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Move over Tony Hillerman and make room for the new southwest mystery writer on the block Surely a part of its wildfire success is due to its introduction of a unique American family, Land Management Agent Jamaica Wild and her wolf pup Mountain. Both woman and wolf share strong anima spirit, but it is the pure strength of their love that holds them and this mysterious desert tale together. True to her prodigious primary research, Ault's Tanoah Pueblo springs to life beginning with Jamaica's observance of a man's apparent suicide in a bison stampede.
Jamaica's intuition tells her that this death may not be a simple suicide choice as it first appears. Her feelings lead her and her furry companion into a maze of murder accusations, desert apparitions, totem appearances, and even a harrowing poisoning incident. With Mountain in tow, Jamaica summons her courage to pursue the truth behind Santana's death and in doing so, endangers herself and her pet. Watch for Sandi Ault's next novel in her exhilarating new series Mass Market Paperback Verified Purchase. I have read two of her other books and think she is a great author.
This was a terrific read! Sandi Ault's very entertaining mystery, set in northern New Mexico, near Taos, has it all: Plus an irresistible wolf pup named Mountain, who apparently is based on the author's own late wolf, also named Mountain, to whose memory the book is dedicated. And according to a note at the end, she now has another wolf, named Tiwa. Doss, or if you appreciate well-portrayed animal characters, you might want to give this one a try. I bought this a long time ago.
Goodreads, please disable the ability to rate upcoming books, please! I loved the unexpected depth of Willa's love for her people and her woods. .. Willa of the Wood is the first book by Robert Beatty that I've read, though I think I own .. As I began reading Willa of the Wood, I felt myself drifting off to the Smoky Mountains. Willa of the Wood and millions of other books are available for instant access. . “ This is a beautiful book — essential reading for anyone who loves animals and . The story was enthralling and made me want to turn the page and read more. wolves, bears, deer, otters, homesteaders, Cherokee people, her own clan, and.
I can't say it was very interesting. I thought it was very boring. I couldn't even finish reading it. It got here pretty fast and was almost brand new. I just finished Sandi Ault's intriguing first novel, Wild Indigo, and can't wait to follow Jamaica Wild's next adventure with her wolf, Mountain. The entwining of characters, culture, and mystery were skillfully mastered as I found myself walking through the story as an unseen friend. Extensive research lent itself well for the fictional tribe of the Tanoah Pueblo, as Ms. Ault weaves a tale of the tribe's struggle to live between the old ways and the new.
As the story opens, the tribe and Jamaica are thrown into the public eye following the death of a young male tribe member. It is Quiet Time for the Tanoah Pueblo, and amongst mourning and ceremonial preparation, they are not receptive to outsider investigations. Ault's writing style unfolds an in-depth portrayal of Jamaica and bonds the reader to her.
In the face of career woes, banishment from her reservation family, and mystical curses, Jamaica proceeds to tackle each obstacle with hardheaded determination. The result is an exciting ride for the reader as she defiantly goes into forbidden places. Jamaica's vulnerable side is not to be ignored, as she experiences the frustrating task of loving a demanding young wolf, struggles for acceptance in her adopted Pueblo family, and tries to fit in a relationship with her male lover, Kerry.
I loved this book and its detailed overview of all the characters. The story development was strong with each additional chapter, which made the book hard to put down. I highly recommend Wild Indigo for anyone who enjoys native culture and mystique wrapped around an exciting story. See all 45 reviews. She pieced together bright patches with names like North Star and Crossroads, patches with secret meanings made into quilts called Show Ways — maps for slaves to follow to freedom.
And the powerful story continues, connecting one generation to the next until the present day. Moses has thought-provoking content that invites critical analysis through the mention and use of specific words about slavery as well as in-depth treatment of issues. Illustrated by Kadir Nelson. All the time he dreams about freedom, but that dream seems farther away than ever when he is torn from his family and put to work in a warehouse. Henry grows up and marries, but he is again devastated when his family is sold at the slave market.
Then one day, as he lifts a crate at the warehouse, he knows exactly what he must do: He will mail himself to the North. After an arduous journey in the crate, Henry finally has a birthday — his first day of freedom. She had not sought this moment but she was ready for it. One day when Nelson Mandela was nine years old, his father died and he was sent from his village to a school far away from home, to another part of South Africa. In Johannesburg, Mandela saw fellow Africans who were poor and powerless.
