakespeare’s plays were of the down-to-earth crowd, known as “groundlings” because they pay a penny to watch the performance and stood for the entire time, often shouting out their commentary to the stage actors. Stands to reason then why Shakespeare inserted earthy lines into his plays. He knew how to play to the crowd.

Here are some examples. They start at mild and run the course from G to PG13.

  • “Neighbors, you are tedious. ” —Much Ado About Nothing, Act 3, Scene 5
  • “[You] peevish baggage.” —Pericles, Act 4, Scene 6
  • “[H]e has not so much brain as earwax.” —Troilus and Cressida, Act 5, Scene 1
  • “You are not worth another word; else I’d call you knave.” —All’s Well That Ends Well, Act 2, Scene 3
  • “Out of my sight! Thou dost infect mine eyes.” —Richard III, Act 1, Scene 2
  • “Bloody, bawdy villain! Remorseless, treacherous, lecherous, kindless villain!” —Hamlet, Act 2, Scene 2
  • “A knot you are of damned bloodsuckers.” —Richard III, Act 3, Scene 3
  • “You rise to play, and go to bed to work.” —Othello, Act 2, Scene 1
  • “Heaven truly knows that thou art false as hell.” —Othello, Act 4, Scene 2

For more Shakespeare insults try this link:

Or you can create your own insults with this link. This is a classroom activity we used to do during our Shakespeare unit in English. It would culminate in an insult-off between a student and myself with the object of hurling such a created invective that the other person would cry–actually it usually ended up with everyone laughing.

So, a tribute to Shakespeare’s prowess with prose and poetry and a solid nod to his poison pen when it came to hurling insults.

Posted in Reflections and tagged , , , , , , , , ,
23 Apr 2024
6 Comments

Bard Bits: Talk Like Shakespeare Day


It’s here. The day you have been waiting for. Yes! It’s Talk Like Shakespeare Day, which happens to coincide with the day historians figure to be both William’s day of birth and day of death: April 23.

As an English teacher I had zero background in Shakespeare as somehow his works were never taught, presented, or discussed in my school days. And this took place in a modern school district!

This meant I came to the classroom on the same playing field as my students: zero knowledge and lacking comprehension. I dove right in and learned as much as I could in order to sound like I knew what I was talking about.

Something clicked because I am a professed Bardinator today and even attended Folger Library’s Hamlet Academy back in 2015. I am also adapting Shakespeare plays into reader’s theatre scripts and they are regular sellers on my Teachers Pays Teachers website.

All in all I’m quite pleased to have traveled the journey, transforming from Shakespeare zilch to Shakespeare rich over the years.

However, to talk like Shakespeare is a talent I am not quite conversant in yet. I did find this nifty website which takes randomly generated sentences and turns them into Shakespearean speech. I am having fun playing with it. Here are some examples:

Crouch before you jump or miss the mark. Our plans right now are hazy.

Becomes—

Crouch bef’re thee jumpeth ‘r misseth the marketh. Our plans even but now art hazy.

Or—

It was done before the boy could see it. Hop over the fence and plunge in.

Becomes—

T wast done bef’re the knave couldst seeth t. Hopeth ov’r the fenceth and plunge in.

image:Tenor
Posted in Reflections, Shakespeare, Teachers, Words and tagged , , , ,
07 Mar 2024
6 Comments

Reader Round Up: February


February usually wants to relinquish its wintery self with more yard than snow pack showing allowing daffodil buds to shyly poke up from the ground. This year’s February started along those lines and then in a fickle moment gave way to snow once again. For three days. Back to a snowladen landscape. I imagine the daffodils are confused.

More snow calls for more reading. Here are the five star reads for February.

Magpie Murders by Anthony Horowitz

image: Amazon

Having read this fun twist on a murder mystery two years ago and having watched the adaptation (also written by Horowitz) twice, I gave the book another read, especially upon hearing the second Susan Ryeland editor/sleuth novel Moonflower Murders will be coming out in a filmed series. Horowitz’s humorous and clever approach to the mystery genre is a delightful change up and the fact that he can take his novel and make it even better as a filmed version is notable.

Children of the Gold Rush by Claire Rudolph Murphy

image: Amazon

Images of the gold rush era usually bring to mind bearded men hunched over a sluice box diligently working in less than ideal conditions in hopes of striking it rich. While that may be true, there were also women and children who experienced the gold rush in their own way as they accompanied their husbands and fathers. The book is filled with photographs and stories of children who endured and even thrived during their gold rush days. This book primarily centers on the Yukon gold rush. The information provides a greater perspective of this aspect of history.

