Review of As We Forgive, by Catherine Claire Larson

Forgiveness, Nonfiction Review, Personal Growth, Starred Review, True Stories 0

As We Forgive
Stories of Reconciliation from Rwanda

by Catherine Claire Larson

Zondervan, 2009. 284 pages.
Starred Review

This powerful and moving book tells the stories of seven survivors of the Rwandan genocide, and their difficult journeys to forgiveness and reconciliation.

Each story is heart-wrenching. But each survivor was able to rise above the horrendous things they experienced. That any one of these people is able to forgive is mind-blowing. Taken together, the book clearly makes the case that the path to healing lies in forgiveness.

And you won’t be ever be able to look at people who’ve wronged you as harshly again. If these survivors, whose families were killed, often before their eyes, can forgive and find healing, well, what has anyone ever done to me that even comes close?

And this book even tells stories of survivors who reach out in reconciliation to the one who harmed them, as they begin to put their nation back together again.

I like Appendix 2 at the back. It lists “Choices on the Way to Peace” for both the Victim and the Offender. Here’s the list for the Victim:

Steps to Forgiveness:
Step 1
– I face my truth.
– I move from denial to grieving the loss.
– I open my wounds and begin to heal my pain and shame.
– I forgive myself and cease blaming.
– I accept God’s forgiveness.

Step 2
The first hand of forgiveness …
I let go of my bitterness and the right to revenge.

Step 3
The second hand of forgiveness …
I confront the offender with a request to uphold my dignity by restoring something of what was lost.

Step 4
I become open to accepting the humanity and dignity of the offender — and even the possibility of restoring the relationship.

I especially like Step 3, because when you think of forgiveness, you don’t necessarily think of asking for restitution. But this list affirms that asking for some restitution is part of the forgiveness process. It’s not revenge — it’s just asking the offender to take some responsibility to help make things right.

The steps don’t talk about what happens if the offender won’t respond to the request, but the book did. The victim CAN forgive and still seek justice in court. The victim is upholding their own dignity by asking for some restitution, whether that restitution is granted or not.

The steps do make it pretty clear that reconciliation is not going to happen if the offender doesn’t respond to that request. (And the four steps for the offender are necessary, too.) But if the victim has already let go of bitterness, their own life will be transformed in a beautiful way, regardless of how the offender responds.

This is a beautiful book about forgiveness played out in actual human lives.

Buy from Amazon.com

Find this review on Sonderbooks at: www.sonderbooks.com/Nonfiction/as_we_forgive.html

Disclosure: I am an Amazon Affiliate, and will earn a small percentage if you order a book on Amazon after clicking through from my site.

Source: This review is based on a library book from the Fairfax County Public Library.

Review of Clementine’s Letter, by Sara Pennypacker

Beginning Chapter Books, Children's Fiction Review, Contemporary, Humorous, Starred Review 0

Clementine’s Letter

by Sara Pennypacker
pictures by Marla Frazee

Hyperion Books for Children, New York, 2008. 150 pages.
Starred Review

I am so hooked on Clementine! This is the third book about this irresistible third-grader who knows how to pay attention — to the important things.

Just when Clementine is getting the hang of third grade and in sync with her teacher, he applies for a special program to send a teacher to Egypt. The class is supposed to write letters to the judges about their teacher, and Clementine decides to write a letter to make sure he doesn’t go.

Meanwhile, she has to deal with a substitute. A substitute who doesn’t know how things are done in their classroom.

“The rest of the morning got worse. By the time the recess bell rang, I bet I heard a hundred ‘Clementine-pay-attention!’s. And every time, I was paying attention!

“But okay, fine, not to Mrs. Nagel, because she had gone from boring to extra-boring. Instead, I was paying attention to the astoundishing idea that had jumped into my head when I passed by the trash-and-recycling area last night. Which was the opposite of boring, believe me.”

Sara Pennypacker doesn’t settle for just the story of what happens to Clementine at school. She also weaves in Clementine’s interactions with her parents and baby brother, her neighbor the prissy Margaret and Margaret’s brother Mitchell, and Clementine’s scheme to buy her mother a present. I love the way Clementine goes to find names for her brother. Since her name is also the name of a fruit, she feels her brother should have the name of a vegetable. She finds some interesting names at the Chinese grocery, and from then on we hear about Bean Sprout and Bok Choy and Scallion.

