Into the Rapids - Review

Into the Rapids

By: Ann Braden

Publication: May 13, 2025 by Nancy Paulsen Books

165 pages

Genre: Middle Grade, Realistic Fiction

Source: Publisher via NetGalley (Thank you!!)

( Goodreads | Amazon )

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Goodreads description--Sometimes even a girl who likes to rely only on herself needs to be brave enough to ask for help.

When a superstorm hits Addy’s remote mountain town, knocking out their bridge and cutting them off, she worries that she won’t be able to get to the Survival Camp she’s been looking forward to (the irony!) It’s the camp where her parents met, and she’s eager to hone her skills and honor their legacy. But now there’s no power, and it’s also like a light has been switched off in her mom, who’s triggered by the raging river and memories of Addy’s dad dying in a similar storm.

Addy and her mom have always prided themselves on their self-reliance, so now they feel especially stranded since they’ve never bothered to befriend any neighbors. On the hill where she goes to get cell service, she keeps running into her classmate Caleb. He’s frantic about a missing neighbor, and she’s amazed at how he connects with folks to get help. Then he offers to try to get her to camp—but can she trust him? She’s always thought of him as an enemy. The storm has brought so many questions about her beliefs swirling to the surface, and maybe it’s time to take some leaps of faith. The remarkable string of events that follows includes the greatest survival test Addy has ever faced and the realization that she’s not in this adventure of life alone.

I have been looking into more middle-grade books since my kids are starting to read this range. But what I'm looking for is pretty specific. 

Addy's father died in an accident involving some flooding. Her mom is still struggling to cope, even though Addy was pretty young when it happened. Addy and her mother are pretty secluded from others, even though they have next door neighbors with a kid Addy's age. Caleb gave Addy a nickname that has stuck with her throughout elementary school. Addy blames him for making her a laughing stock among her classmates. 

When a tropical storm causes the river to flood and the community to lose power, Addy fears that she won't be able to make it to survival camp. But only twelve-year-olds are allowed to go. So this is Addy's only shot. Most of all, she wants to beat her father's time so she can sign her name beside his at the wet fire competition. 

Added to Addy's issues is her mother's struggles with coping. Addy has definitely taken more of a parenting role than she needs to. But Addy realized that maybe she and her mom are isolated due to their own choices and not others. Caleb helps Addy realize that she can depend on others and maybe make friends. 

I liked Addy a lot. I liked her survival spirit. She faced adversity with an attitude of figuring out what she could do to improve her situation. Those are the lessons I want my kids to be exposed to.

I will say that there were no messages of anti-God, even though the absence of God during such a disaster scenario was glaringly obvious to me. 

Favorite quotes:

-Grief is funny like that. In lots of books, when someone dies, everyone's just sad. But in real life, there's a lot of anger, too.

-Like how there's a space between every stimulus and response, and in that space is our freedom to choose how we want to respond.

-And why do I avoid other people? Because I'm fine without them? Or worried they won't like me?

Into the Rapids was a good read that had a lot of good messages. I can easily see myself recommending this book to my kids. Into the Rapids gets 4 Stars. Have you read Into the Rapids? What did you think? Let me know!

Homeschool Friday - The Candymakers

Homeschool Friday is a feature here at Somewhere Only We Know that showcases books my family reads during homeschool and provides a mini-review/review for each.

The Candymakers (The Candymakers, # 1)

By: Wendy Mass

Publication: October 5, 2010 by Little, Brown Books for Young Readers

453 pages

Genre: Children's, Middle Grade, Mystery, Fantasy, Realistic Fiction

Source: Borrowed from the e-library

( Goodreads | Amazon )

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Goodreads description--Four children have been chosen to compete in a national competition to find the tastiest confection in the country. Who will invent a candy more delicious than the Oozing Crunchorama or the Neon Lightning Chew?

Logan, the Candymaker's son, who can detect the color of chocolate by touch alone?

Miles, the boy who is allergic to merry-go-rounds and the color pink?

Daisy, the cheerful girl who can lift a fifty-pound lump of taffy like it's a feather?

Or Philip, the suit-and-tie wearing boy who's always scribbling in a secret notebook?

This sweet, charming, and cleverly crafted story, told from each contestant's perspective, is filled with mystery, friendship, and juicy revelations.

The Candymakers starts off pretty similarly to Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. Four kids have been selected to participate in this candy-making competition. The competition will have many more than 4 contestants, but these four are going to visit the Life Is Sweet candy factory to meet the candymaker and work with the staff to create a new candy creation/recipe. Other contestants from all over the country will work with other candy factories, and then they will all come together for a national candy-making competition. Before I move on, I wanted to note that how the contestants were chosen wasn't specified. And I bring this up because it bugged me not to know. Three out of the four contestants that this story is about had zero prior experience working with candy. Their knowledge was basically starting from scratch.

Each contestant had various reasons why they wanted to participate in the contest and why they wanted to win. But it drove me a little crazy wondering how they were each chosen. When you look at competitions today, especially like the ones on Food Network, the contestants already have prior experience. They aren't totally inexperienced. 

