tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-59178231337885125412024-03-13T17:08:42.378-04:00Old & New BerriesIn which Melanie and Sue read and review Newbery Award and Honor books.
If you have any thoughts or opinions, feel free to comment and we'll respond!Suehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17900692609061836425noreply@blogger.comBlogger206125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5917823133788512541.post-15931062683380228442021-08-05T19:39:00.002-04:002021-08-05T19:39:16.963-04:00Chúcaro: Wild Pony of the Pampa, by Francis Kalnay<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIaiz60_AmPbrKf2lk2CHUsJjlBwtRh1K_GmtxLHqp0KEwWYZPFBvMiI8d_pKgydd4eO25TH5-yrjO5Ao7f4G7ZVbCkilZ20UGgDm3amiEDWoU2luOoeJXs8GDEmSFHAXkPK5zuEUQZwM/s760/Chucaro.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="760" data-original-width="570" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIaiz60_AmPbrKf2lk2CHUsJjlBwtRh1K_GmtxLHqp0KEwWYZPFBvMiI8d_pKgydd4eO25TH5-yrjO5Ao7f4G7ZVbCkilZ20UGgDm3amiEDWoU2luOoeJXs8GDEmSFHAXkPK5zuEUQZwM/s320/Chucaro.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br /> This book is at an excellent reading level for a beginning chapter book reader. It's short, with short chapters, and illustrated.<p></p><p><br /></p><p>That said, I found this book difficult to get through. It sat around my house for so long that the owning library has threatened to bill me for it. It simply wasn't telling the story that was begging to be told, in my opinion, and nearly every other chapter was incidental to the plot. </p><p>I can summarize the entire plot for you (something I prefer not to do thoroughly, but I think I'm doing you a favor here).</p><p><br /></p><p>Young Pedro lives on the plains of Argentina, an area populated by various sharecropping families. One day he catches sight of the most beautiful wild pony he has ever seen, and Juan (an adopted father to the boy) catches it for him tames it, and teaches Pedro to ride it.</p><p>One day the <i>patrón</i> sends word that he wants a good pony for his shiftless son upon their return, and the mayordomo has his eyes on Chúcaro (who was, after all, caught on the patrón's property). The sharecroppers figure out a solution: They will let the horse decide. If the patrón's son cannot lasso Chúcaro, he will remain with Pedro.</p><p>Of course, he can't, and is made a fool of. In a fit of anger he throws a set of <i>bolas</i> (think three bocce balls attached by a leather strap) at the pony's face, knocking it to the ground. When the boy approaches later, the pony gives him a good hard kick to the stomach. The boy accuses Juan of having ordered the pony to kick him, and when Juan defends himself, the patrón fires him for calling his son a liar and evicts him from the property.</p><p>Juan and Pedro ride off into the sunset forever to explore what other opportunities await elsewhere.</p><p>This is the story that took 127 pages to tell. You're welcome.</p>Melaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13713015052919049834noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5917823133788512541.post-1441965803407708092021-07-26T12:56:00.003-04:002021-07-26T12:56:21.946-04:00The Horsecatcher, by Mari Sandoz<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQqM_loOVuTurokepf-XNE015OYt-als-d6OhfjA-ybr_DQho-mCJukD6fcahyphenhyphenLAYaLJILzE8ZQvO5dFs2ZPI4sKHjALw5sF7bSQXsowJ9uviqMokywh-UrdWiEIbW40gkLbSO-pXF6hw/s282/Horsecatcher.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="282" data-original-width="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQqM_loOVuTurokepf-XNE015OYt-als-d6OhfjA-ybr_DQho-mCJukD6fcahyphenhyphenLAYaLJILzE8ZQvO5dFs2ZPI4sKHjALw5sF7bSQXsowJ9uviqMokywh-UrdWiEIbW40gkLbSO-pXF6hw/s0/Horsecatcher.jpg" /></a></div>I always do a little research on the authors before writing up these blog entries, and <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mari_Sandoz" target="_blank">Mari Sandoz</a> sounds like someone I'd love to read an engaging biography of! The daughter of a pioneer, she was raised in Nebraska, and from her brief Wikipedia entry, would have had amazing stories to tell. Although not of Native American descent, she apparently admired the cultures of the plains Indians, and they feature in many of her books, including this one.<p></p><p>Young Elk is a young Cheyenne who is drawn to the capture and care of horses, despite the fact that it is often to his detriment. Although his village's elderly horse catcher has earned respect for his role, there is much less place for a young man who hasn't earned prestige through battle. But despite the pressure put on him by society and family, he often slips off to track and gentle horses- both wild and belonging to enemy tribes.</p><p><br /></p><p>I enjoyed the story quite a bit, but what I enjoyed more was the author's gentle way of teaching us aspects of Cheyenne (and cross-tribal) culture without being heavy-handed. She clearly studied familiar and cultural interactions very carefully, and it helps put the reader into the story.</p>Melaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13713015052919049834noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5917823133788512541.post-84866831251160196212021-06-23T20:47:00.001-04:002021-06-23T20:47:40.503-04:00Along Came a Dog, by Meindert DeJong<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsEWuO8jUdrhbit3kwedRWsm0Kp6OffPT_T-rmR7-BqQu4kWpspW0N-RjfXdEowPPxRpk89tnIznQKZmIyVScbuep5Qb9sfJijSITYDCnqJleSUaQwd_Kgf5I09_NeaKZZ-NbMpXfzCAY/s500/Dog.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="327" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsEWuO8jUdrhbit3kwedRWsm0Kp6OffPT_T-rmR7-BqQu4kWpspW0N-RjfXdEowPPxRpk89tnIznQKZmIyVScbuep5Qb9sfJijSITYDCnqJleSUaQwd_Kgf5I09_NeaKZZ-NbMpXfzCAY/s320/Dog.jpeg" /></a></div>I should have enjoyed this book more, probably, but it described farm life in such a blunt way that I found it incredibly off-putting and it was difficult for me.<p></p><p>"The man" works for a farmer but has a flock of chickens that he cares for. As winter is ending, he discovers that his little red hen HAS FROZEN ALL OF HER TOES and they literally drop off as she tries to walk. The book contains other upsetting descriptions of the chicken trying to hobble along on her little ankle nubbins and care for herself among a flock that immediately demotes her to the bottom of the pecking order.</p><p>But the real protagonist of this story is a stray dog, who wanders into the barnyard hoping to find a home there, since he can sense that The man is good and kind to animals. He sets himself up as the secret guardian of the little red hen and spends the book defending her (and by extension, all the flock) and hoping he will eventually be welcomed into the farm family, although the man does catch him twice and abandon him far away.</p><p>It's just an animal story for a different time that didn't speak to me in the way it was meant to.</p>Melaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13713015052919049834noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5917823133788512541.post-84314766773831894452021-05-26T10:45:00.003-04:002021-05-26T10:45:55.156-04:00The Family Under the Bridge, by Natalie Savage Carlson<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3Bn8HrfITHZew8q-p4M0cQSQTaqMbi2IvnRJjyN67KVze321oD1SucYVP01J6_A5ch3So8vabS3rfIcL10KFQbrZwcWXFDnVRX11jzBbBjykFa8t1iv6Dv1vwYCpLpp-zmDObxZZanaM/s475/Bridge.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="318" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3Bn8HrfITHZew8q-p4M0cQSQTaqMbi2IvnRJjyN67KVze321oD1SucYVP01J6_A5ch3So8vabS3rfIcL10KFQbrZwcWXFDnVRX11jzBbBjykFa8t1iv6Dv1vwYCpLpp-zmDObxZZanaM/s320/Bridge.jpeg" /></a></div><br /> This is a charming little story about Armand, a "hobo" in Paris, who loves his free life. But one day he returns to his usual spot under a bridge to find that another family has claimed it- three redheaded children whose mother is at work. After their father's death they could no longer afford their apartment, and are hiding so that they won't be put into an orphanage and be separated from their mother, and each other. Armand is a bit ruffled at having his spot taken, but the children seem more than happy to absorb him into "their" space and claim him as an unofficial grandfather. The children think that singing to earn change for treats and meeting Armand's friends the gypsies are a marvelous adventure, but their mother takes offense and tries to keep the children away from him. Nonetheless, it seems that they are meant to be family, and the story ends happily for all.<p></p>Melaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13713015052919049834noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5917823133788512541.post-72654476188881983422019-10-07T19:49:00.000-04:002019-10-07T19:49:06.818-04:00The Great Wheel, by Robert Lawson<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYKAnchiqByL437Pu3sefkL2HIg1FT_-0Gzsbb5ADWxYGodIYuCWFRMUFdEuVEerh6D5vF1GYc64ZKGdJGmP5e-VtxvmbrV9Jc5g6SoqeuiOQt0O3hmAeBRxl4qh_tXnUb2D88r2vyxUE/s1600/the-great-wheel.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="462" data-original-width="300" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYKAnchiqByL437Pu3sefkL2HIg1FT_-0Gzsbb5ADWxYGodIYuCWFRMUFdEuVEerh6D5vF1GYc64ZKGdJGmP5e-VtxvmbrV9Jc5g6SoqeuiOQt0O3hmAeBRxl4qh_tXnUb2D88r2vyxUE/s320/the-great-wheel.jpeg" width="207" /></a></div>
