Stargirl -  Jerry Spinelli (Young Adult Fiction)

I believe Stargirl was a great book. It's about this girl who is very weird. She has been home-schooled her whole life, and then comes to school but doesn't know how to act. She plays the ukelele and her constant companion is Cinnamon, the rat. She gives cookies and cards out to everyone in the school for their birthdays, no matter who it is. She got to be a cheerleader and cheers for anyone who does something right. Even when the other team scores, she cheers. She is forced to either learn "to act" to fit in, or stay herself and not fit in with them. I highly recommend this book to young and old readers. - Jacob

The Purpose Driven Life – Rick Warren (Spiritual/Self Improvement)

This book takes the reader on a 40 day journey that is designed to help answer the question, "What am I here for?" We received this as a gift from a dear friend, and I am using this as my Lenten study. (I started it the first part of February in order to finish it by Easter!!!)  It's serving quite a few purposes for me...I don't agree with all of the theology, but I'm trying not to "argue" with the premises, and just take the parts that are helpful, and leave the rest for someone else. (This isn't an easy thing for me to do!!) It is also giving me a focused time to contemplate the meaning of my existence...whew! - Barbie

The Track of the Cat

Blood Lure

Liberty Falling

Hunting Season – Nevada Barr (Mystery/Adult Fiction)

 Anna Pigeon is a National Park Ranger who solves mystery after mystery. Set in different National Parks, I am compelled to read these books and have been known to set our destinations based on Barr's descriptions. We are headed toward the Natchez Trace because of two of her books! - Barbie

Peace Like a River  – Leif Enger (Adult Fiction)

This debut novel knocked me off my feet. It is a wonder-filled story of love, loyalty, miracles and faith. This my highest rated book I've read this year. If you only read one book, it should be this one. The journey through the book is as satisfying as the ending destination. - Barbie

The Tail of the Tip-Off – Rita Mae Brown and Sneaky Pie Brown (Mystery)

Rita Mae Brown teams up with her feline writing partner, Sneaky Pie Brown to write another who-dunnit. Set in Crozet, VA this is the story of women's basketball, life in Virginia and murder. I always love these books...so much so that we made a stop in Crozet just because of them. Reality, unfortunately didn't live up to fiction!- Barbie

Blue Highways: A Journey into America – William Least Heat-Moon (Travel Journal)

The exact opposite of the Guide to the Interstates, this book explores our country's back roads. The author's writing style is as comfortable and meandering as the little roads and towns he writes about. You can sit down with the sweet old couple who owns the general store or play checkers with the old men sipping their lemonade in the hot sun. Luckily, he brought his camera along too, so you can see what he's talking about. - Loring

Crossing America: National Geographic's Guide to the Interstates – National Geographic Society (Travel)

One of the things we've learned while traveling, is that no matter how boring a place may seem, there are always hidden treasures; reasons why its inhabitants live there. Usually, short conversations at the store, restaurant, or even (gasp!) the visitors' center, will turn up the gems that make a town a home. The only problem is you can't easily get such information while flying down the interstate. That's why our copy of Crossing America is so well thumbed-through. "Quick, get out the interstate book! We're on I-75 at exit 42B. What's nearby?" The book is well-organized with a map of each interstate and numbers marking each blurb as well as exit numbers and towns and cities. There are even a few interesting spots the authors suggest are "worth the drive" to leave the interstate. We have found the suggestions well-matched to our tastes, although they are often quite short - usually a sentence about each. If you want more details, you need to consult another reference or call the site with the included phone number. - Loring

First We Quit Our Jobs – Marilyn Abraham (Travel)

Boy, oh boy, the title sure sounds tempting, doesn't it? (Barbie kept telling me I probably shouldn't read it.) This is the story of a fast-lane couple who decided to hit the road in an RV to find out what they wanted to be when they grew up. The best lesson to learn from the Abrahams is to never assume you can't make a change. In fact, if you really want something, you can indeed make it happen! You will enjoy this book if you like RVing, if you like traveling, or if you just like hearing road stories.  - Loring

Johnny Tremain – Esther Forbes (Juvenile Lit.)

Johnny is an apprentice in pre-revolutionary Boston who grows up dramatically just as this new country is formed. The author of this book does a great job of creating a believable fictional character and placing him in the midst of historical characters such as Paul Revere, John Hancock, John and Samuel Adams and others. Her re-telling of history is engaging. Anyone wanting a fictionalized account of the revolution should read this one!  - Barbie

Crispin: The Cross of Lead – Avi (Juvenile Lit.)

The story of Crispin takes place in England in the 14th century. We're reading it as a family and I honestly don't know who is enjoying it more, the kids or the adults. It is the winner of the Newbery Award for literature and certainly deserves it. The book is recommended for ages 10 and up, and that seems about right. I'd caution any teacher considering reading it to a class to read it before presenting it to your students...the history, culture and religious themes may need some prior consideration. - Barbie

Deep South – Nevada Barr (Adult Novel)

This was a good “summer read”. Anna Pigeon is a National Park Ranger who finds herself stationed at Natchez Trace in Mississippi. This is the eighth book in the Anna Pigeon series and the first one I’ve read. Having never been to Mississippi, it was good to get a feel for the land, the people and the animals there. While I hope we don’t end up in the middle of a murder mystery like Anna does, I will certainly push for exploring Natchez Trace as a part of our trip. - Barbie

Secret Life of Bees – Sue Monk Kidd (Adult Novel)