As the description says, we have four contestants, and each contestant has a part of the book where we follow them from day one of the competition up until a central point in a "who done it" kind of method. Then we move into the perspective most needed to advance the storyline. It's hard to discuss because the book is written in a bit of a mystery so I don't want to spoil anything. All of the characters are connected in some way or other which is part of the mystery as well.

The contestants being chosen are kind of like the kids with the golden ticket with Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. Once they arrive at the factory for the first day of the competition, the characters are given a tour of the factory where they see different rooms needed for the candy-making process. This is also similar to the Wonka Factory. Things aren't quite so magical as Wonka, but still. The candy all has weird names as well.

I read this aloud to my two older kids and they both really enjoyed it. My daughter always looked forward to me reading it. My son wouldn't always look forward to it, but he does a great job of seeing foreshadowing, so he would often spot clues that pointed to answering various mysteries in the book. 

I really underestimated the amount of time it would take me to read this to my kids. At this point, I was only reading to them every other day at bedtime, but during times when the kids had extracurricular activities we often had to skip reading in favor of hurrying off to bed since we'd gotten home late. I started reading this in July 2024 and didn't finish it until December. I will try not to pick books this long to read aloud until I can read them every day or read bigger chunks at one time.

The Candymakers was an enjoyable family read-aloud. It was reminiscent of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory which we've also read aloud together so the kids enjoyed seeing the similarities and differences. The mysteries were fun for the kids to try to figure out. I highly recommend this for young kids. (Mine were 7 and 9 when we finished reading this if that gives you an idea of a target audience.) The Candymakers gets 4 Stars. Have you read The Candymakers? What did you think? Let me know!

Homeschool Friday - The Giver

Homeschool Friday is a feature here at Somewhere Only We Know that showcases books my family reads during homeschool and provides a mini-review for each.

The Giver (The Giver, # 1)

By: Lois Lowry

Publication: April 26, 1993

225 pages

Genre: Middle Grade, Science Fiction, Dystopian

( Goodreads | Amazon )

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Goodreads description--Life in the community where Jonas lives is idyllic. Designated birthmothers produce new children, who are assigned to appropriate family units; one male, one female, to each. Citizens are assigned their partners and their jobs. No one thinks to ask questions. Everyone obeys. Their community is a precisely choreographed world without conflict, inequality, divorce, unemployment, injustice ... or choice.

Everyone is the same.

Except Jonas.

At the Ceremony of Twelve, the community's twelve-year-olds eagerly accept their predetermined Life Assignments. But Jonas is chosen for something special. He begins instruction in his life's work with a mysterious old man known only as The Giver. Gradually, Jonas learns that power lies in feelings. But when his own power is put to the test -- when he must try to save someone he loves -- he may not be ready. Is it too soon? Or too late?

At 38 years old, I've finally experienced Lois Lowry. I listened to The Giver on a family vacation while driving there and home. Middle Grade isn't my favorite, but I'm reading more in this age range to offer my kids suggestions when the time comes. 

I was easily hooked into this story of The Giver. I could easily see myself recommending this to my kids. As the story progressed, I questioned whether I would still recommend it. The world-building happened at just the right pace. At first, the reader doesn't notice much difference between the fantasy world The Giver is set in compared to the real world. Slowly, differences emerged. And the differences and Jonas's reaction to them propel the reader forward. 

Jonas begins the book at 11 years old. And he will soon participate in the Ceremony of Twelve where the kids his age will be given a job to help the community. Jonas is given a "special" job. And it's this job that the majority of the story is about. But I can't discuss it in detail because that would be spoilers. 

Parts of this story didn't feel appropriate for younger children. But I guess I am more of a sheltering parent than most. And if you really get analytical about some aspects of this world things do begin to break down. 

As someone who doesn't love ambiguity, I can't say I loved the ending. Yet the unique world and wanting to learn more propelled me to keep listening. At the same time, I'm not sure if I want to recommend this book to my kids or others. I guess I give The Giver 3 Stars. Have you read (or listened to) The Giver? What did you think? Let me know!

All Things Halloween/Homeschool Friday - The Wild Robot

Homeschool Friday is a feature here at Somewhere Only We Know that showcases books my family reads during homeschool and provides a mini-review for each.

The Wild Robot (The Wild Robot, # 1)

By: Peter Brown

Publication: April 5, 2016

279 pages

Genre: Children's Fiction, Middle Grade, Fantasy, Science Fiction

Source: Personal Kindle Library (was on sale)

( Goodreads | Amazon )

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Goodreads description--Can a robot survive in the wilderness?

When robot Roz opens her eyes for the first time, she discovers that she is all alone on a remote, wild island. She has no idea how she got there or what her purpose is--but she knows she needs to survive. After battling a violent storm and escaping a vicious bear attack, she realizes that her only hope for survival is to adapt to her surroundings and learn from the island's unwelcoming animal inhabitants.

As Roz slowly befriends the animals, the island starts to feel like home--until, one day, the robot's mysterious past comes back to haunt her.

