In the midst of Nazi Germany, a group of men attempt to assassinate Hitler. Their plan fails, and their families pay the price. Hitler is merciless in his revenge on the families and children of the men who tried to kill him. But a few of the children survive, and they are nicknamed the Ghost Children.

I appreciate this clear look at a complicated time in history, and how the nuances of the political climate in Germany were so much more complex than we can understand today. I think history tends to remember all Germans as being evil people who were complicit with Hitler's plans, but so many of the German people were actively fighting against him from within.

I love that this story explores so many aspects of living in Germany during the war. Some of the spies were being forced to fight in the German military, or even worked as government officials in the Nazi party. They had to navigate treachery and terror, in order to get close enough to Hitler to try to kill him and other high-ranking officials. And of course, we follow the children and their families at home as civilians, going to school, working at jobs, and living ordinary lives... until they weren't.

The men who acted against Hitler were heroes, and it is heartbreaking to read the story of their children and spouses and brothers and sisters who were arrested, imprisoned without trial, sent to concentration camps, murdered, and even tortured for information.

The writing style is excellent, and really brings the history to life. The photographs and maps help the reader to visualize each person and what is happening in the history. Seeing the faces of each little child will just break your heart.

This can be a disturbing book to read. It talks about people being tortured and hanged, and others being murdered in cold blood. However it is so important that stories like these be told, so that we can learn from the atrocities of history and never repeat them.

Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for a free and honest review. All the opinions stated here are my own true thoughts, and are not influenced by anyone.

When her father dies, Emily goes to live with her maiden aunts at the New Moon farm. She dreams of becoming a writer someday, but her strict Aunt Elizabeth has forbidden such frivolous things as writing poetry or reading novels.

Reading this for the 12th or 13th time, I enjoy it just as much, if not more, than ever!

Emily is such a sensitive and courageous little person. This book has such extreme emotions, and explores really deep feelings and experiences. Emily deals with terrible grief and fear, but also finds exquisite joy and beauty.

All the characters are so vivid and interesting. They are all so different, and each person feels real. The writing pulls you into the story. The plot has something funny and weird and new in every chapter.

Such a delight to reread this old favorite!

Eli and his friends seem to have finally shaken off the evil Project Osiris that were hunting them down. But now that they are safe, they wonder what has happened to the other children who were left behind in the Project. They hatch a plan to rescue their friends, but their resources are limited and they have no idea where Project Osiris might be hiding.

I really enjoyed the ending of this trilogy! The whole story comes together with some great surprise twists. I loved the action and the fast pace of the plot. There's more excellent character development for Eli and the others as they come face to face with some of their worst fears, and they finally have to answer the question, Does their DNA define who they are?

This time the plot was a little more believable with less jumping off buildings and out of cars. But still... they were constantly doing insane things that would never have worked in the real world. If you can suspend your disbelief, it's a fun ride.

I was happy with the way the ending brought a lot of threads of the plot together, and the denouement was nicely paced. Altogether, this trilogy is an enjoyable read!

In this second book Eli and his friends are on the run from the evil Project Osiris. They are searching for answers and wondering how they can get justice when no one will believe their story.

I liked this second book in the series! It has more action than the first book, but less mystery. The plot is always moving, but I missed the puzzle aspect of the mystery from the first book. Some of the action was unrealistic and far-fetched. They jump off buildings, highjack vehicles, and (as the cover shows) jump into raging rivers. There's no way normal people could survive this stuff. I was rolling my eyes a couple of times.

I loved seeing how the characters react in crazy situations, and their fear that they are becoming criminals. They have no choice but to break into a house, steal food, or even steal a car if they want to escape, but they don't feel good about it. Their criminal DNA gives them the skills to survive, but they hate the people they are becoming as they go further and further down that road.

I will be really interested to see where the moral implications of this second book take the characters in the third book. They are in pretty deep with some criminal behavior. I really hope there is a happy moral ending for them.

I loved how the characters interact with each other. Their respect and affection grows as they learn to work as a group and support each other through some sticky situations. There is some interesting character development.

This one ends on another cliffhanger, so I can't wait to read the third book!

