Terri Blackstock does an excellent job of weaving a tangled web of clues for the reader to use in figuring out who framed Jay in his soon-to-be ex-wife’s murder. Jay’s three sisters and ex-cop guy-friend form a motley crew who take in all the clues and head in a totally different direction than the police. Can they figure it out in time to save Jay’s five-year-old son? This book was a page turner. I would say more, but I don’t want to ruin anything!! Enjoy!
Pearl is a young lady who lives with her mom and grandma as a group of three. At school, she believes that she is a group of one, but through a series of events she realizes that her group of one has expanded to include classmates. This is a heart wrenching story written in verse through Pearl’s viewpoint as she struggles with rhyming in school when her grandma taught her that free unrhymed verse can tell a story much more effectively, sometimes. This story really touched my heart as the little girl has to deal with her grandma’s decline. I recommend reading it with a kleenax ready!
Foster is the best cupcake baker in West Virginia, but she is hiding a secret she is too embarrassed to admit. She and her mother have just escaped a rough relationship and have started fresh in this little town named Culpepper. The town boasts a prison, Angry Wayne’s restaurant, a church for sale, and a haven house for prisoners’ families to stay in while visiting. Foster and her mother have won their way into the town’s hearts with their hard work, perseverance, and dedication. Foster wants to be the first kid on the Food Network with her own show, so often she will practice her shtick with the stuffed catfish on the wall of their borrowed trailer. Good stuff.
I really enjoyed this 2013-2014 Mark Twain Award nominee. The author connects you to Foster immediately and you can’t help but root for her. If you believe in yourself and work hard, then you can be successful at anything you put your mind to.
Three best friends whose lives are intricately tied together through a Sister to Sister group in their church have been through some real trials in their lives. A cheating, wife-beating husband, recent divorce, tempting potential lovers, an 11 year old son with serious anger issues, a possible threat to one’s marriage, being stranded on an island in a storm with the choir director….these are just a few of the issues that Pam, Taylor, and Yvonne have to deal with. When a lovely girl, Eva, shows up at their church meeting needing food, Yvonne is more than happy to assist her and reach out with kindness. But can Eva’s past derail all that Yvonne has hoped for? Can Taylor forgive her baby’s daddy? Can Pam stay strong in the face of temptation?
This book surprised me with its frankness in dealing with serious problems in relationships. It was a bit confusing at first because each chapter is told from a different woman’s point of view and you don’t really know the connection between the ladies early on. It mixes street-wise folk with shouting-hallelujah folk and is heavy on pushing that Jesus will help you through it all. All in all, it was a good read that kept you guessing.
What if your parents got a crazy idea that they can manage a small farm in the middle of nowhere, and they drag you away from the only life you ever knew in the bustle of the city? That is exactly what happens to 12 year old Taylor McNamara just before starting school. Will the chicken poop flying everywhere and the bloating sheep get her down? Will she survive embarrassing moments of farm mishaps that leave their evidence on her stylish clothing? Will her friends help her succeed in convincing her parents that the farm life is not for them?
Taylor was a believable pre-teen who only wanted to be accepted in her new school, be able to make friends, and survive the chore of taking care of 74 farm animals. Her new friends are great; trying to help her in any way that they can. Taylor’s parents sound like typical adults who try something new, discover it is going to be stressful, and forget about the kid for a while. I like how the author let you in on the parents’ relationship throughout the story, too. All in all, it was a good book that I would recommend for tweens (especially if they are interested in the perils of farm life!)