And Then There Was One by Patricia Gussin

This book hooked me from the very first page. Three sisters (triplets) go to the movies with their babysitter and only one of the triplets comes out. The other two have vanished. As the story progresses there seems to be several red herrings thrown in. Then it becomes apparent that these red herrings are there to describe child predators and molesters which is crucial to the plot. Patricia Gussin does an excellent job of making you feel the horror of having your children missing and the prospect that they may be killed or molested (or both). Her description of child predators is completely accurate. A very good read but it will make you watch your children more carefully.  4 stars

The Boy in the Stripped Pajamas by John Boyne

If you haven't read this book or seen this movie then I highly recommend you do.  I read the book several years ago.  It was written for students in the 9 to 16 age level.  It is a story about an eight year old boy named Bruno whose father was high up in the SS division of the German Army during WWII.  Bruno's father moved the family from Berlin to somewhere out in the countryside.  Bruno's father has taken over as Commandant of Auschwitz.  Being an adventurous 8 year old, Bruno discovers a boy living at what Bruno thinks is a farm and whose life and circumstances are very different from his own.  Their meeting results in a friendship that has devastating consequences .  As Bruno struggles to make sense of things going on around him, he is also faced with a truth about himself and his father.

The Boy in the Stripped Pajamas was made into a movie that follows the storyline well.  I recently watched the movie again, this time with my nine year old grandson, Blake.  Needless to say it made a profound impression on him.  It is a story he will never forget.  5 stars

  

The Boy Who Loved Anne Frank, by Ella Feldman

Very interesting perspective. This fictional novel takes the premise that Peter (a member of the other family living in hiding with Anne Frank's family) had somehow escaped the holocaust and made his way to America.  An engrossing book.  If only Peter (and all the rest) had lived. Just think what a different world this would have been. This book, even though it was fiction,  made me think of Peter and Anne for months.  4 stars

The Art of Racing in the Rain, by Garth Stein

A lovely book to read. You'll love Enzo the dog and his outlook on life. We could all take life lessons from him. If you have a pet, it may make you look a little closer and wonder what they are really thinking about. A good book with a good message.

Same Kind of Different as Me, by Ron Hall

I am very familiar with the Union Gospel Mission featured in this book. They do an incredible job with the hungry and homeless people in Fort Worth, Texas. The think I liked most about this book was that the Halls didn't just talk about the issue of hunger and homelessness, they didn't just write a check and walk away, they actually stepped in and got involved with the mission and the people. By doing so, they established a beautiful relationship with Denver. This book had a very powerful message that we all should get.

The Harlot by Saskia Walker

I don't normally read Romance novels and Harlot reminded me why. Only with Harlot, my level of acceptence was pushed beyond limit. I enjoy romantic or erotic novels but I thought this one was smut. Too much drama and every kind of deviant sex imagineable. Thrown into the pot were gay/lesbian, S and M, rape, beastiality, self gratification, just to name a few. Take the sex out of the book and you have a poorly written book. Put the sex back into the book and you have a poorly written smutty book. Sorry, I just did not like this one.   If you are really into the Romance novel genre you might give it a try, but be prepared for the sex that is not really relative to the story.  It was a turnoff for me.

Oh Mexico! by Lucy Neville

This is a review of a book that is due for publication in August, 2011.  I read and reviewed the galley.

I really enjoyed this book. Oh Mexico! is a memoir by Lucy Neville of her experiences in Mexico City. Going from Australia to Mexico City was a culture shock for Lucy, to say the least. Lucy Neville weaves a wonderful image of Mexico that rings completely true. Her initial reaction to Mexico City is the exact same reaction I had the first time I went to Mexico City. As Lucy tries to assimilate herself into Mexican culture, I found myself visualizing her surroundings as well as her trials and tribulations. Her understanding of Mexican politics is spot on. Her characters are believable and joyful (especially Octavio!). I found Lucy's writing style to be witty, descriptive, and fun to read. Anyone who has ever experienced Mexico (or wanted to experience Mexico) will find this an enjoyable read.  3 stars

The Tigress of Forli, by Elizabeth Lev

The Tigress of Forli is a well researched historical account of Caterina Sforza, her extraordinary life and accomplishments. She was one of the most prominent women in Renaissance Italy. The story encompasses Caterina's life from childhood to her death. Caterina's life was a study of her perserverance, bravery, dedication, and focus. This story includes the history of her family and the part they played in politics in Italy in the late 1400s. Lev's portrayal of Caterina showed her to be a capable opponent in war, a caring mother, and protector of her children
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I know this account of Caterina was well researched but it was difficult for me to get through it. While being an interesting story and character, it read more like a textbook. The facts were laid out well, but I never got a true feeling of the essence of Caterina Sforza. Having said that, I still enjoyed reading about a strong woman in Italian history.  3 stars.

