Semicolon

The ABC Bunny

Reviewed by Sherry Early
[T]he aforesaid bunnies crash and dash and meet up with all kinds of other alphabetically named forest creatures and events and objects– all the way from “A for Apple, big and red” to “Z for ZERO, Close the Book.” In this book, X, always a letter I check in alphabet books because it’s so hard find words that begin with X, is “for eXit–off, away,” with a picture of a rabbit rushing to hide in his burrow. Read the full review

Abe Lincoln Grows Up (Adaptation)

Reviewed by Sherry Early
This “taken from an adult biography” aspect of the book accounts for its rich vocabulary, not dumbed down at all, and its sometimes dark subject matter. Sandburg writes about all of the varied cultural facets of the frontier in Indiana, Kentucky, and Illinois where Abe Lincoln grew up, including drunkenness, brawling, death, disease, Indian wars, prejudice, and slavery. And he doesn’t really mince words, although the language is more poetic than graphic. Read the full review

Abe Lincoln's Other Mother: The Story of Sarah Bush Lincoln

Reviewed by Sherry Early
This Messner biography is written for upper elementary and middle school readers, perhaps high school, although today’s young adult readers might find it a bit too unsophisticated for their tastes. The book certainly idealizes Sarah Lincoln and her stepson, Abe, while characterizing Abe’s father, Thomas Lincoln, as somewhat lazy and lacking in ambition. Read the full review