The Dream Peddler by Martine Fournier Watson

image: Amazon

The title and premise is reminiscent of a Ray Bradbury story. A stranger comes to town selling dreams with the plot focused on the impact of these dreams. Yet, Watson takes a different turn with her story. The dream peddler arrives the same day a boy goes missing and it’s his ability to provide dreams that helps heal the ripples from this tragedy. Unfortunately, his presence stirs up agitation and misunderstanding and truths become veiled in ugly rumor. The author’s lovely, lyrical prose wraps itself around this unique tale of peddler offering dreams for a handful of coins.

Winter Wheat by Mildred Walker

image: Amazon

Set in Montana as WWII starts, Ellen will leave the only life she’s known, that of a daughter of wheat farmers, to attend college in Minnesota. It is there she finds how different the world is from her isolated ranch life, and she finds love with Gil, a privileged young man. However, her eyes are now opened and she draws unsavory opinions about her parents and her Montana life as she sees her world through Gil’s eyes. In order to find peace once again Ellen will have to reconcile her views with the life she has chosen. Ellen’s quotidian life is flavored by her poignant insights and the author’s lyrical prose. A satisfying read in which nothing, but everything happens.

As I type up these reviews the sun is shining and the snow is slowly receding once again. No sign of daffodils yet. Time to go to the library.

Posted in Reflections and tagged , , , ,
01 Sep 2023
7 Comments

Reader Roundup: August


August around my parts is a combination of 90+ heat and smoke saturation creating one to two weeks of limited outside adventures. Fortunately I had a stack of really good reads to pass the the time. These are ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ reads.

Wink by Rob Harrell

image: Amazon

Kid cancer stories. Usually maudlin, right? Not so with Wink. The author, basing Wink on his personal experience with eye cancer, creates an uplifting story of seventh grader Ross who must cope with not only dealing with all that goes with cancer treatments, but he also faces friendship schisms, bullying, crush disappointment, along with the usual angst of being a middle schooler.

The Leopard is Loose by Stephen Harriman

image: Amazon

The Leopard Is Loose is a surprise read. The cover seems deceptively simple more suited to a juvenile read than a novel that reexamines a childhood trauma through the perception of an adult. The narrative is from a seventy year old man remembering the summer when as a five year old a leopard escaped from the town’s zoo. The loose leopard becomes a working metaphor as it represents a threat to the security to young Grady as does other aspects such as the volatile personality of his Uncle Frank who suffers from PTSD from his WWII experiences. Then there is the possibility of his widowed mother marrying which would mean moving away from all Grady has known. The author is deftly able to capture events and describe situations through the eyes of a five year old, yet embellish the unfolding with the perception of an adult looking back with gained knowledge and wisdom.

Wool by Hugh Howey

image: Amazon

A success story certainly deserves attention. Hugh Howey’s feat of shaking up the e-publish world with his short story and then the subsequent editions, proves ingenuity still survives. A unique dystopian idea where people live in underground silos as “seed” for better times definitely garners praise. While there are some plot holes as to how these people are able to successfully live from generation to generation as a self-functioning society, it’s the interpersonal connections that makes the long hike through the 500 page Omnibus so mesmerizing.

I read it eight years later after watching the Amazon series. After watching Rebecca Ferguson’s interpretation of Juliette I decided to reread the book. I wasn’t eager to revisit the story, remembering how it was difficult to fully get involved in the setting—a community living in a giant silo for how many generations? Yet, the story riveted me the second time because the series helped me visualize it this time around. Rebecca captured well Juliette’s plucky determination and most of the plot was covered.It’s a case of the book is the book and the movie is the movie.

I do suggest watching the series first and then reading the book. Shocking, I know. But it did change my rating from a four to a five.

Lab Girl by Hope Jahren

image: Amazon

Lab Girl is a hybrid of a scientist’s insights about plant life and a revealing memoir that reveals the soul of poet who happens to be quite adept with the workings of a lab. She’s built three of them so it’s not surprising that Hope Jahren is recognized (by many, despite how she reckons women scientists don’t get all the credit due them) as a scientist of merit. Jahren’s intertwining vignettes, like the tree rings she fondly refers to, form her memoir, one that eloquently and at times is profoundly lyrical as she shares with her readers her unique perspective of seeing science through an English literature lens.

S by JJ Abrams and Doug Dorst

image: Amazon

With JJ Abrams listed as author I knew The Ship of Theseus would go where no book reader has gone before. Yes, his directorial credits of Star Trek and Lost are on full dial. However, Abrams is more of a show runner than author for this meta fiction wonderment. The writing credit goes to Doug Dorst, who may not be as well known yet proves he is a talented writer.

