Provo Library Children's Book Blog

Secret Soldiers By Keely Hutton New York: Square Fish, 2023. Fiction. 309 pages. When 13-year-old Thomas's older brother goes missing on the Western Front, Thomas has to find him. Thomas's attempts to lie about his age to join the army fail repeatedly until he and a small group of other under age boys are recruited to be Claykickers- soldiers whose only job is to tunnel toward the enemy line in order to lay explosives. Thomas, and his new found friends, will have to stay alive long enough to track down his brother in the chaos and death of war on the front lines. I've read many a World War II books in my day, but less about World War I, and I had never heard of Claykickers. I know that there were no ideal spots to be during the war, but the job of tunneling sounded particularly brutal--the constant damp and dirt, the claustrophobia, the risk of poison gases, suffocation, and the fear of being heard by enemy tunnelers. The different boys of the group all had unique reasons f...

It is the time of year when many grown-ups are reminding kids to get bundled up and stay warm before they head to school or out to play with friends. I have many fond memories of my mother reminding me to take a coat and gloves with me in the winter. I have a very distinct memory of a snowy day when I wanted to wear a dress and cute sandals instead of snow boots. I can still remember my teacher when we headed out to recess reminding me that if I didn’t put my snow boots on, my feet would be very cold when I came inside. I was not very happy to put on my bulky boots! If you want to read some books about staying warm this winter, here are five of my favorites.  Spin a Scarf of Sunshine Written by Dawn Casey Illustrated by Stila Lim   Edinburgh : Floris Books, 2020. Picture Book. This sweet picture book tells the story of a sweet lamb and the family that cares for her. As the lamb grows, the family trims the wool, washes it, brushes it, then spins it into yarn and even dyes ...