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Black Boots and Buttonhooks

February 16, 2026 by Emma Filbrun · Leave a Comment

16 Feb

Title: Black Boots and Buttonhooks
Author: Phyllis Johnston
Series: The May series, book 2
Major Themes: New Zealand, Pioneers, Farm Life
Synopsis: When May’s father and brothers had a hut built on their new farm, May and her mother moved to the remote location to be with them.

Six or eight years ago, I read Black Boots and Buttonhooks to my children, after spotting it on a friend’s bookshelf. We had already read the first May book a few years earlier. Last year, I had the opportunity to buy the first three books in the series, and a few minutes later, I found the fifth book just after a friend of mine bought the fourth one, so I decided we would read the entire series aloud.

Publisher’s description:

In this sequel to No One Went to Town, the Tarrants are clearing land near Piopio in the King Country, New Zealand. At first, the conditions are too tough for May and her mother, who spend the winter in Te Kuiti, then a land rush town. Staying at the Grand Hotel is exciting, and May sees her first moving picture and is invited to a Maori wedding.

In the spring, she travels to Piopio and out to the Paemako farm by coach and sledge. Now that she is nine, May is old enough to turn the grindstone, milk the cows, and ride a horse—and old enough to get caned for disobeying the teacher at her bush school. She becomes a proper King Country girl.

Black Boots and Buttonhooks is a true story, based on the recollections of the author’s family.

My thoughts:

We really enjoyed this glimpse into pioneer life in 1907. It’s hard to believe how rough life was at that point in the middle of the North Island! The story about how May and her mother rode on the coach from Te Kuiti to Paemako is incredible. After reading that, I found myself looking at the roads around us in a different way. We can’t even imagine traveling without some sort of formed road.

I was interested to notice the (lack of) religious life in the Tarrant family. While she and her mother lived in Te Kuiti, May went to Sunday School, but that seemed to consist merely of learning the catechism. I didn’t notice any other references to church or Bible reading. Her mother was very concerned about appearances and making sure things were done properly, like at “Home” (England), but there was no mention of doing what pleased God. They had good morals, but a couple of times May disobeyed her parents and concealed it without being found out.

Overall, I like Black Boots and Buttonhooks, as history. It is the story of a family and how they experienced the settling of a large farming area of New Zealand. It is a book that should have some parental input, however, with discussion about a few chapters.

WARNING: Chapter 2: By Jove. Chapter 3: Talk of a woman who got lost and died. Chapter 4: Drunk men fighting, a young woman died. Chapter 5: Gosh. Chapter 7: Teasing about boyfriends/girlfriends, boy and girl fighting, gosh. Chapter 8: Boy choked girl. Chapter 9: Girl lied. Chapter 10: Golly twice, gosh, girl got whipped. Chapter 11: Gosh, boy drowned. Chapter 12: The dickens of a time, gosh. In a couple of chapters, May concealed things from her parents so she wouldn’t get in trouble, and was not found out.

Age levels:

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

Links to buy this book:

AbeBooks: View Choices on AbeBooks.com

Evangelists in Chains

February 13, 2026 by Emma Filbrun · Leave a Comment

13 Feb

Title: Evangelists in Chains
Author: Elizabeth Wagler
Major Themes: Hutterites, Anabaptists, Persecution, Reformation
Synopsis: When all the men in his community are taken captive and sentenced to be galley slaves, Peter must learn to trust God with everything.

I remember reading Evangelists in Chains over 40 years ago, when I was still confused about historical fiction. I remember wondering how the author knew what Peter and his friends did. I loved the story, though, and learning what life was like during the Reformation.

Publisher’s description:

Nineteen-year-old Peter suddenly finds himself in the middle of intense excitement and adventure that tax to the limit his physical and spiritual resources. As an untimely death stares him in the face, should he speak the few simple words that will bring deliverance?

In the days and weeks that follow, Peter swings from the depths of despair to plateaus of commitment, while the tensions of his circumstances mount, and the climax, though dreaded, is prolonged for days and weeks. Hunger, unnerving interrogations, sickness, and death become daily, lurking companions that wear away resistance, undermining faith, hope, and soul rest.

A book for teenagers and adults that will inspire courage, dedication, and a devout resolve to endure hardness for the Lord’s sake, even if that decision brings death.

My thoughts:

Evangelists in Chains is an amazing story of survival, dedication, and loyalty. These 90 men who were arrested from their home community, imprisoned in a castle for weeks, and then marched 400 miles over mountains in chains in the middle of the winter to become galley slaves, show us what true Christians should be like. They engage in several conversations with each other and with others, which describe their beliefs and how the early Anabaptists lived out their faith. All this is woven into an amazing story of how they kept their faith and loved their enemies as they travelled. It is based on an account in The Martyr’s Mirror.

