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Fitting In, Frankly

June 29, 2026 by Emma Filbrun · Leave a Comment

29 Jun

Title: Fitting In, Frankly
Author: V. F. Diefenbacher
Major Themes: Guatemala, Canada, Campgrounds, Friendship, Missionaries
Synopsis: Francisco desperately wants to fit in with the other boys in his Guatemalan village—but when he is taken to Canada for the summer, how will he manage to meet his goal?

I have been doing a two-month reading challenge, and one of the prompts is a book published in 2025. I checked through my shelves, but couldn’t find any that I hadn’t read yet. I perused a list of books that people suggested for this prompt, and Fitting In, Frankly sounded interesting, but I couldn’t find it on any of the online library sites I use. Then, I received an order I had placed nearly two months previously for school books and a few other books—and this was one of the books in the package! It took so long to arrive that I had forgotten about it. So, I read it right away, even though I had found a different book to listen to for that prompt. Fitting In, Frankly fit a different prompt anyway.

Publisher’s description:

Twelve-year-old Francisco often feels different from his friends in Guatemala. Even though he grew up with them, he doesn’t quite fit in. He doesn’t get snack money. He does his schoolwork in English. He travels. Francisco is sure he is Guatemalan, but do his friends think he is a gringo?

When the mayor announces a slingshot competition, Francisco knows he must win. Because the prize is a boat. In their tropical village beside the river, a boy with a boat will always be in the middle of the action.

What Francisco doesn’t count on is a summer in Canada, a grandpa needing help at his campground, and challenges that keep him from practicing for the slingshot competition. As he struggles to hold onto his dreams, Francisco grapples with his problem: How does a boy of two worlds fit in anywhere?

My thoughts:

I really enjoyed Fitting In, Frankly. Francisco’s dilemma reminds me of my own children. We moved from Michigan to New Zealand when our oldest was 11. Our sons who are in the workforce now are frequently reminded that they are different because of their accent. When they go back to the United States for a visit, though, they don’t fit in with the culture there, either. I really enjoyed reading the story of Francisco, or Frank, as he spent a summer trying to figure out where and how he could fit in somewhere. He learned many lessons along the way. I was also challenged by his father’s realization that he spent a lot more time with everyone else, rather than with his own son—as parents, we need to make sure that our children know that they are our top priority, as far as people go. I enjoyed seeing the contrast between the two cultures, and how they clashed, and seeing the wide range of people who came through the campground. This book would be a good one for any missionary kid to read—it very clearly shows the struggle experienced by children who are raised partly in each of two cultures.

No warnings!

Age levels:

Listening Level—Ages 8 – 12, 10 – 12, 12 – 15, Family Friendly
Reading Independently—Ages 10 – 12, 12 – 15

Links to buy this book:

AbeBooks: View Choices on AbeBooks.com
Other Places: Christian Light Publications—Paperback | Milestone Books—Paperback

The Watsons Go to Birmingham–1963

June 26, 2026 by Emma Filbrun · Leave a Comment

26 Jun

The Watsons Go to Birmingham--1963 cover

Title: The Watsons Go to Birmingham–1963
Author: Christopher Paul Curtis
Major Themes: Michigan, Alabama, Civil Rights Movement, Travel
Synopsis: Life in Flint, Michigan included trouble and humor—but what really brought the Watson family together was a road trip to Birmingham, arriving just in time for the worst event of the year in the Black community there.

My mom, daughter, and I are all doing a two-month reading challenge together, and one of the prompts was “an event that your parents lived through.” I hadn’t found a book for that prompt yet, when my mom suggested The Watsons Go to Birmingham–1963. I bought this book last year, and she read it before we brought it home about six months ago. Who knows how long it would have languished on the To Be Read shelf before seeing the light of day, without that prompt and Mom’s suggestion!