These books would make absolutely wonderful bedtime reading — if only I had a child young enough. I’ll keep it in mind some day for a grandchild! And meanwhile, if you’re lucky enough to have an early-elementary-school-age child to read aloud to, I think the Clementine books would make a delightful choice.

Buy from Amazon.com

Find this review on Sonderbooks at: www.sonderbooks.com/Childrens_Fiction/clementines_letter.html

Disclosure: I am an Amazon Affiliate, and will earn a small percentage if you order a book on Amazon after clicking through from my site.

Source: This review is based on a library book from the Fairfax County Public Library.

A Response from a Fairfax County Supervisor

Library Links 0

Last week, I posted an open letter to the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors, as well as mailing them a letter and a signed copy of the book, This Book Is Overdue! How Librarians and Cybrarians Can Save Us All, by Marilyn Johnson.

Today I received a response! Jeffrey McKay, the Lee District Supervisor, sent me the following letter:

Dear Ms. Eklund:

Thank you for taking the time to write in support of our Fairfax County library system and also for the signed copy of This Book is Overdue! How Librarians and Cybrarians Can Save Us All.

I appreciated the passages you marked, along with the thoughtful points you make about the value of libraries. Because last year, the budget cuts to our library system were so large, I was very pleased to see that the County Executive spared the libraries this year. While it’s too early to know what the final budget will be, I will be considering your common sense observations about the value of libraries in my deliberations.

Sincerely,

Jeffrey C. McKay
Lee District Supervisor

p.s. I am very glad that you were able to rejoin the library system in November.

***

I’ve got to admit — that’s a nice letter to receive.

Mind you, it’s a politician’s letter. Notice that he definitely does not make any promises about trying to restore library funds.

But I do feel like he’s considered what I had to say, and that’s really what I was after. Times are still hard, and I do realize that coming up with the county budget is a huge task with hard choices. I hope they will at least be thinking about ways to restore library funding. It’s nice to learn that the point I was trying to make was at least heard.

And I really do appreciate such a friendly response.

Review of The Sheen on the Silk, by Anne Perry

Fiction Review, Historical, Mystery, Starred Review 0

The Sheen on the Silk

by Anne Perry

Ballantine Books, New York, 2010. 518 pages.
Starred Review

I have enjoyed Anne Perry’s Christmas mysteries, and have been meaning to read more of her work. However, I wasn’t sure if I should tackle her different series at the beginning, or just dive in with her latest. So when I saw she’d written a stand-alone novel set in ancient Byzantium, I decided this would be a good time to start. I knew she is good with historical fiction, and I was not disappointed.

The book is set in thirteenth-century Constantinople. Anna Zarides has come to the city disguised as a eunuch with the goal of clearing her twin brother’s name. He has been charged with the murder of a political figure and exiled to Jerusalem.

Anna stays in Constantinople for years and gets embroiled in the politics and intrigue. The whole city expects Rome and Venice to attack Constantinople as part of the next Crusade — unless the city can compromise their religious convictions and convince Rome they are all one church.

Anna gets a patron early on in the powerful Zoe Chrysaphes, whose heart is set on vengeance. She was there when Constantinople was first overthrown and is determined to get revenge on the families of the people responsible. But Zoe also seems to be embroiled in the attack which Anna’s brother was exiled for.

Anne Perry shows us Anna solving the mystery, but also gets us involved in the currents and cross-currents of the plans to attack Constantinople — or divert the attack. We also get caught up in the story of Venetian Guiliano Dandolo, whose ancestor led the earlier attack on Venice, but whose mother was Byzantine. Anna makes friends with him, yet all the while she’s holding on to the secret that she is a woman. If her masquerade is discovered, especially after she’s served as physician to the Emperor, she could be executed.

The beautifully woven saga in this book will draw you in to a world far removed from our own. Anne Perry makes you feel you understand it, in all its complexity. You’ll root for Anna to clear her brother’s name, and even more, for Constantinople to be saved.

Buy from Amazon.com

Find this review on Sonderbooks at: www.sonderbooks.com/Fiction/sheen_on_the_silk.html

Disclosure: I am an Amazon Affiliate, and will earn a small percentage if you order a book on Amazon after clicking through from my site.

Source: This review is based on a library book from the Fairfax County Public Library.

