If I Stay

    Mia had everything; a future full of promises and choices, a loving family, a worthwhile hobby, and good friends. Then, on a day that started like any other, everything is taken from her in one big blow. Caught between life and death, Mia must make the most important decision she'll ever make.

       Beautifully written and extremely touching, "If I Stay" will suck you in and have you crying beginning to end. I suggest readers to be 14+  when they read this book.

Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants #1

  Carmen, Tibby, Bridget, and Lena have been a foursome since before they were born. Now they are approaching their first summer apart. Lena is going to Greece to stay with her grandparents, Bridget is going to soccer camp in Mexico, Carmen is going to South Carolina to stay with her dad, and Tibby is staying home.

    The Pants were bought at a thrift store. Carmen thinks they're ugly and wants to toss them, but Tibby, Lena, and Bridget think they're beautiful. Lena suggests that everyone--including Carmen--must try on the Pants, and whoever the jeans fit best gets them. But the Pants fit all of them perfectly. And so the Sisterhood was born.

   Throughout the summer, the foursome keep in touch using the Pants. Whoever has the Pants must inscribe the best thing that happened to them on the Pants before sending it to the next person. 

  This book is a quick read but really enjoyable. A great book for teens and adults alike! 

   

The Help

 Twenty-two-year-old Skeeter has just graduated from Ole Miss, but her mother will not be happy until she's married. Skeeter would normally find comfort in talking to Constantine, the maid who raised her, but Constantine is no longer working for Skeeter's family and no one will tell Skeeter why she left or where she is.
  Aibileen is a black maid who works for Miss Leefolt, one of Skeeter's best friends. Aibileen loves watching Miss Leefolt's daughter Mae Mobley, but she dreads the day the little girl realizes the difference between blacks and whites.
  Minny, Aibileen's best friend, is the best cook in town, but has lost yet another job due to her sass. Minny finally finds another job working for a lady named Miss Celia. But Miss Celia is keeping secrets and Minny doesn't know why.


  These three women, as different as they are, come together to work on a project that will put them all at risk. Why? Because they believe that the lines drawn between blacks and whites were made to be crossed.


 I thought this book was sad, touching, educational, and exciting. I picked it up and couldn't stop reading! Kathryn Stockett has an amazing imagination and a true gift for writing. 

Double Take

  Madison Van Buren is a rich city girl living in New York. Fed up with all the stress she's under about colleges and what to do for spring break, she gets in her car and drives away.
  Anna Fisher is an Amish girl who doesn't want to stay with her aunt Rachel and her wild cousins. So when the two girls meet in a coffee shop and realize they look alike, they decide to switch places for a week. 
   I really enjoyed reading this book. It is one of those books that you start reading and just can't stop. Thanks for recommending, Maria!

Heron Pond

  My goal in summer 2011 is to visit all the metro parks of Columbus (http://metroparks.net/). I started my "adventure" on Sunday at Heron Pond. These are some of the pictures I took. Enjoy!

                                               


                                                   Michael and Christopher by the pond.

                                         
                                               Me and Christopher

                                         
                                              Christopher found a "secret path"

                                       

                                            Christopher and his "friends" the geese

                                       
                                             
                                         
                                             Michael and Christopher watching the sunset

                                           

                                           

Olivia and the Little Way

Olivia and the Little Way by Nancy Carabio Belanger follows Olivia Thomas as she starts fifth grade at a new school and tries to fit in. When things aren't going well, Olivia prays to Saint Therese of Lisieux, the Little Flower, and learns about the "Little Way" of serving God.
The lesson this book teaches goes for both children and adults and is a good book to read aloud. Thanks for lending it to us, Maria!

The Secret Life of Bees

The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd tells the story of Lily Owens, a fourteen-year-old girl growing up on a peach farm in South Carolina in 1964. When Lily and her black "stand-in mother", Rosaleen, get into some trouble, the two run away to Tiburon, South Carolina, where they stay with three black beekeeping sisters. As Lily adjusts to her "dream life", she learns more about her mother's past and what really happened the day she died.

 This is one of those books you pick up and can't stop reading. I strongly recommend! Thanks for lending it to me, Abby!

Sing Down the Moon

Sing Down the Moon by Scott O'Dell follows Bright Morning, a fourteen-year-old Navaho Indian living in the 1860s. She and her friend, Running Bird, are captured by Spanish slavers and make a risky escape. I loved this book and will read and reread it until I know every word by heart.

Angelic Tails and Hope Rising

Angelic Tails by Joan Wester Anderson is made of true stories about people who believe that special dogs were sent to them in times of need by God. All the stories in it were truly amazing, but my favorite was Baby's Best Friend, which I will read over and over for years to come. 

  Hope Rising by Kim Meeder is also made of true stories, but not about dogs. Instead, it is about a ranch in Oregon that rescues abused and neglected horses and pairs them with emotionally disadvantaged children. I cried several times while reading this book from both sadness and happiness. I strongly recommend both these books to anyone who loves animals and reading.