STORYTELLER By: Patricia Reilly GiffThis book isn't even out on the market until September, 2010. But I had to let you know how inspiring it was to read. Elizabeth is a young girl being raised by her father. Dad is an artist and is going away to Australia to show his carvings. Elizabeth is going to have to stay with an Aunt she doesn't know and go to another school. Dad says it is time for her to learn about her mother's family. Little does Elizabeth know that it will change her forever. In the hallway of Libby's home is a sketch of a young girl, undeniably her relative. Only the drawing is two hundred years old. Thus begins the story of both girls, going back to the time of the war and the present. It is fascinating how their lives are parallel even in this day and age. A must read, with history intertwined so you feel like you are in the time period. Ages 8-14
$15.99 Wendy Lamb Books
On another note, I met Pat when my youngest daughter Beth was in elementary school. It was at the Young Author's Conference at the University of Toledo. Herb Sandberg was the professor that brought literature to life for the teachers in our community and also the children. Well Herb had a party at his home and my reluctant Beth was going to the conference. Pat told her she would be her Grandmother and take her out with her at the conference. I can still hear Beth say "Your too young to be my Grandmother!" So Pat said she would be her aunt. That is a treasured memory. I still have the picture of the two of them together. Beth loved her Polk Street Series and had a reading disability. She worked hard to read her books and actually asked Herb to bring her here. Thus made a wonderful memory for all of us. Beth loved to share books with other children. Though she died in a car crash at the age of seventeen, the memories with Pat will live on just like Pat's stories. Beth became a tutor for Interact at her high school. She knew the value of reading and wanted to pass it on. What a wonderful legacy for a beautiful young lady. Marcia