For those of you following the tags, this one isn't technically about pioneers; it's more about immigrants. But it was the closest tag, so hey!<br />
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<i>The Great Wheel</i> follows young Conn (short for Cornelius) from Ireland to the United States in search of his future, and the resolution of his aunt Honora's prophecy for him, read from leaves in the bottom of a tea cup: "Your fortune lies to the west. Keep your face to the sunset and follow the evening star, and one day you'll ride the greatest wheel in all the world." He initially works for his uncle in New York, who owns a contracting company. But he decides digging ditches and laying piping, and accounting work in the office, aren't for him. At 17, when he has the opportunity, he decides to join his other uncle, Patrick, in Chicago. He's working on an amazing piece of machinery that will become the showpiece of the world's fair: the first ever Ferris wheel. And at two-hundred-fifty feet in height, other engineers are claiming that it simply can't be done. But Patrick has faith in Ferris, the designer, and Conn has faith in uncle Patrick.<br />
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And so we follow Conn and his companions in the months leading up to the Ferris wheel's opening, as they build the tremendous wheel from the ground up. But always in the background is the question of what will become of Conn once his work is finished: does he even want to continue working in construction? And if not, what will his future be?<br />
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This was a straightforward and pleasant read that I was able to knock out in an afternoon.Melaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13713015052919049834noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5917823133788512541.post-5763860276940191732019-09-24T16:49:00.000-04:002019-09-24T16:49:11.137-04:00Gone-Away Lake, by Elizabeth Enright<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrwtZxvhKtZIWaAgN8w8hIW2qPKH4MaRO942MFrE6-Elpnj-eG9TXrSDXXIQ4O3PikM2TN6q7HRP8xy50F2rf7fd1FYkKfSTYun9MTgnVX4w7QIWIxBNkLREL6tFRZU3k9iThVH0AC7Bw/s1600/Gone+Away+Lake.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="499" data-original-width="336" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrwtZxvhKtZIWaAgN8w8hIW2qPKH4MaRO942MFrE6-Elpnj-eG9TXrSDXXIQ4O3PikM2TN6q7HRP8xy50F2rf7fd1FYkKfSTYun9MTgnVX4w7QIWIxBNkLREL6tFRZU3k9iThVH0AC7Bw/s320/Gone+Away+Lake.jpg" width="215" /></a></div>
This one is a charming summer read that most children should enjoy, I'd think. Every year, Portia and her younger brother Foster go to visit her aunt and uncle, and cousin Julian, in the countryside. Portia and Julian, being closer in age, are close friends and spend a lot of time exploring.<br />
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One day, while rambling through the woods, Portia and Julian come across a giant swamp. Julian plunges into the reeds in search of rare butterflies. When the two emerge, they see a number of huge, but decrepit, estate houses. When they go closer to explore, they meet an old man and woman, siblings, dressed in turn-of-the century clothing. Mr. Pindar Payton and Mrs. Minnehaha Cheever are the only occupants of this isolated neighborhood, and rarely leave, but they're nonetheless thrilled to enjoy the company of the two children. They also share the secret of Gone-Away Lake: at one time, the area had been a thriving summer community for the wealthy. But mud started to overtake the lake, and once it became too swampy for recreation, the families boarded up their homes, most with their furnishings still inside, and never returned.<br />
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After living their adult lives, Mr. Payton and Mrs. Cheever decided to return to this isolated place and live in the old fashioned way, with no modern technology, and poaching whatever furnishings they needed (and an antique vehicle!) from the other houses. Since all other homes are unoccupied, the elderly pair invite the two children to choose one of them to use as a play house so they can visit frequently. Portia and Julian select an attic and clean it thoroughly, and it becomes their clubhouse during that one magic summer.<br />
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What child wouldn't love this setup?Melaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13713015052919049834noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5917823133788512541.post-77358046779665038722019-09-16T16:39:00.003-04:002019-09-16T16:39:56.592-04:00Rifles for Waitie, by Harold Keith<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRpf3wvdVzIio2OIqhDFRcJpNoTcaWVBetcl-ikEWN-FRVKsLi1Go5D8NJFQbP89ukdJEP1zw6438EHKETbQCRMxeK7RZgwINbwMYrznRFhShEFqMKbh_eY_ooU8r1SxhEJasmOWt6__I/s1600/Rifles.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="296" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRpf3wvdVzIio2OIqhDFRcJpNoTcaWVBetcl-ikEWN-FRVKsLi1Go5D8NJFQbP89ukdJEP1zw6438EHKETbQCRMxeK7RZgwINbwMYrznRFhShEFqMKbh_eY_ooU8r1SxhEJasmOWt6__I/s320/Rifles.jpg" width="189" /></a></div>
I feel like this book has been in every 4th-6th grade classroom ever. It was the sort of book that was always just . . . around. No one directly encouraged me to read it but the pressure was always there by its very presence. Looking at the cover with my inexperienced kid brain, it just looked like one more book about some young boy running off the join the Revolutionary War and with one notable exception (<u>My Brother Sam Is Dead</u>, I'm looking at you) boys-caught-up-in-war books did not appeal to me and were overused in the curriculum, so I intentionally ignored this one with a clear conscience.<br />
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Let it be said firstly that this is a book about the <i>Civil </i>War, not the Revolutionary. And it does have an interesting perspective, taking place around the Missouri/Kansas border. I did gain some interesting insights about how the war looked in that part of the country, as opposed to the East Coast as usual. However, this is just not my genre and I found myself skimming to get to the end. If this blog used a "coming of age" tag, it would be aptly applied here.Melaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13713015052919049834noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5917823133788512541.post-69573190532841317272019-03-27T21:45:00.000-04:002019-03-27T21:45:53.048-04:00The Corn Grows Ripe, by Dorothy Rhoads<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFS-GNDOKHE0X8jQEq8J_ZX6xvoaIr0i-mJqTbjiCG4dIn_d_tVIdvLMRnI6O06Nc2sDH2Z9gyyTL2VmR3VHLCCHkEe-hkNcI6g1Z4KS3UJFnQ6FAw3pxUk2DQZj0CiXQqN0iyL95ylRQ/s1600/Corn.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="326" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFS-GNDOKHE0X8jQEq8J_ZX6xvoaIr0i-mJqTbjiCG4dIn_d_tVIdvLMRnI6O06Nc2sDH2Z9gyyTL2VmR3VHLCCHkEe-hkNcI6g1Z4KS3UJFnQ6FAw3pxUk2DQZj0CiXQqN0iyL95ylRQ/s320/Corn.jpeg" width="208" /></a></div>
This book gives a brief introduction to the life of a twelve-year-old boy in a rural village somewhere in Central or South America (the specific location is never specified). Tigre and all of his neighbors are descended from the ancient Mayans, but much of that culture has been lost. They do follow many agricultural and religious traditions (of both Christian and Mayan origin). Much of their agricultural year is focused on corn- preparing a new field every year, awaiting the rains, planting the crops, and harvest.<br />
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At the beginning of the book, Tigre is somewhat lazy and babied by his parents. But when his father's leg is broken while clearing the field for the year's corn crop, Tigre has to grow up quickly. Feeling the weight of responsibility of feeding his growing family (parents, grandmother, young sister and newborn baby brother) he learns to push himself to finish tasks he would have abandoned in the past and complete the work his father would otherwise be doing.<br />
