Book of the Day: The Lacemaker and the Princess

The Lacemaker and the Princess by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley


My rating: 3 of 5 stars


Dim lighting, a demanding grandmother, tiny stitches, a tired back and fingers. This is the life of eleve-year-old old Isabelle. She lives in the time leading of up the French Revolution and is suddenly plucked from her life of hard work and thrown into the lap of luxury. She is rescued, by Marie Antoinette, from being trampled in a crowd and Isabelle becomes playmate to a princess. She is given new clothes, a new name and all the food she can eat, but what of her family living in near poverty without her help with the family lace-making business? Then Isabelle begins to hear whispers that all is not well with France, the people are unhappy with their King and the royal family. Will her position as the princess’s closest friend put her and her family in harm’s way? Which side is right, she loves and understands the princess but her family is starving, is that how the royal family should care for their people? This story is based upon the true friendship between the princess and a commoner; many events are true to history. This story is a fine introduction into an intriguing time period and an enjoyable read.




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FLUSH by Carl Hiassen

Flush by Carl Hiaasen


My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Flush was not at all what I expected. Sometimes it is fun to pick up a book based solely on the cover or the fact that I see a lot of kids checking it out. It made me think that maybe I should check it out. I hadn’t read a review, asked anyone about it or scanned through the book at all. I simply started reading on page one, and I was intrigued.


The book opens with Noah’s dad is in jail, he is no criminal mastermind he simply gets angry when people disrespect nature, he occasionally takes things a bit too far. He, for instance, feels that sinking the boat of a man who continually breaks the law by dumping toilet waste into the ocean is perfectly right and justified. He is also able to take out his anger by punching holes in every door in the house, landing himself in the emergency room with 6 broken knuckles.


Noah, like his dad, is a lover of the Florida Keys and all of nature. He and his sister take on their dads agenda, to protect the ocean from the likes of Dusty Muleman, and earn back their fathers good name in the process. They have to deal with bullies, rough and tough body guards, and a mysterious pirate who keeps appearing right when they need his help; all while keeping their entire plan secret from their parents. To find out if they will succeed in showing who the true crook and lawbreaker is, and in saving their family read FLUSH, by Carl Hiaasen.






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Among the Hidden

I really enjoyed this book.  I listened to the audio book while driving around and setting up the library.  The main character, Nick, lives in the not so distant future when the government has outlawed many things including having more than two children.  Nick is a Third or Shadow Child.  His parents broke the law to have him and now keep him hidden.  A neighborhood is built near their house and it become harder and more important than ever that he stay hidden.  When Nicks starts to see Shadows in a near by house after he knows both parents and both boys who live there are gone he starts to wonder if there is another Hidden child living there.  He learns that some rules need to be broken when he sneaks over to the house one afternoon.  Read this book if you enjoy adventure and suspense, you will not be able to put it down and will race to the library to find the next in the series.  The author Margaret Peterson Haddix does not disappoint.