IgniteLit - Igniting a love for literature

Little Foxes

November 12, 2025 by Emma Filbrun · Leave a Comment

12 Nov

Title: Little Foxes
Author: Michael Morpurgo
Major Themes: Foxes, England, Foster Children
Synopsis: Billy had never felt love until he found an orphaned fox, so when the fox was threatened, he did the only thing he could do.

A few months ago, I picked up the book War Horse, by Michael Morpurgo, when a friend recommended it to me at a used book sale we were perusing together. I had never read any books by him, but she said it was good. Several weeks later, I went to a secondhand shop and saw Little Foxes, so I decided to check it out, as well. Both books went onto my pile to read before adding them to the shelves in our library, since I didn’t know anything about them. I was delighted to figure out that both of them would fit into a reading challenge I participated in—I needed two books by the same author for it!

Publisher’s description:

Born into a world where it seems no one wants him, Billy Bunch escapes whenever he can to the sanctuary of his secret ‘wilderness’ on the edge of the estate where he lives. Here he can be alone, and here at last he finds his first friends, a battered swan and an orphaned fox cub. But his secret hiding place is discovered, and he is forced to run away. Hunted and hounded, Billy and his fox share the same instinct—to run, to hide, to go to earth.

My thoughts:

I felt a lot of different things while I read Little Foxes. Compassion for Billy, disappointment and irritation with the foster mother he lived with, annoyance with the people who just wanted to see the foxes killed, fear when Billy and the fox ran away.… This book is full of feelings! It explores the mind of a boy who has never known love, who has never had a friend. What happened to him when he found a friend, something to love—and then that was threatened? Would he be able to let go later, when that friend needed freedom? The one thing that gave me a little pause was the symbolism of a swan that showed up at key points in what felt like a spiritual sense. Despite that, this is a very good story and I’ll definitely be on the lookout for more books by this author.

WARNING: Several animals are killed and more threatened.

Age levels:

Listening Level—Ages 5 – 8, 8 – 12, Family Friendly
Reading Independently—Ages 8 – 12

Links to buy this book:

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

War Horse

November 10, 2025 by Emma Filbrun · Leave a Comment

10 Nov

Title: War Horse
Author: Michael Morpurgo
Series: Scholastic Gold
Major Themes: Horses, England, France, World War I
Synopsis: Joey, a beautiful horse, saw World War I from both sides of the front lines—and experienced the wonder of true friendship.

Over the past couple of years, I’ve been seeing frequent posts where people are selling books by Michael Morpurgo. Their frequency made me think that a lot of people like this author, but I had never picked up one of his books. At a used book sale a few months ago, a friend who was there picked up a copy of War Horse and showed it to me, telling me it was very good—so of course I bought it and added it to my pile of books to vet before shelving them in our library. When I was figuring out what books to read recently for a reading challenge, I figured out a way to include this one, which ensured that I would read it.

Publisher’s description:

In the deadly chaos of the First World War, one horse witnesses the reality of battle from both sides of the trenches. Bombarded by artillery, with bullets knocking riders from his back, Joey tells a powerful story of the truest friendships surviving in terrible times.

One horse has seen the best and the worst of humanity. The power of war and the beauty of peace. This is his story.

My thoughts:

I read War Horse in less than a day. The writing was masterful, which drew me in, and the story was compelling. Frankly, I was quite surprised by how much I liked this book. It is the story of a war about which not much is available, from an uncommon perspective. It is the story of a horse who experienced abuse, love, neglect, and care. It is the story of people—a man who cared more for drink than for his family, a boy whose only friend was a horse, a girl who had lost everyone she cared about, and many more. This is a powerful story about the power of love. The horrors of war are around the edges, and a few scenes border on graphic, but more of the story is about people loving and caring for the horses. Both sides of the conflict are portrayed, as the horse became a prisoner of war and then miraculously found his way back to his original side. Read this book if you love great horse stories, if you want a children’s book about World War I, or if you just plain enjoy a touching story.

WARNING: Chapter 2: Proud little devil, divilish stupid. Chapter 5: Frightened as hell. Chapter 8: Oh God, horses being killed. Chapter 14: Horse dies. Chapter 16: Hell twice. Chapter 17: How the divil, Gawd’s strewth. Chapter 18: What the divil. Chapter 19: What the divil. Chapter 20: Mean old divil. Chapter 21: What the divil. Several times, mention was made that a soldier died, but nothing graphic.

