IgniteLit - Igniting a love for literature

The Trouble Begins at 8

March 6, 2026 by Esther Filbrun · Leave a Comment

6 Mar

Title: The Trouble Begins at 8
Author: Sid Fleischman
Major Themes: Mark Twain, Writers, Biographies, Literature, Wild West
Synopsis: A biography of Mark Twain’s life, from his childhood as the son of a down-and-out wannabe business man, through to his rise in popularity as one of America’s great authors.

Several months ago, I listened to Sid Fleischman’s biography of Houdini, Escape!. That was a fascinating book, and I knew that I wanted to try some of Fleischman’s other biographies at some stage. When one of my brothers borrowed the audiobook of The Trouble Begins at 8, I took advantage of having it available and listened to it, too. This is another great Fleischman book. Although I don’t always enjoy the language he uses sometimes, I appreciate his writing style and the way he draws us into his characters’ lives, whether they are real people from history or completely made up.

Publisher’s description:

“Mark Twain was born fully grown, with a cheap cigar clamped between his teeth.” So begins Sid Fleischman’s ramble-scramble biography of the great American author and wit, who started life in a Missouri village as a barefoot boy named Samuel Clemens.

Abandoning a career as a young steamboat pilot on the Mississippi River, Sam took a bumpy stagecoach to the Far West. In the gold and silver fields, he expected to get rich quick. Instead, he got poor fast, digging in the wrong places. His stint as a sagebrush newspaperman led to a duel with pistols. Had he not survived, the world would never have heard of Tom Sawyer or Huckleberry Finn—or red-headed Mark Twain.

Samuel Clemens adopted his pen name in a hotel room in San Francisco and promptly made a jumping frog (and himself) famous. His celebrated novels followed at a leisurely pace; his quips at jet speed. “Don’t let schooling interfere with your education,” he wrote.

Here, in high style, is the story of a wisecracking adventurer who came of age in the untamed West; an ink-stained rebel who surprised himself by becoming the most famous American of his time. Bountifully illustrated.

My thoughts:

As soon as I got into The Trouble Begins at 8, I realized that I knew a lot less about Samuel Clemens than I thought I did. Hearing about his growing-up years—and the way he eventually became an author—was fascinating, not to mention rather humorous at times! I was surprised by how often he faced poverty, and things like his terribly long journey with his brother were fascinating to hear about—especially considering some of the journeys he sent his characters on later in life!

If you’re looking for an interesting, well-written biography about this well-known author of classic literature, I’d recommend you check out this book. I’m glad I took the time to read it, if nothing else but to get a slightly different perspective on the likes of Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn. It’s also a fascinating peek into what the “wild” west looked like during Samuel Clemens/Mark Twain’s lifetime—so from a historical perspective, this book is worth reading right there! I enjoyed this biography, and I’m looking forward to checking out other biographies by Sid Fleischman if I get the chance.

WARNING: Chapter 3: Stealing, boy sees a dead body. Chapter 5: Confounded, so help me Moses. Chapter 7: Going to a fortune teller. Chapter 13: Lying. Chapter 16: Confound it. Chapter 19: You shameless ass, man watches girls bathing. Chapter 21: By George. Chapter 23: God knows where. Afterstory: Confounded, I’ve been…an ass.

Age levels:

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

Links to buy this book:

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

The Lost Memoirs of Jane Austen

March 4, 2026 by Esther Filbrun · Leave a Comment

4 Mar

Title: The Lost Memoirs of Jane Austen
Author: Syrie James
Major Themes: Historical Fiction, Writers, Jane Austen
Synopsis: Jane Austen may be one of the best-known female authors in classic literature, but not all of her life’s secrets, including the inspiration behind her beloved stories, were known…until now.

Near the end of 2024, I came across a Jane Austen read-along that immediately intrigued me. I’ve been wanting to get through my collection of Austen’s books for years, but never quite took the time. This one looked doable—and fun! The book for January was The Lost Memoirs of Jane Austen, and I was delighted to find an audio version of the book, which I was able to listen to at work. I ended up reading the book in one day—it was a delightful story, grabbing my attention and not letting go, even after I got home from work!