He decided then that he would work to protect them. When the government began to keep people apart based on the color of their skin, Mandela spoke out against the law and vowed to fight hard in order to make his country a place that belonged to all South Africans. Kadir Nelson tells the story of Mandela, a global icon, in poignant verse and glorious illustrations. B is for Billie Jean King , who shattered the glass ceiling of sports; C is for Carol Burnett , who defied assumptions about women in comedy; D is for Dolores Huerta , who organized farmworkers; and E is for Ella Baker , who mentored Dr.
And the list of great women continues, spanning several centuries, multiple professions, and 26 diverse individuals. There are artists and abolitionists, scientists and suffragettes, rock stars and rabble-rousers, and agents of change of all kinds. American history was made by countless rad—and often radical—women. By offering a fresh and diverse array of female role models, we can remind readers that there are many places to find inspiration, and that being smart and strong and brave is rad.
Rad American Women will be appreciated by various age groups. It is Common Core aligned for students grades 3 — 8. Pre-school and young children will be captured by the bright visuals and easily modified texts, while the subject matter will stimulate and inspire high-schoolers and beyond. Keeping the African heritage alive. There, as a boy, he learned to make baskets so tightly woven they could hold the rain. Even after being stolen away to a slave ship bound for America, he remembers what he learned and passes these memories on to his children — as they do theirs.
It shows how a common interest in justice created the convergent path that enabled these young men to meet as Freedom Riders on a bus journey south. Starr Carter is a year-old black high school student who witnesses a white police officer shooting her unarmed best friend Khalil. Starr Carter moves between her two worlds: The balance of these two worlds collapse when she sees her childhood friend die at the hands of a cop. Everyone wants to know what took place that night and the only person who can answer that is Starr.
But the problem is that what Starr says might endanger her life and her home. She must fight for what she believes in despite the given consequences. Almost 10 years before Brown vs. Board of Education , Sylvia Mendez and her parents helped end school segregation in California. Her parents took action by organizing the Hispanic community and filing a lawsuit in federal district court. Their success eventually brought an end to the era of segregated education in California. When he led a mile peaceful protest march through California, he ignited a cause and improved the lives of thousands of migrant farmworkers.
As a boy, he was shy and teased at school. His family slaved in the fields for barely enough money to survive.
Cesar knew things had to change, and he thought that—maybe—he could help change them. So he took charge. And an entire country listened. Inspired by the countless young people who took a stand against the forces of injustice, this book offers a stirring yet jubilant glimpse of the youth involvement that played an invaluable role in the Civil Rights movement.
Pre-k — younger elementary. I love this book because it illustrates how simple it can be to bridge the divide — and how good kids are at doing it. This racial divide is very real today, and when reading this book we can help kids to recognize the fences in their lives and think together about how to overcome the fences. Meet one smart chicken chaser. Finding commonality is fun and important. Illustrated by Michael Bryant. The children discover that despite their physical differences, they are all really the same.
In vivid poems, she shares what it was like to grow up as an African American in the s and s, living with the remnants of Jim Crow and her growing awareness of the Civil Rights movement. Her love of stories inspired her and stayed with her, creating the first sparks of the gifted writer she was to become.
This is a story about poverty, labor, migration, tragedy, perseverance and resilience. It is an Irish story. I read it with my kids and then we looked in our family tree and saw that their Great-Great-Great Grandparents on both sides of the family came from Ireland — probably around the time of this story.
Knowing our history is crucial for understanding the way forward. Our brains and bodies have been colonized — it takes a lot of work to look at the painful history of the USA — land theft, genocide, and slavery. What is your story? And how do you talk with your kids about it? A young boy wants to earn the money to buy a skateboard, and is inspired by a local homeless man, Mr. Peters, to collect and redeem empty soft drink cans as a way to reach his goal. In the end he realizes that Mr.
I loved this book as a read-aloud with my 7 year old. Beautiful pictures and a simple story with a few different themes worth talking about with your kiddos. Homelessness, compassion, who has the right to the trash? When we read this together my 7-year-old son decided he wanted to start collecting cans to buy a drone. He was unmoved and still wants to earn a drone. You win some, you lose some. He is from a home for homeless children, and when he finds out that he is to be moved to a permanent placement, away from the geese he loves, he taps into some incredible magic and flies away with the geese.
A tear-jerking combination of magic and realism. A young boy loses a loved teddy bear, which is then found by a homeless man. As time passes, the boy forgets about his bear, and the bear is as treasured by the man as he was by the boy. Circumstances bring them all back together and the little boy is able to react to the situation with a clear and loving compassion. Bess grows more involved with trying to feed and shelter the older woman, but as the weather turns colder and Gracie grows thinner, Bess begins to wonder — will her help be enough?