Review of Is Your Buffalo Ready for Kindergarten? by Audrey Vernick

Animal Characters, Picture Book Review, Starred Review 0

Is Your Buffalo Ready for Kindergarten?

by Audrey Vernick
illustrated by Daniel Jennewein

Balzer & Bray (HarperCollins), 2010. 32 pages.
Starred Review

And I thought every possible twist on starting Kindergarten had been covered! How wrong I was!

Here’s a delightful way for a kid-in-the-know to tell their Buffalo what’s needed to get ready for Kindergarten.

There are some great lines:

“Some people say kindergarten is no place for a buffalo.
How crazy is that?
Does your buffalo have a backpack?
Well, then. He’s definitely ready for kindergarten.”

“But your buffalo may sometimes get frustrated.
Like when someone takes his building blocks.
Or calls him Fluppalo.
Another buffalo might be tempted to nudge those kids.
But not your buffalo!
He’ll stop, take a deep breath,
and remember the Rules for Sharing and Caring.
That’s why kindergarten’s so great.
You learn to get along without using your horns.”

“Snack time!
Your buffalo is probably looking forward to sharing treats with a classmate. But he may be the only one who eats grass, then throws it up in his mouth and eats it again.
Remember: Everyone’s special in his or her own way.”

There you have it: A truly new perspective on getting ready for kindergarten and going over everything a kid (or a buffalo) will need to know. The pictures, of course, add to the fun. The buffalo is kind and lovable and looks perfect for hugging or cuddling up to during storytime.

Absolutely charming!

Buy from Amazon.com

Find this review on Sonderbooks at: www.sonderbooks.com/Picture_Books/buffalo.html

Disclosure: I am an Amazon Affiliate, and will earn a small percentage if you order a book on Amazon after clicking through from my site.

Source: This review is based on a library book from the Fairfax County Public Library.

Review of Behemoth, by Scott Westerfeld

Adventure, Alternate History, Science Fiction, Starred Review, Teen Fiction Review 0

Behemoth

by Scott Westerfeld

Simon Pulse, New York, 2010. 481 pages.
Starred Review

Behemoth is the second book in “the Leviathan Trilogy,” and as such, you really should read Leviathan first. Once you do, you’ll be pleased with Behemoth. The plot threads that began in Leviathan get even further entangled in Behemoth.

The trilogy is an alternate history, steampunk version of World War I. The world is divided into two sets of countries: The Clankers, who use steam power to make large and complicated war engines; and the Darwinists, who manipulate DNA to create living beings that serve as powerful vessels of war. In the first book, we followed Alek, the son of the duke and his wife whose murders touched off the war. Alek is the rightful heir to the throne of Austria-Hungary, and there are powerful forces that want him dead.

Meanwhile, Deryn has joined the Air Service of Britain, posing as a boy. In the first book, Alek and Deryn became unlikely allies. And could Deryn be falling for Alek? It’s an impossible romance: In the first place, Alek doesn’t know she’s a girl, and in the second place, she’s a commoner.

In Behemoth, the great living airbeast Leviathan reaches Constantinople. There Alek escapes and Deryn gets sent on a secret mission — but both of them end up working together with the rebels against the sultan in Istanbul.

There’s all kinds of intrigue and adventure in this book, and plot threads intricately weaving together. So far, this trilogy gives a rollicking good read. It presents war in all its complexity from the perspectives of two very likable characters caught up in momentous events. The fantastical machines and incredible creatures add to the fun. This would make an amazing movie, though it would present a huge challenge to moviemakers. You’ve got something to appeal to almost anyone — plenty of action combined with characters facing difficult choices and frightening challenges. Good stuff!

Buy from Amazon.com

Find this review on Sonderbooks at: www.sonderbooks.com/Teens/behemoth.html

Disclosure: I am an Amazon Affiliate, and will earn a small percentage if you order a book on Amazon after clicking through from my site.

Source: This review is based on a library book from the Fairfax County Public Library.

www.scottwesterfeld.com
TEEN.SimonandSchuster.com

Battle of the Books 2011!

Book Links, Events 0

The time is getting away from me. There are only a few days left for me to encourage my readers to vote in the Undead Poll for this year’s School Library Journal Battle of the Books! (*cough* A Conspiracy of Kings! *cough*)

The Battle of the Kid’s Books is a once a year tournament between 16 outstanding children’s and young adult books from the previous year. What makes it incredible fun to follow is that the judges are celebrity authors. There’s no criteria pre-assigned for judging, so the judges just pick their favorites. But the fun is when these highly gifted authors explain what they liked about two outstanding books. And there’s plenty of drama in wondering if your favorite will win.