From bestselling and award-winning author and illustrator Peter Brown comes a heartwarming and action-packed novel about what happens when nature and technology collide.

I got The Wild Robot a while back because I'm trying to increase the number of chapter books that I am reading aloud to my kids. My kids are currently 8, 6, and 3. We just finished Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire which is a massive book for the age of my kids. I wanted to take a break from the Harry Potter series before we started that one, but my daughter was determined to push forward. I am forcing a break before we move into book 5 though because the subject matter gets more mature and the plot gets more complex. But back to The Wild Robot. I might have an easier time convincing my kids to pick this one as our read-aloud option before bed if I were more familiar with it. So I get the audiobook from the e-library. 

Kate Atwater does a wonderful job with the narration. She is robotic when Roz speaks without being too over the top. And her voices for the other characters were just enough to distinguish them without making it feel like too much either. I think my kids would enjoy the audiobook version as well, since I have the Kindle version, I will probably just read this aloud to them when convenient. Kate did give me a great jumping-off point to guide my own inflection while reading aloud.

The book description tells you about all that I can when it comes to plot. Roz is a robot that wakes up on an island. Some robot pieces were scattered around where she wakes up, and she realizes that she's the only robot who survived. And survival is exactly what Roz needs. I love this concept. That's what most of us humans are doing as well. We're surviving. We have to survive in the basic sense of feeding and clothing ourselves. Of course, our society is more advanced in technology so we have many of our survival needs almost on autopilot. But there's still more we have to survive. We need other humans for survival. We need relationships. And so we have to manage, navigate, and sometimes survive our relationships. And how we survive becomes learned and ingrained. Roz does the same thing. She has to adapt to her environment to survive. She doesn't have basic needs as far as eating or sleeping. She can rest, but many of her instincts are about helping her not to die rather than needing xyz to survive. Either way, she sees that she needs to learn from the animals on the island if she's going to survive.

But life should go beyond mere survival. Of course, if we don't have our basic needs met, we can't look beyond that to relationships. But once we have the basics we can move from surviving to thriving. Roz shows us that the most satisfying "survival" we can have is to be helpful to others. We can create better relationships that allow us to both survive and thrive when we're living a life that helps and serves those around us. Roz goes from being viewed as a monster in the eyes of the animals on the island to being family. 

I'm always on the lookout for books with strong moral values--especially if those can be taught in a way that doesn't cram the message down the reader's throat. The Wild Robot succeeded in that area. When we get to the end of the book, the stakes are raised, and the adventure peaks. Some sensitive readers might find this to be too intense for them, but I think my kids would be just fine. They survived Cedric Diggory's murder as well as Charlotte's self-sacrifice from Charlotte's Web. So I think they will handle The Wild Robot without any issues. I'm not sure if we'll continue the series as I've heard less than stellar opinions about the subsequent books in this series. But for now, The Wild Robot gets 4 Stars. Have you read (or listened to) The Wild Robot? What did you think? Let me know!

This review is part of my All Things Halloween event--a month of fantasy, paranormal, supernatural, mystery/thriller, etc reviews and books.

Tree. Table. Book. - Review

Tree. Table. Book.

By: Lois Lowry

Publication: April 1, 2024 by Clarion Books

208 pages

Genre: Middle Grade

Source: Publisher via NetGalley (Thank you!!)

( Goodreads | Amazon )

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Goodreads description--The latest compelling work from the master storyteller

Everyone knows the two Sophies are best friends. One is in elementary school, and one is . . . well . . . in a little trouble of late. She’s elderly, sure, but she’s always been on her game, the best friend any girl struggling to fit in could ever have. The Sophies drink tea, have strong opinions about pretty much everything, and love each other dearly. Now it seems the elder Sophie is having memory problems, burning teakettles, and forgetting just about everything. It looks like her son is going to come and get her and steal her away forever. Young Sophie isn’t having that. Not one bit. So she sets out to help elder Sophie’s memory, with the aid of her neighborhood friends Ralphie and Oliver. But when she opens the floodgates of elder Sophie’s memories, she winds up listening to stories that will illustrate just how much there is to know about her dear friend, stories of war, hunger, cruelty, and ultimately love.

I've never read Lois Lowry before, but through the years I've seen a few of her books get some high ratings like The Giver and Number the Stars. Well might daughter is reading chapter books now and approaching that Middle Grade genre. So I knew I needed to start reading some books here and there to be able to recommend books to her as she gets older. Personally, I struggle with books in this age group. So I thought I'd give Lois Lowry a try.

Early on I realized that I would still likely struggle through this book so I would read a little at a time before allowing myself to read something I was actually interested in reading. And this worked. I was able to make progress and eventually finish Tree. Table. Book. using this method.

Sophie, the main character and narrator, is a little hard for me to connect to. She's a little rude/abrasive to her friends, Ralphie mostly. She seems to think she's smarter than others. She has her quirks, but mostly she was a sweet kid concerned about losing her best friend in the world. When Sophie's parents point out older Sophie's memory issues, young Sophie's sets out to prove everyone wrong by using the DSMR that Ralphie's dad has. She gives older Sophie's a series of tests that sparks her to share some of her life stories. Young Sophie has to come to grips with reality which isn't easy for her at all.

