Return to the hundred Acre Wood - Pooh is back

I am a huge fan of Winnie-the-Pooh. He is one of those characters I fell in love with when I was around four or five, and I have been in love with him ever since. I was a little unsure of what to think of the new Pooh book when I heard about it. Would this book be a tribute to A.A.Milne's creations, or would it be a black spot on the name of all things Pooh?

Well, I now have a copy of Return to the Hundred Acre Wood, and I began to read it within fifteen minutes of recieving it. And within minutes I was chuckling, smiling and nodding my head. So far, the author, David Benedictus, has captured the essence of Poohness. I am only on page 25, but I plan on climbing into bed with the book shortly. Armed with a cup of tea and with my trusty sidekick sitting next to me - the Pooh my godmother made me when I was very little - I will read on. Watch this space for more.

Winter's Tail - An inspirational story - Prize Pack Giveaway!

Last week I read and reviewed a delightful book about a baby dolphin who has managed to overcome a severe physical handicap, the loss of her tail. The book is called Winter's Tail: How one little dolphin learned to swim again. This true story is not only inspirational, but it also shows young readers that even the worst of tragedies can have a happy ending.

Here is my review:

Winter’s Tail: How one little dolphin learned to swim again

Juliana Hatkoff, Isabella Hatkoff, and Craig Hatkoff

Nonfiction picture book

Ages 6 to 9

Scholastic, 2009, 0545123356

One winter morning a baby dolphin got tangled in a crab trap. The ropes of the trap were wrapped around the baby dolphin’s tail and the tail was severely injured. A local fisherman freed the baby from the ropes, and then he called for help when it was clear that she was not doing well at all.

A few hours later, a rescue team arrived. The baby, who was named Winter, was taken to the Clearwater Marine Aquarium in Florida. There she was fed with a milk mixture and her wounds were tended to. Unfortunately, Winter’s tail had been so badly damaged that it fell off. All Winter had to swim with was a stump. She did manage to learn how to swim with her stump, but she had to move her body from side to side like a fish, instead of up and down like a dolphin, and this movement started to affect her spine.

People all over th

e country heard about Winter and her accident, and the one person came forward with a solution for Winter’s problem.

Animal lovers of all ages will greatly enjoy this inspiring and moving story about a courageous dolphin who, with the help of human technology, has been able to overcome a severe physical handicap. Filled with wonderful photos, this is a story that is uplifting and full of hope.

The book's publisher, Scholastic, is offering one of my reader's a wonderful giveaway. Comment on this post and you will be entered in a drawing for the prize. Here is the information:

Winter’s Tail CHILDREN’S BOOK GIVEAWAY

A Winter’s Tail prize pack!

• Dolphin Plush
• Dolphin Key Chain
• Winter’s Tail game for Nintendo DS
• Copy of Winter’s Tail: How One Little Dolphin Learned to Swim Again Book

Prizing value is $81.99

Shipping Guidelines:

The Winter’s Tail book promotion is open to participants with a United States mailing address only (international readers can enter if they have a friend in the States who can accept their prizes by mail!)

Here are some links that you might like to explore:

The official Winter's Tail website

The Winter's Tail trailer on YouTube

Meet the Authors

Discussion Guide / Lesson Plan

Don't forget Jumpstart's Read for the Record.

On October 8th people all over America will be reading Eric Carle's book The Very Hungry Caterpillar. Consider holding an event in a local school, business or library to raise awareness about literacy issues, and to raise money so that Jumpstart can put books into the hands of children.

Here is more information about the event.

October 8th, more than one million children and adults are expected to team up with a single “Hungry Caterpillar” to help break a world record and draw attention to the early education crisis affecting millions of at-risk young children here in the U.S. and across the globe. The non-profit group Jumpstart and the Pearson Foundation today

announced Jumpstart’s fourth annual Read for the Record Campaign today at the International Reading Association convention in Minneapolis. On this one day in October in thousands of settings across the world, readers of all ages will be joining together to break the record for the number of people reading the same book on the same day.

This year’s official Campaign book is a special, limited edition of the Philomel Books classic The Very Hungry Caterpillar, by Eric Carle. The commemorative book includes a foreward with messages from Matt

Lauer and Meredith Vieira of NBC’s TODAY Show , award-winning actress Mary Louise Parker, and Grammy Award-winning recording artist/actor, LL Cool J. The special limited edition can be purchased online at www.readfortherecord.org/books, where people can also donate books to children in need.

