Month: September 2025
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Abraham Lincoln, Friend of the People by Clara Ingram Judson (1951)
A straightforward biography of Abraham Lincoln, mostly focused on his life before 1860 — only about the last third covers his presidency and the Civil War. Bland but reasonably accurate, I can imagine a kid who is interested in Lincoln would appreciate this book even today.
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The Tombs of Atuan by Ursula K. Le Guin (1972)
As a young girl, Tenar is taken from her family, identified as the reincarnation of the highest ranked priestess at a holy site. Her life is to be a lonely, limited one, carrying out rituals for the Nameless Ones, but things are shaken up when an unauthorized visitor comes. The second book in the Earthsea fantasy series, this starts slow but becomes a page-turner by the end.
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The Golden Basket by Ludwig Bemelmans (1937)
Two little girls take a short residence in the Hotel of the Golden Basket in Bruges along with their father. They get into some small adventures with the other residents of the hotel, but ultimately, this is not a book with much of a plot. Still, it is a charming, breezy read.
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The Railroad to Freedom by Hildegarde Hoyt Swift (1933)
A fictionalized biography of Harriet Tubman. She was a a slave in Maryland who escaped north, then helped others escape. She also became active for the Union Army during the Civil War. A great example of a novel that did not age well.
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The Courage of Sarah Noble by Alice Dalgliesh (1955)
Sarah Noble is an eight-year old girl who accompanies her father into the wilds of colonial Connecticut where he will build the family a new home. She is afraid of wild animals and of Native Americans, but she repeats a mantra of needing to have courage. A book aimed for elementary-aged readers, it’s brief and not very fun.
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Somewhere in the Darkness by Walter Dean Myers (1993)
Jimmy is a 14-year-old living in New York City. He’s a smart kid who lives with his grandmother, but he skips a lot of school and is probably a little depressed. One day he returns home to find that his dad, who has been in jail most of his life, has come to take him away. This is ultimately a sad novel from almost start to finish – Jimmy’s father is trying to figure himself out, and it’s clear early on that there is not going to be a happy resolution. It’s compelling and well-written, and…