Tag Archives: WWII

Review: A Boy Called Preacher by Cheryl Shuermann

Book Review and Content, Historical, Middle Grade 8-12, , , , , , ,
A Boy Called Preacher by Cheryl Schuermann

A Boy Called Preacher
Cheryl Schuermann
INtense Publications
Published May 16, 2020

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About A Boy Called Preacher

Johnny “Preacher” Wilcox never planned on running a wheat farm at the age of twelve. When his father abruptly leaves the family on a Kansas farm during the height of World War II, Preacher is left with unanswered questions, wheat land to plow, and a broken tractor. The tractor mechanic is meaner than a bobcat, the creek is drying up, and Preacher’s best friend, Earl Floyd, betrays him (or, so he thinks.) At times, he feels his dog, Deke, is his only friend.

Through this engaging story for middle grade students, the reader will follow Preacher’s journey as he discovers the meaning of perseverance, loyalty, friendship, and forgiveness.

My Review

Southern fiction holds a special place in my heart, so when I read the first few pages of A BOY CALLED PREACHER, I knew I was hooked. Johnny’s southern voice and expressions had me grinning and laughing out loud. I loved the friendship between him and his dog Deke and even the complicated relationship he shares with Earl Floyd. The small Kansas town setting is vividly drawn and anchored in its World War II period.

The only struggle I had was that I wished there had been like 15 more pages to the ending. It felt a little abrupt, and it would have been great to see a little more reflection and conclusion. Other than that, though, I really enjoyed this book, and I read it in one sitting, totally engrossed. It also would have been nice to see more female characters on the page.

Southern fiction and historical fans will enjoy the rich setting and quirky small town characters. Fans of ELSIE MAE HAS SOMETHING TO SAY by Nancy Cavanaugh or THREE TIMES LUCKY by Shiela Turnage should check this one out.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 8 to 12.

Representation
I think the characters are all white.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
None.

Romance/Sexual Content
None.

Spiritual Content
Johnny attends church with his family and thinks about how the pastor is always saying everyone should love and forgive and what that means to him. He also wonders whether his mom will let him go hunting on a Sunday, or if that’s not appropriate for the day of rest.

Violent Content
Some scenes show hunting. The boys kill rabbits and a large snake.

Drug Content
A local man spits tobacco juice on the porch where Johnny stands.

Note: I received a free copy of A BOY CALLED PREACHER in exchange for my honest review. This post contains affiliate links, which do not cost you anything to use, but which help support the costs of running this blog.

Review: The Summer We Found the Baby by Amy Hest

Blogger's Favorites, Book Review and Content, Historical, Middle Grade 8-12, , , , , , , ,

The Summer We Found the Baby
Amy Hest
Candlewick Press
Published August 4, 2020

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Book Depository | Indiebound | Goodreads

About The Summer We Found the Baby

On the morning of the dedication of the new children’s library in Belle Beach, Long Island, eleven-year-old Julie Sweet and her six-year-old sister, Martha, find a baby in a basket on the library steps. At the same time, twelve-year-old Bruno Ben-Eli is on his way to the train station to catch the 9:15 train into New York City. He is on an important errand for his brother, who is a soldier overseas in World War II. But when Bruno spies Julie, the same Julie who hasn’t spoken to him for sixteen days, heading away from the library with a baby in her arms, he has to follow her. Holy everything, he thinks. Julie Sweet is a kidnapper.

Of course, the truth is much more complicated than the children know in this heartwarming and beautifully textured family story by award-winning author Amy Hest. Told in three distinct voices, each with a different take on events, the novel captures the moments and emotions of a life-changing summer — a summer in which a baby gives a family hope and brings a community together.

Set during World War II, this poignant, briskly paced historical novel relays the events of one extraordinary summer from three engaging points of view.

My Review

THE SUMMER WE FOUND THE BABY is one of those books where what’s not said on the page is as important as what is. A girl and her sister find a baby. A boy follows them. How they’re connected and why the girls feel drawn to the baby changes tells a moving story that I know I won’t soon forget.

One point-of-view is from Martha Sweet, the younger sister of Julie, who first finds the baby. Martha is sweet, enthusiastic, and energetic. She doesn’t always understand what’s going on around her, but she loves the people in her little community.

Julie also tells part of the story, and in her sections, we see a girl trying to be so much more than she is, and determined to do it perfectly. She cares for her little sister while their dad works, possibly interviewing soldiers at a local military base. And then there’s Bruno, a boy whose older brother has gone to war, leaving him behind.

The story begins with the three finding the baby and loops backward, to tell us how they came to be on the steps of the library that morning and why the baby was there.

It’s such a sweet, heartfelt story. I love that what’s on the page hints at so many things that aren’t there, things that the narrators probably wouldn’t have pieced together. It’s a really quick read, too– I think I read it in a little over an hour.

I think fans of STAY WHERE YOU ARE AND THEN LEAVE by John Boynton or PAX by Sarah Pennypacker will enjoy this book– though it’s a bit less dark than those stories.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 8 to 12.

Representation
Bruno’s family is Jewish.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
None.

Romance/Sexual Content
Hints at a romance between Bruno’s older brother and a girl.

Spiritual Content
At one point, Bruno’s parents touch the place where they believe his brother’s battalion to be on a map and say, “God bless.”

Violent Content
None.

Drug Content
None.

Note: I received a free copy of THE SUMMER WE FOUND THE BABY in exchange for my honest review. This post contains affiliate links, which do not cost you anything to use, but which help support the costs of running this blog.