Review: The Red Pencil

The Red Pencil by Andrea Davis Pinkney
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This is a selection for our Battle of the Books 2016 competition. It is the story of Amira, a 12 year-old who lives in Sudan in 2004, when the country is embroiled in turmoil because of civil war. Amira loves to draw, and she loves her family, her Muma and Dando, and her little sister. They live on a farm, but when the soldiers come, her life changes forever. There are interesting drawings that allow the reader to see as Amira sees, her world and family. We learn how her Muma doesn't want her to go to school, and how family is so important in all our lives, whether we live in New Jersey, or in a camp in Sudan.

View all my reviews

Review: The Closer: Young Readers Edition

The Closer: Young Readers Edition by Mariano Rivera
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Let me say first, that I am NOT a Yankees fan, but I had heard so many good things about Mariano Rivera, that I felt I could read this book and enjoy it for the story. And I did. Mariano started out in life as a poor fisherman's son from Panama. He dropped out of school, and enjoyed playing soccer. His life and work ethic are something every young person needs to read. Once Mariano gets drafted by the Yankees, his life changes drastically, but the person, the young man, always stays true to himself. There is a lot of play-by-play in this book, so if you're in to baseball, you will certainly enjoy it. This is a remarkable sports success story, with a man I would want to be friends with.

View all my reviews

Review: Terrible Typhoid Mary: A True Story of the Deadliest Cook in America

Terrible Typhoid Mary: A True Story of the Deadliest Cook in America by Susan Campbell Bartoletti
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

People of a certain age grew up hearing admonitions like, "Cover your mouth when you sneeze. What are you, Typhoid Mary?" I had always thought "Typhoid Mary" was just an expression for somebody who spreads germs. Well, now I know that Typhoid Mary was a real person, and her name was Mary Mallon, who lived and worked in New York City way back in the early 1900's. Susan Campbell Bartoletti has written another really good historical non-fiction book that lets us know all about Mary, an Irish immigrant who worked as cook for wealthy families in New York. After reading this book, some may sympathize with her predicament, and some will be outraged with her actions. Mary never believed that she was carrying the Typhoid germ.

View all my reviews