close

Bookin 5K and 1 Mile: Registration now open!

Home:Families

Children's Book Reviews

Great Escapes, True Stories

by Judy Dodge Cummings

If your student likes action and adventure, they will love this collection of true short stories about daring escapes. There are five short stories ; the story of William and Ellen Craft, slaves who fled the south by ingenious disguise, Douglas Mawson who became trapped in the icy waters of Antarctica, Simon Gronowski, a 12-year-old Jew who escaped a Nazi train car headed for Auschwitz, the story of three inmates who escaped the notorious Alcatraz prison, and a story about a daring escape under the Berlin Wall from communist-controlled East Germany. Written in clear, concise language this will attract avid and reluctant readers alike! Review by Laurie Doran

The Doughnut Fix

by Jessie Janowitz

Tristan and his family move to a tiny town in New York after his father loses his job. The house and the town are totally different than their home in New York City, but Tristan immediately finds a project. He sees a sign in a general store for chocolate cream doughnuts. He really wants to eat one, but the owner no longer makes them. Tristan is determined to get the owner to give him the recipe so that he can begin making and selling the doughnuts. Tristan’s doughnut journey and adjustment to a new home is both touching and humorous. Review by Donna Gnatowski

Finding Perfect

by Elly Swartz

Molly Nathans loves her family and friends, poetry slams, her glass figurines, and neatness and order. As the school year progresses, and Molly worries that her mom who is living and working in Canada, may not come back home, her counting and cleaning habits begin to spiral out of control. Molly knows that spending hours getting ready for school and counting by fours inside her head are not really normal, but she doesn’t know what to do about it or who to tell. This is a heartwarming story about a girl’s struggle for understanding and healing. Review by Donna Gnatowski