Dual time line story set in 1920's and the present. Fascinating novel about the stealing of eggs from the nests of shore birds to sell to collectors. Well drawn characters and suspenseful. I knew nothing about this so-called "hobby". Warning: You will feel badly for the birds.

4.5 stars. Jack and Annie travel to the prairie and visit a dugout schoolhouse, write with chalk on slate and befriend pioneers. They encounter a twister and have to hide in a storm cellar. This is one of their more exciting and endearing adventures.

I like the castle cake because the chicklets make it and I like the chicklets. I think the pictures are funny. I think other kids would just like this book too

I don’t want to yuck anyone’s yum but this was one of the worst books I’ve ever read. It had no meaning. The whole book was just this girl hurting her brother, being mean and being yelled at. There is no resolution and the things the kids do are really dangerous. Still, I bet some people enjoy this book

The last present is about how Amanda and Leo go back in time because Grace Connors sister gets into this coma because Angelina doesn’t want these powers that she’s given because of the vortex selects every century and Grace was one of them Amanda and Leo go back in time and try to help Grace but it turns out Angelina just wanted to get rid of her power .

At the insistence of her ex, writer Lucy Barton leaves NYC at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic and moves with him to a seaside house in Maine. There they spend weeks in lockdown, visiting their children only sporadically. We see pandemic restrictions through their eyes: empty store shelves, masking, washing hands - and clothes after a trip to the grocery store - and distrust of outsiders. As weeks turn to months, each ponders their shared future, their past in NYC, and the complications and unhappy surprises as 2020 becomes 2021. Readers need not have read other Strout novels to enjoy this book, but those who have already met Lucy will appreciate this deep dive into her life.

This is such a good book, especially to get you into those summer vibes. It has a nostalgic feeling for those people who go to sleep-away camps in the summer!

I read this book for a summer reading bingo (square: read two books with the same title). This is a very short YA book but has excellent representation of Tourette’s and a sweet friendship/romance. There’s some tough family dynamics and painful social meanness.

Good book unexpecting ending

When I first heard about this book about bookstores, it seemed right up my alley. Sure enough, this is a great book for book lovers and those who love browsing the shelves of their local brick and mortar. This historical journey through American booksellers goes back to the time of Benjamin Franklin and continues through cultural shifts in the county- from gay rights to racism. The business of books, the evolution of big box retailers and the transition to online sales and digital formats are all discussed. The book was a bit dry at times but did make me excited to visit independent bookstores in other parts of the country. I listened to the audiobook on Libby.