All Categories - Laura L. Smith

Books My Kids Read

I get asked all the time what my kids are reading. I don't know if it's because I'm a mom of four, because I'm an author, or because our car, house, pool bag, porch, very lives are littered with hardbacks, paperbacks, a Kindle and picture books. But the books we read are truly a reflection of who we are. Since people are curious. I decided to start this tab on my blog to share what my kiddos are reading. But it only helps you, if you understand a little bit about them.

MADDIE - AGE 19, SOCCER OBSESSED SORORITY GIRL
MAX - AGE 17, BOY WITH MUSIC IN HIS SOUL AND SPEED IN HIS FEET
MALLORY - AGE 14, GIGGLING, GIDDY, GIRL WHO LOVES SOCCER AND HER FRIENDS
MAGUIRE - AGE 12, CREATIVE, FREE SPIRITED ACTOR DANCING TO HIS OWN BEAT

The Whole Thing Together by Ann Brashares

9/10/2018

I read this first. And then bought a copy for Maddie. I couldn't wait for her to read it! This summer she had some time and dug in. Brashares is brilliant at developing beautiful characters that are so alive you can almost hear them breathing from the pages. I loved this tale of brokenness and finding completion, of finding and accepting love from others and from yourself where you weren't necessarily thinking you could find it. I will forever be a fan of the Traveling Pants series, but The Whole Thing Together was just as personal, raw, and lovely as Brashares' previous books.

Blood of Kings Trilogy by Jill Williamson

9/10/2018

Maguire read so many books over the summer. I was asking him how many he stars he gave his various reads. "Four, four, four," he answered. He'd loved most of the books I'd just questioned him on.
Curious, I asked, "What book have you read that gets a five?"
Without a second hesitation, he replied, "All of the Blood of Kings books." These books! They are long. They are detailed. They have maps and characters with wild names and Jill Williamson has done such a brilliant job of creating an exciting, engaging storyworld packed with adventure that every single word of this trilogy captivated my son. So much so, that he created his own Lego guys to go with the series. Side note--Max also devoured this series when he was in middle school.

The Uglies by Scott Westerfeld

8/13/2018

Mallory had to read The Uglies for freshman English. Since I'm a YA and Dystopian fan, I read it before she even got to it. I think this book will resonate with fans of Divergent, The Hunger Games, and The Giver, but although Mallory loved The Giver, she was not a fan of this book. The Uglies is another frightening take on what could happen to our culture if we let others think for us, if we stop making our own decisions, forming our own opinions, standing up for what we believe in. A brilliant reminder that Photoshopped images are not "pretty." What is truly pretty is how we were each uniquely created.

The Danger Box by Blue Balliett

7/5/2017

Blue Balliett always brilliantly writes stories that ignite curiosity in kids. Her books make readers want to learn, discover, explore, THINK! In her previous novels, Balliett has introduced a famous artist into the plot (Calder, Frank Lloyd Wright, etc.), expanding the knowledge of readers while they're engrossed in her mysteries. This time, she introduces a well known scientist, again not to stand behind or against the scientist's findings, but in the interest of making kids hungry to learn. Kudos to Balliett for always creating the best characters--kids with quirks, but also with hidden insights and gifts. She does a lovely job of reminding us that everyone has their own special talents and something to add to the conversation. I read her books, because my kids love them. But I LOVE them too!

Inkspell by Cornelia Funke

11/29/2016

At teacher conferences this year I asked Maguire's teacher to recommend some books that would satiate his hunger for reading and still be "kid" appropriate. She asked, "Has he read the Inkheart books?" I shook my head. I knew we had at least one from this series by Cornelia Funke on our shelves at home, and that some of my other kids had read one or two, but for what ever reason, Maguire hadn't stepped into their pages. Yet. He immediately devoured Inkheart. Me sneaking in every once in awhile to read a page, section or chapter out loud with him. Him filling me in on all the parts he read in bed, the car, anywhere he could sneak in a few pages. And now he's on to book two, Inkspell, in this fantastical series based on the premise of what happens if when reading aloud, the characters from the stories, sometimes magically drop into your life. Some of my favorite lines from favorites such as Peter Pan and The Princess Bride, begin each chapter of these action packed adventures, illustrating the power of good over evil.

