Escape to Liechtenstien: The Young Refugees Book 1

I apologize that it's been 1 1/2 months since my last post.  My job and the holidays conspired against me.  Due to circumstances beyond my control, I am no longer working, so I hope to be able to post more often.
Today's book is the first in a three-part series entitled "The Young Refugees."  I will discuss books 2 and 3 in posts soon.

Title: Escape to Liechtenstein

Author: Ed Dunlop

Target Audience: ages 9-12

Reading level: approximately fifth grade

148 pages, plus a short glossary of German terms used

Main characters:

Gretchen, a nine-year-old Austrian girl

Hans, a twelve-year-old Austrian boy

Jacob, a thirteen-year-old Jewish fugitive 

Summary: The story is set during World War II, summer and fall of 1942.  Austria has been taken over by Germany, and the small village where Gretchen and Hans live has been attacked, leaving the children alone after their mother's death and their father being taken into the German army.  When soldiers storm the village, searching house by house for a young boy, the children have no idea that the fugitive is hiding in their barn.  The soldiers leave, not finding their prey, and Hans and Gretchen discover Jacob.  They agree to let Jacob hide in their barn overnight and share their small supply of food with him, learning that he is the one that the German soldiers are searching for, and he is heading for Liechtenstein, a neutral country that borders Austria.  They agree to accompany Jacob, although he protests at first.  The three children face a long, dangerous journey, with little help and many enemies.  Why does it seem like the entire German army is looking for Jacob?  And with dangers everywhere they turn, can they possibly make it to safety?

Review: Several German terms are used, but a glossary is included in the back for definitions.  The basic idea of the word can often be determined from context ("a steaming bowl of gulyassuppe . . . and a single slice of ankerbrot" -- possibly soup or stew, since it's hot, but it's morning, so it could be something like oatmeal, and a slice of bread, maybe? look in the glossary and find that gulyassuppe is a Hungarian soup and ankerbrot is an Austian bread), and all of the German words are in italics for easy identification.  The book clearly shows God's protection and providence as the children go through many trials heading for the Liechtenstein border.  There is some violence in the form of guns, land mines, and fists, but it is contextual (it is a war, after all) and it is not too graphic.  I have thoroughly enjoyed this book each time I have read it.

***** Five stars

2 books about the Wemmicks

Titles:  You Are Special and You Are Mine
Author:  Max Lucado
Illustrator:  Sergio Martinez
Target Audience:  Young children (although we all need a reminder sometimes)
Reading Level:  Can be read independently at approximately a 5th grade reading level, but is more of a read-aloud book, for example with kindergartners.  (Reading level is slightly elevated based on the formula I use due to names of characters)

Summary:  The Wemmicks are wooden people.  They are each different, but each was carved by Eli, the woodcarver who lives up the hill from the Wemmick village.  Punchinello is the main character in the Wemmick books, and he learns a valuable lesson in each book. 
In You Are Special, the Wemmicks give each other stickers--gray dots for "bad" Wemmicks and gold stars for "good" Wemmicks.  The other Wemmicks give Punchinello gray dots for falling while trying to do tricks, for scratched paint, and eventually just for having so many gray dots.  Punchinello begins to believe that he is not a good Wemmick.  Then Punchinello meets Lucia, who has no stickers.  When other Wemmicks try to give her a star or a dot, it falls to the ground.  At Lucia's suggestion, Punchinello visits Eli, where he learns that Lucia's stickers don't stick because she has decided that Eli's opinion is more important than the opinion of the other Wemmicks.  As Punchinello leaves Eli with an agreement to come back each day, he begins to believe Eli's promise that he is special because Eli made him and one of his gray dot stickers falls off.
In You Are Mine, Punchinello gets caught up in the latest Wemmick craze--buying boxes and balls.  He even works extra hours and sells all of his belongings trying to have the most.  When someone decides that stacking the boxes and balls the highest will determine which Wemmick is best, all the Wemmicks start heading up the hill near the village.  But along the way, Punchinello wanders off the path since he can't see because of all his boxes and balls.  He doesn't realize he's off the path until he trips in the doorway to Eli's house.  In the conversation that follows, Punchinello learns that his boxes and balls have cost him quite a bit--even more than his bed, home, and books, they have also cost him happiness, friends, and his trust in Eli to make him happy.

Review:  I love the books about the Wemmicks.  The stories are told in a simple, straightforward manner and the illustrations are also beautiful.  You can see the Wemmicks' wooden joints, but also the happiness and sadness in their faces.  The books teach important Biblical truths--you are special because of Who made you, not because of what you look like, what you have, or what you can do.  God's opinion of you should be more important than the opinions of other people.  And, other people's opinion will affect your happiness only if you let them.
5 stars--Gourmet meal.
Great book. Nothing wrong whatsoever. It's pretty close to, "I don't think I could ever read anything better. " I think everyone should read this book. It is likely that very few books will get this rating.

