Walking with Witches by Lynn Huggins-Cooper

In which Eleanor and her friend Isabel see a glass case where the pages of a witch's book start turning! On Halloween they go digging and find a magic pendulum. That's when their troubles begin. They seek the aid of local shop owner Kelli and her daughter Rhanna. After many weird dreams, visions, and very strange coincidences Eleanor and Isabel learn that they alone hold the fate of many women in their hands.

If you have not figured this out yet, Kelli and Rhanna are based on  my mom and me! And Eleanor and Isabel are real people too! (Eleanor is my best friend in real life! hey Elle!) This book takes you into a city in England called Newcastle, where 16 witches and one wizard had been hung on the town moor. It takes you into many landmarks around the old city, including the Lit and Phil library and the castle keep. The dreams are very life-like and you feel almost as if you are the witch. This book keeps you on the edge of your seat waiting to find out how it will end! This historical fiction-fantasy book is great and even if you are not a huge reader like me, this book will change that very quickly!

 

Recommended for people who like: witchcraft, spooky stories, and magic.

Lady of Palenque: Flower of Bacal by Anna Kirwan

In which 13 year old Green Jay on the Wall lives with her many siblings and step mothers. Soon she is told that she will be leaving to go marry. She is given many lovely gifts including a belt made out of jade. On the trip to her new husband they meet some unfriendly tribes, they lose two men’s lives to the water and run into many caimans. Will she get to her new home safely?


As sad as it makes me, I did not finish this book. There are too many long names of people and places so by the end of each chapter you are exhausted. One thing I did like about this book was the creation stories. There are many of them in this book. I did enjoy learning about a new place and time. I hope that you will be able to read this book and really enjoy it.

This book is in the Royal Diaries series.

Recommended for people who like: fancy names, creation stories, and rain.

Anacaona: Golden flower by Edwidge Danticat

In which Anacaona, niece to the supreme chief, loves to write ballads and riddles, practice dances, and is preparing for her coming of age ceremony. As she is accepting gifts from other chiefs, she is given a cage full of colorful birds; the chief tells her that someday she will let the birds free and she will follow them back to him. After her uncle becomes very ill, her brother marries, and a deadly hurricane blows through, she follows the birds to her new husband where they are happy.

But their happiness did not last; soon afterwards they were attacked by "the pale men with their lighting rods” as she called them (the Spanish). This book really gives you the other side of the story of that time. When you hear about how the 'Brave Spanish' conquered the 'savage people' they were only saying that because the Spanish could not survive a day there and would look like the wimps they really were. (no offense to anybody who likes Christopher Columbus) but he had Anacaona hanged when she was 29 years old and killed many more people for no reason except greed, for the gold, land, and easy slavery. (Do you still like Christopher Columbus as much now?? I don't think so!)

This book is in the Royal Diaries series.

Recommended for people who like: Queen Anacaona, great creation stories, and proof against Christopher Columbus.