Across Five Aprils 1965 Honor Book ****

Jethro Creighton lives in Southern Illinois with is parents and sister. His brothers are off to fight a war to keep the country together. One brother is fighting on the Union side, and the other has joined the Rebs. This story follows the Creighton family across five Aprils and tells of the heartache and tragedy that the Civil War brought to so many families. They will face death, sickness, injury and many other losses before the war ends.

I found this book interesting but hard to stay engaged. I enjoyed most reading about Lincoln and how he was perceived throughout the war. I felt like I learned many aspects to the war that I didn't know before. For instance, Lincoln ran for re-election against a military general that had fired just a couple years before, and he wasn't even able to carry his own hometown. Some felt like Lincoln was doing too much, and others felt as though he hadn't done enough. He truly was between a rock and a hard place. The other interesting perspective on the war was seeing it through the eyes of the family. They didn't realize the magnitude of the war at the onset just like everyone else. As the war continues on, so does the devastation both physically and emotionally. I have greater appreciation for those willing to fight to keep this country together.

Graven Images 1983 Honor Book ***

Graven Images is a compilation of 3 short stories with a common theme. Each story has a graven image that a person or people rely on. Each story contains the supernatural and the use of both irony and light-hearted humor.

This book would be great for a classroom to invoke a discussion on how we worship "statues" in modern day. It was a quick read, I finished it during a plane ride. I found it fun but not too earth shattering. I think it would be find for a 4th, 5th, or 6th grade class to read.

Pictures of Hollis Woods 2003 Honor Book ****

Hollis Woods is a foster child that tends to run away. She finally finds a place where she feels like staying put. Interspersed between the chapters are different pictures of Hollis Woods. These pictures give us glimpses into her life before she met her new guardian Josie. As Josie's memory begins to deteriorate, Hollis must find a way to keep them together. Her solution? To runaway of course, only this time bringing Josie with her. Her destination is the one place she once felt like she was truly a part of a family, the Regan's summer home. As worried "Mustard woman" the social worker looks for her, Hollis for the first time begins to find herself.

This book is very reminiscent of The Great Gilly Hopkins only much more somber. I enjoyed reading it, and found myself looking forward to the next picture. While I enjoyed Gilly Hopkins more because of it's humor and colorful characters, I found this book interesting with a much more likeable protagonist and found myself rooting for her to find the family so has long desired.