There are two novels. The first is The Ship of Theseus (SOT) which is an enigmatic tale of an amnesiac who sails kim with a gruesome crew and is tasked with ridding the world of a despotic autocrat. And our hero (antihero?) searches for the woman he deems as the key to his identity (as well as his heart).

The second novel consists of two college students. Jen has serious senioritis and Eric is an expunged grad student living in the shadows of the campus while he tries to complete research on VM Straka, the mysterious writer of SOT. These two tell their story through marginalia that first consists of their interactions and interpretations of SOT which leads to a friendship that blossoms into a relationship. As they trade ideas they reveal an undercurrent of espionage, intrigue, and conspiracy that is involved with Straka.

This not your usual read. While there is great effort to create a real book, library markings, aged pages, etc. it is all false. It is the illusion that there is a Straka, a conspiracy, two readers who literally get caught up in the book. It is very impressive and visually a treat. It is an experience and not merely another good read chalk mark on my Reading Challenge.

Oh, and the book contains over 20 inserts ranging from newspaper clippings to postcards to a decoder wheel. I enjoyed all the reviews, fan sites, and analysis about the book almost as much as reading it.

image: this book is full of surprises
Posted in Reflections and tagged , , ,
11 Mar 2023

Reader Roundup: February


A false spring led to dashed hopes of winter’s end. Another round of snow, icy winds, and days to stay inside hit our area resulting in a dash to the library and stockpiling books. I blend my own special recipe of cocoa and so February was a month of mostly consisting of reading books and sipping cocoa in the easy chair.

Catherine’s War by Julia Billet ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️

Image: Amazon

Based on the novel of her mother’s experience in occupied France, the author presents readers with an award winning graphic novel that tells the story of a young Jewish French girl who must constantly move to avoid the Nazi round ups. Through expressed thoughts and photographs Rachel/Catherine’s story is told simply, yet elegantly.

The Wings of a Falcon by Cynthia Voigt ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️

Image: Amazon

This title can read as a standalone, even though it is the third book in Voigt’s Kingdom series. The adventures of Oriel and Griff are thrilling as they escape their imprisonment of the Damall’s rule to make their way to the eventual destination of The Kingdom. Voigt is an accomplished storyteller and this story rings of medieval times without resorting to fantasy. A memorable tale of devoted friendship.

The House on the Gulf by Margaret Peterson Haddix ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️

Image: Goodreads

Haddix weaves a mystery within a mystery and throws in a plot twist on top of a plot twist in this standalone coming of age story.
Britt and her brother Bran are being raised by their single mother and are a tight little family facing hard times. Bran manages to get a house sitting job for the summer so his mother can attend college classes. It seems like a great situation, yet Britt notices he is acting strange, furtive even. When the truth comes out about who they are housesitting for, it is a shock and the outcome could have dire consequences for the family.

Silence in the Library by Katharine Schellman ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️

Image: Amazon

The second book in the Lily Adler series in which the recently widowed Mrs. Adler assists in solving a murder. Set in the Regency period the author captures the hierarchy of social class and the intricacies of class conversations. Her attention to historical research adds to the overall story and understated theme of class consciousness. The murder mystery has sufficient twists to make it an engaging read and with the added tensions of the various interpersonal relationships the series is well set up to keep readers interested. This title can read as a standalone. For fans of Miss Scarlett and the Duke PBS series.

Over Sea, Under Stone by Susan Cooper ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️

Image: Amazon

Fans of Narnia will appreciate Cooper’s introduction to her Dark Is Rising series: Over Sea, Under Stone. Set in England, probably in the 1950s, the three Drew children are up for a splendid family holiday with their eccentric great-uncle Merry Lyon (which does sound like Merlin, doesn’t it?). Bored one rainy day, they explore the house and discover a map which leads them on quite an adventure. Beyond Cooper’s impressive wordsmithing, she presents children who on one hand act like siblings, calling each other names, being worried about getting in trouble with their mum and dad, and plunging into situations, and on the other end she also has these children imbued with reasonable rational thinking skills, able to accomplish much while realizing they can’t do everything on their own and do need adults to help them at times. An exciting story with hints of Arthurian adventure.

Murder is a Must by Marty Wingate ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️

Image: Amazon

In this second book in the series Hayley Burke is finally establishing herself as curator of Lady Fowling’s First Edition Library of Golden Age Mystery Writers. Her literary salons are a hit and now it’s on to something with more public fanfare: an exhibition paying homage to Lady Fowling. Plans go seriously awry when the events manager is found dead at the bottom of the stairs, mimicking the death of a character in one of Dorothy Sayer’s valuable first edition mystery novels—which happens to be missing. While still a lively read, this plot focused more on character actions. Not much sleuthing and the murderer was a fairly easy guess. Still a fun read and a pleasant way to spend an afternoon when the snow won’t stop falling.