Publisher’s description:

Many rumors abound about a mysterious gentleman said to be the love of Jane’s life—finally, the truth may have been found.…

What if, hidden in an old attic chest, Jane Austen’s memoirs were discovered after hundreds of years? What if those pages revealed the untold story of a life-changing love affair? That’s the premise behind this spellbinding novel, which delves into the secrets of Jane Austen’s life, giving us untold insights into her mind and heart.

Jane Austen has given up her writing when, on a fateful trip to Lyme, she meets the well-read and charming Mr. Ashford, a man who is her equal in intellect and temperament. Inspired by the people and places around her, and encouraged by his faith in her, Jane begins revising Sense and Sensibility, a book she began years earlier, hoping to be published at last.

Deft and witty, written in a style that echoes Austen’s own, this unforgettable novel offers a delightfully possible scenario for the inspiration behind this beloved author’s romantic tales. It’s a remarkable book, irresistible to anyone who loves Jane Austen—and to anyone who loves a great story.

My thoughts:

I’ve only physically read Pride and Prejudice so far in my Jane Austen repertoire. I’m pretty sure I listened to most of them years ago, but for some reason (probably because I was sewing at the time and didn’t catch everything that was being said above the hum of the machine), I didn’t get a whole lot out of them. Still, I’ve watched movies and TV adaptations of several of the books, and have fallen in love with the storylines. So when it came to The Lost Memoirs of Jane Austen, I was curious what I’d think of this book. I wouldn’t say I’m overly familiar with Austen’s works or writing style, but I’m familiar enough that when I got into this one, it immediately felt like I had come home.

Syrie James is a great author. She sucked me in within the first few pages, and I found myself rooting for Jane Austen in a way that I didn’t expect. I believe a lot of the basic historical information in this book is based on real events, and the way it was shared here made it unforgettable.

My favorite part of the book—by far!—was the way Syrie James managed to incorporate parts of nearly all of Austen’s novels into the plot in one way or another…but in such a way that they didn’t feel like they were shouting, “Hey! I came from the _____ book!” As I said before, I don’t know all of Jane Austen’s novels very well—I’m the most familiar with Pride and Prejudice, Sense and Sensibility, and Persuasion—but I found places in this book where inspiration was pulled from those three books. At multiple points, James seemed to be asking, “What kind of real-life experience could have inspired the major plot twists in these stories?”—and then included that in the narrative of Jane Austen’s life. It was brilliant, it was fun, and as an aspiring author myself, I loved seeing how real life could have been pulled into Austen’s fiction writing.

The Lost Memoirs of Jane Austen was a delightful, fast-paced, engaging read. I believe any Jane Austen fan would enjoy this book, even if only because this story is full of nods to Austen’s beloved characters. It’s also good fiction in its own right! I did have to laugh at myself when I finished the story—the ending felt so realistic to me that I had to do a Google search to make sure that it was actually fiction, not really a memoir as the introduction and afterward claimed to be. I feel like that should have been obvious, but Syrie James did a great job making me wonder for a while, anyway. If you love realistic regency fiction, or have ever enjoyed one of Jane Austen’s books (or even just an adaptation of one of her works!), I’d highly recommend you check this book out. It’s a fun one!

WARNING: I may not have gotten all the language, since I listened to the audiobook. Here are the notes I took: Chapter 5: What in God’s name. Chapter 8: I’ll be dashed. Chapter 17: Good God. Chapter 18: Lying. Chapter 23: Several kisses. Chapter 24: Palm reading, a kiss. Chapter 25: A kiss. Chapter 26: A kiss.

Age levels:

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

National Geographic Book of Nature Poetry

March 2, 2026 by Esther Filbrun · Leave a Comment

2 Mar

National Geographic Book of Nature Poetry cover

Title: National Geographic Book of Nature Poetry
Edited by: J. Patrick Lewis
Major Themes: Poetry, Nature
Synopsis: A beautiful collection of nature poetry, interspersed with vivid, full-page photography.

