Review - Meet the Bigfeet (The Yeti Files #1)

 

Meet the Bigfeet (The Yeti Files #1) - Kevin Sherry, author/illustrator

Summary (from Goodreads):
Blizz Richards is a great guy, a caring boss, and a loyal friend. Oh, yeah...he's also a yeti! He's made it his life's mission to study cryptids like him, hidden animals who have taken a powerful oath to never be seen by the outside world.

So when a photo of Cousin Brian becomes a media sensation, Brian can't handle the guilt and disappears. But it's time for the annual Bigfoot family reunion, and it won't be the same without him. Luckily, Blizz and his devoted team are on the case. Can they find their furry friend before their secret gets out for good?

My Review:
This book is fast paced to the point of frenetic; the pace made me fairly anxious, if I'm honest. The varied print sizes and weight make the text very exciting-looking for some readers; struggling readers or dyslexic readers will probably have a hard time with just the visual aspects, let alone the strange characters and plot.  The characters are goofy and fairly amusing, and there is a bit of a mystery element, which some readers may find interesting.  Apparently there are more books in this series, but the visuals in this are so overwhelming to me that I probably won't seek out the next few for my classroom library unless students specifically request them.

Review - The Drinking Gourd: A Story of the Underground Railroad

 

The Drinking Gourd - F. N. Monjo, author.  Fred Brenner, illustrator

Summary (from Goodreads):

The stars of the Big Dipper have led a runaway slave family to Deacon Fuller's house, a stop on the Underground Railroad. Will Tommy Fuller be able to hide the runaways from a search party—or will the secret passengers be discovered and their hope for freedom destroyed?

My Review:

I thought this story was a good high-level introduction to the Underground Railroad for beginning readers.  The main character, Tommy, is a mischievous boy who is generally relatable for kids.  Students from non-Christian backgrounds may need additional explanation about the church service setting, and readers may require previous instruction on the meaning of slavery, but this would be a good addition to a leveled text set about the Underground Railroad and antebellum South.

Review - The War That Saved My Life

 

The War That Saved My Life - Kimberly Brubaker Bradley, author

Summary (from Goodreads):

Ten-year-old Ada has never left her one-room apartment. Her mother is too humiliated by Ada’s twisted foot to let her outside. So when her little brother Jamie is shipped out of London to escape the war, Ada doesn’t waste a minute—she sneaks out to join him.
 
So begins a new adventure of Ada, and for Susan Smith, the woman who is forced to take the two kids in. As Ada teaches herself to ride a pony, learns to read, and watches for German spies, she begins to trust Susan—and Susan begins to love Ada and Jamie. But in the end, will their bond be enough to hold them together through wartime? Or will Ada and her brother fall back into the cruel hands of their mother?

My Review:

I couldn't put this book down.  It packs so much into the story - childhood abuse and neglect, along with the emotional and psychological ramifications of mistreatment, disability and the stigma of being born different, and starting life over in a new place.  This book is heart-wrenching at times, and heart-warming at others.  Ada's experience with war - her own personal war, not just the external situation of WWII - is vivid and understandable for readers.  This would be an excellent readaloud book, or it could be a good small group study, especially in conjunction with a unit on World War II.  Students may find the context confusing if they lack the background in the history of the war, but they should find Ada a relatable and recognizable reluctant heroine.