The Pearson Foundation will donate more than 250,000 copies of The Very Hungry Caterpillar to children in need, and invites businesses and other institutions to sponsor additional book donations to children in low-income communities in the U.S. and abroad. Further information can be found at www.pearsonfoundation.org/rftr09. Schools, libraries, civic groups and organizations interested in securing their own commemorative copies can also visit this site to learn more. “The books we read as children provide us with treasured childhood memories,” said Jumpstart’s President James Cleveland. “Unfortunately, most children in low-income communities have few, if any, age-appropriate books in their homes. As a result, they miss out on the reading experiences that form the foundation for success in school and life. In fact, each year one third of America’s children arrive at their first day of school without the skills necessary to succeed. At Jumpstart, we’re remedying this problem by giving these young people important one-to-one attention, one child at a time.”

For the fourth consecutive year, the Pearson Foundation is underwriting the cost of the Campaign’s official book, ensuring that more than 100% of the proceeds from sales of this edition directly benefit Jumpstart’s work with at-risk children. From now through the fall, The Pearson Foundation and Jumpstart will be working with teachers,

district superintendents, government officials, libraries, businesses, parent groups, and educational organizations to organize reading events on October 8 and to donate copies of The Very Hungry Caterpillar to Head Start and other early learning centers, elementary schools, and other places that serve low-income children. “Focusing everyone’s attention on one book for a single day is a great way to highlight the importance of reading as the foundation for all

other learning,” said Pearson Foundation President Mark Nieker. “Additionally, the Read for the Record Campaign shines the spotlight on the critical role Jumpstart is playing in closing the gap in school readiness between children from low-income communities and their middle income peers.” Over the past three years, more than one million people have taken part in this record-breaking Campaign. Jumpstart’s Read for the Record has raised more than $3 million to support Jumpstart’s mission and more than 500,000 books have been donated to children in need.

In addition, Jumpstart and Pearson’s innovative Read for the Record collaboration has been awarded a coveted Cause Marketing Halo Award. The campaign is further supported by national campaign sponsors American Eagle Outfitters and Sodexo. For more information, visit www.readfortherecord.org and www.pearsonfoundation.org. In addition to information on how to participate, the websites provide information about donating books to Jumpstart children, as well as hosting and joining shared reading events across the nation.

Waiting for winter - A Review

Here in Oregon we sweltered our way through most of September until this week. Now fall is here, all of a sudden. Indeed it landed on us with a thump! There even was frost on the hills above town yesterday, and some places at higher elevations got their first snow. Hearing about the snow I was reminded of a book that I reviewed a week or so ago. It is called Waiting for Winter. I know I am jumping ahead a little, season wise, but this book charmed me so much that I just have to tell you about it. Here is my review.

Waiting for Winter

Sebastian Meschenmoser

Picture Book

Ages 5 to 7

Kane Miller, 2009, 1935279041

Winter is on its way and Deer tells Squirrel that it will soon snow. Squirrel, who usually sleeps through winter, has no idea what snow is. This year he is determined that he will get to see snow. There is a problem though, the snow does not arrive straight away, and squirrel waits and waits. What if he falls asleep and misses the snow?

Squirrel decides that he should run around to get some fresh air and exercise. That should keep him awake. All the noise he makes running to and fro wakes up Hedgehog. Hedgehog decides that he too will stay awake to see the snow. To keep awake, Hedgehog and Squirrel sing sea shanties. There is nothing like a good song to keep one awake. Unfortunately, Bear is trying to have a nap nearby and he cannot possibly sleep when Squirrel and Hedgehog are singing. Bear decides that he might as well stay awake to see the snow too.

This hilarious picture book will have readers of all ages laughing out loud. The wonderful pencil illustrations are vibrant and beautifully expressive, and the mistakes the animals make as they try to find snow are deliciously silly and funny. This is a book that cannot fail to entertain and delight.

Be warned, this book will really make you laugh!!

Fall is here - I think

Though the first day of autumn (for the northern hemisphere) was a week ago, it has been so hot here in southern Oregon that it has felt like high summer. To top it off, we have had numerous wildfires in the area, and the valley has been flooded with smoke. Yesterday, finally, it began to cool off and the smoke dissipated. I was able to see the mountains again, and I actually noticed that some of the trees in town are starting to lose their leaves. Today it might even rain!