My sisters and I enjoy reading poetry together on some evenings, and one of the books we recently finished was the National Geographic Book of Nature Poetry. We read their book about animal poetry about a year ago, and loved that—the stunning pictures, combined with endearing and thoughtfully selected poems, made for a delightful reading experience. I didn’t appreciate all of the poems in that book; a few touched on topics I don’t agree with, but overall, I really appreciated that collection.

When it came to this book, we excitedly dove into it, expecting more great poetry. Unfortunately, that was not to be.

Publisher’s description:

When words in verse are paired with the awesomeness of nature, something magical happens! Beloved former U.S. Poet Laureate J. Patrick Lewis curates an exuberant poetic celebration of the natural world in this stellar collection of nature poems. From trickling streams to deafening thunderstorms to soaring mountains, discover majestic photography perfectly paired with contemporary (such as Billy Collins), classics (such as Robert Frost), and never-before-published works.

My thoughts:

One of the biggest things I enjoyed about this book—and the same thing I loved about the Animals book—was the photography. These pages brim with vivid color and life, drawing you into the action alongside the poetry. I love these pictures. They aren’t stylized in any way; they’re nature at its fullest and best, and that was delightful to me. I also love that there are notes with every picture, telling you what you’re looking at—and inviting further exploration into the topic, if you are so inclined.

Not everything was all hunky-dory, however. I don’t remember when I first started noticing it, but soon after we started the National Geographic Book of Nature Poetry, I realized that some of the poems had a weird mystical/spiritual element to them. It was subtle, and not in every poem, but there was enough that it started to almost feel like a pattern. As can be expected with the topic, there were semi-frequent allusions to evolution; since it was expected, that didn’t bother me much. But when you get into spiritualism other than worshipping, praising, and glorifying God for what He’s made, I struggle with that.

On the flip side, one thing I loved about this book was the way it introduced me to several places in the world that I never knew about before: The Great Blue Hole and Catatumbo Lightning, to name two of them. One of my sisters and I found those mentions so interesting that we took the time to look them up on YouTube after reading poems about those places. Another one that gripped my youngest sister’s imagination was the Christmas Island crabs—we enjoyed watching a couple of videos after reading about them, too.

Overall, while I wanted to love the National Geographic Book of Nature Poetry, and there were certainly several very lovable/educational elements, I came away from the book disappointed. Unfortunately, I don’t think this book will stay on our shelves, but I am thankful for the poems my sisters and I did get to enjoy together in this collection.

WARNING: Throughout the book, there are some allusions to evolution. Some of the poems also carry an element of mysticism in them, and many, many mentions of Mother Nature. Page 5: “Travel by photograph or on foot, but go quickly before nature disappears.” (While I agree that it’s sad that things are disappearing from the world, I didn’t like the implication that people are to blame when sin is the root issue.) Page 10: “I stand in good relation to the gods.” Page 35: And said that he’d kill and kill. Page 103: “Leaves browse on the sun like gods.” Page 123: A poem about global warming. Page 128: “The weather gods.” Page 145: Poem praising nature and ends with pledging allegiance to a place, “one ecosystem in diversity.” Page 152: Allusion to evolution. Page 155: “The gods conspire to produce.…” Page 157: Mention of millions of years. Page 159: “Men call me [Mount Everest] ‘Holy’ .” Page 162: Millions of years. Page 163: “All is one and one is all.” Page 167: Talking about Ayers Rock in a mystical sense. Page 175: Evolution. Page 177: Old Indian prayer. Page 180: “Who is Mother Nature?” (article about “her”).