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This is a quick and reasonably pleasant read. However, I found myself curious about the aspects of the unusual religious blend in the village that weren't explained (for example, if the rain gods were offended and refusing to water the earth, why offer prayers in the Christian church?). But this likely falls outside the scope of such a short book written for a much younger audience.Melaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13713015052919049834noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5917823133788512541.post-24759121345731324062019-03-11T20:43:00.002-04:002019-03-11T20:43:36.455-04:00The House of Sixty Fathers, by Meindert DeJong<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNeBYXgEnIWlcrtiZ9p9uVk1TUtCFR3WqD9PwqX88WWjo5aVnfwiuD0p0YJ8BN8j9Iq2k3Lkxf3gFqew_Tja3IfJaY30_xBdrX7Xih5khD6g4cQ0_gkdTmQo62AY_VS1deO9_tt-f2YcQ/s1600/Sixty+Fathers.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="283" data-original-width="178" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNeBYXgEnIWlcrtiZ9p9uVk1TUtCFR3WqD9PwqX88WWjo5aVnfwiuD0p0YJ8BN8j9Iq2k3Lkxf3gFqew_Tja3IfJaY30_xBdrX7Xih5khD6g4cQ0_gkdTmQo62AY_VS1deO9_tt-f2YcQ/s1600/Sixty+Fathers.jpeg" /></a></div>
This children's book tells the tale of young Tien Pao. He lives with his parents and baby sister at the time that China is being invaded by the Japanese army. When his village is attacked and burned to the ground, his family is able to escape in a sampan with a few ducklings in a pan and their piglet. The adults take turns rowing against the tide of the river for several days until they reach the village of Hengyang.<br />
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Not far from the village, a massive airfield is being built for the American army. Tien Pao's parents go there to find work, leaving him in the boat with the piglet and the ducklings. One day, an American soldier come to the bank of the river looking for a boat to ferry him across. Since Tien Pao is the only person not screaming and vying for the job, the soldier chooses his boat to be his ferry. Tien Pao has been told by his parents that he must not leave the riverbank, because the rushing river would carry him right back into the arms of the Japanese. But the soldier's blond hair and blue eyes make Tien Pao think that he is a river god, and a neighbor convinces him that he *must* carry the soldier. He ends up being too weak to cross the river, but the soldier helps him row the boat, and back to the bank after his errand is complete. Tien Pao's parents are furious when they return in the pouring rain to find their son and boat missing, but forgive him when he explains (and hands over the very generous pay that the soldier provided).<br />
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Not many days afterward, wallowing water buffalo upset the sampan and loosen it from its moorings while Tien Pao is waiting for his parents to return from work, and he doesn't realize it until he's nearly back where they began. The remainder of the book chronicles his long, hungry journey back to Hengyang to try to find his parents again, staying just one step ahead of the Japanese army as it presses inland. He does eventually re-encounter the American soldier and receives assistance from his unit (the titular sixty fathers). The portion of the book Tien Pao spends in the soldiers' camp is surprisingly short. Especially disappointing when you've read the rear bookflap:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_r8gezSKOTHPEo3o2iRxsqe-yunYhvzkYC7mtavPNeJ1dwLyII_IPFju5e46md8CGBZlAMx6AwH7MjCq-YTRA7IG2rL9jbzkUmtA-NbZy-L2iqyCYv6EZOeQXhnhBgZ2Z7POkX_qNDC0/s1600/IMG_20190311_203821235.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Book flap text" border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_r8gezSKOTHPEo3o2iRxsqe-yunYhvzkYC7mtavPNeJ1dwLyII_IPFju5e46md8CGBZlAMx6AwH7MjCq-YTRA7IG2rL9jbzkUmtA-NbZy-L2iqyCYv6EZOeQXhnhBgZ2Z7POkX_qNDC0/s320/IMG_20190311_203821235.jpg" title="THE HOUSE OF SIXTY FATHERS is based on Meindert DeJong's actual experience. During World War II Mr. DeJong was official historian for the Chinese-American Composite Wing, which was part of Chennault's famous Fourteenth Air Force. A young Chinese war orphan, the Tien Pao of this story, was adopted by DeJong's outfit. The boy chose DeJong as his special "father," and the two were devoted to one another. Mr. DeJong wanted to bring the boy back to the United States with him, but because of legal complications he was unable to do so. However, the men in the outfit left the youngster well provided for when they returned to America. The Communists then took over that section of China, and DeJong has never heard what happened to the boy." width="240" /></a></div>
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What? WHAT?? This is the story that I want to hear! Tell me more about this! Alas, there is nothing more to be known. I hope that poor little guy is alright.Melaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13713015052919049834noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5917823133788512541.post-26822304594826458102018-10-31T17:31:00.000-04:002018-10-31T17:31:01.946-04:00Carry On, Mr. Bowditch, by Jean Lee Latham<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxJZFHovO2FiC3jEECJhqtA7-g39ZS9WJavjlYrrf5DRqHVRpFCf1A69xOg_GQzO_56zkZPBNY1HpWGlNCeTU3zI3W2lh_JSYRNqtBnOm-RI2-xrJ-gN_gS1ys2J1YpztJ-5LqiLAdRF8/s1600/Bowditch.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="337" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxJZFHovO2FiC3jEECJhqtA7-g39ZS9WJavjlYrrf5DRqHVRpFCf1A69xOg_GQzO_56zkZPBNY1HpWGlNCeTU3zI3W2lh_JSYRNqtBnOm-RI2-xrJ-gN_gS1ys2J1YpztJ-5LqiLAdRF8/s320/Bowditch.jpg" width="215" /></a></div>
I was at a bit of a loss to tag this book. It's a somewhat-fictionalized biography of Nathaniel Bowditch. Since all of the dialogue, however plausible, must have come from the author's imagination, I'm tagging it as <i>nonfiction</i> and <i>based on a true story</i>; take your pick!<br />
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The story starts with Nathaniel as a young boy, a few years after the start of the Revolutionary War. He lives with his parents, grandmother, and siblings in Salem, Massachusetts. His father was once a famous sea captain, but after losing his ship he lost his taste for sailing. Now he works as a cooper, but struggles (and sometimes fails) to make ends meet. Nathaniel is a talented student and excellent at mathematics, and the community has high hopes for him to attend Harvard and be a credit to Salem.<br />
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However, fate has other plans for him. Unable to feed his family, twelve-year-old Nathaniel's father apprentices him to a Ship's Chandler as a bookkeeper for nine years. Nat is devastated, but he knows that he has a responsibility to take care of his sisters, and part of that responsibility is to never let them worry. During his time in the warehouse, he learns all about the various tools and parts that go into outfitting a ship. He also makes use of his apprenticeship to study navigation. But in order to learn thoroughly, he needs to study volumes that were written in other languages. And the only way to do that is to actually learn the languages (primarily Latin and French). Although he never makes it to Harvard, he is invited to be an honorary member of the Salem Philosophical Library (in other words, he is permitted to make use of the library without paying the subscription cost). Many of the quality volumes were taken as a prize by a privateer during the war.<br />
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After completing his apprenticeship, Nathaniel is offered a position as a clerk on a ship captained by an old friend. Having no other obligations or options, he decides to go, as well as invest his savings in freight that he can hopefully sell at a profit. During his time on the <i>Henry</i>, Nathaniel is able to put his theoretical knowledge of navigation to practical practice. And thus begins the fascinating story of the man who wrote one of the most foundational books in ocean navigation, hand-checked many of the numerical tables used at the time, and created new methods for more easily calculating longitude. He did an amazing job of using every talent he was given to create a fascinating career, and to help others benefit from his knowledge through his publications and in-person instruction.Melaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13713015052919049834noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5917823133788512541.post-88053652147976252412018-10-20T19:21:00.001-04:002018-10-20T19:21:12.658-04:00Black Fox of Lorne, by Marguerite De Angeli<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhz-LU2jiD-rGiSeH6S8uSswHEyNr8NnNSR6ah6xiaDcNr8D3I59faBvmXmqIoc7J4gcGWHLNOvMUGR3aaTXIJQ4MRajx6bJKnJznPuh3T3ZijOydRz-_Evxb2iprqYbVxONm2YLKjgnuU/s1600/Black+Fox.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="265" data-original-width="190" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhz-LU2jiD-rGiSeH6S8uSswHEyNr8NnNSR6ah6xiaDcNr8D3I59faBvmXmqIoc7J4gcGWHLNOvMUGR3aaTXIJQ4MRajx6bJKnJznPuh3T3ZijOydRz-_Evxb2iprqYbVxONm2YLKjgnuU/s1600/Black+Fox.jpeg" /></a></div>