Jackson and his family have fallen on hard times. And not much for food, either. His parents, his little sister, and their dog may have to live in their minivan. Crenshaw is a cat. But is an imaginary friend enough to save this family from losing everything? Beloved author Katherine Applegate proves in unexpected ways that friends matter, whether real or imaginary. Contact us for a free one hour conversation.
Is hatred of others or of the different ever the right path? Willa learns to question this thought. A wonderful children's story with a sense of suspense, this was a delightful read. I can heartily recommend this book. Jun 14, Nori rated it it was amazing Shelves: Originally posted to Nori's Closet http: Robert Beatty is truly proving himself to be an amazing middle grade author.
And I had high hopes for Willa. I was not disappointed. I immediately got lost in this beautiful forest of the Great Smoky Mountains, again. I could not put this book down. He just pulls you in and refuses to let you go. I came to love her over time. But, her heart is just as big and her bravery just as strong. Beatty knows how to write girls who belong in Gryffindor.
That being said, my heart was always pounding. The setting was everything. I loved that the forest became its own character. The trees were alive. The animals and creatures had their own system of respect and love. I was fascinated by the wolves who helped her and the bears with their secret healing water.
There may have even been a cameo or two of a certain wildcat. And I loved that too. I also could not help myself from making current day connections. I was reading about Willa discovering human children in cages around the same time I was getting news of immigrant children being separated from their parents and placed in cages of their own. Yet, something bothered her about this treatment of children. Despite a lifetime of teachings, she knew this was wrong.
The first Serafina book involved the kidnapping and possible murders of children. This one has its own darkness. One that revolves around hurting and starving innocent children. This book is loaded with kid power. She goes back to the humans she steals from in the beginning. She saw compassion in the eyes of her attacker, and grew to love an unlikely family. Willa learns to see good in everyone. Not all humans are the same. Everyone has at least a little good in them. This book is about compassion, love, family, and acceptance.
Really, the more I talk about this book now, the more I love it. If everyone who read this can soak up even a fraction of its goodness, the world would be a better place. Jul 06, Kimberly Q rated it it was amazing. We all enjoyed the book immensely.
I came to love her over time. I Am a Zebra. Tendrils of leaves wrapped around her. Even as an adult, I felt the same way. Other than some grammatical errors that can be fixed quickly, this magical book ranks up top with the Harry Potter series. Morris dreams of a fantastic space adventure with his cat, Moo. Willa stands as a brave character.
My youngest daughter loved the character of Willa and how the author developed not only her "abilities", but also her compassion and kindness. She also enjoyed the way that the animals also cared for their own families and for Willa. I loved the way the author drew you in to the story with his writing style and his descriptive phrases. You could imagine you were i My daughters and I had the privilege of pre-reading Robert Beatty's newest book Willa of the Wood. You could imagine you were in the Great Smokey Mountains with Willa as you read each page.
The climax of the book was very good. I never would have guessed the way it all came together in the end. I would highly recommend the book for middle school children up to adults. My daughter told me that she kept wanting to read another chapter. Even as an adult, I felt the same way. I received my Willa of the Wood copy as part of the early review team for Robert Beaty. I began reading the book intently trying to dive right into the story line The novel twist and turns and we realize she is not what we first thought The beginning of the novel left me stunned at this new character and how surprisingly different she was from everything I had read about, she became a very different type of hero than I had expected but one I quickly wanted to support!
The novel moves at a very nice pace at the beginning of the novel steady enough to get the idea I feel that this novel definitely reaches the middle school audiences the best, there are some very vivid descriptions that I feel like would be best for 12 and up to read with that in mind this book is very unique and one that I highly recommend! Check out my other reviews at: Aug 02, John Yingling rated it it was amazing. She consistently recommends books that I don't just like, but love, and Willa of the Wood is a perfect example. I'm always happy to see strong female characters in stories, and Willa is certainly that.
But she is so much more; she's someone who believes in love, someone who questions accepted practices and beliefs, and someone who is not afraid to stand up for what is right and good, however unpopular that may be. All this takes courage, persistence and steadfastness, and Willa has these qualities in abundance. She has powers, but she uses them for positive purposes, or as a last resort to right a wrong. The story itself is exciting, thought-provoking, full of twists, turns, revelations, and a most lovely look at nature and how valuable and necessary the interconnectedness of life is.