Overall, Tree. Table. Book. is a story about love and loss and moving forward even when we want to dig in our heels to stay right where we are. I can't say that I personally loved it as this isn't my preferred age range and young Sophie was a little grating for me. Tree. Table. Book. gets 3 Stars from me. Have you read Tree. Table. Book.? What did you think? Let me know!

Homeschool Friday - I Survived the Great Chicago Fire, 1871

Homeschool Friday is a feature here at Somewhere Only We Know that showcases books my family reads during homeschool and provides a mini-review for each.

I Survived the Chicago Fire, 1871 (I Survived, # 11)

By: Lauren Tarshis

Publication: February 24, 2015 by Scholastic Inc.

115 pages

Genre: Children's, Historical Fiction, Middle Grade, Adventure, Chapter Book

Source: Borrowed from the e-library

( Goodreads | Amazon )

*Note: The above link to Amazon is an affiliate links. Affiliate links support giveaways for Somewhere Only We Know readers.

Goodreads description--Could an entire city really burn to the ground? Oscar Starling never wanted to come to Chicago. But then Oscar finds himself not just in the heart of the big city, but in the middle of a terrible fire! No one knows exactly how it began, but one thing is clear: Chicago is like a giant powder keg about to explode.An army of firemen is trying to help, but this fire is a ferocious beast that wants to devour everything in its path, including Oscar! Will Oscar survive one of the most famous and devastating fires in history? Lauren Tarshis brings history's most exciting and terrifying events to life in this New York Times-bestselling series. Readers will be transported by stories of amazing kids and how they survived!

I Survived the Great Chicago Fire, 1871 is the second book in the I Survived series that we have listened to. We follow Oscar who's mother is remarrying after being a widow for a while. Oscar isn't happy to be moving to a new place even though he does like the man his mother is planning on marrying. When they arrive at the train station in Chicago Oscar's luggage is stolen, and shortly after he decides to take off after a girl who was instrumental in helping the boys who stole it. Oscar finds the little girl and learns why she is helping a gang of boys steal in the city. In the meantime, the famous fire breaks out and Oscar has to find his way back to his mother and Mr. Morrow while helping the little girl also.

My kids were really enjoying the audiobook when we had to take a break because they went on a trip during Spring Break with my parents and our library copy expired. The break in our rhythm kins of messed things up, and they weren't as excited to finish this book than I think they would have been otherwise.

Oscar's story is brief but packed full of all the good things you hope for in a kid's book. He faces many challenges and has to overcome them. The people he meets aren't always good, and he has to decide how to handle each one.

I Survived the Great Chicago Fire, 1871 was another good installment in a series that I know we will continue diving into. I love how Lauren Tarshis mixes fictional stories into historical events that help the reader (or listener) feel like they are actually experiencing the events and learning about historical events in the process. The characters always face challenges that bring out the best in them. I Survived the Chicago Fire, 1871 gets 4 Stars. Have you read (or listened to) I Survived the Great Chicago Fire, 1871? What did you think? Let me know!

Homeschool Friday - I Survived the Wellington Avalanche 1910

Homeschool Friday is a feature here at Somewhere Only We Know that showcases books my family reads during homeschool and provides a mini-review for each.

I Survived the Wellington Avalanche, 1910 (I Survived, # 22)

By: Lauren Tarshis

Publication: September 6, 2022 by Scholastic Inc.

144 pages

Genre: Children's, Middle Grade, Historical Fiction, Adventure

( Goodreads | Amazon )

*Note: The above link to Amazon is an affiliate links. Affiliate links support giveaways for Somewhere Only We Know readers.

Goodreads description--The Wellington snow slide of 1910 was―and still is―the deadliest avalanche in America’s history. Lauren Tarshis's story of one child surviving the frozen nightmare pounds with page-turning action and heartwarming hope. The snow came down faster than train crews could clear the tracks, piling up in drifts 20 feet high. At the Wellington train depot in the Cascade Mountains, two trains sat stranded, blocked in by snow slides to the east and west. Some passengers braved the storm to hike off the mountain, but many had no choice but to wait out the storm. But the storm didn’t stop. One day passed, then two, three . . . six days. The snow turned to rain. Then, just after midnight on March 1, a lightning storm struck the mountain, sending a ten-foot-high wave of snow barreling down the mountain. The trains tumbled 150 feet. 96 people were dead. The Wellington avalanche forever changed railroad engineering. New York Times bestselling author Lauren Tarshis tells the tale of one girl who survived, emerging from the snow forever changed herself.

Since I started homeschooling my kids, I have been looking for ways to increase the time we spend on books while also trying to get my 6-year-old son interested in reading. Audiobooks have helped us a lot. We mostly listen to them in the car while we're jetting around running errands. And it helps to cut down screen time and boredom in the car. I'd seen the I Survived series, but this was the first one I got for us to listen to. And it was a good choice.