I wasn't familiar with this author before picking up this book. But when researching her a bit after finishing it, it appears she's written one that I've at least heard of (<u>The Door In the Wall</u>) and the topics of her children's books sound like things that I'd be very interested to read. I'll have to come back to her after I finish the two books I'm currently in the middle of!<br />
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Brus and Jan are thirteen-year-old Norwegian twins, the youngest of four in their family. The eldest sons left to seek their fortunes and never returned. Due to overcrowding limiting the family's opportunity to prosper, their father, Harald, decides that the family should resettle in a part of England where his wife's Danish relatives have found a welcoming spot. They pack the family, goods, and some livestock into three ships, with the men (and the twins) in the first and strongest to defend the others should need arise.<br />
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During the voyage, a storm separates the twins' ship from the other two, and eventually sinks it. Most of the men wash up on the shore of Scotland. Because the land is unfamiliar and the mood of the natives unknown, Brus is advised to stay apart from everyone else, in case his likeness to his brother can be used to advantage. The wisdom of this soon becomes clear; the men are found by local Thane Bègan Mòr and "invited" to a feast celebrating his daughter's engagement to Gavin Dhu, Laird of Lorne (the titular Black Fox) that evening at the castle. Jan is taken to ensure their attendance.<br />
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The men have no choice but to attend, and as drink flows freely, the evening's mood turns sour. Bègan Mòr has all of the men, Harald included, slaughtered, their bodies thrown from the castle walls. Jan is held in a cell until the time of Gavin Dhu's departure and will be enslaved to him. Brus manages to locate his father, barely alive, and drags him to a cave for safety. But when he leaves to go find fresh water, he returns to find his father dead, and his heirloom jeweled brooch missing from his cloak. Brus is certain that Harald has been murdered, but is absolutely helpless. He has no choice but to follow "Black" Gavin's men, and his brother, and hope that he will somehow find a way to avenge his father's murder.<br />
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During the long travel, Brus is able to signal his presence to his brother, and they swap places several times during the journey, initially to ensure that both are equally well-fed. They vow to continue to keep their twin-ness a secret and hope that it will help them to someday avenge their father. Over time, they become invaluable in Black Gavin's castle, although only one can make an appearance at a time. And they discover that Black Gavin is their father's murderer as he frequently wears the dead man's brooch. Brus wants to kill him at the first opportunity, but Jan (whose name morphs into the Scottish Ian) has had numerous encounters with Christians and prefers to bide his time, not only because he knows that Gavin has many enemies and would prefer not to act in haste, but because he has also been cautioned that vengeance belongs to God alone. Brus, on the other hand, thinks his brother is going somewhat soft and is indignant that he has lost his allegiance to Thor, Freya, and the other gods his family venerated.<br />
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Suffice it to say that all more or less turns out as it should by the end of the story, and the twins make their peace with their new homeland and this curious new religion professed by so many.<br />
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I really enjoyed this book more than I expected. I'm really not a fan of adventure-y sorts of stories, but this one really held me (apart from the author's occasional tendency to narrate rather than show the reader what she wants him/her to know). I was also impressed that she did all of her own (very good) illustrations. I'm going to have to look into her other titles.Melaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13713015052919049834noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5917823133788512541.post-52035372299260197032018-10-13T10:26:00.000-04:002018-10-13T10:26:05.329-04:00The Golden Name Day, by Jennie D Lindquist<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvQGUF1dvC05pBjCiOmRFZpwMGJ_Emd3nYEMvq-ncjvJxQqpT8WgB4cXXSf22YkfMiZZ0YT6xsadEMEfIIxYXKPnoCbVmbxjMpcLUmV1CyTMjghgq3MNA0-qwpx792vooiIMq_0NOqVf4/s1600/Golden+Name.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="454" data-original-width="320" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvQGUF1dvC05pBjCiOmRFZpwMGJ_Emd3nYEMvq-ncjvJxQqpT8WgB4cXXSf22YkfMiZZ0YT6xsadEMEfIIxYXKPnoCbVmbxjMpcLUmV1CyTMjghgq3MNA0-qwpx792vooiIMq_0NOqVf4/s320/Golden+Name.jpg" width="225" /></a></div>
I have to start by saying that the copy of this book that I read was a red-orange Permabound library edition, so I didn't realize until starting this blog that the picture chosen for the cover is, unfortunately, the least attractive one from the entire book and actually makes it seem less appealing to read (and it's especially unfortunate because it's meant to depict one of the most beautiful scenes in the book, and is a letdown compared to my own imagination). My first impressions were quite different. Because of the blank cover I had no expectations until opening the book, and then I immediately felt comfortable within it because it looks *so much* like a <i>Little House</i> book- the typeface and layout are exactly the same, the illustrations are by Garth Williams, and it takes place in an indistinct time before technology, when trains and horses were the most common means of transportation. So it made me feel like this family could have been teenage Laura's neighbors.<br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVd8Qttma0Qp7WJ0RelBk29MMZlXGSm3YYZ9kLnd-Xxyd_9DQzxgvahX_BFtzboT-CGiRw6emgyX0VRKbamJ5JsS5Y9afja8OU5k7W6UanHFiT7DqpnEI-HIbznd3Dv8XeMwPmxNwoWvw/s1600/IMG_20181013_101240741.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1285" data-original-width="1600" height="256" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVd8Qttma0Qp7WJ0RelBk29MMZlXGSm3YYZ9kLnd-Xxyd_9DQzxgvahX_BFtzboT-CGiRw6emgyX0VRKbamJ5JsS5Y9afja8OU5k7W6UanHFiT7DqpnEI-HIbznd3Dv8XeMwPmxNwoWvw/s320/IMG_20181013_101240741.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">See? Just like <i>Little House</i>!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
I also felt like this book was a great counterbalance to some of Ma's impressions. Like the author, the majority of the people in this book are of Swedish descent and truly relish their traditions. Far from being bizarre and foreign, as they seemed to be portrayed in <i>Little House</i>, they are beloved and anticipated joyfully, and explained well. If Laura could have read this book, I bet she would have envied them a little.<br />
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On to the summary! Nine-year-old Nancy's mother has fallen seriously ill, so she needs to be sent away for a few months while her mother receives treatment. She is staying with "Grandma" and "Grandpa," who aren't her biological grandparents, but are the parents of her mother's childhood best friends. These old best friends also have children around Nancy's age (Helga, Sigrid, and Elsa) who are looking forward to having another friend to enjoy the Spring and Summer seasons with.<br />
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When Nancy arrives, Grandma is baking and preparing for her name day. Nancy is unfamiliar with the idea, and Grandma explains that every Swedish name has its own day in an Almanac, and on that day the honoree makes a cake and invites her friends to celebrate, and decorates with flowers and gets to wear a flowered garland on her head. Nancy looks through the almanac and is devastated to learn that, because her name isn't Swedish, she doesn't have a name day at all, although the other girls all do.<br />
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"Aunt" Anna and "Aunt" Martha and the three "cousins" determine that they will somehow find a name day for Nancy. This thread is carried through all of the events in the book as they consider different ideas. But Nancy will accept no compromises; she doesn't want a fake name day.<br />