As I said before, I read this book when I was fairly young—I would say, before I was 10 years old. I’m sure I read it a couple of times, because that’s what I did with books back then. I read it to my family a number of years ago, and again now. It’s the kind of story that can be read many times—it’s that good! One thing we noticed this time, though, was how quickly the ending wrapped up. We reached the climax—and the story was over! I’ve always wanted to know what happened next.

WARNING: Chapter 13: Men tortured. Chapter 21: Men flogged

Age levels:

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

Links to buy this book:

Amazon: Paperback
AbeBooks: View Choices on AbeBooks.com

Mists over the Channel Islands

February 11, 2026 by Esther Filbrun · Leave a Comment

11 Feb

Title: Mists over the Channel Islands
Author: Sarah Sundin
Major Themes: World War II, Spies, Espionage, Doctors
Synopsis: With her island home under German rule, Dr. Ivy Picot must find a way to keep her family’s medical practice going and stay true to her convictions, even though it puts her in danger of discovery by the island’s occupiers.

Sarah Sundin is one of those authors I’ve heard of for years before I ever picked up one of her books, and as soon as I finally took the time to read one of her stories, I wanted to kick myself for not reading her books earlier. To be honest, I still haven’t read her backlog of stories yet, but Mists over the Channel Islands was the fourth or fifth one I’ve enjoyed from her pen, and I don’t intend it to be the last—by any means! This was another excellent, thoroughly enjoyable story.

Publisher’s description:

Behind enemy lines, adversary and ally become impossible to distinguish.

The German invasion of the British Channel Islands shatters Dr. Ivy Picot’s peaceful world, forcing her to shoulder the weight of her father’s medical practice and hold together a family unraveling under the strain of war. As conditions worsen in Jersey with the arrival of thousands of forced laborers, Ivy’s quiet allegiance to the Allies compels her to risk everything by providing medical aid to escaped workers–even as danger closes in.

Dutch engineer and resistance member Gerrit van der Zee volunteers to build fortifications for the Germans so he can secretly send maps and diagrams to the Allies. On his arrival in the Channel Islands, he crosses paths with Ivy, who shows him contempt for the uniform he wears. As tensions mount and their missions grow increasingly dangerous, Ivy and Gerrit must confront the cost of courage, the meaning of sacrifice, and whether love can survive in the shadow of war. Will their covert efforts turn the tide–or will they pay the ultimate price for defiance?

My thoughts:

I loved Ivy from the start. I’m always drawn to stories with a medical aspect to them, so that was just about guaranteed to work for me. What I didn’t expect—and what ended up blessing me more—was the way Ivy’s artsy side shone through the story. She was a very busy village doctor, yet she knew that sketching and painting refilled and refreshed her (as well as being a blessing to those around her), and I loved the way she consistently made time for her art. It wasn’t big or flashy, but her attitude was something I loved, and something I’d love to have be a bigger part of my life.

Then there’s the resistance part of the story—I found that fascinating, and loved how that connected with other books Sundin wrote. It’s always delightful to get a peek into the lives of characters from previous books!

One thing I was a little disappointed about was that I hoped to get a bit more of a feel for how the Channel Islands might be similar to/different from the British mainland, as far as culture or landscape is concerned. This didn’t end up being a very strong atmospheric story in that way (and, honestly, that wasn’t the goal of this book). I did enjoy the bits that came through, and loved the occasional descriptions of landscapes or farms.

If you’re looking for a solid World War II story that will take you on quite a ride, I’d recommend you check this story out. There are quite a few different layers to it, and unexpected depths that I enjoyed exploring with the characters. I was thankful that not quite everything was wrapped up in a perfect bow (at least not with some of the side characters); that touch of reality was good. If you’ve enjoyed books by Roseanna M. White, Lynn Austin, or Jocelyn Green, you’re bound to enjoy this story, as well. Recommended!

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

WARNING: There is lying in a few places, generally to protect someone else/a secret. In ch. 18, a boat convoy is almost bombed. In ch. 19, there is a brief fight, and a man is killed. There are a few kisses later on in the book (none described in detail). In ch. 40, there is another brief fight, and in ch. 42, people are shot at. A woman is unfaithful to her husband in the latter part of the book (not described, just mentioned several times).