This book helped me to understand the nature of random thoughts, and to learn not to put too much importance on the weird thoughts that will sometimes jump into your mind. I like that the authors gently guide you through understanding your thoughts. They give advice and techniques for how to softly lead your mind toward positive thoughts and feelings, instead of ruminating and dwelling on negative feelings or disturbing thoughts.

Disclaimer: I received an ecopy of this book for free from the publisher in exchange for a free and honest review.

The town of Serenity is not as serene as it seems. Eli and his friends begin to discover that their seemingly perfect town is hiding dark secrets.

I really liked the mystery in this book, and the gradual unravelling of the secrets that the townspeople are hiding. The adventure aspects of the story are exciting and kept my attention, but sometimes felt far-fetched and unrealistic. I was rolling my eyes a couple of times.

The characters are smart and emotional, and they all have such unique personalities. I really enjoyed getting to know each of them, and seeing how their flaws and strengths push the story forward. They each react in different ways when they discover what is really going on in the town, and I can't wait to see what further character development they might have in the rest of the series.

I usually can't stand present tense writing. It gets on my nerves pretty quickly. However, this was well-written and consistent, so I didn't mind it too much. And I usually hate multiple POVs between various characters; however, this was well-organized and clear, so I didn't mind it too much. Each chapter is told from a different character's perspective, so at least it was consistent within that POV. It bounces between five characters POVs, but each voice is clear and distinct.

I am going to continue with the trilogy since this book ends on a cliffhanger!

The Bobbsey twins have fun around Christmas time, building snow forts, racing an ice boat, and skating with their friends. Freddie and Flossie go shopping for Christmas presents with their mother, and Nan and Bert have trouble with a bully at school. When spring arrives, the twins go flying a kite, help their neighbors, and encounter what appears to be a ghost.

I used to love these books when I was a girl. The writing is very simple and the plot is straight-forward. Not much really happens. They go to a party and have a good time. The kitten gets stuck up on the roof, and they borrow a ladder to get the kitten down. It's mostly peaceful and happy with little adventures that resolve quickly. Just right for little readers.

Of course, the setting reflects an older time when gender stereotypes and racism was the norm. But I think it's an important look at history to see how certain ideas were considered normal at one time, although they are offensive now. It might be a good conversation to have with a child about how the only true moral compass that can be trusted to stand the test of time is the Bible.

3.5 stars
Alex is a former spy interrogator on the run to escape the assassins being sent after her. She has one last chance to do a job for her former employers that might give her back her old life. But the job goes horribly wrong, and she finds herself in even more danger than ever before. Running for her life, she is weighed down by a budding romance with a man who is a liability in this cat-and-mouse game she is playing.

I'm not really sure what my reaction is to this book. There were some parts that I really loved, and some that I seriously didn't like. I skimmed all the dumb stuff about the dogs. I skimmed most of the action scenes with car chases and guns. I got bored with the constant road trips.

But I liked the romance. It was sappy puppy-love stuff, but it was cute. However, it was just so blushing and blooming and adorable that it was a strange contrast to all the darkness in the rest of the plot. It was also awkward how quickly they fell for each other, and under such unusual circumstances. It felt a little forced.

I hated the violence and the torture. It gave me nightmares. Then again, if the writing was vivid enough to give me nightmares... that's some good writing. Horrible subject, but effective writing.

There was a little bit of minor profanity, but it was not too much, so it didn't bother me too badly. And it was appropriate for the setting, so at least it served a purpose. It wasn't just randomly sprinkled in.

I hated the body count. How many people died in this book? At least a couple dozen spies, mafia, and civilians all died horrifically. I guess it was realistic, but it was a bit too much for me. I skimmed most of the murders and blood and guts.

I wasn't that impressed with the mystery and spy stuff. I prefer more cerebral spy stories that have a puzzle aspect to them. This was mostly shooting and hiding and running and poisoning somebody and then more shooting.

And yet, the story kept my attention. I cared about the characters. I wanted them to live and succeed and have a happy ending. I was on the edge of my seat, hoping they would survive. I could feel their strong emotions right along with them. I felt afraid when they were afraid, and I felt relaxed and peaceful with them in the few safe moments they had.

