Dear Mr. Henshaw by Beverly Cleary

Goodreads synopsis: Leigh has been Boyd Henshaw's number one fan ever since he was in second grade. Now in sixth grade, Leigh lives with his mother and is the new kid in school. He's lonely, troubled by the absence of his father, a cross-country trucker, and angry because a mysterious thief steals from his lunchbag. Then Leigh's teacher assigns a letter-writing project. Naturally Leigh chooses to write to Mr. Henshaw, whose surprising answer changes Leigh's life.

My rating: 4 stars.

Content warnings: G. None.

Thoughts: It's a sweet and painful story, and it's definitely a good read. As a kid it was inspiring to keep going and keep trying even when things seem hopeless, and as an adult it's inspiring to keep an eye out and notice the unnoticed people in your life.

The fact that Mr. Henshaw replies in the first place is lovely, and that's the kind of attention I hope I give people no matter what my life is, or how insignificant they may seem to me. That reply is really what started Leigh's healing in the first place.

I do think that the writing advice both authors Leigh communicates with is maybe not the best. Obviously it's what Cleary thinks, and it worked for her. But I don't think it's advice that everyone should hear, and it doesn't work for everyone.

It's probably a sweet book for people even if they have no interest in writing. But that added level really made the book that much more meaningful.

The Witch of Blackbird Pond by Elizabeth George Speare

Goodreads synopsis: Sixteen-year-old Kit Tyler is marked by suspicion and disapproval from the moment she arrives on the unfamiliar shores of colonial Connecticut in 1687. Alone and desperate, she has been forced to leave her beloved home on the island of Barbados and join a family she has never met.

Torn between her quest for belonging and her desire to be true to herself, Kit struggles to survive in a hostile place. Just when it seems she must give up, she finds a kindred spirit. But Kit’s friendship with Hannah Tupper, believed by the colonists to be a witch, proves more taboo than she could have imagined and ultimately forces Kit to choose between her heart and her duty.

Elizabeth George Speare won the 1959 Newbery Medal for this portrayal of a heroine whom readers will admire for her unwavering sense of truth as well as her infinite capacity to love.

My rating: 4 stars.

Content warnings: PG. A character gets put in stocks with food thrown at them. A house gets burned down, and a cat is shot at (not killed). Characters are accused of being witches, what happens to those convicted is discussed, and a character is put on trial.

Thoughts: Were early Puritans actually a cult? They sure do align with several key portions of the B.I.T.E. model at least. Come back later for more hot takes.

That aside, it's a good book. Most of it has been done before, but its got its own style that makes it really fun to read. And having the perspective of an outsider (rather than an unrealistically progressive character who grew up in the community) helps the story a lot.

There are a few instances where the author's more modern view show through a little. Like calling the main character a "young child" when she was at marriageable age, and had a few suitors. But for the most part it seems well researched and solid in its historical setting. At least from what I know about it.

It's hard to tell what the intended audience was, since it's called a kid's book, but some of the story seems directed for older readers. But whatever the case may be, it is worth reading, and clean enough to let more mature kids read it.

Rediscover Jesus by Matthew Kelly

Goodreads synopsis: How well do you know Jesus? I think about this often, and I always come to the same realization. I don’t know Jesus anywhere near as well as I would like to know him. The desire is there, but life gets in the way. There are times when I seem to be making great progress, and other times when I wonder if I know him at all. But I always arrive back at the same inspiring and haunting idea: If there is one person that we should each get to know in a deeply personal way, it is Jesus – the carpenter from Nazareth, the itinerant preacher, the Son of God, the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords, the Lamb of God, the new Adam, the Messiah, the Alpha and the Omega, the Chosen One, the Light of the World, the God-Man who wants good things for us more than we want them for ourselves, the healer of our souls.

My rating: 3 stars.

Content warnings: G. Nothing.

My thoughts: Overall it was probably a good book for someone who doesn't know what their faith means anymore, or who has gotten so lost in the "Christian culture" that they don't know who Jesus is. For me there wasn't very much that was helpful or that I needed to hear (there are always some small things to be gleaned in any grounded book about faith), but I can see the value in most of what was said anyway.

With that there were a few chapters that made me uncomfortable. One was worded oddly and I think the message came from a good place, but the way it was presented made it sound wrong. Another I don't think I agree with at all. That one too could have been a misunderstanding between how the material was written and how it came across, but I have some doubts.

Beyond those couple of chapters I think it was a decent book and a good jumping off point for someone trying to deepen their spiritual journey. It doesn't take long to read, and it definitely encourages thought and action, which are both important too.

Bridge to Terabithia by Katherine Paterson

Goodreads synopsis: Jess Aarons' greatest ambition is to be the fastest runner in his grade. He's been practicing all summer and can't wait to see his classmates' faces when he beats them all. But on the first day of school, a new girl boldly crosses over to the boys' side and outruns everyone.

That's not a very promising beginning for a friendship, but Jess and Leslie Burke become inseparable. Together they create Terabithia, a magical kingdom in the woods where the two of them reign as king and queen, and their imaginations set the only limits.

Rating: 3 stars.

Content warnings: PG. Several d---s, use of hell as a curse word, bullying, implied abusive parent of a minor character.

