Susan serves on the committee that selects nominations for the Volunteer State Book Award, and is reading this book to evaluate it for inclusion on the list of VSBA nominees.
In an America that has suffered continual terrorist attacks since 9/11, seventh-grader Sky stands up for what is right and helps a classmate of Middle Eastern descent, although doing so places her and her family at great risk.
Pearce tracked the sources of his "stuff" around the world--from the gold in his ring to the cotton in his blue jeans. It was an amazing book, and made me realize that I need to think more seriously about what I buy and the cost to the environment.
Karen Douse read Digging to America by Anne Tyler this summer.
A chance encounter between two families—the all-American Donaldsons and the Iranian-born Yasdans--at the Baltimore airport prompts an examination about what it means to be an American. This was a fun read – a somewhat atypical Anne Tyler character study about two families who have each adopted a Korean daughter.
Alice Bryant just finished Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie by Alan Bradley.
This is a book of eleven-year-old Flavia de Luce and her Holmes-like detective skills in England shortly after the end of World War II. Flavia is a spunky character and the tale is told from her perspective. The book is full of descriptive language that makes it a great whodunit for adults and teens.
