The Listeners

The Listeners

Gloria Whelan

Illustrated by Mike Benny

2009

Ella May, Bobby and Sue are the Listeners.  They listen and masters window each night to carry news, good and bad, back to their parents and the other slaves so they know what may be coming for them next:  who will be sold or what changes are in store.  It was during this listening that Ella May found out that her father would not be sold, and that President Lincoln was elected.  During one of the Listening sessions, Mistress Louise asked if she could educate the slave children only to be reminded that it was against the law to do so. 

The illustrations were warm and showed so much expression.  I read Homeless Bird by the same author, Gloria Whelan,  so it was cool to see her in another writing form.

Magic Tree House- Night of the New Magicians

Magic Tree House- Night of the New Magicians
By Mary Pope Osborne

2006

Jack and Annie have experienced many, many great adventures from magical librarian Morgan le Fay’s magic tree house, usually at the request of Merlin from Camelot.  One this particular adventure the duo are sent to the 1889 World Fair in Paris to find The Magician of Sound, The Magician of Light, The Magician of the Invisible, and the Magician of Iron to warn them about the evil sorcerer who wants to steal their secrets. Jack and Annie are asked to learn about their secrets for Merlin. Soon we learn that the Magician of Sound is Alexander Graham Bell, the Magician of Light is Thomas Edison, the Magician of the Invisible is Louis Pasteur and the Magician of Iron is Gustave Eiffel!! 

I have loved the Magic Tree House adventures with my own children.  It was so neat to see how jack and Annie have evolved through the years and how the author, Mary Pope Osborne keeps their adventures fresh and new!  I really appreciate how this particular adventure linked itself to real people in our history. 

Chains

Chains

Laurie Halse

A book that focuses on a time in our history that was so horrific and tumultuous for so many, the Revolutionary War.  The writing was so clear that at times, I truly felt like I was there. As I read,  I often had a hard time believing that it was written for children.  The story of young Isabel took place in less than a year, which seems so crazy given the amount of obstacles, heartbreaks and change that she had to endure. I liked the book talk in the back of the book for student lead discussions. This story was heartbreaking.

I will not read the second book, I was hanging on my seat until the very end, hoping that Isabel would somehow be freed or even reunited with her baby sister Ruth.  The book contained pieces of historical fiction, and the writing was poetic, I found it difficult and sad to read. We did have a nice discussion about it.