Lucy Out of Bounds by Nancy Rue

11/29/2016

Mallory's favorite genre is contemporary realistic fiction. She adores reading about girls like her and what they're going through. Mallory is also obsessed with soccer. Therefore, Mallory adores Nancy Rue's Lucy series. There are four books in the series all revolving around Lucy, a feisty middle schooler who not only plays soccer, but also is trying to maneuver her way through family issues, friends and frenemies, school and faith. Nancy Rue has an authentic voice for middle schoolers, truly reaching them where they are. She tackles real problems with honesty and grace. Not only has Mallory gobbled up every word in the series, but she's reading them all over again.

One For The Murphys by Lynda Mullaly Hunt

10/5/2015

One For The Murphys by Lynda Mullaly Hunt

Mallory picked up this book at the library this summer and devoured it in two days. She insisted (against her brothers' protests) that it be our next "read aloud". After two pages we were all completely absorbed in this authentically raw and beautiful story of a foster child. Needless to say, as we reached the climax, I was sobbing so hard, Max had to remove the book from my soggy self and read the rest out loud for us. So touching and true -- filled with lessons of life and love and the importance of having someone believe in you. This is the best middle grade novel I've read in years!

CHARLIE BONE

8/12/2015

Charlie Bone and the Beast by Jenny Nimmo

When Maguire got to a point in the Harry Potter series where I thought he should wait to read the next one (they get pretty intense and a bit scary as you move through the years at Hogwarts), Mallory suggested he read Charlie Bone by Jenny Nimmo. I was a bit suspicious of another series of thick books taking place in a magical school in England, so we read the first one together out loud. I was hooked. And so was Maguire. He’s now reading the sixth book in the series about a King whose descendants were all endowed with special gifts. Some of the King’s children used their gifts for good; some of them took their talents for prideful, greedy gain and evil. This is a theme that resonates. The series is a fight of good over evil, the characters vivid and believable. The plots tense enough to keep Maguire reading and reading, but without scary details that would give him (or me) nightmares.

Never let you go by jenny b. jones

7/26/2015

The latest installment in Jenny B. Jones Katie Parker production series was the perfect summer read for Maddie. Maddie's reading pile is usually dictated by her English teacher, predominately classics with serious themes, or in Maddie's words, "Books that are ten thousand years old and totally depressing." Can't Let You Go, or anything by Jenny B. Jones for that matter, is for Maddie, like ice cream after broccoli. Just like the previous Katie Parker books, Can't Let You Go provides plenty of self-discovery, faith, wit, romance and hilarious comedy, mainly courtesy of Katie's crazy grandma, Maxine. If you or your daughters haven't read any of these books yet, treat yourself to the first one in the series, In Between. It's FREE on Kindle. Then, you can continue to read book after book to fill the rest of your summer days poolside.

All Things Possible: My Story of Faith, Football, and the First Miracle Season

7/9/2015

Kurt Warner, the NFL MVP quarterback tells the story of his grueling road to fame. After attending camp for a pro team, Warner found himself working the night shift at a grocery and living in a basement to make ends meet. How did he go from the road to fame to rock bottom and somehow back to the Super Bowl? Through hard work and a lot of faith. All Things Possible is exactly the kind of story I'm thrilled for my teenage son, Max, to read. And because it is by a professional athlete who loves Jesus, it's exactly the kind of book Max wants to read. It also hints at one of my all-time favorite Bible verses, Phil 4:13, I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. I first heard of Kurt Warner when the kids were younger and we had a DVD called The Good Sports Gang. It was a fun-filled sports inspired faith video that I didn't have to feel guilty about letting the kids watch. I'm grateful for role models like Mr. Warner who can inspire my kids to trust God no matter what their dreams and no matter what life throws their way.