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The seasons pass with flowers and picnics and traditional events, and homesickness for Nancy as well. But at the end of the book, she does get her name day- two, actually! But I'm not going to spoil here. So go read it!Melaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13713015052919049834noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5917823133788512541.post-25185346463819938532018-09-29T09:34:00.000-04:002018-09-29T09:34:10.550-04:00The Secret River, by Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikgvkVDAG5mpc0zKJaQVi0sdNTLleEd8kXJ74Lx1d1auHf0QwKVhd8PIKt9QlqrAUNn-NcUwuH9w1ARvGW0lX5OIFN_EU3FKmNShyseAQcqf5jFFRHVYfab7Lpof68MtYEaawSX5JnsM4/s1600/Secret+River+Original.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="297" data-original-width="220" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikgvkVDAG5mpc0zKJaQVi0sdNTLleEd8kXJ74Lx1d1auHf0QwKVhd8PIKt9QlqrAUNn-NcUwuH9w1ARvGW0lX5OIFN_EU3FKmNShyseAQcqf5jFFRHVYfab7Lpof68MtYEaawSX5JnsM4/s1600/Secret+River+Original.jpg" /></a></div>
Has it really been nearly a year since I reviewed a book for this blog? I've been such a slacker. I swear I've been reading.<br />
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This book had an interesting format. It seems long enough to make your beginning reader feel like she is reading a real book, but it's still illustrated, without chapters, and has a surprisingly large font. It's a very simple story about a little girl named Calpurnia, who lives with her parents and dog (Buggy Horse) in the forest of Florida. Everyone is suffering hard times, and her father has had no fish to sell at the market to support his family. An elderly neighbor tells Calpurnia of a secret river jumping with fish, so she sets off to find it to help the hard times in the forest become "soft times." Short and sweet, it was a pleasant read.<br />
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I didn't think I'd have too much to say about this one until I went online looking for a cover image and found much more information about this book. This was apparently the only book that Rawlings wrote specifically for children, and its manuscript was found among her papers and published posthumously. But, despite the fact that no indication was given in the text, there are other clues from the author's life that she had actually intended this story to be about a black child (despite the illustrations in the first edition). It was reissued in 2011, decades after its initial publication, in a beautiful illustrated volume with images much more true to the author's vision. The story has a timeless quality that will make it enjoyable even to a modern reader, and the illustrations should definitely draw an audience.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgy6ehTMrzCxauVhygi5Ky2pZzC2W4aP5zCUhGZlliCYGHwoFkmNrqrs93UMS44W4KBvG_SbG2e0y_HWvu3iXyv2iFnTRXijJAws-EF2i4uQj-rkiBrEBUvLjOOt9S-pyzUsjPQEwU_Egc/s1600/Secret+River+New.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1453" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgy6ehTMrzCxauVhygi5Ky2pZzC2W4aP5zCUhGZlliCYGHwoFkmNrqrs93UMS44W4KBvG_SbG2e0y_HWvu3iXyv2iFnTRXijJAws-EF2i4uQj-rkiBrEBUvLjOOt9S-pyzUsjPQEwU_Egc/s320/Secret+River+New.jpg" width="290" /></a></div>
Given the choice, I'd rather borrow this one, wouldn't you?Melaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13713015052919049834noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5917823133788512541.post-53183040421583579622017-10-06T17:32:00.001-04:002017-10-06T17:32:46.464-04:00Hurry Home, Candy, by Meindert DeJong<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhXgmQQTUjvF0ojNyS2MwL0F5fqiu90aFpqfxJRBABLmB0vCk7-uzTXLqKgl9v5SYo3v6RT18RkwkpXyITg53tReTmiKcbE9H9VilHVlKtduo5hQiWogX5iMK0tg-H-NjqNVrJdFli_zI/s1600/Candy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="499" data-original-width="327" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhXgmQQTUjvF0ojNyS2MwL0F5fqiu90aFpqfxJRBABLmB0vCk7-uzTXLqKgl9v5SYo3v6RT18RkwkpXyITg53tReTmiKcbE9H9VilHVlKtduo5hQiWogX5iMK0tg-H-NjqNVrJdFli_zI/s320/Candy.jpg" width="209" /></a></div>
Yes, you read the cover right. Illustrated by Maurice Sendak! However, most of the pictures in the book are similar in style and quality to what you see here (that is, mostly lacking the charm and detail I recall from his picture books).<br />
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This book covers the journey of a dog who was adopted by two siblings as a puppy, but was then lost in a storm on a road trip. He then spends the next few years skirting the fringes of where his home had been, scrounging for food, almost finding home but not quite.<br />
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I didn't find this exceptional as a stray-dog sort of book, but those who love dogs will enjoy it.Melaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13713015052919049834noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5917823133788512541.post-37109577836158166232017-09-30T11:35:00.004-04:002017-09-30T11:35:47.477-04:00Magic Maize, by Mary and Conrad Buff<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSfwzRBTJquzxVLm_7ipNr-QMAz0xQn3Ua0PJQVeaY_Ynb6KBvfBXjkzT1xYUpefILyF3pQX_5mJTVd8-Yo_W26WiuEap0ECakdvh_jAbHbMMy7SCVxR60uSfgyBbZM0Zvdf9BpHwG4LE/s1600/IMG_20170930_0001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1157" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSfwzRBTJquzxVLm_7ipNr-QMAz0xQn3Ua0PJQVeaY_Ynb6KBvfBXjkzT1xYUpefILyF3pQX_5mJTVd8-Yo_W26WiuEap0ECakdvh_jAbHbMMy7SCVxR60uSfgyBbZM0Zvdf9BpHwG4LE/s320/IMG_20170930_0001.jpg" width="231" /></a></div>
It took me a few books to figure it out, but our friends Mary and Conrad Buff definitely have a format that they enjoy. Books too long for a conventional picture book, and long enough to be a short juvenile novel, but printed in a way that allows generous space for rich illustrations, many full-page.<br />
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This particular book takes place in Guatemala. Fabian, our protagonist, lives with his family (parents, two sisters, livestock, and one parrot) at the foot of a hill that holds the CITY UP YONDER, the place that his Mayan ancestors once called home. His family are largely subsistence farmers, but try to raise enough corn and animals each year to sell some at the market. This money and the corn they harvest will last them the winter; without it, the entire family will have to hire themselves out to pick coffee berries to survive.<br />
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The book begins as the family prepares for the new growing season by burning last year's growth away from their fields and offering gifts to the various gods of their ancestors (and offering Christian prayers as well). While his parents are away offering one such gift, Fabian's oldest sibling, his brother, Quin, returns. Quin has vastly disappointed his father by not remaining home to continue the family's traditions. Instead, he travels the country peddling food and objects from a pack on his back. Before heading back to work, Quin gives Fabian a gift: 12 uniform kernels of yellow corn that the "gringos" developed from their own Indian corn. He says that it is growing beautifully and enriching farmers in Mexico and elsewhere. Fabian is excited about the potential of this "Magic Maize", but knows that his father distrusts the gringos and would sooner throw the corn to the chickens than plant it.<br />
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With the help of his friend Augustin, Fabian plants his corn in a secret place on the hillside. He figures that if his father sees the results, he may be more willing to put his faith in this new corn. While the friends are digging and sowing their seeds, Fabian finds an old jade earplug that may have once belonged to Mayan royalty. Impressed by its novelty, Fabian saves it with his other treasures (the usual findings of a small child).<br />
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The days pass, and the family's corn grows. And during the rains, gringos appear. Since his father is away traveling, Fabian's mother makes a judgment call and at the polite request of their Indian guide, allows them to come in until the rain stops. Fabian realizes that these men are friends of Quin, and the ones who gave him the yellow corn. They are on a mission from the President, who has commissioned them to dig artifacts from the CITY UP YONDER to preserve them for the people. Fabian receives his mother's reluctant permission to assist them.<br /><br />Fabian enjoys his time with the three men. He quickly learns enough Spanish to converse easily with them, and adapts to their different foods (meat in a can!). Then the gringos discover a jade ear plug. Fabian shows them the one that he had found as well; it appears to be a match! The gringos know that it belongs to him, and agree to buy it from him on behalf of the President. This offer comes at a fortuitous time, because when they descent the hill together, they see that Fabian's father's corn has been destroyed in a cloudburst. He can hardly believe that a piece of green rock from the dirt is worth so much money, but he is so relieved that he even agrees that Fabian can go to school (a privilege previously denied as unnecessary). Fabian also has some of his corn's first healthy ears to show. It looks like things are turning around for his family.<br />