In honor of these changes, I am going to share a review with you. The book, Leaf Trouble, is a delightful title about a squirrel who experiences his first fall.

Leaf Trouble

Jonathan Emmett

Illustrated by Caroline Jayne Church

Picture Book

Ages 4 to 7

Scholastic, 2009, 0545160707

One morning, when he smells the fresh breeze blowing around his tree, Pip Squirrel realizes that “something’s changed.” For the first time Pip sees that the leaves on his oak tree are no longer green. They are yellow, orange and red. The sight surprises the little squirrel so much that he literally falls down to the ground. He becomes quite distressed when he sees that the leaves are not only changing color, but they are falling off the tree.

Frantically Pip and his sister Blossom collect up the fallen leaves and they try to stick them back on the tree. Alas, this does not work and Pip and Blossom are a loss. What can they do to save their beloved tree.

Through the eyes of a charming little squirrel, Jonathan Emmett shows young children that change can be a good thing. Wonderful things happen as the seasons unfold, and we can both look forward to what is happening now, and we can look forward to what is to come.

Jonathan Emmett’s story is beautifully complimented by Caroline Jayne Church’s warm multimedia illustrations, which have a unique three-dimensional component.

Johnny Appleseed's birthday

On September 26th, 1774, a little boy was born in New England who would become the stuff of legend. He was called John Chapman, but he came be known as Johnny Appleseed, the man who planted thousands of trees around the country.

I have reviewed several books about this interesting man, and one of the best is a title that I reviewed recently. Written by one of America's great children's book writers, Jane Yolen, it is a book that is both entertaining and informative. Here is my review:

Johnny Appleseed

Jane Yolen

Illustrated by Jim Burke

Non Fiction Picture Book

Ages 6 to 8

HarperCollins, 2008, 0060591358

Many of us have heard about Johnny Appleseed, the folk hero who, it is said, traveled around the country planting apple trees. The real story of John Chapman is even more impressive than the legends that came to be associated with his name.

After his father returned home from serving in the revolutionary war armies, John (Johnny) Chapman went to live in Longmeadow, Massachusetts, with his family. Being the son of a poor man, Johnny was not able to stay in school as long as perhaps he would of liked. Instead, he was apprenticed to a local farmer. Johnny learned how to plant and care for apple trees on the farmer’s land, and he grew to love the trees that are so useful and so beautiful.

When he was in his twenties, Johnny decided that he wanted to follow the teachings of Emanuel Swedenborg, a philosopher who believed that people should “do good and spread the doctrine of God’s goodness and bounty.” And so Johnny traveled around the countryside living simply, preaching, and selling people small apple trees that he grew from seed.

In this delightful picture book, Jane Yolen gives her readers a picture of what the real Johnny Appleseed was like. Though verse and prose she tells the story of a man who was often considered “crazy,” but who loved to travel, to share stories, and to give people apple trees. At the end of the book, Yolen also talks about the legend of Johnny Appleseed. She helps young readers to appreciate that this legend is based on the real life story of a man who did indeed do remarkable things.

Blog Book Tour - The Listeners by Gloria Whelan

Yesterday I read and reviewed a wonderful picture book called The Listeners. The author, Gloria Whelan, has written numerous books for young readers of all ages. Her books have won numerous awards, and she frequently uses her considerable writing skills to bring the past alive, weaving together fact and fiction to give her readers a compelling story.

Here is my review of The Listeners:

The Listeners

Gloria Whelan

Illustrated by Mike Benny

Picture Book

Ages 6 to 10

Sleeping Bear Press, 2009, 1585364193

Ella May has to work in the cotton fields all day and it is hard work for a child. In the evenings she has another important job to do, she goes to the great house where the Master lives and she sits under one of the windows to listen. None of the white folks bother to tell the slaves what is happening on the plantation, so they send the young children to listen under the windows. Then the children report back to the adults about what they have heard.

One night Ella May and her two friends Bobby and Sue hear that the Master is going to hire a new overseer “to boss” them. This is good news because the current overseer is a cruel man. On another night Ella May’s father gets a feeling that change is in the air. He tells Ella May that “dangerous times are coming,” and he needs Ella May to listen extra carefully. The news that she brings home that evening is joyous, and everyone has high hopes that real change lies ahead of them.