Age levels:

Listening Level—Ages 10 – 12, 12 – 15
Reading Independently—Ages 12 – 15

Links to buy this book:

Amazon: Paperback | Kindle | Hardcover | Audible Audiobook (unabridged) | Audio CD (BBC Radio Full-Cast Dramatisation; unabridged)
AbeBooks: View Choices on AbeBooks.com

Mister Max: The Book of Secrets

November 7, 2025 by Emma Filbrun · Leave a Comment

7 Nov

Title: Mister Max: The Book of Secrets
Author: Cynthia Voigt
Series: Mister Max, book 2
Major Themes: Spies, Friendship
Synopsis: Max is still trying to figure out what happened to his parents and how to rescue them—and solving mysteries that people present him with at the same time.

Last year, I bought a book titled Mister Max: The Book of Lost Things and sent it to my mom’s house until I was able to get it. She loved it and read it aloud to an adult with whom she was taking a trip; he loved it so much that he took it home with him after the trip to finish the last chapter or two! That made us quite interested in the book, so we read it soon after it reached us…and then realized it was part 1 of a trilogy! So, we checked all the online libraries we have access to, and found the sequel, Mister Max: The Book of Secrets.

Publisher’s description:

In Mister Max: The Book of Lost Things, Max Starling proved that he is more than a detective, he’s a Solutioneer. His reputation for problem-solving has been spreading—and now even the mayor wants his help.

Someone is breaking windows and setting fires in the old city, but the shopkeepers won’t say a word about the culprits. Why are they keeping these thugs’ secrets?

When the mayor begs for help, Max agrees to take the case, putting himself in grave danger. It’s a race to catch up with the vandals before they catch him.

Meanwhile, Max is protecting secrets of his own. His parents are still missing, and the cryptic messages he gets from them make it clear—it’s going to be up to Max to rescue them.

My thoughts:

We enjoyed the second book about as much as the first one. Max is a clear thinker, and ready to help anyone who requests assistance. These requests range from a child needing his father’s attention, to a man wondering what his son is up to, to the mayor trying to get to the bottom of the vandalism in the old city. Solving these problems requires ingenuity, a lot of thought, and careful attention to costumes so that he can continue to live on his own without being investigated. Would he be able to get to the bottom of each mystery? Meanwhile, his own mystery is becoming ever more bothersome. How can he find his parents?

The Book of Secrets is a wonderful story about family, friendship—and spying! Max did all he could on his own, but often he needed help from others, and ended up with some very close friendships in the process. I especially enjoyed the brainstorming scene near the end of the book!

We really enjoyed this book, and would already be reading book three except that I like to have a break between books in a series when I am reading them aloud. One of my sons has made it clear that he will be choosing The Book of Kings as soon as we have an opening for another book!

WARNING: Chapter 15: Boy forced to walk at knife-point. Chapter 16: Boy knocked unconscious, someone says, “Stupid git.” Chapter 18: Remembering the knife. Chapter 19: Puddle of blood on the floor.

Age levels:

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

Links to buy this book:

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

Through Each Tomorrow

November 5, 2025 by Esther Filbrun · Leave a Comment

5 Nov

Title: Through Each Tomorrow
Author: Gabrielle Meyer
Series: Timeless, book 6
Major Themes: Queen Elizabeth I, Gilded Age, Historical Romance, Time-Crossing
Synopsis: Balancing the needs of his family as a poor horse farmer in 1883, and court politics under Queen Elizabeth in 1563, Charles and his sister Cecily face life-altering decisions and hopeless odds, both financially and for their futures.

I’ve loved the Timeless series for several years now, ever since the first book in the series grabbed my attention, didn’t let me go until the very end, and made me want to talk the ears off of anyone around who was willing to let me blather about this book I couldn’t get enough of. I’ve enjoyed each subsequent story, too, although none have quite grabbed my attention as much as that first one. When I saw Through Each Tomorrow was finally on its way to publication, I immediately asked for a review copy and started reading as soon as I could.

Publisher’s description:

Two siblings. One fate. A web of secrets that could ensnare them in an inescapable destiny.

In 1883, Charles is a poor farmer desperate to secure financial stability for his mother and sister, as he is unsure which of his time-crossing paths he will choose on his twenty-fifth birthday. Posing as the Earl of Norfolk, he enters the opulent circles of Newport’s elite to assist a fellow time-crossing friend, Drew. But suspicions of his identity arise among the upper crust, and his encounters with Drew’s intriguing sister further complicate decisions that could impact a lifetime.

In 1563, Lady Cecily serves Queen Elizabeth while clinging to the hope that her stepbrother Charles will remain with her in this path. As the true Earl of Norfolk, Charles is deeply entangled in the deadly politics of the court. When he brings Drew, a physician in training, to Windsor Castle to help save the ailing monarch, old feelings for Drew rekindle in Cecily’s heart, but her love faces impossible odds under the strict rules of the crown. As their futures hang by a thread, Charles and Cecily race to prevent their web of secrets from unraveling and ensnaring them in an inescapable destiny.

