Climbing the Stairs

Climbing the Stairs by Padma Venkatraman
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

A very, very good story!This is very different from most of the books in the Maxson LMC. This story takes place in India, just at the start of WWII, which was also a time when the country was rebelling against British rule. The author does a terrific job of taking us inside the life of Vidya, a strong-willed fifteen year-old, who has dreams of going to college. Many Indian women at that time had no rights, and were treated like second-class citizens. There is a terrible attack on Vidya's father, which she feels responsible for, and her life takes a terrible turn. She is able to escape through books, and, a handsome young man who stands up for her. A family story, a story of India and its customs, a love story, all rolled into a well-written novel. I would recommend this to 7th and 8th grade young ladies, but boys may enjoy this, too.


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Ninth Ward

Ninth Ward by Jewell Parker Rhodes
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This is a beautiful story about a special twelve-year-old girl named Lanesha, who lives in New Orleans with Mama Ya-Ya. It is hurricane season, and Katrina is bearing down on the city. Lanesha is different from most of the 7th grade girls in her school, she has no friends, but Lanesha can "see" ghosts, she sees her own mother almost every day. The writing is beautiful, the tension builds as the big storm is about to hit, and Lanesha does what she has to do to survive. Good story, great characters.


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Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children

Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This was a very interesting and quirky book, and I have to admit, I don't think I've ever read such a weird story. Peculiar children is putting it mildly, these kids were downright scary. The story involves time travel, WWII, and some scary otherworldly beasts, that come together on a remote fishing island off of Scotland's coast. What was pretty unique about this book, is that there are "real" photographs to go along with the story, and you find yourself studying them. I was fascinated with the story, which becomes a page-turner, and I was slightly surprised at the ending.

This is a first novel for the author, Ransom Riggs, and I can't wait to see what comes next.


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