One word—Magical. I really enjoyed this first novel. The time period, characters, and setting enveloped me. This is a story of two young illusionists who are pitted against one another by their respective teachers. The venue for this contest of endurance and skill is a circus, which is both unusual and amazing as the two illusionists make it something remarkable. Falling in love was not part of the contest, but they do fall in love while being mesmerized by each other’s creations. I enjoyed every moment of it.

Recommended by Clark
Also available on audio

My family was given this classic board book as a gift from a friend who reminisced about reading the book to her young children. We fell in love with it immediately and it continues to be a favorite at bedtime, well beyond the board book years. The singsong of the words is like a lullaby. I personally liked how the illustrator created the marvelous image of a sailboat next to the reflection of the moon which pairs so well with the author’s words. It is so subtle, but yet fits perfectly with the story.

Recommended by Clark

What a wonderful little book. With few words other than “hug” in the book, the illustrations tell the story. When reading this to my son, I find myself using different inflections that correspond to how Bobo, the star of the book, appears to feel. My son seems to enjoy it and responds to each inflection with a sigh. Bobo’s emotional cries for a hug remind me how important it is to give that little hug even when you are not even being asked for one. This is a great little book for a two to four year old.

Recommended by Clark

My family loves the Peanuts, but my most favorite character in the series is Linus and his blanket. This fun colorful storybook was a welcome addition to our family library. Linus fends off his sister, Snoopy and his grandmother to save his blue blanket. What could be better? Have you even envisioned Linus’ blanket as a kite, well you’ll find that in this adorable book and be rewarded with a happy smile after reading it.

Recommended by Clark

I highly recommend this beautifully illustrated and fun to read picture book, which was published in November 2008. I love reading this story to my almost three-year old son. The illustrations of the boy remind me of him and they are fun for both of us. The story is about a boy who wants a dog, but can’t have one and learns to love what he has, a fish. The illustrator is Dan Taylor and this is his first book.

Recommended by Clark

This is a very funny book, giving fatherhood advice without actually giving a lot of advice. The author writes about his experience as a first time father. Although I read it after my second son was born, instead of while my wife was pregnant or after my first son was born, I still found it fun to read and it made me laugh throughout. Although I didn’t agree with everything Crider said about fatherhood, I thought it was a great way to bond with another recent father over the tough things about becoming a parent.

Recommended by Clark

This series of 9 books has re-energized my love of George Lucas’ world.  The series starts about 40 “standard” years after Star Wars: A New Hope.  Although some wonderful characters from Star Wars, Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi have passed on during the 40 years, the main focus of the series is Luke, Leia, Han and their families.  I listened to the audio books and I loved every moment that I spent with the series.  The books are not as light as the first three movies were.  They are darker and similar to the prequel movies (Phantom Menace, Attack of the Clones and Revenge of the Sith), but it is a wonderful series and can’t be missed by any Star Wars enthusiast.  You definitely need to have read or watched the six movies to have a good base for this series, but who hasn’t seen the six Star Wars movies?  Anyway, I strongly recommend these books on either audio or in print; they are listed below in order:

#1 Betrayal
#2 Bloodlines
#3 Tempest
#4 Exile
#5 Sacrifice
#6 Inferno
#7 Fury
#8 Revelation
#9 Invincible

Recommended by Clark

Invincible is also available as an audio book.

This is a wonderful railway themed board game, which won the prestigious Spiel des Jahres (German for Game of the Year) award in 2004 for excellence in game design. The game is beautifully designed and easy to play. It plays 2-5 players in about 45-60 minutes, for ages 8 and up. Ticket to Ride is a personal favorite of mine for friends and family on game night and I highly recommend getting a copy. I love the added bonus of helping players remember geography.

Recommended by Clark

I have been reading this wonderful board book to my son since he was one year old. The illustrations are fabulous with brilliant colors of spring including lilac, columbine and ladybugs. The story is fun because it can be interactive. For example, when the bunny yawns, my son and I yawn. When the bunny stretches, we stretch. Although the publisher recommends it for ages 4-8 years old, I found it to be great starting at 1 year old.

Recommended by Clark

This is a captivating novel.  It tells the tale of eight individuals touched by a lost and unknown Vermeer painting.  The story moves backward in time from present day to the 17th century, and each character has a remarkable tale.  The author did a wonderful job detailing each part of the story from a different point of view.  Vreeland’s book is absolutely captivating and wonderfully told.

Recommended by Clark

Also available as an audio book.

This pre-Civil War novel about the life of a slave catcher was riveting and thought-provoking. Although the subject is not for the faint of heart, the story left me with a profound feeling that some of the best stories are the ones that are hard to hear. I was touched by the emotion of the two main characters & how life would have been during a very dark time.

Recommended by Clark

Also available as an audio book.

This is best humor book I have seen in a really long time. Have you ever imagined how good of a father Darth Vader would have been to Luke? Jeffrey Brown has the answers all wrapped up in this little book. From Luke splashing in puddles on Dagobah to Darth Vader reading a Darth Maul storybooks to Luke. I am a big Star Wars fan and the illustrations and humor won me over in a moment. This would make a great Father’s Day gift or a gift for any Star Wars fan of any age. I loved it.

Recommended by Clark