Another fun aspect of the Battle of the Books is the Undead Poll. Before things begin, readers are given a chance to vote for their favorite book. The book with the most votes will come back from the “dead” and compete in the final round. If that book has not been killed off yet, then it will go to the next book, and so on.

Another fun way to participate is to predict the winners at Eric Carpenter’s blog. Last year, I failed abysmally, with only one of my first-round picks going on to the next round. Last year, judges seemed to pick the book least like the ones they write. This year, I think I will just root for the books I would pick if I were judging, and not try to predict what the judges will do.

Now, last year I did want Fire, by Kristin Cashore to win. This year, I definitely want the winner to be A Conspiracy of Kings, by Megan Whalen Turner, because that series is up there with my all-time favorite books. Since Megan Whalen Turner has a fan site on LiveJournal, I’m hoping the people of Sounis/Attolia will have voted her in the Undead Poll, just in case one of the judges does not appreciate the books utter brilliance.

If Conspiracy does make it to the Big Kahuna Round, I hope that One Crazy Summer, by Rita Williams-Garcia is the next in the Undead Poll. Because I wish it had won the Newbery Medal instead of “just” a Newbery Honor (and the Coretta Scott King Author Medal and the Scott O’Dell Award for Historical Fiction and a National Book Award Finalist).

Okay, below are the first-round match-ups and my comments:

1. As Easy As Falling Off the Face of the Earth, by Lynne Rae Perkins
vs. The Cardturner, by Louis Sachar
judged by Francisco X. Stork

For this one, I haven’t yet read As Easy As Falling Off the Face of the Earth, though I do have it checked out. However, I loved The Cardturner so much, I find myself hoping I won’t actually like As Easy As Falling Off the Face of the Earth as much. I want a book for mathematically-minded game lovers to win a round!

2. A Conspiracy of Kings, by Megan Whalen Turner
vs. Countdown, by Deborah Wiles
judged by Dana Reinhardt

I think you already know which one of these I want to win! I have read both books, and while I liked Countdown, the “documentary novel” approach really didn’t work for me. There were a few places where there were reports about people that revealed what happened later, and that really pulled me right out of the story. I wasn’t sure if those were supposed to be school reports, but if so, they should have been written as a child would have written them in the time of the story. The other material was interesting, but it also tended to make me less in the thread of the story, which was a good story.

And Conspiracy of Kings? Well, like all Megan Whalen Turner’s books, I enjoy and appreciate it more on each rereading. I’ve read it twice already, and just discovered that the library has the audiobook version, so that’s my next audiobook to listen to. It has absolutely brilliant plotting, and we see real growth in Sophos as he discovers what it means to be a king.

3. The Dreamer, by Pam Munoz Ryan, illustrated by Peter Sis
vs. The Good, the Bad, and the Barbie, by Tanya Lee Stone
judged by Barry Lyga

Okay, will all the other children’s literature folks despise me if I confess that I usually like Fiction a lot better than Nonfiction? Though I’m also influenced here because I thought that The Dreamer is a true work of art. The story is told poetically, with lines from Pablo Neruda’s poetry woven throughout, and the illustrations perfectly set the mood. I think the book is far more moving than a straight nonfiction account of the poet’s childhood would have been. I have looked at The Good, the Bad, and the Barbie, and while I think it’s a worthy inclusion in this contest and a well-done look at the history of the Barbie doll, I’m too big a fan of The Dreamer to want it to win.

4. Hereville: How Mirka Got Her Sword, by Barry Deutsch
vs. Keeper, by Kathi Appelt
judged by Susan Patron

This one is a toughie. Both of these books are beautiful and slightly quirky, with a little girl involved in something with a touch of magic. Both were completely delightful. (I’ve read both, but haven’t reviewed them yet.)

I think I’m going to pick Hereville. Now, that might be because it’s the one I read most recently, so the delight it brought is still fresh in my mind. I simply can’t resist it’s tagline: “Yet Another Troll-Fighting 11-Year-Old Orthodox Jewish Girl.”