Age levels:

Reading Independently—Ages 15 and Above, Adults

Links to buy this book:

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

The Case of the Four-Legged Friend

February 9, 2026 by Emma Filbrun · Leave a Comment

9 Feb

The Case of the Four-Legged Friend cover

Title: The Case of the Four-Legged Friend
Author: Becca Wierwille
Series: Scout and Barnaby Mysteries, book 1
Major Themes: Dogs, Camps, Fantasy
Synopsis: After a dog ate her dictionary, Scout set to work to find the dog’s owner and why the dog was where no dogs were ever allowed.

A couple of years ago, I read a book that featured a bookstore owner planning a book release party for a real book. After hearing about the book all the way through, I wanted to read it, so I downloaded the audiobook for Road Trip Rescue and listened to it. I enjoyed the book immensely, and somewhere along the way, I signed up for the author’s newsletters. Recently, she launched a new middle-grade series, and while I wasn’t immediately interested The Case of the Four-Legged Friend, the first book in the Scout and Barnaby Mysteries series, I did take advantage of her offer of a free digital copy, so that I would know whether I wanted to share these books with my children.

Publisher’s description:

Ten-year-old Scout is reading a mystery novel when a dog springs from the forest and steals her dictionary. Then he eats it, page by page. And everything changes. Scout doesn’t want to like this dictionary-digesting dog. But somehow, he works his way into her heart. Now she’s on a mission to find where he came from—before the camp director sends him to the animal shelter.

My thoughts:

My first impression was that I wasn’t interested in a book like The Case of the Four-Legged Friend. It sounded like fantasy, which is not among my preferred genres. I decided to give it a try, anyway. I decided I liked it, enough that I will likely buy the series for my dog-loving little girl eventually. It’s just a fun story about what if a dog ate an entire dictionary, causing him to suddenly understand human speech. The dog couldn’t talk, but communicated with gestures that a dog really could make. I liked the way Scout interacted with people and tried to honor her parents and obey the adults in her life, while still caring for the dog who needed her. The gentle mystery about how the dog ended up at the camp is fun, too. This is a delightful book for children who are ready for chapter books a step or two above easy readers, especially if they love dogs or other animals. I know my youngest will love it, and I’m hoping I can buy the series in a year or so when she’s ready to read books at that level.

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

No warnings!

Age levels:

Listening Level—Ages 5 – 8, 8 – 12, Family Friendly
Reading Independently—Ages 7 – 9, 8 – 12

Links to buy this book:

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

The Curious Life of Cecilia Payne

February 6, 2026 by Emma Filbrun · Leave a Comment

6 Feb

Title: The Curious Life of Cecilia Payne
Author: Laura Alary
Major Themes: Cecilia Payne, Astronomy, Scientists, Harvard University, Chemistry, Science
Synopsis: From a curious little girl, Cecilia grew into a woman who wanted to find out all she could about the stars.

As always, whenever I see a picture book biography offered for review, I quickly requested a copy of The Curious Life of Cecilia Payne. Of the three books in this genre that I reviewed this month, this one has turned out to be my favorite. My little girls liked hearing it when I read it to them, too.

Publisher’s description:

Cecilia Payne loved learning to see nature’s wonders, even things other people called impossible. While studying at Cambridge, she dreamed of becoming a great astronomer like the ones she read about in the library. But too many people thought women didn’t belong among stars or atoms.

So, Cecilia packed her bags for Harvard, where she could surround herself with women who also loved astronomy and physics. These “Harvard Computers” shared their treasures with her―thousands of photographs of starlight. Cecilia found a way to read the patterns in these photos and started asking big questions. Could these photos show her what stars are made of? What if they showed Cecilia something all the great astronomers called impossible?

With stellar gouache and watercolor art and thrilling scientific details, this biography is a loving tribute to the joy of curiosity, the value of community, and the struggle to find confidence in your own voice. Extensive back matter helps readers learn through an author’s note, timelines of Cecilia’s life and of discoveries that led to hers, a list of Cecilia’s honors and awards, and resources for further reading.

My thoughts:

The Curious Life of Cecilia Payne tells the story of an inquisitive woman, from her first discovery as a little girl (of a flower that her mother didn’t believe grew in their area), to the in-depth study of the stars as an adult. I learned a lot about how scientists learn about the stars; there is a wealth of information packed into the sparse text in this beautiful picture book. Cecilia’s story should help to encourage everyone to be more curious, to keep wondering and searching for answers to their questions, and to marvel at the complexity and beauty of God’s creation. This book is a great addition to any collection of picture book biographies.

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 7 – 9, 8 – 12

Links to buy this book:

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