Books

I did say I was presenting only one book per state, but once I listened to Crow I knew I had to include it as well. Crow tells the story of the only successful coup d’état in US history; the only time a non-elected group overthrew a legally elected government. … Read More

The Lawyer by John Ellsworth is a legal thriller that takes place in Chicago and features a criminal attorney, Michael Gresham, who ends up being played by one of his clients. The story has a few unexpected twists and Michael negotiates his relationship with his ex-wife, the people he is defending, … Read More

*Stella Mills’ character is loosely based on the author’s grandmother who grew up in a small, segregated African-American town similar to the fictional town of Bumblebee. Like the protagonist in the story, Sharon Draper’s grandmother enjoyed writing by moonlight.  Narrator Heather Alicia Simms’s rich and expressive voice is a perfect … Read More

There are so many good audiobooks that take place in historical Florida! Many of the books I’ve listened to so far are serious in tone and deal with important but tough issues. This laugh-out-loud book was a nice change of pace. Note: Full of Beans is a prequel to Jennifer … Read More

The Birchbark House is the first in a 5 book series written by master storyteller Louise Erdrich and inspired by her own family’s history. The Birchbark House by Louise Erdrich follows 7-year-old Omakayas and her family throughout a calendar year, season by season.  We meet Nokomis, her beloved grandmother; Deyday, … Read More

Many books about slavery mention the Underground Railroad as an aid to helping slaves reach the northern states which had abolished slavery.  Unbound is interesting since it focuses on people who escaped slavery but who did not make it to the north.  In doing research for her novel, Ann Burg … Read More

The audiobook Countdown by Deborah Wiles is amazing! It includes actual radio and television news clips, snippets of popular songs, and excerpts from famous speeches. Realistic sound effects have been added to really bring the story to life. This was the second book I listened to for the Audiobook Tour. Countdown, … Read More

This is the first audiobook I listened to for the Audiobook Tour of US History project and I highly recommend it!  I learned a lot and Joseph Bruchac did an excellent job of narrating his book.  I’m definitely interested in reading more by this prolific author.  Talking Leaves is the … Read More