Secret Life of Bees is “one of those books” – those rare, moving and long-lasting books. Set in South Carolina in the early 1960s, the main character, Lily is a motherless child. Lily journeys with Rosaleen, her “stand in mother” to escape racism and her abusive father. She comes to learn about beekeeping, her mother’s history, a divine Black Madonna and how to mother herself. -Barbie

Fair Weather – Richard Peck (Juvenile Novel…but don’t let that fool you)

Richard Peck is one of the best historical fiction writers I’ve found for middle grade kids. He has been awarded the Newbery Medal for A Year Down Yonder. I think that the main reason his books work for kids, is that they don’t realize that they are learning history because the characters and plot are so mesmerizing. This is certainly the case with Fair Weather. It’s set in 1893 at the Chicago World’s Fair. Rosie Beckett finds herself fresh off the farm at her aunt’s “mansion” in the middle of Chicago. This book is a great turn of the century history lesson, but better than that it’s a wonderful story full of quirky characters. - Barbie

Granny Torrelli Makes Soup – Sharon Creech Juvenile Novel…but don’t let that fool you)

What do you get when you mix an Italian granny, a 12 year old girl and the girl’s best friend who happens to be a boy and blind? You get another soul-satisfying book by Sharon Creech. Although Creech’s main audience is 9 – 14 year olds, if you haven’t read any of her books, you should. And, if you are already a fan of hers this book is rated by Sarah as her 4^th favorite, after Walk Two Moons, Chasing Redbird, Absolutely Normal Chaos. - Barbie

Do Them No Harm (Lewis & Clark among the Nez PerceI) – Zoa Swayne (History)

The author spent years writing down the events of 1805 and 1806 as remembered by the Nez Perce storytellers. So far it is a “stretching” read making me look up words in the glossary, and because of the native names, it’s difficult for me to keep the characters and places straight. It’s interesting so far, but I’m not used to having to work at what I’m reading! (Now I know how the kids feel at school!) - Barbie

At the Mercy of the Sea – Lisa Clayton (Adult Autobiography)

This book was a gift to us before we left Redlands. It is a first person account of a woman’s quest to circumnavigate the world in a sailboat. Oh, and by the way, she is doing it alone, unassisted and without stopping. It is an amazing read even if you don’t sail. I didn’t understand much of the technical “stuff”, but still could follow the book. One of the most enjoyable parts is that it is written by, and therefore attempted by, a sister of a friend of ours. Sara Simpson lives in Redlands and does the “soccer” stuff with us – her sister is Lisa Clayton – so we got to read about Sara when she was young and also got to see a great family photo! - Barbie

Bubble Bath Pirates – Jarrett Krosoczka (Picture Book)

We read this book in the Ashland Library in Ashland, Oregon. It is a cute picture book with a fun theme of “regular kids” becoming pirates as they take their bath. Both the illustrations and storyline are good, however the ending fizzles. Good for parents with young kids who already like pirates, or for teachers who do pirate units. - Barbie

Punctuation Takes a Vacation – Robin Pulver (Picture Book)

This book was a find in Powell’s Bookstore in Portland, OR. What a great book!!! This is definitely a school book. Any teacher in any grade who teaches punctuation should have this book in their classroom. It is a wonderful look at what each punctuation mark does, and gives each one its own personality based on it’s job. Highly recommended!!  - Barbie

Vote 4 Me (Winning is Everything) - Cameron Dokey (Juvenile)

Stephanie wants more than anything to impress her family, so she decides to run for class president. If she wins she will get a huge trophy which she thinks will do the trick of impressing her family. Unfortunately, her best friend Allie is running for the same job. Will Stephanie do everything she can to win, even if it means losing her friendship with Allie? I really liked this book and read it in a day… it’s based on the Full House TV series! - Sarah

When the Water Closes Over My Head – Donna Jo Napoli (Juvenile)

It’s an okay book about a fourth grade boy who has a bratty older sister and a conniving little brother. He also has a weird little sister. Mikey, the main character, is afraid of water and is petrified that he will get dunked, pushed in or drowned. His parents have already signed him up for swimming classes and he really doesn’t want to go. He makes up lots of excuses so he won’t have to.

Don’t waste your time, it’s not that great of a book. - Jacob

The Outsiders – S.E. Hinton (Young Adult Lit.)

This book is highly recommended by my sister and me. It is about two sides of a town in the southwest: Socs and the Greasers. One of the gang members killed a kid. They stow away in a church which burns down and they rescue each other. It is a great book. You definitely should read it. This book was written by S.E. Hinton when she was 16 years old. She did a super job. - Jacob

The House of Dies Drear – Virginia Hamilton (Young Adult Lit.)

The House of Dies Drear is a well-crated book about the hardships and cruelties of slavery. Young Thomas moves into the "haunted house" in town. He discovers secret passageways, dark corridors and meets the strange neighbors. This book offers an informational and great read. I highly recommend it. - Sarah

The Order of the Phoenix – J.K. Rowling (All Ages)

Either you read these, or you don’t. We all really like the Harry Potter books, but for some reason neither Sarah or Jacob have gotten into this one as much as previous ones. However, for Barbie it is one of her favorites – perhaps because it has school/government politics embroiled within it.

Martin’s Mice – Dick King-Smith (Juvenile Lit.)

Martin is a kitten who really likes mice. He won’t eat them, however – he makes them into pets. Martin’s adventures with his mice and then with the father he never knew and finally as a “pet” himself kept us happily entertained. By the same author of Babe – the Gallant Pig, we really liked this as a family read-aloud. It’s a little bit young for our kids, but would be good for 2^nd – 5^th graders.