ARC Review The Witch of Willow Hall by Hester Fox

In the wake of a scandal, the Montrose family and their three daughters—Catherine, Lydia and Emeline—flee Boston for their new country home, Willow Hall.
The estate seems sleepy and idyllic. But a subtle menace creeps into the atmosphere, remnants of a dark history that call to Lydia, and to the youngest, Emeline.
All three daughters will be irrevocably changed by what follows, but none more than Lydia, who must draw on a power she never knew she possessed if she wants to protect those she loves. For Willow Hall’s secrets will rise, in the end…

This book was dark and gloomy and even very sad at times. It had a slow moving plot, but as it progressed the intrigue and mystery increased and before long I could not put it down. I had to know what was going to happen next. I was enthralled. I was captivated by Lydia and all she was going through. I felt so deeply for her character. This is a book that forces the reader to feel. The reader will gradually realize that they are invested in what is occurring. I laughed with Lydia and I cried with her. I was shocked with her and at times I was angry for her. Yes this book has witchcraft in it, but the book does not revolve around the witchcraft. The family scandal is more center to the storyline, and what a scandal it was. This book is not for the younger reader, it is for a more mature, older audience, however it is a great read. Differnt from my usual, but as this author's debut novel she should be proud. I look forward to reading more from Hester Fox.  
I give The Witch of Willow Hall 4 out of 5 Stars

Esperanza Rising by Pam Munoz Ryan

Esperanza Rising is a beautiful book I have found appeals to many of my ESL students. Living in southeastern NC I have a lot of students whose families are farmers, they are here on work VISAs and these students understand the culture of this book. I like to implement this book within my classroom because it helps my other students become a bit more culturally aware of the lifestyle many of their peers are living. It may not be an identical situation to Esperanza's, but many of my migrant students can identify with parts of the lifestyle contained within the pages of this book.  This book is also a good reminder for me of exactly what my students are dealing with at home. It keeps me sensitive to their plight and so I like to use it as an easy read early on in the school year. It lends itself easily to cross-curricular instruction especially early in the semester. It is best suited for middle school students. I have found this is another book that easily opens the floor for discussions and students are readily willing to discuss issues within these pages. It is amazing to me the level of acceptance this book can create in my classroom.  That alone is a reason to adopt it in the curriculum.

Educational content 4 out of 5 stars
I give the book Esperanza Rising 4 out of 5 stars 

The Watson's Go to Birmingham by Christopher Paul Curtis

Again, as an educator I would be amiss if I did not include some reviews of books that teachers and parents can appreciate. This book is appropriate for several audiences. I like this book because young males are particularly drawn to its characters. I have found that boys tend to be hardest to get interested in reading, but Christopher Paul Curtis must have know this when he added the comedy and real life brotherly banter to this novel. I also enjoy this book for its method of dealing with painful themes within the classroom and at home. Themes such as poor vs rich and racism are dealt with in a manner students and children can understand and empathize with. As a teacher I like the multiple historical tie-ins. Any book that easily lends itself to cross curricular content is a plus in my curriculum. The book also has many literary elements, using it I can teach almost any literary element I choose. I can follow common core lesson plans but apply them to this novel that students are actually interested in. I have found the biggest problem I have with this book is that many of my students read ahead of the assigned pages because they just cannot put the book down (keep in mind I deal with students who have learning disabilities) .
For those who need additional support I do provide the audio book and the audio of this book is the absolute best of any book I have ever listened to. There are sound effects, background music, and then there is the narrator LeVar Burton. Yes! Star Trek and Reading Rainbow's LeVar Burton. Enough Said.

Classroom Content--- 5 out of 5 Stars
Audio content--- 5 out of 5 Stars
I give the book The Watson' s Go to Birmingham 1963 5 out of 5 Stars