Friday, May 31, 2013

Hopeful books

I read two great books this week. Both are about new beginnings.


Thebarge, Sarah. The Invisible Girls: A Memoir. New York: Jericho Books, 2013. Print.

A heartbroken young cancer survivor leaves New Haven, Connecticut and moves to Portland, Oregon to escape her problems. By chance, she meets a family of refugees from Somalia  on a commuter train and they form an instant bond as they navigate their new lives.

"Intertwining her own excruciating story of loss and rejection with the stirring story of a family of Somali refugees, The Invisible Girls is a testament to unwavering tenacity, resilient faith, and ineffable grace." --Karen Spears Zacharias, author of The Silence of Mockingbirds: The Memoir of a Murder.


Applegate, Katherine, and Patricia Castelao. The One and Only Ivan. New York: Harper, 2012. Print.

Ivan the Gorilla tolerates his life as a highway circus attraction. He is content to spend his days watching TV and eating and drawing pictures of bananas. When an orphaned  baby elephant is added to the act, however, he comes up with a plan for a better life.

If you liked Charlotte's Web, you will love this year's Newbery Medal winner, The One and Only Ivan.

"A beautifully written, intelligent and brave book. You will never look at the relationship of humans and animals in the same way again. Quite simply, this story is life changing." --Patricia MacLachlan, author of Sarah, Plain and Tall.