The Magician's Nephew by C.S. Lewis

The Magician's Nephew by C.S. Lewis is an exciting story about how the visits between Earth and Narnia first began. Diggory and Polly, a boy and girl who are friends accidentally stumble into Diggory's unscrupulous uncle's private attic room while they're trying to explore the crawl space of the row of town homes in which the two friends live. Diggory's Uncle Andrew, seizing the opportunity for an experiment, tricks Polly into touching one of the magic rings he has created, which compels Diggory to go after her to rescue her. Thus begins their adventure into the "wood between the worlds" and other places, including a frightening place where they meet someone wicked who makes an appearance in The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe. The Magician's Nephew is an exciting story for children as well as adults who enjoy fantastical adventures in fantasy worlds. I recommend it to anyone who enjoys such stories.

The Magician's Nephew was first published in 1955.

My Dearest Enemy by Jennifer Moore

My Dearest Enemy by Jennifer Moore is a sweet, and well-written love story that takes place during the war of 1812. Abigail Tidwell, a Canadian, finds a wounded American soldier in her barn, and feeling a moral obligation to help him, despite the fact that he is one of those "Cursed Americans" she uses her medical skills taught to her by her father to save his life. Thinking that is the end of her obligations to him, she is surprised to discover that he is worried about the men in his group from which he was separated during the battle where he was wounded, and needs her medical skills to help them as well. What follows is an exciting story that looks at the war of 1812 from both sides. It involves a smart, skilled heroine and a brave, valiant hero. And of course, a dastardly villain who is out to get them both. I enjoyed this story, and recommend it to anyone who enjoys clean, historical romance. My Dearest Enemy was published in 2018.

The Lake Quilt Mystery by S.D. Brown

The Lake Quilt Mystery by S.D. Brown starts out with Kelsey and her mom headed to what they think will be a relaxing vacation at a mountain resort. Kelsey’s only complaint is that her best friend is in the hospital recovering from a burst appendix. But then things get more complicated when clues show Kelsey that there is more to this Lake resort than she first thought.

Sinister things. Using her ability to solve clues, Kelsey starts to piece together (ha ha, quilting pun) the fragmented parts of this mystery that will uncover a deeper, darker side to this resort. Will Kelsey solve the clues in time? Kids and adults who enjoy mysteries with clever young protagonists will enjoy this book! The Lake Quilt Mystery was first published in 2013.

Beat by Jared Garrett

Beat by Jared Garrett

is a very exciting post-apocalyptic story about a young man who lives in a society that can't get too excited. Literally. They're told that if their heartrate goes over 140, that the "bug" that's in their systems will activate and kill them. So they're told. But Nik suspects otherwise. As he starts to uncover the truth, he starts to learn how controlling his society is. But he also finds himself and his friends in greater and greater danger. When he realizes what the Prime Administrator is willing to do to anyone who knows the truth, he realizes he needs to get the truth out there, all while staying away from the Enforsers. I really enjoyed this book, and recommend it to anyone who likes exciting, non-stop action, and post apocalyptic stories. Beat was first published in 2018.

The Mouse and the Motorcycle by Beverly Cleary

The Mouse and the Motorcycle by Beverly Cleary is a fun book that I remember fondly from my childhood. Listening to it on CD recently, I discovered happily, that I enjoyed it just as much as before. Ralph, a juvenile mouse living in a hotel, meets Keith, a young boy who has come to stay for a few days with his parents. Ralph is delighted that the boy understands him, and better, that Keith lets him use his toy motorcycle to play with. To make it run, all Ralph needs to do, is make a motor sound with his mouth! Things are going great, until Ralph accidentally ends up in a heap of laundry with the motorcycle! Worse yet, when Keith gets sick, there's no medicine to be found anywhere in the hotel. Will Ralph be able to come to the rescue, even though he can't find the toy motorcycle? Read the book to find out! I recommend this book to youngsters as well as parents who enjoy fantastical stories with animal protagonists. The Mouse and the Motorcycle was first published in 1965.

The Demigod Diaries by Rick Riordan

The Demigod Diaries by Rick Riordan are a group of short stories written by the author of the popular Percy Jackson books. The short stories are fun for anyone who is a fan of fantasy and adventure, but may be more especially appreciated by fans of Riordan's work. I am only familiar with Percy Jackson through the movies, and this is my first experience with Riordan's writing. It was well done and exciting, and I appreciated his ability to put tension and excitement into his stories. These 4 stories shed a bit more light on a few of the characters readers get to know in his other books. People who know the stories of these characters more than I do, might have their heartstrings yanked on just a bit more. Being only slightly familiar with the stories, I felt the tug as I read Luke's story, having some idea of what is coming later after the diary entries of his that I read. All around, the stories are entertaining, and I recommend them to readers young and old who enjoy Greek mythology, fantasy, and fast-paced action. The Demigod Diaries was published in 2012.

Caddie Woodlawn by Carol Ryrie Brink

Caddie Woodlawn by Carol Ryrie Brink is a delightful story about a girl growing up in the 19th century in Wisconsin. Caddie gets into lots of adventures and scrapes with her brothers since her parents let her be an outdoorsy tomboy. Her mother isn't too happy about it, but Caddie loves her life. She is able to go on all sorts of adventures with her brothers, and makes friends with Native Americans, especially John and John's Dog, and when her neighbors fear that the Natives will turn on them and talk about attacking them, it's Caddie who is able to ride to the Indians' camp and warn them. Caddie finds herself in all sorts of trouble sometimes though because of her wild ways, and when the teasing of her cousin Annabelle goes too far, what will happen?

Readers who enjoy books like Anne of Green Gables would enjoy reading Caddie Woodlawn. Caddie Woodlawn was first published in 1935.