5. The Odyssey (graphic novel), by Gareth Hinds
vs. One Crazy Summer, by Rita Williams-Garcia
judged by Karen Hesse

I haven’t read this version of The Odyssey, though I hear it’s exceptional. But I loved One Crazy Summer far too much to possibly root against it. (With the ONE exception of A Conspiracy of Kings.) I hope that this being similar to books that Karen Hesse writes will not work against it, but that she’ll appreciate a historical novel with poetry included.

6. The Ring of Solomon, by Jonathan Stroud
vs. Sugar Changed the World, by Marc Aronson and Marina Budhos
judged by Adam Rex

Again, I’ve read both of these but haven’t reviewed them yet, and they are both completely brilliant. If I were going to root for any nonfiction book, Sugar is the one I’d pick. It’s a well-written, fascinating look at the history of humans and sugar. It shows that sugar did, in fact, change the world.

However, The Ring of Solomon is simply too good. An intricate plot, a wildly imaginative story, and lots of humor make it my pick for this round. In fact, I recently read a short story by Adam Rex in the Guys Read: Funny Business anthology, and the humor is very similar to the humor in The Ring of Solomon, so I suspect that’s what he’ll pick.

7. A Tale Dark and Grimm, by Adam Gidwitz
vs. They Called Themselves the KKK, by Susan Campbell Bartoletti
judged by R. L. Stine

I haven’t read either of these, though I have checked them both out and looked them over. It is probably telling that I intend to read A Tale Dark and Grimm very soon, but I turned They Called Themselves the KKK back in to the library. I hear it’s a well-written book, and I’m definitely in favor of children reading about the terrorist group and understanding that ugly part of our history — but I didn’t feel like finding out details about the KKK myself.

Anyway, A Tale Dark and Grimm looks like it will be a book I will thoroughly enjoy. It certainly takes an imaginative approach. I’m going to root for it. I’ll let you know if that changes after I actually read it.

8. Trash, by Andy Mulligan
vs. Will Grayson, Will Grayson, by John Green and David Levithan
judged by Mitali Perkins

Okay, I’m going to be lazy with this one. I haven’t read Trash, and I probably won’t, unless Mitali Perkins and any later judges make it sound very compelling. It looks to be yet another dystopian novel, and I’m getting a little tired of them, so I wasn’t in the mood to read this one and turned it back in. On the other hand, I enjoyed Will Grayson, Will Grayson, so I’m going to guess that Mitali will pick the more upbeat book. Yes, the Will Graysons have some trouble, but there’s plenty of humor and the ending is definitely feel-good.

So there you have it! Vote in the Undead Poll for your favorite by March 6. The Opening Ceremony will be on March 8, and the First Round will begin on March 14. It’s sure to be a lot of fun!

Here I am with the t-shirt I got for blogging about last year’s Battle of the Books:

Review of The Postmistress, by Sarah Blake

Fiction Review, Historical, Starred Review 0

The Postmistress

by Sarah Blake

Amy Einhorn Books (Penguin), New York, 2010. 326 pages.
Starred Review

I had the library book of The Postmistress actually sitting on my bedside table with my bookmark right in the middle when I saw a line at ALA Annual Conference where the publisher was giving away copies of the book for you to have the author sign. I was enjoying the book very much, so I eagerly got in line and got her signature.

This is a story of World War II and lives that intertwined in England and in America.

Frankie Bard, an American radio reporter in London during the war introduces the story:

“There were years after it happened, after I’d returned from the town and come back here to the busy blank of the city, when some comment would be tossed off about the Second World War and how it had gone — some idiotic remark about clarity and purpose — and I’d resist the urge to stub out my cigarette and bring the dinner party to a satisfying halt. But these days so many wars are being carried on in full view of all of us, and there is so much talk of pattern and intent (as if a war can be conducted like music), well, last night I couldn’t help myself.

” ‘What would you think of a postmistress who chose not to deliver the mail?’ I asked.

” ‘Don’t tell me any more,’ a woman from the far end of the table cried in delight, shining and laughing between the candles. ‘I’m hooked already.’

“I watched the question take hold. Mail, actual letters written by hand, being pocketed undelivered. What a lark! Anything might happen….

“Never mind, I thought. I am old. And tired of the terrible clarity of the young. And all of you are young these days.

“Long ago, I believed that, given a choice, people would turn to good as they would to the light. I believed that reporting — honest, unflinching pictures of the truth — could be a beacon to lead us to demand that wrongs be righted, injustices punished, and the weak and the innocent cared for. I must have believed, when I started out, that the shoulder of public opinion could be put up against the door of public indifference and would, when given the proper direction, shove it wide with the power of wanting to stand on the side of the angels.