My reading habits seem to be switching between mysteries and fantasy. Escapism at its best, I suppose. And I do want to escape winter’s kidnapping of spring. I’m feeling like I’m stuck in the Narnia chapter of continual winter. Where is a Pevensie child when needed to break winter’s spell?

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30 Dec 2022
4 Comments

Year in Books: Good Reads and Then Some


A reader’s best friend

I’m ever so glad I found Goodreads. Not only does it help in discovering books to read, it more importantly keeps track of the books I have read. Lately I am reading books I have read previously. Goodreads confirms this. I’m contemplating the implications of this reading overlap.

Never mind deep contemplations on my reading habits. Here are the brass facts: according to Goodreads I read 155 books by December 30th. I don’t log books that are DNF (did not finish), which are more than I want to acknowledge this year. Apparently I am becoming more discerning in my book selections.

Instead of the usual how many pages, most popular, least popular factums I thought I would give 746 books activity a try. Using this year’s book list I answered posed suppositions:

  • In high school I was Here and Now and Then (Mike Chen)
  • People might be surprised by The Ethan I Was Before (Ali Standish)
  • I will never be Maisie Dobbs (Jacqueline Winspear)
  • My life post-lockdown was Little Broken Things (Nicole Baart)
  • My fantasy job is The Finder of Forgotten Things (Sarah Loudin Thomas)
  • At the end of a long day I need The Maid (Nita Prose)
  • I hate being The Accused (John Grisham)
  • Wish I had The Cat Who Saved Books (Sosuke Natsukawa)
  • My family reunions are To Disguise the Truth (Jen Turano)
  • At a party you’d find me with Birds of a Feather (Jacqueline Winspear)
  • I’ve never been to The Last Bookshop in London (Madeline Martin)
  • A happy day includes The Ingredients of Love (Nicolas Barresu)
  • Motto I live by: The Art of Holding On and Letting Go (Kristin Lenz)
  • On my bucket list is The Island (Gary Paulsen)
  • Next year I want to have What the Fireflies Knew (Kai Harris)

That was fun and enlightening. Maybe my book choices reveal more about myself than I am aware of. Hope your year of books was enjoyable and here is to next year!

Posted in Book Boosters, celebrations, humor, memories, popular books, Reflections and tagged , , ,
06 Sep 2022
10 Comments

National Read a Book Day


It’s obvious I’m a Book Booster. Reading, reviewing, writing. Celebrating access to books. Promoting reading. A book in hand whenever possible. Today’s national recognition is an everyday celebration for me.

I couldn’t fathom not having a book handy to read.

How about you? Is this a special day or an everyday note of recognition?

Posted in authors, Book Boosters, Books, Libraries, Reading, Reflections and tagged , , ,
05 May 2022
2 Comments

Reader Round Up: April


Oh, April–your fickle weather kept me indoors reading instead of being outside weeding. Not necessarily a complaint. Here are the five star reads of the month that kickstarts the beginnings of spring.

Going down the same path of mitigating various dramas in Mitford, this seventh installment touches on a topic not usually addressed: depression among clerics. Father Tim has blown his diabetic diet once again, and this time there are dire consequences.
As always, Karon provides humor in serious situations along with valuable life lessons.

Well-written, and though aimed at middle readers, Grisham presents a plausible story that veers towards drubbing those kids who stray from the straight and narrow. He does bring home the importance of how one wrong choice can have huge consequences. Seventh and perhaps the best in the series, Grisham takes on the bail bond system when one of Theo’s fellow Scouts and classmates becomes inadvertently an accomplice to armed robbery. Basically, Grisham wants his readers to know how flawed the legal system can be at times. The storyline includes the inevitable animal court where Theodore shines as a burgeoning lawyer. The case this time is a flatulent bunny who terrorizes the neighborhood canines.

With a nod to Agatha Christie and more than a couple of winks to the murder mystery industry, Horowitz provides a clever meta fiction that features his ability at creating an engaging storyline.
A plot about a murder mystery that is the core to a story about an actual murder is clever meta fiction indeed.

While it seems as if readers are reading an homage to Agatha Christie they are in truth reading about how a book editor has become a detective trying to solve the murder of the murder mystery writer. Lots of winking going on here.

Horowitz brazenly nods to several mystery writers and even trots out Agatha Christie’s grandson for extra measure. If it weren’t all so obvious it would be irritating to have a murder mystery interrupted at the denouement to become a murder mystery.

