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Abuelita and I Make Flan

August 10, 2022 by Emma Filbrun · Leave a Comment

10 Aug

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Abuelita and I Make Flan by Adriana Hernández Bergstrom

Title: Abuelita and I Make Flan
Author: Adriana Hernández Bergstrom
Major Themes: Cuba, Grandparents, Cooking
Synopsis: When Anita is going to help her grandmother make flan, she makes a mistake and breaks something precious—will Abuelita still love her?

I love finding beautiful picture books that my little girls enjoy. Both of them, ages seven and two, love Abuelita and I Make Flan. The pictures are beautiful, the story is delightful, and there is a delicious recipe at the end.

Anita is excited about today. She is going to help her grandmother, her Abuelita, make a flan for Abuelo‘s birthday. Of course, they will flip it out onto the special plate that Abuelita brought from Cuba many, many years ago. However, Anita makes a big mistake. If she confesses what she did, will Abuelita still love her? All the time that they make the flan, she worries. How can she find the courage to confess what she did?

Abuelita and I Make Flan is a delightful glimpse into the life of a Cuban family. It is a beautiful story about love and forgiveness. I also like the way this book introduces a food that most children don’t know about. The beautiful, colorful pictures add to the attraction of this book.

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

No warnings!

Age levels:

Read Aloud—Ages 3 – 4, 5 – 8
Reading Independently—Ages  7 – 9

Links to buy this book:

Amazon: Kindle | Hardcover
AbeBooks: View Choices on AbeBooks.com
Book Depository: Hardcover

Keywords: Adriana Hernández Bergstrom · Books for Girls · Central America · Cooking · Cuba · Grandparents · Picture Books

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Shackled

August 8, 2022 by Emma Filbrun · Leave a Comment

8 Aug

This post contains affiliate links. Thank you for your support!

Shackled by Mariam Ibraheem

Title: Shackled
Author: Mariam Ibraheem
Major Themes: Sudan, Ethiopia, Refugees, Islam, Muslims, Persecution
Synopsis: Arrested and sentenced to death because she would not deny Christianity, Mariam endured imprisonment and childbirth in shackles.

I was a bit hesitant about signing up for Shackled. I could tell by reading the synopsis that it would be a challenging read. I do not enjoy reading about people being abused, and people hurting each other. At the same time though, it sounded like it would be an encouraging story about showing how God’s truth and love triumph over evil. I was right on both counts.

Mariam was born in a refugee camp in Sudan. Her mother was an Ethiopian Christian refugee, and her father was a Sudanese Muslim. Because her father was Muslim, and they lived in a Muslim country, she was automatically Muslim. She saw her mother’s faith and love, however, and knew that that was what she wanted. All her life Mariam struggled to live as a Christian in a Muslim culture.

The struggle between Christ and Islam came to a head in Mariam’s life in a year or two after she married a South Sudanese Christian man. She was arrested and taken to prison along with her baby, where she was soon put in chains. Though she was sentenced to death, she was allowed to live until her unborn baby was two years old. That meant that she gave birth in the prison still shackled in chains.

What a story. There are two things that really stood out to me in this book. One, of course, was the physical abuse. Being circumcised as a young girl, the horrible things her father did to her mother before leaving the family when Mariam was only six, the way she was treated in prison, and the abuse she suffered while giving birth. On the other side was the contrast she felt between Islam and Christianity. Though Muslims claimed to have a religion of mercy, she only felt love while with Christians. That love was so real to her that she never considered denying Jesus. I was also touched by her experiences with Jesus while in prison. This is an absolutely amazing story of a courageous woman, who stood up against all odds to maintain her faith in Jesus and protect her children. If you’ve ever been even a little bit curious about the difference between Christianity and Islam, read Shackled. Mariam lived with that contrast.

There is so much more I could say about this book. It has left quite an impression on me. All I can say, though, is read it for yourself. Don’t miss this one. Your faith will be challenged and strengthened. A quote that stood out to me, to wrap up this review:

“The friends of Sudanese suffer as much as their enemies because hate cannot be confined to one person or one people group. Once it is allowed to live, fester and grow, it lashes out at everyone and everything.”