Lauren Tarshis starts this book at the actual avalanche to build intensity and suspense. And then she backtracks seven days. Our main character is Janie, who is an orphan being used by a crime boss to run stolen goods for him. She doesn't have many choices as she has no other family or means of providing for herself. Her handler gets arrested, and Janie uses this opportunity to try to escape like her friend Bash did a while back.

The other passengers think it is odd for a young girl to be riding the train unaccompanied, and several take Janie under their wing. She befriends a young boy about her age named Frederick. She still has the stolen jewels on her, and she hasn't figured out what to do with them yet.

My kids asked me if Janie was a real person. Because this was my first experience with the series, I didn't think so, but I wasn't sure. Lauren Tarshis does explain what was fact and what was fiction in her author's note at the end of the book, which we listened to as well. I wanted my kids to hear about how much work goes into creating a story like this in hopes that they might learn that things they might think are easy aren't always so.

My son did ask me to find a book with a male main character for our next book, and I think I've found just the one. Even with Janie being a girl, her storyline of jewel thief would appeal to readers of both genders. My children (minus the three-year-old) certainly enjoyed the story. I give I Survived: The Wellington Avalanche, 1910 4 Stars. Have you read (or listened to) this book? If so, what do you think? Let me know!

Homeschool Friday - The BFG

Homeschool Friday is a feature here at Somewhere Only We Know that showcases books my family reads during homeschool and provides a review/mini-review for each.

The BFG

By: Roald Dahl

Publication: August 16, 2007 by Puffin Books

208 pages

Genre: Children's Fiction, Humor, Chapter Books, Fantasy, Middle Grade, Classics

Source: Borrowed from the Elibrary

( Goodreads | Amazon )

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Goodreads description--Roald Dahl's beloved novel hits the big screen in July 2016 in a major motion picture adaptation directed by Steven Spielberg from Amblin Entertainment and Walt Disney Pictures. When Sophie is snatched from her orphanage bed by the BFG (Big Friendly Giant), she fears she will be eaten. But instead the two join forces to vanquish the nine other far less gentle giants who threaten to consume earth’s children. This beautiful hardcover gift edition of Dahl's classic features the original illustrations by Quentin Blake, as well as a silk ribbon marker, acid-free paper, gilt stamping on a full-cloth cover, decorative endpapers, and a sewn binding.

So Roald Dahl is not my favorite author, but he is a classic children's fiction author. And I want my kids to be exposed to classic literature of all kinds. They both loved Matilda so I figured I would introduce The BFG next. I've also been trying to find a way to incorporate more books into our day-to-day. I mean we read from a chapter book every other night before bed, my daughter has independent reading to do, but I want to incorporate more family reading. I decided that we'd try listening to audiobooks in the car whenever we're driving around to various places. And I chose The BFG for our first book.

The very first chapter had my big kids on the edge of their literal seats. I knew what was coming, but I happened to look in the rearview mirror to see their jaws dropped and I don't know that my car has ever been that silent except when all three have been asleep. I knew this was the right choice for the first audiobook for them. They went through phases of requesting to listen to the book in the car and phases of asking not to listen. Some chapters hooked them more than others, but of course, towards the end, they were excited to see how things were going to end.

As for me, I'm also glad that I chose to listen to the audio version of The BFG instead of reading it out loud to them. I don't always do well reading aloud nonsense words. And The BFG is full of nonsense or mixed-up words. The audio version made these funny and enjoyable rather than frustrating for me stumbling over them had I been trying to read them aloud. And we had a fun discussion after the book was over about which nonsense BFG words were our favorites.

My kids immediately wanted to watch the movie after we finished the book, and so I think they both enjoyed it. Even my two-year-old asked to listen to the book about the giant. As for me, these stories aren't my favorite. I enjoy anything that's going to help my kids enjoy books and stories, but I'm thankful I didn't have to read it myself. I never read The BFG growing up, so there's no nostalgia for me. The BFG still gets 4 Stars. And I highly recommend the audiobook. Have you read (or listened to) The BFG? What did you think? Let me know!

All Things Halloween Review of Matilda

Matilda

By: Roald Dahl

Publication: October 1, 1988

384 pages

Genre: Children's Fiction, Fantasy, Middle Grade, Classics

( Goodreads | Amazon )

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Goodreads description--*A very special edition, celebrating everyone's favourite young genius! Includes tips and activities for creating your very own story, and incredible pull-out illustrations of Matilda all grown-up*

'A true genius - Roald Dahl is my hero' - David Walliams

These books gave Matilda a hopeful and comforting message: you are not alone.

Matilda is a brilliant child with a magical mind.

But her parents have decided she's just a nuisance who wastes too much time on reading and stories.

And her headmistress Miss Trunchball is a terrible bully, who thinks children are rotten and awful and should be locked up.

Now it's time for Matilda to find the power to change her story, and show them just how extraordinary children can be . . .

This very special version of Matilda includes writing tips to tell your OWN story, and pull-out-and-keep grown up Matilda illustrations to inspire you to think big, big, BIG!