Horowitz was obviously having fun.

So much fun that he shamelessly promotes his Midsomer Murders and Foyle’s War series. He even takes the time to insert a mild diatribe how real murders aren’t as common or convoluted as novels present them to be.

A reluctant five because it is difficult to ignore that Horowitz is a talented and clever writer and has produced an engaging whodunnit, despite all the winking and nodding going on.
For those who enjoyed Knives Out.

A four plus star

While many readers have expressed negative views of Thomas‘s Sherlock Holmes pastiche, a deeper appreciation of the cavalcade of historical detail can be summoned. Thomas captures the voice of Watson well, Sherlock somewhat. Of the five stories “Peter the Painter” provides as much action and intrigue as “The Hound of Baskerville.”

Read any good books lately? Do tell. Do share.

For all the other books read and reviewed be sure to check out my Good Reads reading challenge.

Posted in Reflections and tagged , , ,
05 Sep 2020
8 Comments

Reader Round Up: August


Ah, August—the last month of summer. The weather is still amazing with its warm days and blue skies, essential ingredients for reading in the backyard hammock. I made good use of blogger suggestions and kept my library busy with hold requests. Unfortunately, the library has returned to only providing curbside service which means I no longer can browse the shelves and can request an unsatisfying six books at a time. *Sigh*

Some incredibly fun reads in August:

Frindle by Andrew Clements ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️

As a Word Nerd, I cheered how a boy created a new word as a prank only to have amazing consequences. A new favorite. Goodreads

How Penguins Saved Veronica by Hazel Prior ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️

Having just watched March of the Penguins this was a natural to read. If you like cranky oldster novels, this is recommended. Goodreads

When Hitler Stole Pink Rabbit by Judith Kerr ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️

Semi-autobiographical, this is an engaging account of a Jewish girl and her family become refugees as they try to escape Hitler’s persecution. Goodreads

Coffee with Shakespeare by Stanley Wells ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️

As a Bardinator I am always up for another book providing more insights about Shakespeare. Stanley Wells create a mock interview and it is fun and informative. Goodreads

Dandelion Wine by Ray Bradbury ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️

A favorite read and reread. Bradbury supplies a truly spellbinding reminiscent semi-autobiographical tale of a summer before life became so dependent on technology. Goodreads

From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler by E.L. Konigsburg
⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️

I missed this one as a kid. Glad I caught up to it finally. Precocious children running away to a museum. Perfect. Goodreads

Dragonwyck by Ana Seton ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️

In the midst of my kid reads I found a classic adult gothic to read, much like those of Daphne Du Maurier. Goodreads

Onion John by Joseph Krumgold ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️

I thought I had read this as kid. As an adult I appreciate how it is a coming of age for young readers and as an adult I see it as a parent parable. Goodreads

The View from Saturday by E.L. Koningsburg ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️

Another unique story from Konigsburg. This one is about friendship and accepting differences and learning how to cope with difficulties. Goodreads

Call It Courage by Armstrong Sperry ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️⭐️

Published in 1940, it’s a fine classic adventure and its message about overcoming tough situations is quite appropriate for our current times Goodreads

Carry On, Mr Bowditch by Jean Lee Latham ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️⭐️

Another fine children’s classic, this is a biographical novel based on Nate Bowditch whose contributions to maritime navigation are still respected today. Goodreads

The Summer of the Swans by Betsy Bears ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️⭐️

The message of the book seems to be “Don’t sweat the small stuff” and how it’s caring for people is what really matters. Another timely story for today’s world. Goodreads

Because of Mr. Terupt by Rob Buyeau ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️⭐️

Surprised this isn’t a Newberry winner. For those who appreciated Wonder, this is another important book about how kindness makes a difference. Goodreads

I’d Rather Be Reading: The Delights and Dilemmas of the Reading Life by Anne Bogel⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️⭐️

As a bonafide Book Booster I could not resist Bogel’s book of essays on being a Reader. Quite relatable. Goodreads

Yes, there were quite a few kid selections this month. I am trying to read all the Newbery winners, many I have read, but I have missed a few over the years. It’s never too late to enjoy a well-written kids’ book!

An update in statistics:

  • Hit my Goodreads goal of 101 books
  • I have read most of the Newberry winners
  • Read 55 books this summer (a number of them were children’s books, I grant that fact)

WONDERFUL UPDATE:

The library is opening its doors once again on September first!

Throughout the summer I appreciated the library’s curbside and inter-library loan service. I’m not sure what I would have done without the availability of books to checkout.

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