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

WARNING: Mariam’s father’s abuse of his wife in chapter 6. A vivid description of female circumcision in chapter 8. Physical abuse in chapter 47. There is more; these are the ones that were hardest to read about.

Age levels:

Reading Independently—Adults

Links to buy this book:

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

Keywords: 21st Century · Africa · Books for Women · Christian Non-Fiction · Ethiopia · Islam · Mariam Ibraheem · Memoirs · Muslims · Persecution · Refugees · Sudan

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Caddie Woodlawn’s Family

August 5, 2022 by Emma Filbrun · Leave a Comment

5 Aug

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Caddie Woodlawn's Family by Carol Ryrie Brink

Title: Caddie Woodlawn’s Family (originally titled Magical Melons)
Author: Carol Ryrie Brink
Sequel to: Caddie Woodlawn
Major Themes: Wisconsin, Pioneer Life, Farm Life, Family Life
Synopsis: This sequel to Caddie Woodlawn tells more stories about the Woodlawn family and their neighbors.

A couple of months ago, someone remembered the book Caddie Woodlawn. It had been several years since we had read it, and she figured the younger children should hear it. After we read Caddie, we located a copy of the sequel, Caddie Woodlawn’s Family, in an online library. I read it aloud to the family one time, but it was so long ago no one remembered it. I’m thinking it had to have been at least 15 years ago. So, we read it and enjoyed it as much as we did the first book.

Caddie Woodlawn’s Family is not one continuous story, the way Caddie Woodlawn is. Instead, it is a series of independent stories about the Woodlawn family and their neighbors. The first story in the book is the one that the original title, Magical Melons, comes from. When one of the Woodlawn boys found melons hidden in the hay in the hayloft, there was only one possible explanation the children could think of – but was it correct? Another story tells how Caddie got a pet, and then one of her brothers got a pet, too—after the little girls rescued a rooster for their pet. Then there is the hilarious story about the cattail fight!

Some stories are very touching. The circuit rider had a beautiful story about God providing food for his family when they didn’t have any, and then Warren, Caddie’s brother, took that to heart and had an amazing experience of his own. Then there was Hetty and her friendship with a neighbor lady, which was also very touching. And, don’t forget the story about cousin Lucy and the candle in the night. That was very funny!

These stories are all based on memories that Caddie shared with her granddaughter, Carol Ryrie Brink, the author. All of them are based on Caddie’s childhood and give a delightful picture of life on the frontier in Wisconsin in the 1860s. If you can find a copy of Caddie Woodlawn’s Family don’t miss it! You will enjoy reading it, especially if you enjoy the Little House books, Caddie Woodlawn, or the Grandmas Attic books.

WARNING: Chapter 5: divil a bit. I noticed golly five times throughout the book, but I didn’t get notes taken of each location. Chapter 14: divil take the contest.

Age levels:

Read Aloud—Ages 5 – 8, 8 – 12, 10 – 13, Family Read Alouds
Reading Independently—Ages 7 – 9, 8 – 12

Links to buy this book:

Amazon: Paperback | Kindle | Library Binding
AbeBooks: View Choices on AbeBooks.com
Book Depository: Paperback

Keywords: Books for Boys · Books for Girls · Carol Ryrie Brink · Family Life · Family Read-Alouds · Farm Life · Historical Fiction · North America · Pioneer Life · US History · US History 1865-1900 · Wisconsin

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How Science Saved the Eiffel Tower

August 3, 2022 by Emma Filbrun · Leave a Comment

3 Aug

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How Science Saved the Eiffel Tower by Emma Bland Smith

Title: How Science Saved the Eiffel Tower
Author: Emma Bland Smith
Major Themes: Eiffel Tower, Paris, France, Gustave Eiffel, Architecture, Science
Synopsis: After the Eiffel Tower was built, it was scheduled to be demolished after 20 years—unless its builder could come up with a reason to keep it standing!