Age levels:

Listening Level—Ages 3 – 4, 5 – 8, Family Friendly
Reading Independently—Ages 8 – 12, 10 – 12, 12 – 15

Links to buy this book:

Amazon: Hardcover
AbeBooks: View Choices on AbeBooks.com

The Saturdays

February 27, 2026 by Esther Filbrun · Leave a Comment

27 Feb

Title: The Saturdays
Author: Elizabeth Enright
Series: Melendy Quartet, book 1
Major Themes: Family, Adventures
Synopsis: When the Melendy children decide they want more chances at bigger outings, they form a family club, pooling their allowances to give each person a chance at a special day out tailored just to their liking.

While visiting my aunt recently, she offered that I could take whatever books I wanted from her shelf—her children weren’t interested in reading them. When I saw The Saturdays, I knew I wanted to get it; Enright was one of my favorite authors as an early reader. I’m so glad I got it and took the time to read it soon after; this became a new beloved middle-grade book! While I doubt this will ever quite make it up to the same level as the Gone-Away Lake series (simply because that was my first love of Enright’s works), I loved reading this book, and am looking forward to sharing it with my siblings sometime in the future.

Publisher’s description:

Meet the Melendys! The four Melendy children live with their father and Cuffy, their beloved housekeeper, in a worn but comfortable brownstone in New York City. There’s thirteen-year-old Mona, who has decided to become an actress; twelve-year-old mischievous Rush; ten-and-a-half-year-old Randy, who loves to dance and paint; and thoughtful Oliver, who is just six.

Tired of wasting Saturdays doing nothing but wishing for larger allowances, the four Melendys jump at Randy’s idea to start the Independent Saturday Afternoon Adventure Club (I.S.A.A.C.). If they pool their resources and take turns spending the whole amount, they can each have at least one memorable Saturday afternoon of their own. Before long, I.S.A.A.C. is in operation and every Saturday is definitely one to remember.

Written more than half a century ago, The Saturdays unfolds with all the ripe details of a specific place and period but remains, just the same, a winning, timeless tale. The Saturdays is the first installment of Enright’s Melendy Quartet, an engaging and warm series about the close-knit Melendy family and their surprising adventures.

My thoughts:

Although this book is a middle-grade novel, I couldn’t help but be impressed by the breadth and depth of the story. This book was first published in 1941, and you can feel that in these pages. The four children are between the ages of 6–13, and everyone except the 6-year-old is allowed to go out into New York City on their own. These days, there’s no way a parent would ever allow that—but back then, it was (presumably) safe. I was also impressed by the language in this book; it might not be as complicated as some other books I could think of that were written about the same time, but it has all the refinement and depth of expression I’ve come to love in older novels that you (generally) don’t find in today’s works.

If I had to classify this book, I’d say it’s an at-home adventure story. These children are given a lot of freedom to choose what and how they are going to spend their time, and all artistic and creative pursuits are encouraged. Although this book focuses on their Saturday excursions—and adventures therein—I loved how each one showcased the individual characters, both in a positive light and sometimes not so positively. By the end of the book, these children felt real to me—I loved that!

If you’re looking for a children’s book that isn’t just meaningless drivel, I’d recommend you check out The Saturdays. The children aren’t always obedient, but they learn from their mistakes and do their best to respect the wishes of their elders. And as I mentioned, they have the most delightful, fairly realistic adventures! One thing I particularly loved was the way the children were able to have conversations with people from all walks of life—and along the way, learned new perspectives on the world. This was a delightful read for me, and I’m looking forward to continuing the series shortly!

WARNING: Chapter 1: My heavens, for heaven’s sake, gee, gee whiz. Chapter 2: Swear on your sacred word of honor, gee whiz, darn it, heaven forbid, girl disobeys her father, girl goes to a fortune teller, girl kidnapped, good Lord! Chapter 3: Gee (four times), you’d swear, for Pete’s sake, gee whiz. Chapter 4: Thank Heaven, goodness, darn (twice), gee (twice), goodness knows (twice), thank goodness, girl does something she’s pretty sure her father wouldn’t like, Good night! Why, Jiminy Crickets! Why, gee whiz!, jeepers, good Lord, what in heaven’s name. Chapter 6: I swear, gee whiz, giving us both the dickens, doggone it, doggone me for a dang old fool, people almost die, dang old fool, what in the name of heaven, gee whiz. Chapter 7: What in heaven’s name, oh my lands, gee, my gosh, thank goodness, a house fire. Chapter 8: Gee whiz, gee.