What I Hate, from A to Z, by Roz Chast

I received this book in a giveaway from Bloomsbury Publishing. Right from the beginning Roz Chast starts with a hilarious introduction.  Chast gives a thorough list of things she hates, from A to Z, along with a cartoon for each one.  The cartoons and narrative are funny and at times thought provoking.  I mean have you ever really thought how you feel about Ouija Boards or tunnels?  Roz Chast has.  Over and over I found myself laughing and agreeing with her. This is a fun book.  3 stars.

The Mis-Adventures of Phillip Isaac Penn, by Donna L. Petterson

The Mis-Adventures of Phillip Isaac Penn, known to his family and friends as Pip, is a great book for elementary school boys. I read this to my 5 and 9 year old grandsons. They loved it. It is the story of a boy who seems to stay in trouble but at the end of the day not only does he learn from his mistakes but he is also able to make his case that he didn't really do everything he was accused of doing. The reason I liked this book was each chapter is a day of the week and can be read one chapter at a time or the whole week at once. My 9 year old could handle hearing all 7 chapters in a single sitting but my 5 year old did better with 1 chapter a day. That gave him a chance to really digest the story and think about it. Each day ended on a high note with Pip learning a lesson (my grandsons, also) and feeling good about himself. I love children's books that deliver a good message. This one did a great job of it. I gave it 4 stars.

Surviving the Angel of Death: The Story of a Mengele Twin in Auschwitz by Eva Mozes Kor

This book begins with a peaceful, comfortable Jewish family being taken to Auschwitz during the German invasion of Eastern Europe.  It is written for an audience of 6th to about 9th grade readers.  It is appropiately written for this age group.  Eva Moses Kor tells her story of the horrors inflicted on her and her twin sister, Miriam, at the hands of Dr. Mengele.  Dr. Mengele, better known in Auschwitz as the Angel of Death, preformed deadly experiments on over 3000 sets of twins during World War II.  Kor goes to great lengths to explain difficult issues in a way that this age audience will be able to grasp.  It is a moving story of one small girl who, through her own inner strength, was able to insure that she and her twin sister would survive.


But this story goes beyond the usual lessons  to be learned from the holocaust.  It is about learning how to forgive and what forgivness can do for survivors of any horrific ordeal.  Whenever I read a book about the holocaust it never ceases to amaze me what how we as a civilization can inflict such horror on one another.  And this story, in particular, is about horros inflicted on children.  Of course, we have to remember that this type of behavior was/is not limited to the Nazis.  Look what we did to people of color during hundreds of year of slavery. 

I think this is an important book for children  to read.  It can have a tremendous impact on them.  I took two of my grandchildren to the Anne Frank house in Amsterdam to teach them about the holocaust.  They are different people now from having witnessed first hand the destruction of genocide.  3 years later they still think of Anne Frank and continue to have questions.  Their most often asked question?  "How could this happen?"  I have been able to explain that it is up to them to make sure it doesn't happen again.   I gave this book 4 stars.

All Different Kinds of Free by Jessica McCann

All Different Kinds of Free is the story of a free black woman, Margaret Morgan, and her fight against slavery even as she was kidnapped as a runaway slave and sold into slavery. Even though this book is historical fiction, Margaret Morgan was a real person. She was the impetus for the case Prigg v. State of Pennsylvania. This Supreme Court case was the first time the federal government publicly made a pro-slavery declaration. This ruling further served to inflame both sides of the slavery and state's rights issues that eventually led to the Civil War.

Little is known about the real Margaret except that she was indeed a free black woman who was kidnapped, along with her children, by bounty hunter Ed Prigg who was working for her former employer. For the next 6 years Margaret lived a life of physical abuse, rape, degradation, starvation, hard labor, and desparation.  Even though this book tells Margaret's story, she actually represents what was happening to the entire slave population in the United States. It is hard to understand how we as a nation could have treated this segment of our society as we did.