<br />Melaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13713015052919049834noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5917823133788512541.post-15092388281701616772017-08-30T10:52:00.001-04:002017-08-30T10:52:42.936-04:00The Inquisitor's Tale, or, the Three Magical Children and Their Holy Dog, by Adam Gidwitz<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi86hzD-4BzVizHKb2TA19DajXtrh_ALK8fla4axx6YD9unVkO50GShXEKAdPRms86qGZaat83ZtByz2tLvp-rFjO6JuIlBvYCYuH93gVJncBPNn-N6R1xukqol_qVAAjMzRjRyWQfgURs/s1600/Inquisitor.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="334" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi86hzD-4BzVizHKb2TA19DajXtrh_ALK8fla4axx6YD9unVkO50GShXEKAdPRms86qGZaat83ZtByz2tLvp-rFjO6JuIlBvYCYuH93gVJncBPNn-N6R1xukqol_qVAAjMzRjRyWQfgURs/s320/Inquisitor.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
Ok, it is really time for me to get on the ball and read the 2017 winner, because I can not FATHOM why this is not it. I have not enjoyed a children's book this much in a very long time. If we had a *favorite* favorite tag, I'd be applying it right now.<br />
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The author spent six years researching and writing this book, part of which was spent in Europe with his Medieval-scholar-wife, researching history and poking around in ruins. Although the story is completely fictional, the characters are all based on actual historical figures (Joan of Arc, Guillaume d'Orange, Guinefort, and many religious and political figures).<br />
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I really hesitate to even try to summarize this book because it was published to so much acclaim that I could scarcely begin to do it justice. Set in 1200's France, it follows the journeys of three very special children (and one holy dog) who discover that they have special gifts which, unfortunately, make them targets of the Church. They meet quite randomly and form a close bond as they seek sanctuary and safety.<br />
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Beyond the fantastic story, the book addresses (and not in a heavy-handed way) gender roles and classes, as well as religious conflict and race relations (all anchored in this time period). This book is so crazily well-rounded and engaging that I finished it in about 24 hours. Go read it.Melaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13713015052919049834noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5917823133788512541.post-1117039927208504912017-08-28T18:17:00.003-04:002017-08-28T18:17:58.878-04:00Last Stop on Market Street, by Matt de la Peña<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEis7Mja8VE-4rOuTUjFHJBWVAs-ChsWwCsbkeOpFDSy7N3orwl-LauaLAhyphenhyphenHIh5260VMlklmDni0jeZo8ypMSC1GSGbiUGt55gtllX4USPxQxFSGJfvbYa8fvUkNdmvgQjnhuFDaVKGssg/s1600/Market.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="500" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEis7Mja8VE-4rOuTUjFHJBWVAs-ChsWwCsbkeOpFDSy7N3orwl-LauaLAhyphenhyphenHIh5260VMlklmDni0jeZo8ypMSC1GSGbiUGt55gtllX4USPxQxFSGJfvbYa8fvUkNdmvgQjnhuFDaVKGssg/s320/Market.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
Has it really been nearly three months since the last post on this blog? It's seriously time to get moving.<br />
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I actually read this title last week with no intention of blogging it; my children borrowed it from the library and I just assumed from its dimensions that it was a Caldecott medalist and not a Newbery. Silly me!<br />
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It's such a brief story that there isn't much to say that won't give away *everything*. But here is the nutshell version.<br />
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CJ and his grandmother leave church on Sunday, and CJ starts to notice some differences between himself and others. His friend gets to ride home in a car with his dad instead of waiting for the bus in the rain. He doesn't have an MP3 player like some of the older kids on the bus. Every Sunday after church he doesn't get to go home; he has to go. . . to the location disclosed at the end of the book. But Nana's perspective on the things CJ complains of is completely different, and soon he starts seeing things her way, too.<br />
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My kids were a little young to appreciate this one, but it's a great story for kids who have a little more exposure to an urban environment than my own, or are old enough to stretch their imaginations just far enough to join CJ in his world.Melaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13713015052919049834noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5917823133788512541.post-86196195472074617622017-06-01T08:40:00.000-04:002017-06-01T08:40:31.891-04:00Davy Crockett, by Constance Rourke<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKbYqf5VLC9dnRG1NEWay0LUReab3G8imSQJsXh9xSN1NSloXDK9Jp9dvvbX0Jd8YapnUbfXQYmp5c8EivxBa62u9wNlwN0gwUSx0MHydt8RV1eOjGUErW_AuU9N7sQ7k19HdGM_8qips/s1600/Davy.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="449" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKbYqf5VLC9dnRG1NEWay0LUReab3G8imSQJsXh9xSN1NSloXDK9Jp9dvvbX0Jd8YapnUbfXQYmp5c8EivxBa62u9wNlwN0gwUSx0MHydt8RV1eOjGUErW_AuU9N7sQ7k19HdGM_8qips/s320/Davy.JPG" width="224" /></a></div>
I don't have too much to say about this book. It covers what is known of Davy Crockett's life, from his birth through his death at the Alamo, and all of his journeys in between. It is peppered throughout with a number of legends about his feats, and often gives probable explanations for their sources.<br />
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I found it a pretty dry read and a struggle to get through, but the detailed illustrations were very well done.Melaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13713015052919049834noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5917823133788512541.post-89931388349204199222017-05-30T12:00:00.001-04:002017-05-30T12:00:21.828-04:00Wonderful news!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdIMuM6sd13rBusrlw2a82R9p5oPqCqtqjJRMzWd60jVSBSJtzj8JPJavNIYKhL9K9u8WMRq_sUaj61DVfO4VYBEe3JxNbLsiuiRnIX92gXPVL4Th6gjdpqpPCHOrvmbtG7Ggcg6L6Fhc/s1600/WingedGirl_72_large.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="329" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdIMuM6sd13rBusrlw2a82R9p5oPqCqtqjJRMzWd60jVSBSJtzj8JPJavNIYKhL9K9u8WMRq_sUaj61DVfO4VYBEe3JxNbLsiuiRnIX92gXPVL4Th6gjdpqpPCHOrvmbtG7Ggcg6L6Fhc/s320/WingedGirl_72_large.jpg" width="219" /></a></div>
<a href="http://oldnewberries.blogspot.com/2012/01/winged-girl-of-knossos-by-erick-berry.html" target="_blank">Several years ago I reviewed The Winged Girl of Knossos</a>, by Erick Berry. One of the sad parts of reviewing older books is that when you find a real treasure, you often can't share it with people because you know they won't be able to get their hands on the book. <u>Winged Girl</u> was one such case; fewer than 75 copies exist in libraries (per WorldCat), some of which aren't even in the United States.<br />
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Well, there is happy news! <a href="https://www.pauldrybooks.com/products/the-winged-girl-of-knossos" target="_blank">It's being republished!</a> I was contacted by the publisher and could not be more thrilled. Due out in June (any day now!) this book is a wonderful pick for those who love adventure, mythology, ancient cultures, or just strong female protagonists of all sorts. And the starting price is under $10! Do yourself a favor. I did receive a review copy from the publisher, and I enjoyed it every bit as much as I did when I first read it.Melaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13713015052919049834noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5917823133788512541.post-80373562124004588372017-05-06T08:15:00.001-04:002017-05-06T08:15:43.855-04:00New Land, by Sarah Schmidt<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I'll admit that it's nice to be able to fill in a gap in my list. This one had been unavailable through the local library system and on a whim I decided to search online. I found <a href="http://www.metuchenschools.org/ems/Academics/Our%20Library/Free%20ebooks%20and%20audiobooks/Prize-Winning%20Books%20Online%20(Univ.%20of%20PA%20digital%20Library).htm/_top" target="_blank">fulltext with illustrations</a>, hooray! A decision was made that the "pioneers" tag should also apply to homesteading for brevity, so this book will have no covered wagons in it for you!<br />