I never read Matlida growing up. I never really watched the movie either. I remember the movie being put on at school, but for some reason, I wasn't interested in it. I can't remember well enough to tell you why. But I've been doing read-aloud chapter books to my kids more and more the older they've gotten, and my daughter was given Matilda by her grandmother for her 7th birthday. So we finally read it.

At the beginning, I worried when Matilda was pulling pranks on her parents--most specifically her father. Obviously, Matilda's parents are horrible. But I worried that my prankster son, who's been struggling with self-control and impulse control, might take it into his head to find some similar pranks as Matilda to use in retaliation for any time he might be getting in trouble at school or at home. Thankfully, that didn't happen.

And it's funny because while we were reading Matilda, my daughter had a book fair at school, and she wanted to buy The Hidden Girl by Lola Rein Kaufman and Lois Metzger, but the librarian told her that she wouldn't be able to read it and didn't let her buy it. I was a little miffed about that, and I told my daughter that people said the same thing to Matilda.

I don't plan to do much analysis of the story or the characters because this is a classic book that has been analyzed over and over. I don't think I could add much to what's already been said. But I will say that my 7-year-old daughter has been obsessed with this story. We watched the original movie and the more recent musical after finishing the book, and she's rewatched them both during her allotted device time. She's also been playing "Matilda" with her dolls.

Oh and, I also want to say that my 5-year-old son was the one who called out the big twist about Miss Honey's aunt out loud before even my daughter. I had, of course, already speculated, but I was so impressed that he was paying attention to the story so well and that he saw the foreshadowing and could pick up on the clues. My daughter was shocked, but she agreed with him.

My only real negative is that I don't like to mix fantasy with realism. This is my own grown-up issue that I find I dislike in books. But I liked the tidbit of fantasy for my kids to latch onto to build and explore their imagination.

Matilda is a classic, and we will definitely be reading more of Roald Dahl's books as a family in the future. Matilda gets 4 Stars from me, but I have a feeling my daughter would give it 5. Have you read Matilda? What did you think? Let me know!

This review is part of my All Things Halloween event--a month of fantasy, paranormal, supernatural, mystery/thriller, etc reviews and books.

Little House on the Prairie - Review

Little House on the Prairie

By: Laura Ingalls Wilder

Expected Publication: 1994 by HarperTrophy (first published 1935)

335 pages

Genre: Children's Fiction, Historical Fiction, Middle Grade

Source: Own (Baby Shower Gift before Little Girl was born)

( Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository )

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Goodreads description--Meet Laura Ingalls, the little girl who would grow up to write the Little House books.

Pa Ingalls decides to sell the little log house, and the family sets out for Indian country! They travel from Wisconsin to Kansas, and there, finally, Pa builds their little house on the prairie. Sometimes farm life is difficult, even dangerous, but Laura and her family are kept busy and are happy with the promise of their new life on the prairie.

My first time reading The Little House on the Prairie was me reading it aloud to my 4-year-old daughter. At one of my baby showers, we were given a large set of classic books and this was one of them. I never read it as a child or in school. I was a little afraid the content might exceed my 4-year-old daughter's level, and I am certain she didn't fully comprehend some parts of the story, but she asked me questions so I know she understood some. There were a few tense moments and I worried about her getting scared, but the chapter breaks always ended in resolution.

I can easily see how this book is a classic. I have been reading more books in a similar period for my own enjoyment so The Little House on the Prairie enriched the description of what I have been reading.

From a personal takeaway, I have a greater appreciation for the many comforts and the abundance of choices of comforts that we experience today. It makes me realize that not only am I a bit soft (a bit! Ha!), but my children are even more so. I don't know Laura's exact age. I don't think the book stated. She's younger than Mary who was stated to be 8, I believe. So I would imagine she's about 6. She's remarkably self-sufficient...at least compared to kids her age today.

I thought the story was well told by such a young narrator. The description was vast and detailed. The moments of tension were well done and I felt anxious for the characters at several different points. My heart particularly appreciated the Christmas part, and I only wish my 4-year-old was as affected by it as I was--although I do have to say that she has a giving heart.

As an adult, I have to say that I got to the end of the book and thought that's it? We went through all of that for nothing. I suppose I was mirroring Caroline's feelings there. Maybe Charles has the right of it after all, but I was left feeling a little bit like it had all been a waste. Then again, I often have to fight my natural tendency to veer toward the negative.

All in all, The Little House on the Prairie was a pleasant book. I enjoyed most the reading experience of sharing it with my daughter. I appreciated the additional description of the period, living situations, and experiences of the characters. It was a wonderful, enriching book that is a reminder of all of the comforts we have today. Yet the ending left me a little wanting. Hopeful and sad all at the same time. The Little House on the Prairie gets 4 Stars from me. Have you read The Little House on the Prairie? What did you think? Let me know!

DNF Review - Ice Wolves

Ice Wolves (Elementals, # 1)

By: Amie Kaufman

Published: March 27th 2018 by HarperCollins

326 pages

Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy, Paranormal

Source: Publisher via Edelweiss (Thank you!!)