This book reads as a novel (which it is) and a sort of biography of a brave woman. The content is sometimes difficult to read because of the nature of the story. You will shake your head and think "this can't be true. Surly we didn't treat people this way." But in fact we did. Sometimes we still do and that's what makes books like this so important. We must remember past bigotry and racism so that we can fight to make sure they do not continue.

Great Books to Read to Grandkids

Where the Wild Things Are

byMaurice Sendak

All children like to be read to, including my grandson, Rylan. Where the Wild Things Are is one of his favorite books. We have read it together hundreds of times. Max, the main character, gets sent to his room without supper.  A forrest grows in his room and he sails away until he comes to the place where the wild things are.  I read the story in a kind of sing song way (like a poem) and I use different voices for the wild things when "They roar their terrible roars and show their terrible claws and gnash their terrible teeth!" and he loves it. The wild things are funny looking creatures who love Max.  "We love you so, we could eat you up!"  Rylan knows all the words to this book by heart. And he always has to say the last sentence of the book himself (when Max returns to his room to find his dinner waiting)...."and it was still warm."  He has a stuffed Max and a stuffed Wild Thing that have to be present when we are reading this book.




I Love You Through And Through

byBernadette Rossetti-Shustak, Caroline Jayne Church (Illustrator)

This book for toddlers is a favorite of my grandson, Rylan. We've been reading it (every night) since he was about 2. He's 5 now and still loves for me to read this book to him.  The book starts off:

Me reading to Rylan: "I love you through and through. I love your top side. I love your bottom side."

Rylan: Mimi, that's his butt. Do you love my butt?

Me: Yes Rylan, I love your butt, too 

Me reading again: "I love your happy side and your sad side."

Rylan: Mimi what about his teddy bear? Do you love it too? 

Me: Yes Rylan, I love the teddy bear, too. 

I am finally able to finish the book except for the last page. Rylan know's that one by heart:

 

Rylan: "I love you through and through, yesterday, today, and tomorrow, too."

Every time I read this book to him, he feels assured that he is truly loved by his Mimi forever. That's why I love this book so much.

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The Freedom Writers Diary by Erin Gruwell, and The Freedom Writers

The Freedom Writers Diary is a compilation of diary entries of at risk high school teens. Their teacher, Erin Gruwell was a first year teacher in this innercity high school.  After observing an incident of bigotry, she had them read The Diary of Anne Frank aloud in class.  Then she had each keep a daily journal of their lives.  The compilation of their diary entries make up this inspiring book.  Their language is rough, some of the entries are boring (petty high school some would say), some of their entries are mundane, day to day stuff, and some of the entries will make you cry. Put together into this story their entries are brave, ispiring, and just plain awesome. It is ironic that the Diary of Anne Frank is what inspired them, just as their diary will surely inspire others.

The Freedom Writers Diary is not about the teacher, Erin Gruwell and her teaching techniques, although I applaud her. This story is about 150 inner-city, at risk kids who, when given a real opportunity, found the power within themselves to break free from a world that otherwise would have swallowed them. Erin Gruwell gave them a gift that will help these kids change the world.   5 stars.

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Crossers by Philip Caputo

It took me quite a while to read this book because it dealt with such a complicated issue. I had to "digest" one chapter before I could go on. Crossers gives a lot of Arizona history and the "Wild West" mentality but I felt the main theme of the book was immigration problems and drug running problems and how they intertwined. It also dealt with border violence; not just violence on the Mexico side, but violence by us on our side as well. I thought that I didn't like this book but changed my mind. What I didn't like was the subject matter. I abhor the drug running and border violence. I also believe the Mexicans trying to cross the border illegally are only trying to provide a better life for their families. They are the victims in the whole immigration issue. The drug cartels and immigrant smugglers take such advantage of the ones wanting to cross. Caputo did an excellent job of laying out the issues that at times seem completely unsolvable to all of us.   3 stars.

David Golder by Irene Nemirovsky

I guess you've figured out by now that I am a great fan of Irene Nemirovsky's.  Her books never cease to amaze me. She says so much with so few words. All the novelas in this book are dark and seem to have no message other than darkness. That is until I finish each one and have time to process the story. That darn message sneaks up on me every time, giving me that lightbulb moment! Nemirovsky was/is a powerful writer. It makes what happened to her even more ironic and tragic. 

