“A Long Walk to Water: Based on a True Story” is a very heart-touching story about a young Sudanese boy having to flee his home to avoid being captured and trained to fight and kill. Linda Sue Park is the author of this classy book. This story teaches lessons of compassion and perseverance and courage. Linda Sue Park’s ”A Long Walk to Water” is an enjoyable read that makes you appreciate the comforts we enjoy in the first world. It’s based on a true story of Salva, one of the Lost Boys of Sudan, who fled Southern Sudan and walked to Ethiopia. The story is told in two parts. The first part takes place in 1985 when the Southern Sudanese rebels were fighting the government in the North. Salva and other young boys were in school when the war reached them. They fled their home villages to reach refugee camps in Ethiopia. They left their families behind and most never saw their family again. Later, when the refugees were driven from Ethiopia, Salva led a group of boys and walked to the camp in Kenya. The second part of the story takes place in 2008. Nya is a young girl whose job in life is to walk to fetch water all day, every day. Girls like Nya don’t go to school. Her chore day in and day out is to walk to the pond to fill her container and bring it home. After her morning trip to the pond, Nya eats, and then turns around and walks back to the pond to fill her container again. When the pond dries up, the village moves to the Lake where the water has to be reached by digging. “A Long Walk to Water” is a powerful, gritty story that grabs you and compels you to read to find out what happens to Salva and Nya. The story threads finally come together in the end. This story is highly recommended for middle-grade students, ages 10-12. This book truly brings history alive in the classroom.

“Brother’s Keeper” is a story of love, loss, heartbreak, and unbreakable bonds. This novel is written by Julie Lee .  This is a gorgeous story about how life doesn’t always work out the way we want it to, but if we’re willing, we can still make it a great life. It is a good compelling story, engaging, and easy to read. This is the perfect holiday novel, you can pick it up and get straight back into the story. The novel ” Brother’s Keeper” is an enjoyable story that moves along at a good pace. It is not too quickly, but at a pace that keeps the reader engaged waiting to discover the outcome. It has a satisfactory ending which is a little predictable but ties up all the loose ends. Some of the male characters are a little too good to be true but that doesn’t spoil any part of the story. The author switches between the two time periods effortlessly and easily which doesn’t always happen in these kinds of books. Each storyline had a richness that was only strengthened by the comparison and contrast to the other.

“What If Everybody Did That?” is a great book to teach students about the effects that their choices can have on others and the environment. Ellen Javernick is the author of this awesome and beautiful book. This is a great book to teach students about the effects that their choices can have on others and the environment. What if Everybody Did That? is all about community and remembering we all play a part in keeping our school, neighborhoods, and homes safe and happy places. This is a great book to read with preschoolers and early elementary age children while working on hypothetical questions and theory of mind. The text and detailed illustrations provide so many opportunities for language development. If we don’t think of others our surroundings and daily routines can quickly become chaotic. There are fourteen examples showing cause and effect example of behavior. Finally, Illustrations are beautiful, great lines, easy to read and understand, beautiful messages

“A Tale of Witchcraft” is a story of love, loss, heartbreak, and unbreakable bonds. This novel is written by Chris Colfer.  This is a gorgeous story about how life doesn’t always work out the way we want it to, but if we’re willing, we can still make it a great life. It is a good compelling story, engaging, and easy to read. This is the perfect holiday novel, you can pick it up and get straight back into the story. The novel ” A Tale of Witchcraft” is an enjoyable story that moves along at a good pace. It is not too quickly, but at a pace that keeps the reader engaged waiting to discover the outcome. It has a satisfactory ending which is a little predictable but ties up all the loose ends. Some of the male characters are a little too good to be true but that doesn’t spoil any part of the story. The author switches between the two time periods effortlessly and easily which doesn’t always happen in these kinds of books. Each storyline had a richness that was only strengthened by the comparison and contrast to the other.