Listening for Lions by Gloria Whelan

Listening for Lions by Gloria Whelan

Summary: Rachel is a missionary kid living in British East Africa. The year is 1919 and The Great War is far from her, but a different kind of war dramatically changes her life and all that she has known for the past 13 years. Influenza has advanced and in its wake, it takes both her parents, who are mission doctors. Rachel has to trust her British neighbors, who she believes is dishonest. They take her in and send her to England. Her body maybe in England, but her heart is not. Her one desire is to return to the land that she calls home, Africa. 

My Thoughts: I've never been to Africa, so I can't tell you if the descriptions were accurate, but I can tell you that they were detailed. You could see and hear it, which I loved about this book. The other part that I liked is that Rachel is a third culture kid. I live overseas and have three TCKs of my own, so I could relate to some of the feelings she had when leaving Africa and adjusting to life in England. 

The City of Ember by Jeanne DuPrau

Goodreads Description:

The city of Ember was built as a last refuge for the human race. Two hundred years later, the great lamps that light the city are beginning to flicker. When Lina finds part of an ancient message, she’s sure it holds a secret that will save the city. She and her friend Doon must decipher the message before the lights go out on Ember forever! This stunning debut novel offers refreshingly clear writing and fascinating, original characters.

My Take:

I read somewhere that if you are not into Sci-Fi, you'd probably like this book anyway.  It is sort of Sci-Fi, but not really either. It is more of a techy distopian novel with issues that kids can relate and handle.  This was my first book by DuPrau and I was pleased with it. 
Spoiler Alert: I was surprised with all the religious tones: from the "Builders", to the "coming into the light", and questions about where life comes from. I was thinking it might be a good book to discuss with my children (when they are old enough). And you know that I'm going to be all over that (note to self: buy this book).
During the whole book I felt the need to appreciate the sunshine more. To not take that and fresh vegetables and fruit for granted. The need to be more "green" overwhelmed me. That's not a bad thing at all, eh?
Overall, I liked the book. I wasn't so hooked that I'm longing to read the next one in the series, though. But, a good solid YA book.

Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte

From Goodreads:

Charlotte Bronte's impassioned novel is the love story of Jane Eyre, a plain yet spirited governess, and her arrogant, brooding Mr. Rochester. Published in 1847, under the pseudonym of Currer Bell, the book heralded a new kind of heroine--one whose virtuous integrity, keen intellect and tireless perseverance broke through class barriers to win equal stature with the man she loved. Hailed by William Makepeace Thackeray as "the masterwork of great genius," Jane Eyre is still regarded, over a century later, as one of the finest novels in English literature.

My Take:

I had no idea that I'd like this book as much as I did. I put it on my list to read because I wanted to read more classics.  Having just been in the UK this summer, I was reminded of the countryside there, which led to memories of all the adventures we had as a family. Love it when a book brings back good memories.

What I liked was the character Jane, her desire to be moral and true.  She was put into some pretty harsh environments and situations and pretty much always did the "right" thing. I'm not sure that I would've done the right thing in a few of those situations, especially at that age.   Bronte was brilliant at developing character. They are timeless characters that anyone can relate to.    Gotta love that!

The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane

I read this book out loud to my nine year old son. At first he was annoyed that I was reading a "bunny kid book" to him, but after the first chapter he was hooked (and so was I). I love it when an author can take a simple object, somewhat "kiddish" and give it a dynamic personality.  Edward's journey starts with a little girl who loves him dearly, yet he doesn't love her back. He then gets lost and finds himself with an elderly couple.  His journey leads him from one owner to the next...all love him dearly and he began to love them back.  I loved the progression of how he changed from a non-caring being to someone who knew love.  The descriptions were so vivid.  You could see the frilly dress that was made for him, the hobo and his dog, the garbage, and the very sick child who smiled the moment Edward was given to her.  You wondered at every twist and turn if Edward would come out ok...because he was a china rabbit, easy to break. And then when he did break, the twists and turns of his redemption were page turning.
This is a great read aloud book for elementary kids. But, I found it to be a fun read as well.