Publisher’s description:

Enter the hilarious world of ten-year-old Kenny and his family, the Weird Watsons of Flint, Michigan. There’s Momma, Dad, little sister Joetta, and brother Byron, who’s thirteen and an “official juvenile delinquent.” When Momma and Dad decide it’s time for a visit to Grandma, Dad comes home with the amazing Ultra-Glide, and the Watsons set out on a trip like no other. They’re heading South to Birmingham, Alabama, toward one of the darkest moments in America’s history.

My thoughts:

I really enjoyed The Watsons Go to Birmingham–1963. It is a delightful mixture of humor and trouble. For example, in the first chapter, the family is huddled under a quilt on the couch to keep warm in a Michigan winter when the furnace wasn’t working—and Dad told the children that they could have ended up with a man named Hambone Henderson for a father. The next scene depicted someone whose lips got frozen onto a mirror! Later chapters describe bullying and cruelty among schoolboys, tall tales, and siblings sticking up for each other.

I loved Momma. She did her best to keep the children in line and take care of them, but being a Black woman in a white society, and a transplant from the South to the North, was not easy. And then there was the trip to Birmingham! I had to laugh at her ultra-planning, and then at what Dad did with that.

The last several chapters were not funny. This book was written around the event when an unknown person bombed a Black church in Birmingham, killing and injuring several little girls. Living through that event left Kenny struggling with life—what would it take to recover? I loved the ending.

WARNING: Chapter 1: Whole dang city. Chapter 3: So darn mean. Chapter 4: Boy mistreating other boys. Chapter 13: Near drowning. Chapter 14: Bombing.

Age levels:

Listening Level—Ages 10 – 12, 12 – 15, Family Friendly
Reading Independently—10 – 12, 12 – 15, 15 and Above

Links to buy this book:

Amazon: Paperback | Kindle | Hardcover | Audible Audiobook (unabridged)
AbeBooks: View Choices on AbeBooks.com

Rowan Farm

June 24, 2026 by Emma Filbrun · Leave a Comment

24 Jun

Title: Rowan Farm
Author: Margot Benary-Isbert
Series: The Ark series, book 2
Major Themes: Germany, World War II, Family, Farm Life, Refugees, Horses
Synopsis: As Germany continues to recover from World War II, the Lechow family work to rebuild their lives and help all they can around them.

Sometime over three decades ago, one of my sisters brought a book home from the library which we all enjoyed, so I started searching for other books by the same author, Margot Benary-Isbert, through the InterLibrary Loan system in the United States. We found several, and loved them all, but I hadn’t seen them again after that. A few years ago, I remembered these wonderful books, and although I couldn’t remember the storylines, I knew they were worth reading and wished I could get them to read to my family. Lo and behold, nearly a year ago, I saw a sale that Purple House Press was putting on, and two books by this author were included! Because I knew I would be able to get them, since we had tickets to visit the States later in the year, I bought those books and had them held by a relative. We read one of the two right after returning home, and have just finished its sequel, Rowan Farm. What a treat!

Publisher’s description:

January 1948 began a wonderful year for the Lechows. With Father newly returned to Western Germany from a Russian prison camp, they were together again and could enjoy a measure of security and happiness in The Ark, their railroad car home on Rowan Farm.

It was a year that held for sixteen-year-old Margret, in particular, both joy and sorrow. She found real satisfaction in entering Mrs. Almut’s Great Danes in two important shows and in raising several young animals which were her very own. She felt a vague unhappiness, however, when Mrs. Almut’s son, Bernd, as well as her own brother Matthias, succumbed to the charms of an attractive, but superficial girl from Frankfurt. But Margret had little time to brood. There was the abused Shetland pony whose life she was determined to save. There was also the problem of Andrea, her younger sister, whose flair for the dramatic landed her in serious difficulties at school. And Joey and Ull, the enterprising eight-year-olds, kept Margret in a constant state of uncertainty with their magnificent ventures. The year brought Margaret new friends as well⁠—among them the resourceful young schoolmaster with his plan for rebuilding a bombed-out farm, and the American woman, working in Germany with the Friends’ Service Committee.

