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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!
https://www.compassbookratings.com

Bud, Not Buddy

A writer who can turn a nice phrase is a craftsman, but an author who slips you inside a character’s skin without you noticing is an artist.  Christopher Paul Curtis is a master artist in the Newbery-…
Cindy M

Lost in Lexicon

“Well, now that we’re 13, our entertainment needs are more sophisticated.” Aunt Adelaide crossed her arms.  “I must say I find that tragic.” And thus begins Pendred Noyce’s Lost in Lexicon.  Thirteen …
Cindy M

Catherine, Called Birdy

Catherine, Called Birdy by Karen Cushman is probably the book that instigated my addiction to children’s literature.  This book has the complexity, themes, and depth to reach an audience beyond childr…
Cindy M

Pathfinder

Hats off and congratulations to Orson Scott Card in Pathfinder  for being brave enough, crazy enough, and brilliant enough to tackle time travel and not have the story implode!  Pathfinder begins as r…
Cindy M

The Alchemist

The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho is a lyrical fable, simply told, of an Andalusian shepherd boy searching for his destiny and his treasure. Stylistically, one can almost hear an ancient storyteller unfol…
Cindy M

The Door in the Forest

The Door in the Forest by Roderick Townley opens with a bewitching description of a curious and alluring island, promising the kind of adventure that delights children ages 9-12.   Interestingly, whil…
Cindy M

The Grapes of Wrath

If you would like to taste the dust and despair of the Depression, this book delivers.  The format of the book alternates chapters detailing the travels of the Joad family from Oklahoma to Califo…
Cindy M

The Distant Hours

This is the third and most recent book by Kate Morton.  It is told via alternating a first person modern account with various third person historical accounts during World War II.  Set in England, it …
Cindy M

Sorcery & Cecelia OR The Enchanted Chocolate Pot

Think Jane Austen meets Harry Potter… and that is what you get in Sorcery & Cecelia.  The setting is an alternate England after the Napoleonic Wars.  The characters are the cousins, Kate and Cecel…
Cindy M

Major Pettigrew’s Last Stand

Major Pettigrew is the quintessential English gentleman trying to retain his dignity in a world that increasingly deviates from the standards and expectations of his generation.   While dealing with t…
Cindy M

The Forgotten Garden

Stunning!  This is the second novel written by Kate Morton, but I read it first, before reading her debut novel, The House at Riverton.  Of Morton’s three novels, this is my favorite.  Time jumping, c…
Cindy M

Ranger’s Apprentice Book 1: The Ruins of Gorlan

At my sons’ urging, I recently read Ranger’s Apprentice:  The Ruins of Gorlan by John Flanagan, the first in a series that they have devoured.  This fantasy, set in a world resembling medieval Europe,…
Cindy M

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