You know that feeling you get when you think no one remembered your birthday? Then you get home and a bunch of peeps suddenly jump out at you and yell, “Surprise!”? Totally unexpected. After you restart your heart, you go, “Well, I’ll be ‘et fer a tater.”
That’s kind of how Her Royal Momness and I felt after reading these books recently. They didn’t exactly jump out and yell, “Surprise!” But they weren’t what we expected, either. Like this:
If you”ve seen Saving Private Ryan or The Longest Day and think you know D-Day and the Battle of Normandy, think again. Meticulous and very detailed, this incredible tale of courage and heroism is one of the most compelling stories of WWII you’ve probably never heard.
You know Dasher and Dancer and Prancer and Vixen… But do you recall the greatest reindeer of all, Kris’s closest friend and protector, Cedric? He didn’t have a shiny nose, but Cedric shines bright in the pages of this expertly crafted blend of magic, myth, legend, and a betrayal that changed everything.
Masterfully told in the first person by the narrator, Rhangyl, The Greatest Reindeer is a heartwarming story about Northtown – you may know it as the “North Pole” – and the history of the man we know as “Kris” (Kringle). It’s also a fresh and creative tale about the origin of some of the best-known Christmas traditions and customs around the world.
Hiding that you lost your mom, live in a car, and that your Daddy has disappeared is no easy task as 12 y.o. Lulu and her little sis Serena find out in this powerful and poignant middle grade read.
At first Lulu isn’t worried. But as the days add up with no sign of Daddy, Lulu struggles to take care of the responsibilities they used to manage as a family. Lulu knows that just one slip-up means she and Serena will be separated and the good things happening in school will be lost.
But family is all around us, and Lulu must learn to trust her new friends to save those she loves and to finally find her true home.
A refreshingly real and biblically sound look at a thorny topic that’s too often misunderstood, mis-applied, or taken too lightly. This is the kind of book you’ll want to reach for again and again as you mull over the nuanced and multi-layered topic and grow your understanding of “forgiving like God.”
Weighing in at a whopping 829 pages, this is a prodigious read. It’s one of Chuck D.’s lesser-known works. And that’s too bad. Cuz it’s quite a story about compassion and kindness in the face of cruelty and corruption. Moves fast. And that’s really saying something for Dickens.
What have you recently read that surprised you?
Pages & Paws 