Book of the Week

One of the great advantages of feeling so sick lately has been the comfort of good books. As Dad says, you can always tell whenever I'm really sick, because then I even refuse to read! Luckily, such has not been the case with these pregnancy symptoms. Admittedly, the floor may go unwashed and we will eat far more cold cereal than is normal, but at least I can still curl up with a good read. Check these ones out.

A Portrait of a Young Girl:
I love history, but not of the grand historical figures, not the pomp and grandeur of the mighty and great, of the leaders. They are all too well documented. What fascinates me is the lives of the ordinary souls- what of their story? Take the holocaust for example. We all know the horrifying numbers of the victims, but often the faces and personalities fade behind the staggering tragedy of it all.
That's why I love "Hana's Suitcase" by (forget her first name) Levine. There are few books that make me cry, but this one did and it is beautiful. It is the slow unraveling of a mystery, a telling of two stories that are intertwined. It begins at the Holocaust Museum in Japan. The curator has on display several items donated from Europe, but what garners the most attention and curiosity is a child's suitcase with a name painted on it:Hana Brody. After countless question about her, the curator begins a quest to uncover the truth about Hana; who she was and what happened to her?
The other half of the book is the story of Hana herself, and the two stories go back and forth leaving you cheering for them both, anxiously reading to know what will happen next. A beautiful story full of sadness and ultimately, hope.

Tub Trouble:
Now here is one that I would never have found one my own. Thankfully, I did due to a treasury of beloved picturebooks compiled into one that we got for Ben's first Christmas. We all love "The Tub People" by Pam Conrad in our family. It is a great peek at what just what it might be like for the toys living near you. The tub people are a little family who lead a happy lie lined up along the tub and filled with fun whenever bathtime comes along. But when tragedy strikes and one of them gets sucked down the drain, how can there possibly be a happily ever after? Naturally there is, and the end is so very satisfying that I never tire of reading this wonderful tale anytime my munchkins clamour to hear it yet again.