“But I have covered far too many wars — reporting how they were seeded, nourished, and let sprout — to believe in angels anymore, or, for that matter, in a single beam of truth to shine into the dark. Every story — love or war — is a story about looking left when we should have been looking right.

“Or so it seems to me.”

The Postmistress is a story of a postmistress who is new to a small New England town in 1940. It tells what happens that results in a fine upstanding conscientious woman not delivering a letter.

It’s also the story of the other people of the town: a young doctor and his wife, a man who watches for German submarines landing off the coast, and what people in the town think of the war “over there.” It’s the story of a war correspondent writing stories for the radio that catch people’s imaginations back home. And it’s the story of why Frankie Bard came to visit that little town.

This story is richly textured and intriguing. It gives you a taste of what it must have been like in London during the Blitz. But mostly, it tells you the story of fallible humans trying to do what’s right in extraordinary times, humans who each have their own stories, but whose stories become intertwined.

Buy from Amazon.com

Find this review on Sonderbooks at: www.sonderbooks.com/Fiction/postmistress.html

Disclosure: I am an Amazon Affiliate, and will earn a small percentage if you order a book on Amazon after clicking through from my site.

Source: This review is based on a signed copy I got at ALA Annual Conference.

Tweetle Beetles for Read Across America Day

Delightfully Silly, Easy Readers, Events 0

I remember when I was 3 or 4 years old, my mother read me a new book, Fox in Socks, by Dr. Seuss. What really impressed me about it was the warning at the front: “Take it slowly. This book is DANGEROUS!”

Perhaps that was why, over the years, I was inordinately proud of being able to read it quickly. I am the third of thirteen children, so I got plenty of practice reading aloud to my younger brothers and sisters. Then I started reading aloud to my own sons. I think it was as an adult that I finally got where I could read all of Fox in Socks quickly and without a mistake. And that was an accomplishment that took years to achieve! (Though I don’t prove it here. I think the camera flustered me!) Now that my sons are grown, I’ve become a librarian, so I can continue to read aloud to children.

About a month ago on YouTube, I saw a video of a teenager reading Fox in Socks extremely quickly. Much, much faster than I can do, no contest.

However, watching that video gave me the bug. I can go pretty fast, and I think listeners can actually understand what I’m saying. At any rate, I wanted to make my own video, because what a lovely excuse to read Fox in Socks as fast as I can! And what better day to pick than Read Across America Day, Dr. Seuss’s Birthday?

So I made an announcement in the library and rounded up the kids in the children’s area so I had an audience, and went at it. Lots of fun! I will have to try to do it faster (and with less flubs) next year.

After tweeting about reading Fox in Socks, I came up with the following about School Library Journal’s Battle of the Books:

When a reader tweets on twitter about which novel is the sweeter, it’s a
Tweeting Reader Sweeter Novel Twitter Chatter Battle.

Happy Read Across America Day, everyone!

Review of Smile, by Raina Telgemeier

Biography, Children's Nonfiction Review, Graphic Memoir, True Stories 0

Smile

by Raina Telgemeier

Graphix (Scholastic), New York, 2010. 214 pages.

Smile is a graphic memoir — graphic meaning the comic-book format, with no reflection at all on the content.

In this book, the author tells the true story of the awful saga with her teeth when she was in middle school. Just when she was ready to get braces, she had an accident and knocked out one front tooth and jammed the other into her jaw. The dentists and orthodontists made heroic attempts to fix and straighten those teeth, and this book tells vividly, with a nice sense of humor, the long involved process.

Of course, just telling about teeth wouldn’t be interesting. But Raina Telgemeier puts in the story of finding her place in middle school and finding out who her true friends were. In middle school, no kid wants to stand out, but Raina’s smile alone made her look different.

This book will draw kids to pick it up and read it to the end. The vivid pictures draw you in, and you’ll find a certain fascination with all she had to go through. Ultimately, she learns to face life with a smile!

Buy from Amazon.com

Find this review on Sonderbooks at: www.sonderbooks.com/Childrens_Nonfiction/smile.html

Disclosure: I am an Amazon Affiliate, and will earn a small percentage if you order a book on Amazon after clicking through from my site.

Source: This review is based on a library book from the Fairfax County Public Library.