In this powerful and moving book, Gloria Whelan helps her young readers to see what it was like to be slave child on a southern plantation. She also shows readers that sometimes it pays to listen to what is being said around you, because information can be empowering.

With a simple text and rich illustrations, this picture book will take readers back in time, opening a window to the past.

This is one of the titles in the excellent Tales of Young Americans series.

A review by a teenage reader - The Various

A few months ago a reader called Lydia wrote to me to ask me to correct a mistake that I had made in a review I wrote for the book The Various. She was so charming and sharp that I invited her to write a review of the book for this blog. I was curious to see how she sees the book from her 14-year-old perspective.

The Various

By Steve Augarde

Ages 12+

Midge Walters is just an ordinary London girl who is extremely annoyed with her mother, a violinist in the Philharmonic Orchestra. Time and time again she has pleaded to go with her mother on a tour, and every time the answer is no, and it is no different now. This time Midge is going to stay with her quirky Uncle Brian who lives at Mill Farm. Midge instantly loves the farm and her uncle, whom she hasn’t seen for years.

She thinks that this stay will be the same as all the others has had: downright boring. Her cousins Katie and George aren’t going to arrive from their holiday for two weeks, so Midge is completely stuck with what to do, and decides to explore the surrounding fields belonging to her uncle. She is soon discovers how wrong she was; these are not going to be a boring few weeks. In fact they will probably be the most dramatic weeks in her life.

She finds an old, desolate pig barn hiding a big secret – a winged horse, about the size of a small deer, trapped underneath the spokes of a raking machine. As she nurses him back to health, she learns that his name is Pegs, and he lives in what she calls the Royal Forest, which is owned by Midge’s uncle. Pegs can speak, but not as humans do. It sounds to Midge as if Pegs is speaking on a strange sort of telephone, she can see the words like pictures and colours, but the sound is all inside her head. Call it telepathy, if you like.

Pegs takes Midge into the Royal Forest to meet the Various, a group of five tribes trying their best to survive in times where there is less and less food. Pegs had actually been sent out to seek food or safe land in the neighbouring forests, but all he found was a site full of trucks, diggers and felled trees. The closest word to describe the ‘little people’ would be ‘fairy’, but only one tribe, the Ickri, has wings, and even then they can only glide from tree to tree. They are about knee height but, though they are small, they possess spears and arrows. Some are less friendly than others, and some even try to kill Midge.

Midge is dragged into the tale of the struggling tribes, and she is horrified to find out that her uncle wants to sell the land to developers. Pegs urges Midge to tell queen Ba-betts of the Various about this news, which she does. She also finds out about an ancient connection between her and the Various. An ancestor of hers, a ‘Gorji’, as the Various call humans, once built a strong relationship with the tribes, but whenever she spoke of the little people, people thought she was mad.

Midge has the task and mission to protect the only home these strange, mystifying people have, all while keeping their presence a secret.

This first book in a trilogy about the Various, mixes fantasy and reality so closely that you sometimes wonder which is which. It is very difficult not to get sucked into the plot, and to actually feel as if you are becoming Midge herself.

This is a truly magical book, which really makes you think about where you stand today. In this present time people think they know everything about the world, but this book shows us that this is not so. Why, for all we know, there could be little people living right on our doorstep…

Reviewed by Lydia Mackean, aged 14

Thank you, Lydia. I hope to have more guest reviewers in the future.

Blog Book Tour: An Inteview with Joy Preble, author of Dreaming Anastasia

Today I will be interviewing Joy Preble, the author of Dreaming Anastasia.

Marya: Where did the idea for your remarkable book come from?

Joy: Dreaming Anastasia began with Anne. Or more precisely, Anne’s voice. I had this idea about a girl who was in history class and she was bored and her teacher wasn’t really doing a good job of teaching about the Russian Revolution. I didn’t even have a name for this girl yet, but she was smart and kind of snarky and possibly – in that original version – a bit of a trouble maker. Mostly what came to me was this girl who wanted something exciting to happen to her. So I suppose she got her wish

Marya: Why did you decide to bring Baba Yaga, the Russian fairytale witch, into the story?

