{Keep Calm and Soldier On}

Aaron Blabey writes fantastic children's books that appeal to both of my boys.  They are so stinkin' fun! Pig the Pug is about a sweet dog named Trevor who lives with Pig the Pug, a stingy dog with bad habits and an even worse attitude.  The story had both my boys laughing hysterically with his rotten ways.  The rhyme scheme makes the book very easy to read.  I love that each one teaches a lesson, much to Pug's despair. J started the year off as a reluctant reader until I picked up The Bad Guys through a Scholastic book order.  Once he started reading, he just fell in love and whizzed right through them.  They're about "bad guys" who have changed their ways and are trying to be good, although it doesn't come easily for them.  It was so much fun watching him really get into the story and laugh at the character's silly antics.  I am thrilled that I stumbled upon these! Click here for more info. on this awesome author.

I just finished listening to the audiobook version of We Were the Lucky Ones , by Georgia Hunter.  The book is about a Jewish family in Poland, and how each member of the family survives World War II and the Holocaust.   The fact that although each member of the family has such a different story, and yet they all survive such a horrible time in history is just mind boggling.  I haven't been so emotionally moved by the end of a book since Unbroken .   Seriously.  I didn't know if I wanted to hysterically sob or laugh with joy. I liked the informational asides although they are a bit unusual in historical fiction; I appreciated how they connected the story to the time in general.  Don't forget about the Epilogue, by the way.  This one was fantastic. Also, I tend to listen to books more because it's easier to fit into my schedule, especially when I'm doing mindless chores like laundry, etc.  I really enjoyed the narrator, Kathleen Gati....