My thoughts:

In my opinion, this wasn’t one of the stronger books in the series. There was still much to enjoy, but I never felt quite connected to the characters. Thankfully, the plot—and several twists, especially one, in particular!—kept me moving through the story. I had a good idea of how things would turn out from early on in the book, but there was just enough mystery of how it would happen that I kept turning pages, wondering what would be revealed or happen next.

One of my favorite parts of this book is the bit of English history we get in this story. I realized, fairly early on, that I didn’t remember as much about Elizabeth I as I thought I did, which made me go do more research about this dynamic woman who has left quite an impression on history! I love it when fiction piques my interest in nonfiction—that’s always a good sign!

It was also a lot of fun to trace all the characters from the other books in this story. In some ways, this was a bit of a tie-together of the whole series, which was great!

Through Each Tomorrow was a light, easy read, and another fun twist on the time-crossing theme of the series. If you enjoy historical romance from authors like Elizabeth Camden, A.M. Heath, or Roseanna M. White, I expect you would love this story and the previous five books in the series. I found the romance to be a bit more of a focus in this book than I generally prefer (not necessarily inappropriate, just talked about a lot), but that’s definitely a personal preference thing. Overall, this was an enjoyable read, and I’m looking forward to book seven whenever that comes out!

I was given a complimentary copy of this book, and this is my honest opinion of it.

WARNING: There is lying throughout the book as people pretend to be someone they aren’t. Unmarried characters touch, hug, or kiss occasionally (sometimes described in a paragraph or two); there’s quite a bit of physical affection here. Chapter 4: Gee whillikens. Chapter 19: Baby born out of wedlock. Chapter 20: Unmarried couple forced to spend the night together (nothing wrong happens, even though they are attracted to each other). Chapter 21: Woman asks to have a real/full marriage with her husband, not just in name only. Chapter 22: Woman tells of being a man’s mistress. Chapter 24: Talking about how a man kept mistresses. Chapter 26: Heaven knows, good heavens.

Age levels:

Reading Independently—Ages 15 and Above, Adults

Links to buy this book:

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

What Louis Brandeis Knows

November 3, 2025 by Emma Filbrun · Leave a Comment

3 Nov

Title: What Louis Brandeis Knows
Author: Richard Michelson
Major Themes: Louis Brandeis, United States Supreme Court, Lawyers, Jews
Synopsis: Louis Brandeis spent his life fighting against discrimination, and eventually became the first Jewish man to serve on the United States Supreme Court.

It’s been a while since I have read a picture book biography to my little girls. However, I found one available for review not long ago, and read What Louis Brandeis Knows to them tonight. My youngest was very excited to hear a new story.

Publisher’s description:

Louis Brandeis knows it’s up to him to change the world. He has seen how some people are treated poorly because of their race or their religion or because they are poor. If I were a lawyer like Uncle Dembitz, he thinks, I could fight for those who need extra help. Guided by his uncle’s example, his father’s practical wisdom, and Jewish values of equality and justice, Brandeis gets to work as a lawyer, making sure everyone has a chance. Louis knows it’s important to fight for worker’s rights and women’s rights. Louis knows (before most people!) that everyone has the right to privacy. And Louis knows it’s important to support arguments with facts.

What Louis doesn’t know is that he’ll become the first Jewish Supreme Court Justice in 1916, and his fight for justice will only continue.

My thoughts:

I found What Louis Brandeis Knows very interesting. I had never heard of him before. He certainly had an eventful childhood, moving from Europe to the United States and back again, then returning to the United States. I liked the refrain that ran through the book, “Any fool knows…that friends and music and bathing in a river are more important than money and property” (to give one example). Louis constantly stood up for himself against injustice.

Unusual for a picture book, this one is written in the present tense.

Though Louis’s family was Jewish, they were not observant Jews. The fact that he was Jewish didn’t seem to mean too much to Louis, other than the fact that he was discriminated against frequently.

I found the illustrations quite interesting. They aren’t the very detailed, beautiful paintings that I really like, but they do well at conveying the story. They are slightly stylized and a little blocky.

What Louis Brandeis Knows is a good addition to any collection of picture book biographies. As usual, I appreciated the historical information at the end. I learned quite a lot there!

I received a complimentary copy of this book from NetGalley, and these are my honest thoughts about it.

No warnings!

Age levels:

Listening Level—Ages 5 – 8, 8 – 12
Reading Independently—Ages 8 – 12

Links to buy this book:

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