Thoughts: Just coming off of Kira-Kira it's easy to compare what that one did better. Part of it might have been my expectations. I remember being really young and hearing someone I knew go on and on about how good Bridge was, so I could have been expecting more. Either way, I was expecting more Terabithia to the story than what there was. The "show don't tell" idea in writing really didn't come through here at all, and that was what really hurt it I think. We didn't get to see the kids playing in Terabithia as much as we were just told they did it a lot. And Terabithia was why I was here in the first place.

All that being said it wasn't bad. Minus the creepy relationship Jess had with one of his teachers. Between that and Jacob Have I Loved, part of me kinda hopes Paterson never actually had close contact with children. Maybe I'm reading too much into that, but it does trouble me a bit.

But back to the point, it was enjoyable. I don't understand why it won anything, it didn't stand out to me that much. And I wish we did have more of the after Leslie versus one summarized chapter. It was worth reading though.

Kira-Kira by Cynthia Kadohata

Goodreads synopsis: kira-kira (kee ra kee ra): glittering; shining Glittering. That's how Katie Takeshima's sister, Lynn, makes everything seem. The sky is kira-kira because its color is deep but see-through at the same time. The sea is kira-kira for the same reason and so are people's eyes. When Katie and her family move from a Japanese community in Iowa to the Deep South of Georgia, it's Lynn who explains to her why people stop on the street to stare, and it's Lynn who, with her special way of viewing the world, teaches Katie to look beyond tomorrow, but when Lynn becomes desperately ill, and the whole family begins to fall apart, it is up to Katie to find a way to remind them all that there is always something glittering -- kira-kira -- in the future.

My rating: 4 stars.

Content warnings: PG. A character wonders what it takes to make a baby. Girls discuss French kissing. Someone innocently spells "sperm" in a game of Scrabble. A character gets caught in an animal trap and is injured (very little blood). Another character vandalizes someone's car. There's a mention of dead chicks, and accidentally breaking their necks.

(spoilers below)

Thoughts: I laughed a lot reading this again. Katie's voice is so sweet, and her perspective on the world is really fun. She's clever in her own right, and her way of looking at the world and explaining it is one I kinda wish I had more of. 

It takes a lot to make me cry, but I teared up near the end. It hurts a lot, and it's not entirely easy to read. But it is raw and real, and in the end there is hope. Which is all I ever ask for.

Inside Out & Back Again by Thanhha Lai

Goodreads synopsis: For all the ten years of her life, Hà has only known Saigon: the thrills of its markets, the joy of its traditions, and the warmth of her friends close by. But now the Vietnam War has reached her home. Hà and her family are forced to flee as Saigon falls, and they board a ship headed toward hope. In America, Hà discovers the foreign world of Alabama: the coldness of its strangers, the dullness of its food . . . and the strength of her very own family.

My rating: 4 stars.

Content warnings: G. A small chick dies and a child is bullied.

Thoughts: The fact that the novel is in verse made me nervous. But I really did enjoy it, it wasn't verse that called attention to itself other than the minimalism in the prose, which appeals to my description skipping heart.

Hà's papaya tree wrecked me. I expected this book would make me emotional over something, but I didn't expect it to be a little backyard tree.

I love how developed the characters all were, despite how short the story really was. And somehow it managed to find the perfect balance in pacing, and the details that were given helped move it forward, not slow it down. It was quick to read, but definitely leaves an impact.

Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo

Goodreads synopsis: Ketterdam: a bustling hub of international trade where anything can be had for the right price—and no one knows that better than criminal prodigy Kaz Brekker. Kaz is offered a chance at a deadly heist that could make him rich beyond his wildest dreams. But he can’t pull it off alone. . . .

A convict with a thirst for revenge

A sharpshooter who can’t walk away from a wager

A runaway with a privileged past

A spy known as the Wraith

A Heartrender using her magic to survive the slums

A thief with a gift for unlikely escapes

Kaz’s crew is the only thing that might stand between the world and destruction—if they don’t kill each other first.

My rating: 4 stars.

Content warnings: PG-13. Some cursing in book-specific languages. One f-word. Street violence. A character must fight to death with a wolf (emotionally charged) and suffers injuries. Various characters are stabbed, shot, punched, kicked. A character has the ability to effect people's bodies, killing them either painlessly or painfully. Implied torture. Characters find people burned alive, one still barely clinging to life. One character dresses and acts provocatively. There's talk of brothels and activity within (nothing seen). Another character was sold to a brothel and was clearly traumatized, though the details of her time there are never mentioned. The plot centers around a drug, which has highly addictive effects on certain characters, and dangerous withdrawal symptoms.

Thoughts: I was torn whether it was three or four stars, but then I remembered Kaz Brekker's gloves. That itself isn't what did it, but somehow those gloves sort of became a symbol for the depth of characterization and development each character got throughout the story and that is what made it great for me. Characters are what I like most about any story.

It did take me a while to get into the story. I wasn't exactly disinterested with what was going on, it just felt oddly dense and hard to get through. But once I made it about halfway, I finished in a day and a half.

I'd heard the prose praised so highly by various people across the internet, but I'm not sure I noticed it distinctly. It was very nice, but maybe I was expecting it to stand out more somehow. Or maybe I was miffed because each chapter seems to supposed to be limited third person, but there were numerous instances of something being described that the assumed POV character should never have known. It wasn't a huge deal, and head hopping isn't something that entirely frustrates me in books. But when you present a chapter as a limited POV, then the head hopping annoys me.

All that being said, I did really enjoy it. I'm interested to see where the next one goes, because I have no idea with that ending what could even happen next. But it should be a fun ride, this one sure was.