A companion book to The Dead and the Gone. This one is set in rural Pennsylvania instead of New York City.  When the moon’s orbit is changed, the earth’s tides, volcanos and climate are changed as well.  Miranda and her family must struggle to survive the devastation that follows.

I have no idea how scientifically accurate Pheffer’s book is.  However, she paints a very realistic picture of the physical realities of life, if we were suddenly confronted with no electricity, heat, running water, or the ability to grow more food.  Pfeffer explores family and friend dynamics as well, when life becomes instantly about survival.

My favorite Napoli book to date.  This one tells the tale of a spoiled Irish princess who is kidnapped and brought far from home on a Viking slave ship.  Sold into slavery, Melkorka’s one protection is the vow of silence she has taken.  Fabulous book–highly recommended.

A fascinating series, spanning 15 some years in Pakistan.  Shabanu is a desert girl, who through a series of tragic events, is married off to be the fourth wife of a much older, wealthy and powerful clan leader.  Desperate for freedom and safety for herself and her young daughter, Shabanu waits for the right time to seize control of her own future.

Shabanu, a Newbery Honor book was the first, and in my mind, the best book of the series.  Staples includes rich Pakistani history and culture, and her tale of Shabanu being forced to leave her beloved family and desert home is amazing.  The remaining two books are good, and wrap up the story, but they aren’t of the same quality as the first.  Although I liked how the series ended overall, in The House of Djinn, Staples used djinn (mischievous spirits) to move the plot along.  These supernatural beings were not in keeping with the feel of the first two books, were very distracting, and not at all necessary for me.  Other than that, it’s an excellent series, well worth reading.

Madden completes her Maggie Valley Trilogy with these two books.  Livy Two’s family continues to struggle, following her daddy’s accident.  But through it all, the family is determined to stay together, and stay in their beloved Maggie Valley home.

Livy Two is a songwriter like her daddy, and one thing I loved about this trilogy were excerpts from Livy’s songs.  She writes songs about her family and the things going on around her, and they are beautiful in their simple descriptions.  Livy has a large family, yet Madden manages to make them all come to life as well-known individuals.  Although Livy herself narrates the trilogy, Madden focuses on several different family members in each book, so by the end, you feel as if you know them all well.

  Captured by Indians from her Pennsylvania farm, Mary is separated from her family and eventually adopted by a Seneca tribe.  The only thing Mary has left from her family is her mother’s last words to her: “…make the best of things and be happy if you can…It don’t matter what happens, if you’re only strong and have great courage…”  Mary took these words to heart, and made a life for herself with her Seneca family.  Based on a true story, this is a wonderful book.

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