As a character-driven reader, I loved the amazing way the relationships between the characters expanded and grew. It was so entertaining to see how their perceptions of each other would change with each conversation. I actually enjoyed reading about the hate-to-brotherly-love relationship between Alex and another character way more than I was interested in the romance.

So I honestly don't know what I think about this book. Did I like it? Did I enjoy it? Did I hate it? I truthfully can't tell. Either way, I'm glad that I read it. But never again! I don't want any more nightmares about spies kidnapping and torturing me.

This cookbook captures all the magic of Hogwarts through each holiday season. There are recipes from all your favorite Harry Potter scenes from the first train ride to Halloween, Christmas, and Valentine's Day.

I love that each holiday section begins with a little page that describes what we love most about a magical Hogwarts holiday. It's the comforting familiarity of tea and rock cakes in Hagrid's hut. It's the crispy fall weather at Halloween with baked pumpkin and cockroach clusters.

We have recipes for a gloomy death-day party, the glorious Yule ball, and a cozy castle breakfast in the Great Hall. On New Year's Day we get chocolate fudge and mince pies. For a special World Cup dinner, we have a chicken-and-ham pie and strawberry ice cream.

There is an entire section just for special wizard drinks, some for children like pumpkin juice and butterbeer, and some for the adults like liquid luck and fire whiskey. The Owl-Mail Feast section includes food to feed a certain Marauder dog who might be hiding out in the hills in need of sustenance. His care package includes a ham, sweet buns, and a fruit salad.

Some recipes that I definitely want to try are the pumpkin pasties, the carrot cake, cauldron cakes, and of course the famous butterbeer. I love all the traditional British recipes for crumpets, Christmas pudding, trifle, and kippers. But one of the coolest recipes in the entire book has to be the snitch-shaped cake pops for Harry's birthday!

I love that there are beautiful photos of each recipe, so you can really see what you are cooking. The pictures are so good that my mouth was watering! And each recipe has clear instructions with the prep time and the serving amounts. The recipes are not too difficult, and some would be simple enough for children to help with the cooking!

This wonderful cookbook invites the reader to remember that "Hogwarts will always be there to welcome you home." It's a magical experience!

Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from the publisher/author in exchange for a free and honest review. All the opinions stated here are my own true thoughts, and are not influenced by anyone.

The Bible talks about "strangers" and "aliens" hundreds of times, calling Christians "strangers" in the world because our true home is in Heaven. The Israelites were commanded to welcome "strangers" into their community. God tells us more than once to love our neighbor (no matter where they come from) and to be compassionate toward those in need.

This book begins with some personal history of the author, and how they first began to have a special place in their heart for immigrants and people from other nations. They give some personal stories of their international friends, and how knowing such diverse people enhanced their understanding of the world.

Then there is an overview of how the Bible talks about immigrants and "strangers" who travel and migrate to a new place. The Old Testament urges the Israelites to treat immigrants just the same as their own people under the law, and to be generous with the poor, but not to allow foreign religions to influence their devotion to God.

The New Testament has many passages about being kind to foreigners, but the most notable in this book is Jesus' commandment to give to the poor and aid those in trouble as if we were giving that aid to Jesus Himself. The passage in Matthew 25:21-46 specifically refers to being a stranger without a home, and being given shelter and a place to stay.

I enjoyed the personal writing style in this book, as if the author is just having a conversation with you about a subject that is important to them. The compassion of the author shines from every page. The information about refugees and immigrants is reliable and compelling. I was pleased to see that this book is peppered with Scripture and is deeply rooted in the Bible.

I loved that this book has questions at the end of each chapter that you could use in a group discussion or answer on your own. This is so crucial for prompting readers to get involved in helping immigrants in their community. The book encourages the reader to be alert for any opportunity to reach out to someone in need. Just being willing to listen to someone's story, validate their experience, and welcome them into a new community is invaluable for a displaced person in a new and unfamiliar environment.


Disclaimer: I received an ecopy of this book from the author in exchange for a free and honest review.