Raimie's Picks

War Horse begins with the discovery of a small painting of a clear-eyed brown horse in the town hall of a forgotten town in England. The horse is named “Joey”, one of the million English horses that served in World War One—and the narrator of this memoir. In 1915, Joey carried brave men and pulled cannons while detailing the war. If you’re a teacher, War Horse is a great example of historic fiction that demonstrates voice and a clear main idea, and would also make a wonderful book to read aloud to both boys and girls. —Raimie

In Annie Proulx’s childhood, her parents marched their family through multiple states and homes while searching for better jobs. Her only constant was her love of dogs, wildlife, and the environment. In adulthood, her challenge became creating and building a home that fits into nature while also preserving the natural environment she loves. Each new place she moved to inspired her and supported her writing. Proulx's style invokes the vast landscape of Wyoming and the endless surprises of building her ideal home, Birdcloud.  —Raimie

In this compelling book, Craig Childs enfolds all that he knows about sense of place and what makes it so.  He combines his knowledge of past cultures, the topography of the land, the people that inhabit that land, and the hows and whys of the power that land emits from what is under and above it. Massive research, individual stories of greed, and stories of the glory of the earth itself are beautifully combined in prose you might hear in the wind, earth and water if you listened closely as he does.   —Raimie