David Golder is the novel that established Nemirovsky's reputation in France in 1929 when she was twenty-six. It is a novel about greed and loneliness, the story of a self-made business man, once wealthy, now suffering a breakdown as he nears the lonely end of his life.

The Courilof Affair tells the story of a Russian revolutionary living out his last days and his recollections of his first infamous assassination.

Also included are two short, gemlike novels: The Ball, a pointed exploration of adolescence and the obsession with status among the bourgeoisie, and Snow in Autumn, an evocative tale of White Russian Immigrants in Paris after the Russian Revolution.

Irene Nemirovsky was born in Kiev in 1903 into a wealthy banking family and emigrated to France during the Russian Revolution. After attending the Sorbonne in Paris she began to write and swiftly achieved success with David Golder, which was followed by more than a dozen other books. Throughout her lifetime she published widely in French newspapers and literary journals. She died in Auschwitz in 1942. More than sixty years later, Suite Francaise was published posthumously, for the first time, in 2006"......goodreads.com    

All Our Wordly Goods by Irene Nemirovsky

I always feel as if I knows each of Nemirovsky's characters personally. All Our Wordly Goods is a story that spans 2 wars and 3 generations. It is set in France and is extremely poignant. It is about a village of people caught up in a war (twice) who have no wish to be in it. It is about a love story between Agnes and Pierre that began when they were children. It is about love, heartache, infidelity, pain in losing everything, and rebuilding lives and relationships. It is heartbreaking and uplifting. Trying to explain Nemirovsky's works almost leaves me without words. She was/is a jewel.   5 stars!     

Me & Emma by Elizabeth Flock

When I first started this book I wasn't sure that I would be able to read it because of its subject of child abuse. After I finished it, I was so glad that I read it. An absolutly astounding finish. Its been several years since I read this book for the second time and I still think about it often. One that I recommend constantly.

Carrie Parker is an eight-year-old with a lively imagination.  But even her imagination can't overcome  the poverty and abuse that occurs in her North Carolina home or help her protect her younger sister, Emma.

Carrie is the big sister and is determined keep Emma safe from a life of neglect and abuse at the hands of their drunken stepfather, Richard.  Their momma can't seem to see or even acknowledge the abuse, let alone stop it.

The sisters' have a plan to run away from home that begins to unravel.  Then life takes a shocking turn and one shattering moment ultimately reveals a truth that will leave you reeling.  You HAVE to read this one!  5 stars!

Anne Frank, The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank

There is not much I could say about this book that hasn't already been said. To me, it isn't so much about Anne's diary entries as it is about why she is in that secret room in the first place. It is a young girl's thoughts during a terrible time and she became the personification of all the Jewish people who were in hiding during the war. It is the fact that we know how her story ends as does the same end come for millions of others.

My daughter and I had an opportunity to take my grandchildren (age 11 & 13) to see the Anne Frank house. My daughter first checked out some books from the library that told the story of Anne Frank and her family so that they would have an understanding of what they were seeing. They asked such good, intelligent questions about how this could have happened. Really gave us an opportunity to instill some values about how to not ever let this happen again. As we toured the house, my grandchildren wanted to see and hear every thing. This museum is so appropriately done. It is extremely moving. The last room showed a picture of all the people who had lived in that house and how they died. The kids read each one. As we left the museum I bought them each an age appropriate book about Anne Frank. They walked down the streets of Amsterdam reading their books and didn't put them down until they were finished. I knew then that they would be different people for having that experience.

I realize this sounds like a review of the Anne Frank museum but it is not. It is a review of the effect this book has on people. A 13 year old's diary entries have had an opportunity to change the world. That is what this book means to me.

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Suite Française by Irène Némirovsky, Sandra Smith (Translator)

For those of you who don't Irene Nemirovsky's story, well you should.  When Nemirovsky was a young girl her family immigrated from Russia to escape persecution of Jews.  They relocated in Paris where Nemirovsky was schooled and later became a much published writer.  She began Suite Francaise during World War II.  In 1942 Nemirovsky was arrested for being a Jew and deported to Auschwitz.  She died there a month later at the age of 39.  Ironically Suite Francaise is a book about the German occupation of France and how the people of France coped with the occupation.  Two years before she was arrested she and her husband with their two small daughters fled to a small village in central France in a vain attempt to elude the Nazis.  Suite Francaise is a story of a human drama in which she herself would become a victim. When she was arrested, she had completed two parts of the manuscript.  Her daughters took the manuscript with them into hiding. Sixty-four years later, at long last, we can read Nemirovsky's literary masterpiece.

