I hope you have enjoyed your summer and spent some time reading some great books.  I read a little over 20 books this summer, and I did not write blogs for all of them.  For the books I have yet to write about, I am going to briefly describe the books and rate them on a scale of 1 to 5 with a 5 being the best.  Here we go…

My Father’s Son by Terri Fields * * * * (4-stars)

Kevin Windor’s life takes a turn for the worst when the news reports the capture of a serial killer, and the face on the screen is his father.

Anything But Typical by Nora Raleigh Baskin ***** (5-Stars)

Jason Blake tells what it is like to be a person with autism.

All the Broken Pieces by Ann E. Burg **** (4-Stars)

Told in poetry format, Matt Pin describes his life after being air-lifted out of Vietnam and adopted by Americans.

A Season of Gifts by Richard Peck **** (4-Stars)

A funny and beautiful story set in a small town during the 1950s about family, neighbors and the gifts they have to share with each other.

Notes from the Dog by Gary Paulsen ***** (5-Stars)

Finn doesn’t particularly like talking and spending time with people because he is shy.  His plan to spend the summer interacting with as few people as possible is destroyed when Johanna, a young graduate student with cancer, moves in next door.

Scat by Carl Hiaasen **** (4-Stars)

Hiaasen writes another hilarious mystery where protecting the environment is the theme. Nick, the main character, works through the difficulty of having a father fighting in Afghanistan. This book is excellent in audio book format.


Signal by Cynthia DeFelice *** (3-Stars)

Owen meets Campion, a girl with startling green eyes. She recruits Owen to help her signal her alien parents, so they can pick her up and take her back to their planet.