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Cindy M
An accountant and CPA by profession, I found myself a book reviewer for Squeaky Clean Reads by happenstance. When the opportunity came to transform that website into Compass Book Ratings, I was excited to seize it and meld my business background with my love of books. As the mother of three teenage sons, I have read a large number of children and young adult books and I believe that there is great value in a content review service. As much as we would love to read everything our children read, there just isn’t enough time. I also appreciate being able to select books for myself that are really worth my precious and limited reading time. I believe there is a book out there for everyone–they just have to find it!
With the posting of the book review and content analysis of Rose Under Fire by Elizabeth Wein, Compass Book Ratings now has 800 books in our database.  We fired-up the website on March 19, 2012 with 2…
Rose Under Fire by Elizabeth Wein is a companion book to her award-winning Code Name Verity.  As a companion book, there is some overlapping mention of characters, but it is not necessa…
The Second Life of Abigail Walker is a mesh of topics--bullying, peer pressure, self-identity and self-realization, and the psychological aftermath of war on soldiers.  The protagonist, Abig…
The Cat Who Could Read Backwards by Lilian Jackson Braun was written back in 1966 and was the first of what would eventually become a series of 29 books; all the titles in series begin with "The …
Triumphant!  Dark Triumph is a raw and honest look at a damaged individual, Sybella, and her search for redemption and freedom.  The authenticity and complexity of Sybella transfor…
Best Audiobooks for Family Road Trip A family road trip is supposed to be a bonding experience and a shared reading experience (think cross-generational Harry Potter appeal) can make books that much …
The No-Dogs-Allowed Rule by Kashmira Sheth is an entry-level middle grade chapter book.  The reader follows Ishan Mehra's misguided attempts to convince his mother into allowing him a dog.  Ishan's sh…
The White Bicycle by Beverley Brenna is a 2013 Michael L. Printz Award Honor Book.  Rich with symbols, it is an introspective and reflective book.  The author indicates in the notes tha…
Coming off of a Newbery Award for Moon Over Manifest, Navigating Early by Clare Vanderpool almost immediately hit the New York Times Best Seller list.  The charm in Navigating Earl…
If you had the misfortune of seeing the Hollywood movie adaptation of this book a few years ago, please cast that monstrosity from your mind; it did the book a great injustice.  The Tale of …
Lulu and the Duck in the Park is a straight-forward, but charming story of a girl who loves animals.  A large part of the charm is that the events that happen to Lulu could easily happen in real life …
Small Steps:  The Year I Got Polio by Peg Kehret has an impressive list of awards--1997 ALA Notable Book for Children, a 1997 Top 10 Quick Pick for Reluctant Young Adult Readers, and many ot…