Age levels:

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

Links to buy this book:

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

The Last Battle

February 25, 2026 by Esther Filbrun · Leave a Comment

25 Feb

Title: The Last Battle
Author: C.S. Lewis
Series: The Chronicles of Narnia, book 7
Major Themes: Allegories, Fantasy, Adventure
Synopsis: Twilight falls on Narnia’s last days as a final battle is fought against the deceit and treachery that threatens to destroy all the good in the country.

My family and I have slowly been working through The Chronicles of Narnia over the last year and a half or so. While quite a few people in my family listened to the audiobook at one stage or another, I never got around to doing that—so reading it aloud to everyone meant that not only did we get to enjoy experiencing the stories together as a family, but I also was finally able to get through the books myself! We just finished The Last Battle not long ago, and I am both thrilled and sad that we got through this last book in the series. It’s been a fun journey, and I’m sad to have reached the end of all the discoveries that are to be made in Narnia. This was a good wrap-up to the series; although it’s a very sad story in some ways, it also had more hope than I anticipated, and I enjoyed that.

Publisher’s description:

During the last days of Narnia, the land faces its fiercest challenge—not an invader from without but an enemy from within. Lies and treachery have taken root, and only the king and a small band of loyal followers can prevent the destruction of all they hold dear in this, the magnificent ending to The Chronicles of Narnia.

My thoughts:

To be honest, I didn’t enjoy the start of this story. It took a while for me to catch on to the allegorical significance of the narrative, and the book overall just felt a bit dark and dismal to me. At the same time, I was curious about how the people from “our world” would come into the book, and there’s the mystery of how Narnia would be rescued from the fake Aslan that kept me moving through the book.

As the story progresses, you get to see a bit of Lewis’ genius coming through. Despite having some rather unlikable characters, he’s able to share truths about human nature and our relationship with the Lord that you just don’t see everywhere. Writing about end times has got to be tough for any author, but the way he made this interesting, relatable, and applicable to any time was fascinating to study.

Overall, I can’t say that The Last Battle was my favorite in The Chronicles of Narnia lineup. I don’t particularly enjoy reading about war and people being hurt or frightened, but I loved how Lewis brought the hope of heaven into the story, and the way he brought back old characters from other books was a lot of fun. In some ways, this book feels even heavier on the allegorical side than many of the other books in the series. I came away from the story with a lot of food for thought, and an interest in investigating some of Lewis’ other works—we’ll see when that happens! If you have read the other Narnia books, I’d highly recommend you finish out the series with this one. Despite having a different tone than most of the other stories in the series, I believe it’s an important work that deserves to be read and appreciated.

WARNING: Chapter 2: By the Mane of Aslan, Dryad killed, several men killed. Chapter 3: The great god Tash (this god is mentioned multiple times through the rest of the story), my word, mention of human sacrifice, you lie damnably, man hurt. Chapter 5: Gosh (twice), by the Lion’s Mane, goodness-knows-what. Chapter 6: Planning a lie, by the Mane, man’s life threatened, thank heaven, where the devil, great Scott, I’m jiggered, by the Lion. Chapter 7: By the great god Tash, a fight with men killed, it’s all a blooming plant, you must think we’re blooming soft, by heaven, by the Lion. Chapter 8: I dare swear. Chapter 9: For goodness’ sake, gosh, I’ll be sworn. Chapter 10: I swear it, by the Lion’s Mane, man killed. Chapter 11: A battle with men and many animals killed. Chapter 12: The great god Tash, another battle with men and animals killed. Chapter 13: Darn, heaven knows. Chapter 15: By the Gods, Aslan says, “All the service thou hast done to Tash, I account as service done to me.” Chapter 16: By Jove.

Age levels:

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

Links to buy this book:

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