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Goodreads description--Everyone in Vallen knows that ice wolves and scorch dragons are sworn enemies who live deeply separate lives.

So when twelve-year-old orphan Anders takes one elemental form and his twin sister, Rayna, takes another, he has to question whether they are even related. Still, whether or not they’re family, Anders knows that Rayna is his best and only true friend. She’s nothing like the brutal, cruel dragons who claimed her as one of their own and stole her away.

To learn what he needs to rescue her, Anders will have to enlist at the foreboding Ulfar Academy, a school for young wolves that values loyalty to the pack above all else. But for Anders, loyalty is more complicated than blind obedience, and friendship is the most powerful shape-shifting force of all.

I have to admit that I am not normally a fan of middle grade books. Yet I decided to give this one a try because I've enjoyed Amie Kaufman before and because...well dragons of course.

I made it to 37% and my overwhelming feeling was that of forcing myself to pick this book up and read. This is more a statement about where I am in my life right now than the book itself. I have never had less time to read than now and so more than ever I want to be reading books that I'm really enjoying and not ones that require me to force myself to continue.

Ice Wolves is narrated by 12 year old Anders who has always felt a little in his sister's shadow. Not that he was jealous of her but just that she was better at most things than him. She took the lead and really took care of him. So he is quite unsure of himself. I know Anders starts the book in such a lowly state so we can see him grow as a character but I struggle with weak characters.

The setup of events to come feels a bit predictable also. I mean certainly I've been surprised in times past when things felt predictable and then some twist came in that threw me off what I'd been expecting. This is possible. However, the vibe I was getting was one that didn't exactly have me excited about continuing the find out what was going to happen to see whether I was right in my predictions or not.

Ice Wolves wasn't a bad read at the point I decided to DNF it. More than anything, I just felt an obligation to continue reading because this was a review book rather than a desire to continue based upon the story and characters. This is likely my own fault as my real life situation leaves me so little time to read that I probably shouldn't have requested a middle grade read when those don't typically appeal to me. I can see myself potentially returning to Ice Wolves at a different time in my life--perhaps even when my children are at the middle grade reading level. Have you read Ice Wolves? What did you think? Let me know!

Can't Wait for Whichwood

Can't-Wait Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Wishful Endings to spotlight and talk about the books we're excited about that we have yet to read. Generally they're books that have yet to be released as well. It's based on Waiting on Wednesday, hosted by the fabulous Jill at Breaking the Spine. Find out more here.

Whichwood

By: Tahereh Mafi

Expected Publication: November 14th 2017 by Dutton Books for Young Readers

368 pages

Genre: Middle Grade/Young Adult, Fantasy

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Goodreads description--A new adventure about a girl who is fated to wash the bodies of the dead in this companion to Furthermore.

Our story begins on a frosty night…

Laylee can barely remember the happier times before her beloved mother died. Before her father, driven by grief, lost his wits (and his way). Before she was left as the sole remaining mordeshoor in the village of Whichwood, destined to spend her days washing the bodies of the dead and preparing their souls for the afterlife. It’s become easy to forget and easier still to ignore the way her hands are stiffening and turning silver, just like her hair, and her own ever-increasing loneliness and fear.

But soon, a pair of familiar strangers appears, and Laylee’s world is turned upside down as she rediscovers color, magic, and the healing power of friendship.

I haven't actually read Furthermore yet, but since this is a companion, I don't mind sharing it. What are you guys waiting on this week? Let me know!

Waiting on Harry Potter and the Cursed Child

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

Harry Potter and the Cursed Child (Harry Potter, # 8)

By: J.K. Rowling, Jack Thorne, John Tiffany

Expected Publication: July 31st 2016 by Little Brown UK

320 pages

Genre: Fantasy, Young Adult, Middle Grade, Play

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Goodreads description--Based on an original new story by J.K. Rowling, Jack Thorne and John Tiffany, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, a new play by Jack Thorne, is the first official Harry Potter story to be presented on stage. It will receive its world premiere in London’s West End on 30th July 2016

It was always difficult being Harry Potter and it isn’t much easier now that he is an overworked employee of the Ministry of Magic, a husband, and father of three school-age children.

While Harry grapples with a past that refuses to stay where it belongs, his youngest son Albus must struggle with the weight of a family legacy he never wanted. As past and present fuse ominously, both father and son learn the uncomfortable truth: sometimes darkness comes from unexpected places.

You guys, I'm a little nervous about this one, but of course I'll check it out! What are you waiting on this week? Let me know!

Waiting on Furthermore

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

Furthermore

By: Tahereh Mafi

Expected Publication: August 30th 2016 by Dutton Books for Young Readers

416 pages

Genre: Young Adult, Middle Grade, Fantasy, Magic

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*Note: The above links to Amazon and Book Depository are affiliate links. Affiliate links support giveaways for Somewhere Only We Know readers.

Goodreads description--The bestselling author of the Shatter Me series takes readers beyond the limits of their imagination in this captivating new middle grade adventure where color is currency, adventure is inevitable, and friendship is found in the most unexpected places.