The ending of the book had me smiling to myself and was so touching and gratifying. I'm hoping the author doesn't write a sequel, because I thought the storyline ended at a perfect place. Thank you, Amy, and I do hope each of you has someone to open your eyes to the beauty and variety of good literature. Jun 21, Rives rated it it was amazing. I read an advance proof of this book. Parts of it reminded me of Tolkien "The Hobbit". Willa's connection with and defense of nature as well as her ability to harness its power made for a very compelling, suspenseful story.
Books like this are essential in a country where our leaders deny climate change and seem determined to dismantle all of our environmental protections. Jun 23, Ashley added it. I received this from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Robert Beatty has a way of creating stories with such strong characters, and excellent world building and this book is no exception. There was a bit of mystery in this book, and I did not see the plot twist coming at all. I adored Willa, she was such a strong female character who stood up for what she believed in.
I also loved the new relationships that she created.
I can't wait to read more from this series and to see what happens to Willa next! May 20, Yvonne Richard rated it it was amazing. I had the great pleasure of being part of the review team for Willa of the Wood. I was worried that Willa of the Wood would not live up to my expectations as I really loved the books by the author and their setting at Biltmore Estate, however it was amazing!
I could feel myself walking up and down the mountains and smell the pine trees and the wet dewy mornings. As Willa snuck into house of I had the great pleasure of being part of the review team for Willa of the Wood. As Willa snuck into house of the homesteader, I felt as though I was seeing through her eyes and experiencing everything with her. Her interactions with the forest creatures big and small were so vivid I could not put the book down. As Willa stood up for herself while at the sametime making her enemy look the fool, I could see myself in her. I feared for Willa and her mamaw as the leader of the clan showed his true colors.
I cheered for Willa each step of the way as she attempted her escape. Nathaniel and his ways made me thankful for the kindness of strangers. Willa made great sacrifices throughout the story but she never sacrificed her heart. Jul 16, Crystal M rated it liked it.
Beaty always writes the most badass female protags! Beaty likes to incorporate animals as characters into the plot, and in general, I' kind of dark for a kids book, tbh! Beaty likes to incorporate animals as characters into the plot, and in general, I'm not a fan of that, but thats just a personal taste thing. Jul 03, Destinee Blau rated it it was amazing. I just finished reading Willa of the Wood and I cannot wait to read it again with my children! The words and the imagery it created was both beautiful and devastating. I loved seeing the world through Willa's eyes and experiences.
What a beautiful story of unlikely friendships, courage, sacrifice, love, and hope. There were many twists and turns throughout. You do not want to miss this adventure! Jul 02, Penny Wood rated it it was amazing. This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. It was an amazing read. Would recommend it for my friends.
Jul 24, Rachel rated it really liked it Shelves: Willa is a Faeran living in the Smokey mountains of northern Tennessee two generations after the revolutionary war. After the death of her parents and sister, her grandmother has raised her, teaching her to cultivate her wood-magic and live self-sufficiently in the forest.
As more and more humans settle in the valley, building and clearing land, Willa's clan dwindles. A new clan leader padaran has risen to power, and has forbidden the Faeran from practicing their magic, speaking the old langua Willa is a Faeran living in the Smokey mountains of northern Tennessee two generations after the revolutionary war.
A new clan leader padaran has risen to power, and has forbidden the Faeran from practicing their magic, speaking the old language, or continuing in the old ways of living. As the book opens, Willa is out stealing for the clan. Against the orders of the padaran, she has split off from the group and is attempting to break in to a homesteader's cabin to find treasures to bring back to the clan. When she is caught, and the man does not kill her-- instead he attempts to help her-- she begins to question all she's been told about day-folk. This little seed of doubt causes her to begin to question everything, and her insistence upon thinking for herself and pursuing truth, eventually culminates in her expulsion from the clan.
As she builds a new life on her own, she gets to know "the man Nathaniel" and she discovers that her clan leader was far more of a threat to every living thing in the forest than she had realized. She is the only one that knows of the danger, and she knows she has to return to oppose the him and save those he threatens. I've never read any of Robert Beatty's work before and I love that i started with this book. The cover is gorgeous, and the book remains beautiful from the first page through the last.
The plot is, on it's face, complex, solid, and engaging, but the nuance of this book is where it really shines. Beatty talks to his audience middle graders as if they obviously understand the emotional, social, and ethical undercurrents of his story. He isn't ever patronizing or didactic. Willa is such a fabulous heroine. She's brave and clever and intuitive, and also impulsive, hesitant, and full of doubt.
She's clear-headed and idealistic. The elements of this story are woven together so seamlessly-- Beatty's poetic descriptions of the living forest imbue the book with such an enchanted feeling, and the different threads of connection between the characters are so thoughtfully drawn.