Joy: Interestingly, the original version did not include Baba Yaga! But my agent and I kept discussing the idea that something was missing; here was this story that was based on the Russian Revolution and the Romanov assassination but the fantasy elements didn’t have an authentic Russian nature to them. So I essentially decided to do a re-write. And I just had a feeling that Russian folklore and fairy tales would bring me what I needed, so I read and read and within a very short time, I’d found the Baba Yaga stories. Baba Yaga seemed the perfect magic foil for Anne and Ethan and Anastasia – she is strong, unpredictable, impossible to actually do away with, and no one in the fairy tales encounters her without coming away changed. It seemed right both organically and metaphorically for what was happening for all the characters in the story, especially – not to give too much away – for certain characters who crave change but can’t have it

Marya: Have you always had an interest in the Romanov story?

Joy: Yes! I think I was in junior high when I picked up a copy of Robert K. Massie’s biography, Nicholas and Alexandra. I was hooked. There’s just something so gloriously and horrendously tragic about it all. This pretty, pretty family who had everything and then lost it all in the political upheaval of the times. And that crazy Rasputin who was so strong that they poisoned him and then shot him and finally had to drown him to get him to die! Plus of course, Anastasia herself – so young and feisty and funny. I can see why so many people just continued to hope that she hadn’t died in that basement that horrible day. I guess all of the passion of that story stuck with me and eventually it came out as Dreaming Anastasia.

Marya: In this story, the power of “blood’ – as in family connections – is strong. Is this something you believe is true outside of your story?

Joy: A very interesting question! Hmmmm…. I guess my answer is both yes and no. No in the literal sense. I don’t think anyone really inherits greatness or evil or that kind of thing. I do think we’re probably a combination of both nature and nurture and that while we have certain inherent traits, we do choose what we become to most extent. That being said, I find that for me, the power of family is strong. I do like knowing the people to whom I’m connected – the ones who share things with me at the most primal level. But I don’t think it takes blood for that. Some of the people I’m closest to aren’t blood relatives; they’re the “family” I chose – close friends; my tribe so to speak. But in terms of the story – I was very much working with the idea that what we do for the people we love is a very powerful force. And certainly for the European royal families, there was always a deep sense of the importance of blood. Beyond that, I guess I could start into the whole blood is important for the feminist aspects of Dreaming Anastasia, but I think that’s another topic entirely

Marya: When you began the story did you know it was going to end the way it did?

Joy: You know, you’re the first person to ask me that! And if I’m going to be honest, I will say that I very much struggled with the ending, especially the more I got to know and love my characters. For those who’ve read, you know that there are obviously two distinct possibilities for the ending. I did work out how the story would be both ways. But ultimately I feel I chose the ending that made the most sense for the characters. That being said, I will tease you by saying that if I get to write the sequels, you may find more surprises in store. That’s all I can say right now.

Marya: You are part of 2k9, a group of writers who are bringing out their first books in the year 2009. How has the group helped you with your book?

Joy: Oh my gosh, how didn’t they, would be the better question? I am constantly telling everyone how lucky I am to have these 20 other writers all going through this journey with me. Each and every one of them has become a friend and a writing colleague. We help each other with everything from morale to promotion and all the stuff in between. And when we do get together in person – it’s crazy wonderful. (Okay, Kathryn Fitzmaurice (The Year the Swallows Came Early) may disagree because she had to drive around Chicago with me behind the wheel getting lost and blowing through some toll booths (I didn’t see it; really. That’s all I’m saying. It was dark. It was raining. I’d eaten too much dessert) but beyond that these guys are just amazing!

Marya: Are you writing a new story at the moment? If you are, are you finding that your writing process is different this time around?

Joy: I’ve just finished two other novels that I hope you will all get to see at some point and I will say that while my general creative process is still the same, I have developed a much more accurately critical internal editor after having gone through editorial revisions with Dreaming Anastasia. The copy edit process in particular was an eye-opener to me. My editor had said, “Oh, it won’t be much. Your writing is very clean.” And then I took a look at what the team had to say… You find out your weaknesses – such as my desire to use too many stylistic fragments and my copy editor’s love of adding dashes. But I did love the discussions we had in the Word comment bubbles. It got quite lively late at night!

Thank you Joy for a wonderful interview. You can visit Joy on her website to find out more about her work and her book. Please visit the other bloggers who are partcipating on this tour.

