Snow Flower and the Secret Fan by Lisa See

Over 200 years ago, Chinese women lived a secret life of pain and loss. They practiced foot binding - a sacred and important custom which bound their feet to the size of a thumb. At the age of 6, the foot binding began. Every bone in the foot was broken, and with no modern medicine, nothing could appease the pain. One in every ten girls would die from this practice, yet mothers continued to subject their daughters to this excruciating pain.

Why did the mothers secretly force this pain upon their daughters? The answer is simple: to get married. In Snow Flower and the Secret Fan by Lisa See, a girl of the name Lily experiences the ups and downs of foot binding. After bearing the pain, her feet are perfect. The matchmaker is in awe; her feet could get her any man of any status. Of course, coming from a lower class family, Lily would need to show she could handle being part of the upper class. The matchmaker comes up with the solution to provide Lily with a friend for life; a girl who astrologically matches with Lily and can show her what life in the upper class is like. This friend (called a laotong) is Snow Flower: a resilient, faithful girl, who may look like she has it all, but in fact is facing immense hardships.

Lisa See brilliantly uses detail to depict the lives of the two laotong; from childhood until their old age. See shows us that no matter if a woman loses their riches, love, or lives a life of pain: a best friend will stay true until the end. If you enjoy a book rich with history, secrets, and friendship, this is the book for you.

Reviewed by BHS student H. Williamson

Room by Emma Donoghue

The title is Room. Not a room. Not the room. Simply, Room by Emma Donoghue. Curious title - until you open the first page. Soon you'll realize the story is being told by 4 year old Jack, soon to be 5 years old, who is living with his mother in a room, the room, this room. They call it Room which explains the title. There is also Rug, Wardrobe, Outside, Bed, Meltedy Spoon, Remote, Toilet, Skylight, Bed and more. Because it is Jack's voice we read, it's apparent that he has led a secluded life.

Why are they living in Room? It seems they never leave Room. They have a daily and weekly routine that is followed. They have food and a small kitchen to prepare it. Actually, they have most of the comforts of home inside Room. Details are learned with each passing page. Using a make-shift ruler they measure Room and it is 11 foot square. Old Nick stops by most nights but Jack is asleep in Wardrobe by that time. He knows Old Nick as the person from Outside who brings him Sundaytreat and takes Trash.

Yes, they are being held captive and must plan an escape. Of course, the story does not end there. Life Outside and it's promise of freedom holds many problems. You will be on the edge of your seat when you read Room by Emma Donoghue.

Reviewed by Mrs. Boehm

A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens

The Gutenberg Project has been making books in the public domain (no longer under copyright) available as free eBooks for a number of years. Their collection of titles is large and growing. Their online indexing provides links to public domain works in many formats for reading on a computer or many other e-readers.

A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens is appropriate to share with you today. Follow this link and enjoy turning the virtual pages of this actual print book published in 1843. Notice the worn pages and crumbling binding. Pause at each illustration by John Leech.

Have a very Merry Christmas with your family and friends!

Reviewed by Mrs. Boehm

Twas the Night Before Christmas by Clement C. Moore

Another eBook from the Gutenberg Project. Pour a hot chocolate, find a youngster to read with, and share the excitement in Twas the Night Before Christmas by Clement C. Moore.

Ho, Ho, Ho!

Reviewed by Mrs. Boehm

Truce: the Day the Soldiers Stopped Fighting by Jim Murphy

War - It's dirty, muddy, rainy, tiring, dangerous, bloody, depressing, physically and emotionally exhausting. Soldiers long for it to end. Imagine fighting a war, you've dug your trenches and are taking cover within. Across the battlefield your enemy has done the same. You are staring each other down with guns pointed - on high alert. BUT it is Christmas Eve! You long for home and your traditional family time. Your comrades feel the same. If only you could have a small bit of Christmas here on the battlefield. Let's sing carols!

It was the sound of caroling that brought the Christmas truce during World War I. The British and German soldiers had been fighting across a bloody battlefield when a small group of Germans began to sing "Silent Night." Small make-shift Christmas trees and lighted candles appeared along the trench lines. More carols back and forth across enemy lines. At midnight they shared a religious service. At first their Christmas truce was fragile but eventually they came out of their trenches and shared the quiet of a world without gunfire. They could hear birds chirping! It was a friendly gesture and one welcomed by the soldiers.

This is a true story and well researched. Truce: the Day the Soldiers Stopped Fighting by Jim Murphy is filled with photographs and illustrations depicting the days of the Christmas truce. You'll enjoy reading this story of peace during this Christmas season.

Reviewed by Mrs. Boehm

The Box From Braunau : In Search of my Father's War by Jan Elvin

It seems that our U. S. veterans keep many war stories to themselves. They are trained in the U. S. military, become patriotic comrades with each other, sent off to war, sometimes return home a hero, then never share the experiences with their family. That was the life Jan Elvin lived with her father. He was a World War II veteran and hero who kept his stories tucked away in his memory.

It was a metal box that always sat on her father's desk that was opened upon his death, that spurred Jan Elvin to write The Box From Braunau : In Search of my Father's War. She intersperses the journal writings of her father with actual events that she researched matching the timeline and places where her father was stationed. As she explored his experiences, she came to the realization that her father had suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). His was undiagnosed but the author's insight points to PTSD which would explain her father's silences and anxieties.

This is a dry read but does give you, the reader, an empathy for those who serve our country in particular those who see battle. We must honor their commitment and its impact on their families.

Reviewed by Mrs. Boehm

The Invention of Hugo Cabret by Brian Selznick: The Movie Hugo

Hollywood has been busy turning great books into exciting movies! The Invention of Hugo Cabret by Brian Selznick is out now as the movie Hugo. The book won the Caldecott Medal for illustrations in 2008 so it only makes sense that the movie should also be cutting-edge 3D imagery. Martin Scorsese has directed the movie and I'm very pleased that Asa Butterfield was selected to play Hugo - he has the perfect eyes! If you've read the book, you'll know from the illustrations how crucial the eyes are to the mysterious elements.

Enjoy this movie trailer and pick up a copy of the book from your library!

Reviewed by Mrs. Boehm