My book club has been reading this entire series by Lynette Eason, so number 4 was on the slate for October. I really enjoyed this riveting conclusion to the tales of this law enforcement family–and had been eagerly awaiting Linc’s story. 😉 For good reason! Vow of Justice is fast-paced and never lets up, delivering a quick and exciting read. I loved the inclusion of another teen character–and Daria is every bit as brilliant as the FBI agents, which was fun.

You know how sometimes you read a book, and it totally consumes you? Every conversation seems to lead back to it? All your deep thought circle around to something the author or characters thought or said? Yeah–that’s me with Wings Like a Dove. In this depression-era historical, Camille Eide takes a Jewish immigrant from Poland into the heart of America…to a town where bigotry and racism is alive and festering, the Klan is operating in full force, and love seems like an illusion. Heroine Anna ends up tutoring a passel of orphan boys who are under the care of a pastor-turned-carpenter, bringing some much-needed woman’s touches into their lives. But when her new neighbors discover that she’s Jewish–and covering up a shameful secret–the whole family is soon in danger. To protect them, she’ll have to leave…even if it breaks what’s left of her heart. This story, y’all…this story. You won’t be able to put it down and won’t be able to stop thinking about it when you do. Camille Eide has outdone herself with this one!! It releases December 1, so GO PRE-ORDER IT NOW!! Seriously. This is hands-down one of my top 3 books of the year.

I read The Witch of Blackbird Pond for school in sixth grade…and had a vague recollection of loving it, though I couldn’t remember much about it. There was a heroine from Barbados…a puritan town in New England…an old woman…and someone put in the stocks, right? LOL. When I reread it a couple years ago with my kids, I remembered why I loved this book so much–and why it won a Newbury Award. So when it came around again with my son this fall, I was pretty excited. As was my daughter, who brought her school out to the kitchen again so she could hear it. 😉 This is a wonderful story that shows the clashing worlds at the time, the ideals that built America…and the flaws in our foundation too. Because while we claim religious freedom, the truth is that even those founders who came here seeking it weren’t always willing to extend the same to others. But for every person quick to point the finger, there are those quick to defend the weak. And that’s where these characters Shine. A book highly recommended for kids aged 10 and up!

Tree in the Trail

by Holling C. Holling

This is a book unlike any other I’ve ever read. It’s a story that spans centuries…all following a tree, from when it was a sapling at a watering hole before horses even arrive in America, to when it eventually got to travel the Santa Fe trail as an oxen yoke. It’s a truly fascinating snapshot of the Old West from an unlikely perspective, and while I wasn’t sure at first if I’d end up liking it, I in fact really do. There are beautiful pictures and fun little tidbits of history given on every page, which makes it a great educational tool in a really interesting package.