As in The Ark, her previous book about the Lechow family, Mrs. Benary mirrors the slow changes of the season, come war or peace, the burgeoning of life in the spring, and with it a renewal of hope. Once again, she creates real people whose joys and disappointments are universally understood, and above all, she leaves her readers a sense of courage and faith all too rare in books today.

My thoughts:

We loved Rowan Farm just as much as the first book in the series, The Ark. The Lechow family became very real to us, and we were rooting for them, hoping that all would go well and they would accomplish their goals. We loved the antics of Joey and Ull, and groaned when we could see what was coming long before they could see it. There were many times when we had to stop reading—but everyone was on tenterhooks, waiting to see how a tense situation would turn out. All the way through, we loved seeing the way each member of the family interacted with each other, and with the people around them.

This book does an excellent job of showing what life was like in Germany as the people tried to rebuild their lives. The local people were trying to rebuild what they had left, and refugees came into the area, needing help—there was bound to be a lot of tension. The Lechow family found themselves in the middle of that. There was humor; some situations turned out pretty funny (like the time the two boys thought they were going to be butchered), while others were very sad. Throughout the book, Margret’s animals helped maintain continuity and interest—her pony was pretty special!

I highly recommend Rowan Farm for a family read-aloud (after The Ark). These books are wonderful family stories. I hope Purple House Press reprints more by this author. Oh, one more thing? This printing is a wonderful hardcover that really feels luxurious when I hold it—a real treat!

WARNING: Chapter 2: Gosh, darn, neglected and abused animal. Chapter 4: “If the human animal weren’t so tough it would have become extinct long ago, like the dinosaurs.” Chapter 7: Gee. Chapter 11: A heck of an.… Chapter 12: Ye gods and little fishes. Chapter 14: That darned letter. Chapter 17: Mention of someone threatening suicide. Chapter 18: Someone committed suicide. Chapter 20: Brief kiss, mention of person who committed suicide, “let them dwell here with you as friendly household spirits.”

Age levels:

Listening Level—Ages 5 – 8, 8 – 12, 10 – 12, 12 – 15, Family Friendly
Reading Independently—Ages 12 – 15, 15 and Above

Links to buy this book:

Amazon: Kindle | Hardcover | Audible Audiobook (unabridged)
AbeBooks: View Choices on AbeBooks.com

Flicker of Trust

June 22, 2026 by Emma Filbrun · Leave a Comment

22 Jun

Title: Flicker of Trust
Author: Eleanor Bertin
Series: Burning Bright, book 2
Major Themes: Canada, Mystery, Romance
Synopsis: Lynnie isn’t sure she really wants to move into a relationship with anyone, but somehow Ryan keeps crossing her path, a different man from the one she knew in high school.

A couple of years ago, I read Flame of Mercy, a year or so after winning it in a drawing and right after winning the sequel, Flicker of Trust, in another giveaway. I loved the first book so much that I wanted to read the second book right away, and even added it to my TBR list on my reading tracking app—where it stayed for nearly two years! Finally, I got around to reading it. I should have read it long ago.

Publisher’s description:

Party animal Ryan Hainstock has made an about-face. He’s now an elder-caring, money-saving, church-going man with bright plans to set himself up farming. Somehow, whether he rates with her or not, those plans always include sweet and smart Lynnie Min and her young daughter. Problem is, Ryan’s past keeps coming back to condemn him.

Lynnie Min, too young for the title of widow, travels the lonely road of single motherhood in a rural community. Her dreams were crushed by tragedy when terrorists claimed the lives of her husband and one of her daughters. While gratitude should fill her heart for the presence of three-year-old Anya, a longing for something more stirs within her. She can’t help noticing the changes in Ryan, a man she once knew as a high school jock.

