Review: The Christmas Dolls by Carol Beach York

Carol Beach York. Scholastic: New York. 1967. 96 pp.
Rating: Striking + 5 Scoops

Book Blurb: Florabelle is an old rag doll without shoes. Lily doesn't have any shoes either, and her head is on backward. A little girl, who can talk to dolls, sets out on a dark, snowy night to find a way to make them beautiful again. 

Like any child, I looked forward to the Fall/Winter holiday season. For me it signified big family dinners, approaching birthdays for my siblings and I, colorful lights, homemade decorations, presents, and Claymation cartoons. More than anything else, it signaled time to snuggle up with my two favorite Christmas stories, The Christmas Dolls and The Nutcracker. 

Dear Well Meaning Adult, Here’s how to buy books for teens on your list.

Books are the perfect gift for any occasion. To ensure you purchase the most fitting book for the teen in your life this holiday season, here's some helpful advice from Teen Librarian Toolbox.

Dear Well Meaning Adult, Here’s how to buy books for teens on your list.

Review: In Country by Bobbie Ann Mason

Bobbie Ann Mason. New York: Harper Perennial, 2005 (originally published 1985). 246 pp.
Rating: Decent + 🌙🌙🌙🌙🌙

"My mother never told me much about him, what he was like or what his favorite food were or anything. I don't even know how tall he was or what kind of personality he had. He's just a face in a picture, but now I'm getting real curious." (64) 

To eighteen year-old Samantha Hughes, the Vietnam War is everywhere, but nowhere. Surrounded by her Uncle Emmett and his war buddies and with the blood of a Vietnam soldier running through her veins, Sam is on a mission to piece together the Vietnam War. Devouring every book, newspaper article, video report, and personal story she encounters, Sam attempts to reconstruct the life of a Vietnam soldier traipsing through the dense jungles of Vietnam. Although she's searching for answers to understand her Uncle Emmett's behavior, she hopes to learn about the father she never knew, and in the process find herself.  However, the road to truth means making peace with the past.