Books I've Read

While berry picking with his family Harry spots an old rusty motorcycle in the bush. It doesn't even have an engine but he decides to rebuild it. Helped (a lot!) by his father and grandpa and many others. Along the way Harry learns about making decisions, the value of work, and relationships. When it is finally finished he realizes that he forgot one thing!

Exciting adventures of a Rhode Island boy during Prohibition, as told by an old man to a budding teen journalist. Very good!

Livie's mother is in a coma. No one else knows that it is Livie's fault. Enjoyable little story, but not sure of the ending. Finished painting? Really? Oh, and how does a 22 turn into a shotgun? Just quibbles, mind you, I liked the story. UPDATE: A correspondence with the author clears up the confusion I had. There is a shot ammunition for the 22.

A young girl lives in Louisiana, in the family's antique store/house. Her mother's family has a history of awful things happening to them. Then there are the phones. And that doll... Good story, almost couldn't put it down, but I had visitors from out-of-state!

Referred to many times in the CYRM nominee "Rules", so I read it!

I enjoyed reading this story of a teen ham radio who tracks down some spies in her town. Very nostalgic ham radio fiction reminding me of my youth!

Ruby Oliver is a Junior at Tate Prep in Seattle. Pretty good, could have done without the "F" word a couple of times, and the "dick" episode.

Frankie attends Alabaster Preparatory Academy. She meets a hunky guy, Matthew, who seems to be involved in a secret society, the Loyal Order Of Basset Hounds. You gotta love a girl who appreciates Wodehouse! I rate this five stars.

Very interesting book about how history textbooks, and the teaching of history, could be much better. Learned a lot of new stuff!

Very readable story for a very old book. Guy falls in water when ferry sinks, gets picked up by a seal-hunting ship, forced to join the crew under the tyrannical captain. By the end of the book he is quite the seaman.

SPOILER:Crazed chick wall-rat possessed by the spirit of a woman with Altzheimer's disease who was left to die in the Arabian desert (I think it was the Empty Quarter) cuts the rope of the woman's husband while climbing El Capitan in Yosemite. He dies.

The climbing technical stuff was interesting, the story, though, just kinda built into something weird.

"No toys in the fish tank" is one of the rules Catherine makes for her autistic brother to follow to get along in life.

Little Fearless is in some kind of juvenile hall/prison after she is taken away from her mother. A kind of 1984 sort of story. Good story, but the resolution kind of happens REALLY quickly!

San Diego Onion Tribunal columnist writes about his love, fly fishing. Meet all sorts of interesting people around the U.S. I personally think fishing is more boring than watching grass grow, but I enjoyed this book very much. .

Betsy graduates from high school. A very nice story.

A biographical story of Juan Rodrigues Cabrillo who "discovered" California. A very 1958ish book for children.

In 1903 England, Petronella's uncle starts eating bugs, and she becomes embroiled in the kidnapping of Dame Carruthers and Generalissimo Reyes-Cardoza of Panama.

Anastasia Krupnik moves from her cherished Cambridge to the 'burbs.

She corresponds with a "Singles" advertiser, goes to a wedding and buys a sloop. Brings tear of laughter to my eyes!

Her aunt in California passes away, and she has trouble climbing the rope in gym class. Charming story.