Teens Read Too (8/17) Through the Wardrobe (8/29) Class of 2k9 (8/29) Story Siren (8/31) EVEREAD (9/1) The Book Resort (9/1) Marta’s Meanderings (9/2) Babbling About Books (9/3) A Passion for Books (9/3) Day by Day Writer (9/4) Neverending Shelf (9/5) YA Books Central (9/6) The Book Obsessions (9/7) Dolce Bellezza (9/7) Books & Literature for Teens (9/7) Shelf Elf (9/8) The Shady Glade (9/8) Debbie’s World of Books (9/9) Bookalicio.us (9/9) Ultimate Book Hound (9/10) Lauren’s Crammed Bookshelf (9/10)

Sarah’s Random Musings (9/11) Cindy’s Love of Books (9/12) Presenting Lenore (9/12) Always Riddikulus (9/12) Jenn’s Bookshelf (9/13) Carol’s Corner (9/13) A High & Hidden Place (9/14) Looking Glass Review (9/14) Karin’s Book Nook (9/14) Shooting Stars Magazine (9/15) Library Lounge Lizard (9/15) Book Journey (9/16) The Book Pixie (9/16) The Compulsive Reader (9/17) Bildungsroman (9/17) Booking Mama (9/18) BriMeetsBooks.com (9/18) The Written World (9/19) Hope’s Bookshelf (9/19) Book Nut (9/20) Hope is the Word (9/20)

Zoe’s Book Reviews (9/21) Homespun Light (9/21) Teen Scene magazine (9/21) Galleysmith (9/22) Once Upon a Bookshelf (9/22) Café of Dreams (9/23) My Friend Amy (9/23) The Brain Lair (9/24) Ms. Bookish (9/24) Lori Calabrese Writes (9/25) Mrs. Magoo Reads (9/25) Ramblings of a Teenage Bookworm (9/26) Fantasy Book Critic (9/26) Into the Wardrobe (9/27) In the Pages (9/27) Beth Fish Reads (9/28) Reverie Book Reviews (9/28) BookLoons.com (9/28)

A review of Dreaming Anastasia by Joy Preble.

Tomorrow I will be posting an interview with Joy Preble, a new author whose first book, Dreaming Anastasia, was published this year. I found the book very engrossing and was fascinated by the way in which the author combined history, the life of a modern day teenager, and the ancient magic of a fairytale witch. Here is my review of the book:

Dreaming Anastasia

Joy Preble

Fiction

Ages 14 and up

Sourcebooks, 2009, 1402218176

For some time now, Anne has been dreaming that she is someone else, a girl who is witnessing the murder of a whole family. It is so real that the dream seems to spill into Anne’s waking life. It is very disturbing and unsettling. Who is the girl in the dream?

Then one day, when she is at the ballet with her friend Tess, Anne sees a very handsome boy who appears to be watching her. Soon after, Anne sees the same boy at a coffee shop and at her school. Could it be that he is following her around? Why are so many weird things happening to her?

Just when she thinks things could not get stranger, the boy, Ethan, offers to explain matters to Anne. What Anne hears is utterly improbable, and yet Anne finds that she does believe what she is hearing. For one thing, it explains why she has been having the strange dreams. Ethan tells her that he belongs to a brotherhood of men who have special powers. The members of the brotherhood use their powers to protect people, specifically the Russian royal family, the Romanovs. In 1918, the leader of the brotherhood, Victor, arranged for Anastasia, the Russian Tsar’s youngest daughter, to be whisked out of danger. Victor used Ethan to compel Baba Yaga, a witch, to rescue Anastasia just at the moment when the rest of her family members were being killed.

Apparently, Anne is the one person who can free Anastasia from her captivity in Baba Yaga’s hut. Because of the spell Victor used on her, Baba Yaga has to do her best to prevent this.

Together Anne and Ethan try to figure out what it is they have to do to free Anastasia. They soon find out that Baba Yaga is not their only enemy. Someone else is also determined to stop them, and he is not afraid to commit murder to achieve his goal.

In this incredibly compelling and sometimes disturbing book, Joy Preble skillfully weaves together Russian fairytales and historical facts. The narrative shifts between Anne’s story, Ethan’s story, Anastasia’s story, and the letters that Anastasia writes to her dead family members as she waits to be rescued. Readers who have an interest in Russian history will get a better understanding of why the Romanovs did what they did, and why their actions led to their downfall. As they read, they will discover that the ties of blood can be very strong, and at the same time, they can cause great trouble and heartache.

This is Joy Preble’s first book.