Where the Lilies Bloom

Title:  Where the Lilies Bloom
Authors:  Vera and Bill Cleaver
Target Audience:  13 and up
Reading level:  9th grade
Main characters:  the Luther family
Roy:  father
Devola:  18, oldest daughter
Mary Call:  14, second daughter
Romey:  only boy
Ima Dean:  5, youngest child
Kiser Pease: owns the land and house in which the Luther family live, wants to marry Devola

Summary:  The Luther family lives in the mountains of North Carolina.  Cosby, the mother, has already passed away.  When Roy Luther realizes he's dying, he calls Mary Call in and requires some promises from her.  First, she is to be sure the family has pride in themselves.  Second, she must keep the family together and accept no charity.  Finally, she must not let Devola marry Kiser Pease.  If she can't keep it from happening any other way, she should go to town to tell the judge Devola is "cloudy-headed."  Devola is often referred to as "cloudy-headed" throughout the book because, although she is eighteen, she seems more of a child than five-year-old Ima Dean.  Also, Roy doesn't want a there to be a big fuss about his passing--no undertaker, no preacher, not even a funeral--just a simple burial up on the mountain. 
The book details the many trials of the Luther family following Roy's death.  The children learn "wildcrafting"--hunting through the forest for roots, berries, bark, and other things that people outside the mountains use to make things such as medicines--to sell for money to buy food and shoes.  Mary Call is worried about leaving Devola and Ima Dean home when she and Romey go back to school--if someone stops by, the girls may slip and say something that will let out that Roy Luther is dead.  Mary Call and Romey cannot spend time with friends from school because of worries that they might find out.  Some people are insistent on talking to Roy Luther, Kiser included.  The climax comes when Mary Call gets sick after spending a winter afternoon trying to find a cave in which the family can live, since they are being kicked out of their house.  Finally, Devola's "cloudy-headedness" seems to have disappeared--she and Kiser are going to get married, the family house and some land are put in Devola's name, and Mary Call recovers.  The harvesting will continue come spring, with plants too numerous for Mary Call to list.

Review:   Although not told from an overtly Christian perspective, God is referenced in the book.  At times, in the depths of winter and their troubles, Mary Call and Romey feel forgotten by the Lord.  But as the book ends, with spring on the way, Mary Call realizes that these thoughts are childish and wasteful.  The book deals with the trouble lies bring and how difficult it can be to keep a lie going.  There is also an issue of whether it is acceptable to break a promise--Mary Call promised a dying man that she wouldn't let a marriage between Devola and Kiser happen.  But when Devola somehow matures and loses her "cloudy head," the reason for that promise has disappeared.
Although the book uses some phrases and wording that may not be common to the average young reader of today (both regional mountain language and language that may be slightly unfamiliar because the book was originally written in 1969), I believe that most of the wording will be understandable by context.  I enjoyed the book, which was a National Book Award Finalist.

4 stars--Out to eat.

Pretty good. The writing is good. Any objectionable elements are treated very well. No problems. I would read this author again. I'll probably keep the book to re-read.

Love in Christ,
Bella

Getting Started

Hi, y'all!

I'm Bella the Bookworm, and I love to devour books!  My Mission Statement on the right pretty much tells why I'm here:  I'd like to help parents out by giving them a review and summary of books that their kids might want to read.  Although I am a Christian, and the reviews will be from a Christian perspective, these reviews aren't restricted to Christians.  Even if you aren't a Christian, you might not want to expose your children to everything the world has to offer just yet.
My first review will be ready in a couple days, but I wanted to use my first post to introduce myself and the blog a little.
Although I have no little worms--er, little ones--of my own yet, I have been working with children for many years, and have read a lot of children's books.  During my time at a Christian college, I took a class in Children's Literature and a class in Adolescent Literature.
I plan to post at least once a week, maybe more often depending on the lengths of the books.  I'm starting out with some books from my collection, but I'd love to hear from you if you have any suggestions or requests. 
Not all of the books I review will be from Christian authors.  There are many moral books in which good is rewarded and bad is punished that are not written explicitly from a Christian perspective.  My reviews will be based not only on the presence or absence of objectionable elements, but also on how they're used and treated.  So, I may read a book and find out that it's pretty bad.  If so, I'll tell you.
So, not every book on this site will be great.  I'll let you know what I think should be good for kids, and what I think they shouldn't read.  But I'll also tell you why, because in the end, you're the parent of that reader, not me.
I also plan to include some posts about reading or books in general.

Well, I'm off to read my first review book.  Come back soon for a story about a girl on a mountain.

Love in Christ,
Bella