I love picture book biographies. They usually tell a story we’ve never heard before, or introduce us to a person we’ve hardly heard of. For example, did you know that the Eiffel Tower was never meant to be a permanent fixture in Paris? I read How Science Saved the Eiffel Tower to my seven-year-old yesterday, and noticed that my husband was listening in. He seemed to enjoy the story as much as my daughter. Earlier in the day, one of my upper teenage sons noticed the book, and he wanted to read it, too. I would say that this is a book that appeals to all ages!

The Eiffel Tower was built in the 1880s as the entry to the 1889 world’s fair. The government of France told Gustave Eiffel, the creator, that they would allow the tower to stand for 20 years. Parisians were relieved at that, because they did not like the way the tower looked. It was too modern! Mr. Eiffel was determined to keep it standing. But what could he do?

Gustave Eiffel tried many different tactics to keep his tower standing. He realized he had to make it important to the people of France, especially to the government of France, or there was no hope. So, he tried making it a weather station. He used it for experiments with air resistance. But what could he do to finally convince everyone that the tower should stay?

Emma Bland Smith has created a great story to describe the Eiffel Tower. How Science Saved the Eiffel Tower is so well written, it’s really fun to read aloud. The one thing I would probably have changed about it would be to add pronunciations, either at the beginning or end of the book, for the French words sprinkled throughout the story. There is a list of meanings of those words, but no pronunciations. However, that did not detract from the story too much. Those words helped to make it fun to read the story. The pictures are beautiful, and paired with the engaging text, this book is a great one.

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

No warnings!

Age levels:

Read Aloud—Ages 3 – 4, 5 – 8
Reading Independently—Ages  7 – 9, 8 – 12

Links to buy this book:

Amazon: Kindle | Hardcover
AbeBooks: View Choices on AbeBooks.com
Book Depository: Hardcover

Keywords: 19th Century · Architecture · Biographies · Eiffel Tower · Emma Bland Smith · Europe · France · Gustave Eiffel · Paris · Picture Book Biography · Picture Books · Science

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Book Uncle and Me

August 1, 2022 by Emma Filbrun · Leave a Comment

1 Aug

This post contains affiliate links. Thank you for your support!

Book Uncle and Me by Uma Krishnaswami

Title: Book Uncle and Me
Author: Uma Krishnaswami
Major Themes: India, Libraries, Elections
Synopsis: Yasmin loved to read, but Book Uncle’s stand, where she borrowed a book every day, was shut down—what could she do to rectify the situation?

When I first saw Book Uncle and Me by Uma Krishnaswami I certainly didn’t know what to expect. It was quite a surprise to find this book was set in India. I ended up liking the book pretty well, and so did the children I read it to. This book features a library and a spunky girl who loves to read. I’ve always loved books and libraries, so this was a winner!

Yasmin tells her story in first person. She decided, when she was eight years old, that she was going to read a book every single day, forever. She had a good supply of books just down the street, where Book Uncle had set up a little lending library. He had two mottoes. The one posted on his little stand was Books free. Give one. Take one. Read – read – read. The motto he lived by was “Right book for the right person for the right day.” He always chose just the right book for Yazmin. Today though she could not figure out why he handed her a little children’s book. What was she supposed to learn from it?

After reading the story about doves caught in a net and how they got free, Yazmin couldn’t stop thinking about the book. What did it mean for her? Then, Book Uncle’s stand was shut down. He was told that he had to pay for an expensive permit or not offer books to people. What a catastrophe! What would Yazmin do without books? How could she help him get permission to distribute books? She and her classmates learn how an election can work to bring about change. But, they’re just children. What can they possibly do? They can’t even vote.

Book Uncle and Me is a great story about determination and the power of people banding together and talking about the truth and what needs to happen. It is also a story about a person being brave enough to do what needs to be done, even though it was out of her comfort zone and she had never done it before.

No warnings!

Age levels:

Read Aloud—Ages 5 – 8
Reading Independently—Ages 7 – 9, 8 – 12

Links to buy this book:

Amazon: Paperback | Hardcover
AbeBooks: View Choices on AbeBooks.com
Book Depository: Paperback

Keywords: 21st Century · Asia · Elections · Historical Fiction · India · Libraries · Uma Krishnaswami

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