While their affection deepens, greater forces conspire to destroy their growing love. A murder charge, a kidnapping, a child abandoned.… Can Ryan and Lynnie overcome danger and distrust to find each other again?

My thoughts:

Flicker of Trust is an amazing book. There are many facets to it, with several threads intertwined into one main plot. This is a love story, a murder mystery, and includes a kidnapping! It also includes a delightful child and complicated family dynamics. After reading this book and Flame of Mercy, I have fallen in love with Eleanor Bertin’s books.

One thing that struck a chord with me was Ryan’s illiteracy. Because one of my sons struggles to read, any character in a story that has the same problem has my immediate sympathy. I loved seeing his determination, and also loved the way that played into solving a mystery! I loved seeing the way Ryan grew in the Lord during this book, and the way he cared for his verbally abusive father.

WARNING: Chapter 1: Dumping dead cow into a pit. Chapter 4: “S*x in a pan.” Chapter 7: Person’s mother died. Chapter 12: Heck. Chapter 40: Kissing. In two chapters (forgot to mark them): Human body parts found.

Age levels:

Reading Independently—Ages 15 and Above, Adults

Links to buy this book:

Amazon: Paperback | Kindle
AbeBooks: View Choices on AbeBooks.com

Maniac Magee

June 19, 2026 by Emma Filbrun · Leave a Comment

19 Jun

Title: Maniac Magee
Author: Jerry Spinelli
Major Themes: Racism, Friendship, Sports, Orphans
Synopsis: Jeffrey “Maniac” Magee had no home and no friends—but quickly he became a legend after moving into town and pulling amazing stunts.

I’m not sure when I bought Maniac Magee, but I know it was a long time ago. I’m doing a two-month reading challenge right now, and one prompt for this month was, “a book that has been on your TBR list for at least two years.” I sorted our library catalog by the category “To Read” and by date added, and the oldest book I found that I hadn’t read was this one—it’s been in our library since I first cataloged it, ten years ago this month! So, it was time to read it.

Publisher’s description:

They say Maniac Magee was born in a dump. They say his stomach was a cereal box and his heart a sofa spring.

What’s truth, what’s myth? When Jeffrey Lionel Magee wanders into Two Mills, Pennsylvania, a legend is born. Jeffrey’s just a scruffy twelve-year-old kid. But before long, the stories begin to circulate: about how fast and how far he can run. About how he hits the world’s first-ever “frogball” for an inside-the-park home-run bunt. About how he scores forty-nine touchdowns when he plays football with the high school team, and about how he performs other feats so incredible that he’s soon being called “Maniac.” All that is nothing compared to the bravest, craziest thing Jeffery ever does at Two Mills—for the kids from the East End and from the West End.

This is his story. It’s a story that is very careful not to get the facts mixed up with the truth.

My thoughts:

I had no idea what to expect from this book—but I sure wouldn’t have expected what it was. Wow, so many themes are explored here. Being an orphan, a broken family, racism, homelessness—and that’s only a few facets of the story! Maniac had an incredible ability to adapt, to see the good in people, and to find ways to improve their lives. He found ways to bring people together and to help them, even when they were angry with him.

I loved so much of Maniac Magee. Yes, some scenes were hard and ugly—but love and kindness overrode the ugliness and hatred, most of the time. This is a story of a boy with no family and friends, who seeks and finds family and friends. It is a wonderful story of healing, community, connection…and family. Don’t wait as long as I did to read it!

WARNING: Chapter 13: Sure as heck. Chapter 32: Someone dies. Chapter 45: Damn. All through: people bullying other people, making threats.

Age levels:

Listening Level—Ages 12 – 15
Reading Independently—Ages 12 – 15, 15 and Above, Adults

Links to buy this book:

Amazon: Paperback | Kindle | Hardcover | Audible Audiobook (unabridged)
AbeBooks: View Choices on AbeBooks.com