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New Land actually takes place in roughly the 1920's. The Morgan family (seventeen-year-old twins Charles and Sayre, younger sister Hitty, and their father) are migrating from Chicago to greener pastures in Wisconsin. Their father is the restless type who has never been able to stay in one place for long without becoming discontented, so the family has been unsettled for a long time, and especially since the death of his wife three years prior from pneumonia. A coworker had tried homesteading and had failed at it, and offered the land and buildings to the Morgan family to try to settle themselves on. Sayre is truly hoping that this will finally be their long-term home. The book is told from her perspective.<br />
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Upon arriving in Upton, Wyoming, the family settles into the little house and gets to know the town. Since the area is already settled and somewhat established, there is a town center with store (run by Mr. Hoskins, the town's most prominent citizen), a high school, and a small community. But when Mr. Morgan goes to the land office to register his claim, he learns that he is simply not qualified to file. He has no farming experience and no equipment, and because so many farmers had failed in this particular area, the government had become more selective. Sympathetically, the land agent tells them that they can certainly remain where they are, but they will have no legal claim on the land they farm.<br />
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It's at this time that Sayre develops a plan. She's fallen in love with this new land and won't leave willingly. She goes to the local teacher and meets the agriculture instructor there. Although he's surprised that a girl wants to register for his classes, he agrees to seek permission from the board on her behalf. As Mr. Kitchell is also the football coach, she hopes that he will be able to use that influence on her football-loving brother to encourage him into the class as well. Sayre hopes that they can, between them, learn enough about farming to keep their family in its place.<br />
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Although Sayre is decisive and optimistic, not everyone is rooting for their success. The Morgans quickly discover that Upton has a lot of small-town politics, and that those who are ahead wish to remain there, on the backs of their neighbors. Additionally, the man who originally leased his claim to them returns to "visit," and Sayre quickly intuits that he has misled them, intending to lay claim to their hard work on the land to "prove up" the claim for himself.<br />
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There are a lot of factors working against the Morgans, and they are all well-developed (as are the characters). I especially enjoyed reading this one; the Little House series primed me to enjoy a good homesteading success story, and this one is exceptionally well-written. I won't spoil the resolution here, you can rest assured in the fact that the final chapter is entitled "The Happy Ending."Melaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13713015052919049834noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5917823133788512541.post-9761116488509822662017-05-05T14:36:00.002-04:002017-05-05T14:36:20.790-04:00Moccasin Trail, by Eloise Jarvis McGraw<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJc0bXyqSgY0Q8OMSD0pZINSCItmnwKpWI2bb_qLTxAFcFe5uoPKnCnIsAmExWnzF8AcRe1uocUvMQrKj9YHalwujyCrWElnyP2Rt0muhE2ST7U0QlNVno49lAbYpIRRaps2yypLd1VyE/s1600/Moccasin+Trail.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJc0bXyqSgY0Q8OMSD0pZINSCItmnwKpWI2bb_qLTxAFcFe5uoPKnCnIsAmExWnzF8AcRe1uocUvMQrKj9YHalwujyCrWElnyP2Rt0muhE2ST7U0QlNVno49lAbYpIRRaps2yypLd1VyE/s320/Moccasin+Trail.jpg" width="202" /></a></div>
The book begins with our protagonist Jim Keath checking his traps and lamenting the state of trapping this season. Jim is a wanderer, traveling only with his horse and dog, and occasionally a friend. Over time his history is revealed to the reader: as a child he fled his strict upbringing to follow his uncle, also a trapper, into the forests. But during a fight with a bear, he was gravely injured. When he woke, he was in a teepee being cared for by an Indian woman. She had lost a son and, since she was able to restore him to health, claimed Jim as her own. He learned the language and culture and lived among the Crow Indians for six years before striking out on his own, not feeling like he truly belonged with them or with white men.<br />
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While Jim is tracking animals, he's also being tracked down by two Indians. A paper letter has been making its way from hand to hand trying to reach him, and it had finally arrived. Neither Jim nor his companion can read well enough to interpret it. All he knows is that it may have come from his (biological) brother. So he heads to the nearest fort to find some one who can read the letter for him, a trip that takes more than a week.<br />
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When Jim reaches The Dalles, he learns that his parents have died and his siblings, all youth, are on their own heading to Oregon to homestead. But they need his help: the oldest, Johnnie, can't make a land claim because he isn't yet 18. Jim is their last hope to establish a home, even if he only signs the paperwork before leaving again. And coincidentally, the family is at the fort now. Jim feels the pull of them, even though they haven't seen each other in ages. He agrees to travel with them, but chafes under their rules and expectations. His sister, Sally, doesn't care for his braids and medicine bundle. Johnnie gets angry when he teaches the youngest, Dan'l, the ways of the woods instead of helping. And once they complete the journey and find land in the Willamette Valley, it seems that everyone is angry with him: he's not a farmer or a carpenter. He doesn't understand the need to plow and sow when the land is rich with game and natural crops. He doesn't like feeling confined in a cabin when his teepee goes up much more quickly, is more snug, and is portable. This lifestyle doesn't suit his inclinations, but he realizes that he has become lonely for his family and desperately wants Johnnie's approval.<br />
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This was a really well-written book that did a fantastic job of developing the main characters. The reader really comes to sympathize with Jim's inner struggles and to hope he finds his place in the world. I was admittedly disappointed in the ending (Jim settles down and goes "full white"), but it may seem a far more fitting conclusion to others.Melaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13713015052919049834noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5917823133788512541.post-15447814694086934292017-04-25T20:55:00.004-04:002017-04-25T20:55:57.649-04:00The Bears on Hemlock Mountain, by Alice Dalgliesh<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjigjNcMh6ArwvifLwYib5ybn7WgDF5N-TQnDGwzOIUa2MinxQjbpQOjgcfjP5LQ22zcVR5Yb6VPJzD7gW610WvQyTQlwqdiJGxXu9P0z9lssvlinkaeLc7PWRzgkmOBLOFjX_f3UYZFs0/s1600/Bears.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjigjNcMh6ArwvifLwYib5ybn7WgDF5N-TQnDGwzOIUa2MinxQjbpQOjgcfjP5LQ22zcVR5Yb6VPJzD7gW610WvQyTQlwqdiJGxXu9P0z9lssvlinkaeLc7PWRzgkmOBLOFjX_f3UYZFs0/s320/Bears.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
I've had to break my own rule here. Generally I try to include the cover images that matches the copy of the book I read, whether or not it's a first edition. This time around, the library's copy of the book has a one-of-a-kind cover hand-drawn years ago by an 11-year-old back in the 1990's. Her name was on the back. I wrote her; she's in her 30's with a child now. She was amazed that this is still in a library somewhere :-)<br />
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We've encountered our good friend Alice Dalgliesh <a href="http://oldnewberries.blogspot.com/2013/10/the-silver-pencil-by-alice-dalgliesh.html" target="_blank">twice</a> <a href="http://oldnewberries.blogspot.com/2010/03/courage-of-sarah-noble-by-alice.html" target="_blank">before</a>. However, unlike the other youth novels we've covered in the blog, this is intended for much younger readers. Although it's divided into chapters, this is definitely a one-sitting read.<br />
