“Book Reviews,” Friend, June 2019
Book Reviews
Compiled by MaryEllen Van Engelenhoven
Illustrations by Mark Robison
Sister Eternal, by Dieter F. Uchtdorf, illustrated by Ben Sowards. During World War II, many people had to stand in long lines for food. Elder Uchtdorf’s grandmother met a friendly lady in line who invited her to church. Her act of kindness changed his family’s life forever.
Finding Winnie: The True Story of the World’s Most Famous Bear, by Lindsay Mattick, illustrated by Sophie Blackall. In 1914 a young Canadian solider rescues a black bear, and they travel together to Europe during World War I. Eventually they have to say goodbye, and Winnie finds a new home and a new friend at the London Zoo!
Look I’m an Engineer, published by DK Books. Do you know that you have everything you need to be an awesome engineer? It only takes your brain and your amazing senses to try these 15 hands-on activities. Also in the series: Look I’m a Cook and Look I’m a Scientist.
Waiting for the Biblioburro, by Monica Brown, illustrated by John Parra. If you lived in a remote village, where would you find books to read? This book is inspired by a real-life librarian who traveled by donkey over mountains and valleys to deliver books to children in remote villages in Colombia.
The Girl Who Thought in Pictures: The Story of Dr. Temple Grandin, by Julia Finley Mosca, illustrated by Daniel Rieley. Temple was born with autism. Being a visual thinker helped her connect with animals. When she grew up, she was able to come up with ways to help farm animals. Her inventions are still used today! Written in rhyme with additional facts about Temple at the end.
Rescue and Jessica: A Life-Changing Friendship, by Jessica Kensky and Patrick Downes, illustrated by Scott Magoon. Rescue is trained to be a seeing-eye dog. Then he finds out he’s better suited to become a service dog. He’s worried that he’s not up to the task. Then he meets his new owner, Jessica, who lost both of her legs in an accident. Despite both of their challenges, Rescue and Jessica learn to help each other find happiness.
Six Dots: A Story of Young Louis Braille, by Jen Bryant, illustrated by Boris Kulikov. After an accident left him blind at age five, Louis was determined to learn how to read. He attended the school for the blind in Paris and quickly learned there were no books for him to read. So he invented his own alphabet using six raised dots. This alphabet, called braille, is still used by the blind today.