There are only three things that matter to twelve-year-old Alice Alexis Queensmeadow: Mother, who wouldn’t miss her; magic and color, which seem to elude her; and Father, who always loved her. The day Father disappears from Ferenwood he takes nothing but a ruler with him. But it’s been almost three years since then, and Alice is determined to find him. She loves her father even more than she loves adventure, and she’s about to embark on one to find the other.

But bringing Father home is no small matter. In order to find him she’ll have to travel through the mythical, dangerous land of Furthermore, where down can be up, paper is alive, and left can be both right and very, very wrong. Her only companion is a boy named Oliver whose own magical ability is based in lies and deceit—and with a liar by her side in land where nothing is as it seems, it will take all of Alice's wits (and every limb she's got) to find Father and return home to Ferenwood in one piece. On her quest to find Father Alice must first find herself—and hold fast to the magic of love in the face of loss.

The Shatter Me series had aspects I really liked and aspects that didn't work so well for me. I'm not in love with the idea of this being a middle grade book, but I want to see what Tahereh Mafi does with this book. What are you waiting on this week? Let me know!

Waiting on The Scourge

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

The Scourge

By: Jennifer A Nielsen

Expected Publication: August 30th 2016 by Scholastic Press

368 pages

Genre: Young Adult, Middle Grade, Fantasy

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*Note: The above links to Amazon and Book Depository are affiliate links. Affiliate links support giveaways for Somewhere Only We Know readers.

Goodreads description--As a lethal plague sweeps through the land, Ani Mells is shocked when she is unexpectedly captured by the governor's wardens and forced to submit to a test for the deadly Scourge. She is even more surprised when the test results come back positive, and she is sent to Attic Island, a former prison turned refuge -- and quarantine colony -- for the ill. The Scourge's victims, Ani now among them, can only expect to live out short, painful lives there. However, Ani quickly discovers that she doesn't know the whole truth about the Scourge or the Colony. She's been caught in a devious plot, and, with the help of her best friend, Weevil, Ani means to uncover just what is actually going on.

But will she and Weevil survive long enough to do so?

I've enjoyed Jennifer A Nielsen's work in the past. I'm excited to see what this one is about. What are you waiting on this week? Let me know!

ArmchairBEA 2014 - Day 5 (MG/YA)

Middle Grade/Young Adult

ArmchairBEA said: Our final genre of discussion is one that we know is a popular one these days: books for the younger crowd, from middle grade to young adult. If you do not normally talk about this genre on your site, maybe you want to feature books that you remember impacting you during this stage in your life. If this is where you tend to gravitate, maybe you want to list your favorites, make recommendations based on genres, or feature some titles that you are excited to read coming later this year.

So I don't read a lot of middle grade books now. I like the idea of middle grade. I probably just haven't been exposed to the right ones lately. I do have hopes to read more middle grade in the coming years, but I might just wait until I actually have kids and can read the same books as they do when they're reading them. For now, I'll give you a list of some of my favorite reads from that time in my life.

Little Sister series by Ann M Martin
Sarah, Plain and Tall by Patricia MacLachlan
James and the Giant Peach by Roald Dahl
How to Eat Fried Worms by Thomas Rockwell
Shiloh (Shiloh, # 1) by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor
Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH by Robert C O'Brien
Julie of the Wolves (Julie of the Wolves, # 1) by Jean Craighead George
Maniac Magee by Jerry Spinelli
From the Mixed Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler by E L Konigsburg
The Baby-Sitters Club by Ann M Martin
Angels Watching Over Me Trilogy by Lurlene McDaniel
Dawn Rochelle Series by Lurlene McDaniel
April Lancaster Series by Lurlene McDaniel
The Indian in the Cupboard (The Indian in the Cupboard, # 1) by Lynne Reid Banks
Bridge to Terabithia by Katherine Paterson
The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank
Where the Red Fern Grows by Wilson Rawls
What We Did Last Summer (Love Stories for Young Adults, # 33) by Elizabeth Craft
I Do (Love Stories for Young Adults, # 35) by Elizabeth Chandler
Killing Mr. Griffin by Lois Duncan
Stranger with my Face by Lois Duncan

And here's some that might be too old for Middle Grade but on the younger side of Young Adult...

Carter Finally Gets It (Carter Finally Gets It, # 1) by Brent Crawford
Spellbinding by Maya Gold
The False Prince (The Ascendance Trilogy, # 1) by Jennifer A Nielsen
The Maze Runner (The Maze Runner, # 1) by James Dashner
Rockoholic by CJ Skuse
Infinity (The Chronicles of Nick, # 1) by Sherrilyn Kenyon
Dante's Girl (The Paradise Diaries, # 1) by Courtney Cole
Angel Eyes (Angel Eyes, # 1) by Shannon Dittemore
Sea Change by Aimee Friedman
Harry Potter by JK Rowling

Because I frequently read and review young adult books here on the blog, I won't go into all that now. What do you think? Got any middle grade suggestions for me that should be must reads? Let me know!