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Jonathan lives by the foot of a mid-sized hill, named (not especially accurately) Hemlock Mountain. His family is planning to host a christening, but because they have such a large extended family they will need to borrow aunt Emma's giant soup tureen. Because the adults are busy with preparations, Jonathan is sent over the hill to bring it back. Although no bear has been seen there in recent memory, Jonathan is still concerned about heading out alone (he's never been before). Not especially reassured by his parents' insistence that there are no bears on Hemlock Mountain, he heads out and reaches his destination safely.<br />
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Stomach full from aunt Emma's cookies, Jonathan naps in her chair and forgets that he was charged with returning with the soup tureen before dark. He wakes up just in time to lug it back up the hill. But as dusk falls, Jonathan sees two sets of eyes attached to two dark, hulking bodies, moving through the trees. . . what to do?<br />
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This book would make a fantastic read-aloud for younger children. I may read it to mine before it goes back to the library!Melaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13713015052919049834noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5917823133788512541.post-87249318472590121112017-04-25T20:28:00.000-04:002017-04-25T20:28:10.057-04:00Red Sails to Capri, by Ann Weil<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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So I noticed that this one had a logo on the back cover indicating that it was published by Sonlight Curriculum, which, I discovered upon further research, is a Christian homeschooling publishing company. I'm curious as to how this was selected and why (it doesn't have religious overtones of any kind), but I can't object to the content, either. They have this one indicated for second grade.<br />
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Fourteen-year-old Michele lives on the island of Capri with his parents. They tend a small inn together but can barely make ends meet. At the beginning of the book, a boat with beautiful red sails, unlike any seen before, approaches the island and three foreigners depart. Because it is the off season, Michele's family would be beyond thrilled to host them. Michele's fisherman friend, Angelo, agrees to intercept the visitors and make sure they don't go to the competitor, while Michele races home to warn his parents so they can prepare the vacant hotel.<br />
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When the guests arrive, the Pagano family learns that they are foreigners from three different countries, each pursuing a different passion. Lord Derby, from England, has come to seek beauty and to paint. Herre Erik Nordstrom, from Denmark, is a student of Philosophy and seeks truth. Monsieur Jacques Tiersonnier, a Frenchman, is a writer in search of adventure.<br />
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The three guests, and the Paganos, find their source of adventure soon enough. Monsieur Jacques brings Michele and his best friend, Pietro, for a sail in his fabulous red-sailed boat. They pass a cove that the visitors would like to explore, but it is forbidden among the islanders to even discuss the cove, let alone the reasons it is off-limits to visit the cave there. But the visitors, new to the strange social stigma of discussing this topic in this far-flung locale, are having none of it. Once they hear the legend, they make plans to return to discover the truth of the cove and the cave.<br />
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This was a light and fun read. It's also fortunate that the book was reasonably short since none of the reveal about the cave actually happens until very close to the end. But it is reasonably firmly based on a true story, which I would have liked a brief summary of at the end.Melaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13713015052919049834noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5917823133788512541.post-86501286193060792312017-04-11T13:38:00.000-04:002017-04-11T13:42:12.817-04:00Shiloh, by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor<div style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: small;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCOrm_Z3nsbwWv1O1pAwgcl0eHPaA5UBQCreU_GyfN2BydbqMPuYvVZ8n-TBP_hkfMBsFl8iiuePYsMo41v4k3G5RYGy2Uyt9ZdBwwQ2MGUeXSITcs6JCeb6eQqgtNpzl2PyFHYnShvns/s1600/Shiloh.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCOrm_Z3nsbwWv1O1pAwgcl0eHPaA5UBQCreU_GyfN2BydbqMPuYvVZ8n-TBP_hkfMBsFl8iiuePYsMo41v4k3G5RYGy2Uyt9ZdBwwQ2MGUeXSITcs6JCeb6eQqgtNpzl2PyFHYnShvns/s320/Shiloh.jpg" width="212" /></a>Let's talk about Shiloh. I remember seeing it around in many classrooms, but never actually read it until recently. It was never required, and I knew it was about a dog, and I didn't think I liked dogs (little did I know...). I should have picked it up - although, I suspect I would have missed a TON of the point of this book if I'd read it at 12. </div>
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This was a quick read for an adult, I easily finished it in an afternoon. The story isn't complicated - kid wants a dog, his parents say no, kid finds a dog, and tries to keep it himself without his parents knowing. Things go south. </div>
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But in the end, there's a lot of discussion about feelings that I think most kids - and let's be honest, adults too - are familiar with. Guilt. Having a bad secret. Unreliability of people around you. How you feel when your bad choice has horrible consequences. And, that things can work out after all once you own up to your mistakes and start picking up the pieces. </div>
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Confession: I read this almost two years ago, intending to blog about it right away...and here I am. I still think about it often, though, which I think says an awful lot.</div>
Suehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17900692609061836425noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5917823133788512541.post-49212950847624166472017-04-06T20:57:00.003-04:002017-04-06T20:57:30.857-04:00Bright Island, by Mabel Robinson<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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This was one of the older books I didn't expect to come across anytime soon since it was available through my local library system. But the library came to the rescue anyhow- I found it somewhat randomly in the digital collection. So this is the first book (for this blog or otherwise) that I've ever read on my phone. It was an interesting experience.<br />
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The book is a short novel, punctuated with some beautiful, although somewhat understated, Lynd Ward illustrations.<br />
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Thankful Curtis is the youngest of five siblings. Her four older brothers have long since married and moved to the mainland, and she remains on Bright Island with her practical Scottish mother and her gruff sailor father. She loves the rhythms of her days- early morning swims, sailing in her boat, and doing any of the manual labor that needs doing.<br />
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Unfortunately, her family doesn't see the life she loves as completely suitable for a girl. Her recently-deceased grandfather willed money for her education, and her family (and especially her meddling older sisters-in-law) have decided that this is the the year that Thankful will head to the mainland to attend school. Her mother has taught her all she can, and her father believes it's time for her to learn "what a girl's for." New clothes are chosen for her to replace her practical denim and overalls. But thankful does take a few things into her own hands- she immediately sails her girdle out to sea and drops it overboard, and refuses to live under the thumb of a sister-in-law while on the mainland. She decides to spend some of her inheritance to board.<br />
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The remainder of the book deals with Thankful's one year of school (she's sufficiently advanced from home study that she will be able to graduate after just two terms). She has to adjust to the school schedule, being surrounded by crowds, speaking in class, having a roommate, and not having constant access to the sea, while maintaining her own identity and choosing her own path.<br />
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It's a nice, gentle coming-of-age story and has a few similarities to the Anne of Avonlea miniseries that I was automatically a fan. It also occurs during the nice lull where the first World War is too far away for the protagonist to be affected by, and the second is not yet on the horizon.Melaniehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13713015052919049834noreply@blogger.com0