I am such a pacifist that whenever I read a book about war it angers me. Irene Nemirovsky gave me a different viewpoint in Suite Francaise. So that leaves me a conflicted pacifist but a pacifist nonetheless. Her story is beautiful, full of love, bittersweet, and most of all tragic. I feel that humankind as a whole should feel a huge hole in their heart at the loss of Nemirovsky and all the others who were killed in war in the guise of religion/power. Its been 3 yeas since I read this book and although I didn't personally know Nemirovsky, I miss her as though I did. This book is powerful.  I gave it 5 stars.      

The No 1 Ladies Detective Agency by Alexander McCall Smith

I always enjoy reading books from the #1 Ladies Detective Agency series. The owner of The No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency, Precious Ramotswe, is a sweet, intelligent, benevolent lady whose love of her country, Africa, comes through loud and clear.  She uses her classic woman's intuition and reasoning to solve whatever problems her clients have. Precious opens her detective agency by putting up her sign, "THE NO. 1 LADIES DETECTIVE AGENCY. FOR ALL CONFIDENTIAL MATTERS AND ENQUIRIES. SATISFACTION GUARANTEED FOR ALL PARTIES. UNDER PERSONAL MANAGEMENT."  Alexander McCall Smith makes me love Precious with his beautiful characterization of her.  Smith, through his characters, takes us on a tour of Africa with his lively, intelligent heroine and  her fellow Africans, who live their lives with dignity.  I have read the entire series and learned a lot about Africa and the day to day living of a typical (well maybe not exactly typical) African business woman living in a small town. Whenever I finish one of these books I always want to tell Precious "You Go Girl!"          

Parents Behaving Badly by Scott Gummer (Simon and Shuster)

I received Parents Behaving Badly from a Goodreads giveaway.  When I first started the book I did not know if I could stick with it.  It had a pretty slow start for me.  However, I'm glad I stuck with it.  Gummer pulled me in and made the characters believable.  I loved Gummer's humor and his story.  Having had a child in Little League baseball, I can tell you Gummer was "spot on" when he talks about the parent's behavior and then contrasts it to the children's behavior.  Very nicely done.

Ben and Jili Holden move from Manhattan with their three children back to their small hometown of Palace Valley, California.  Ben reluctantly steps up to lead his son's Little League team, Ben's father, a legendary high school baseball coach and mentor who is beloved by generations of players, has been pretty much a stranger to Ben as a child.

Other characters:
Del, an autocratic coach who issues his own Ten Commandments
Liza, Ben's  high school crush
Logan, a smart-aleck ringer whose preteen talents are eclipsed only by his ego
Cyn, the sultry thong-wearing team mom with the serpent tattoo.

Ben does a great job of not only coaching the kids in baseball but also teaching them valuable lessons about life and sportsmanship.  In this book the parents behave badly but the kids don't.

"Every mother and father of every boy and girl who have ever participated in youth sports can relate, and in Parents Behaving Badly Scott Gummer brilliantly skewers overzealous parents and lunatic coaches, giving the grown-ups who seek vicarious glory the send-up they so richly deserve."...www.simonandshuster.com

Welcome readers!

Senior Readers is a blog about outstanding books I have read. These are books I would like to share with other readers. I call it Senior Readers....well because I'm a senior, although the books I read are enjoyed by all readers.  I will be sharing reviews that I have posted on simonandshuster.com, netGalley.com, and Goodreads.com.  I am interested in your opinions too. I am also interested in hearing about books you have read. So please feel free to share any comments.

My interests include reading (of course), art, traveling, spending time with my family. My favorite books include anything about the holocast because I believe it needs to be remembered, anything about civil rights for the same reason, anything that sends a powerful message, I also like books set in other countries. I don't normally read fantasy or sci fi but I always have an open mind when it comes to reading.

 

I hope you enjoy!

Norma