Number the Stars

Mom's Notes: This book was a Julia (8) and Mom book club pick. Julia's teacher read it aloud at school, and she pulled it off our shelf to read it again on her own. It's been years since I read it, and I'm very impressed with Lowry's approach to showing the effects of WWII through the eyes of a child. Even though it's a very short novel, the characters are so well-developed that your heart aches for the families in hiding and you find yourself praying for their safety and cheering on their rescuers. 

Redwall

Which Redwall character do you relate to most?

Julia (8): "I relate to Cornflower. She's always watching out for Mattheas and I watch out for my friends and family."

Gabe (6): "Matthias. Because I would kill a snake."

If you were Matthias, would you trust the crow? 

Julia: "I would keep her as prisoner, and see if she was right or wrong. Then I would release her and we would be friends, if she was telling the truth."

Gabe: "Maybe. Because two of the crows were good."

Mom's Notes: Jonny had mentioned reading some of the books in this series as a kid. I surprised him with the first one for his birthday. The British vocabulary and prose made this read-aloud a bit of a challenge, but the kids were ever-attentive and followed the story of bravery and sacrifice well. I wouldn't be surprised if they pick up a few more in the series on their own in a few years.