The Newbery winner in 1959, I must say I am happy I was not born in the late 1600's. I would be to stubborn and just get myself into too much trouble.The Newbery winner in 1959, I must say I am happy I was not born in the late 1600's. I would be to stubborn and just get myself into too much trouble.
Kit grew up in her Grandfather's lavish home in Barbados (I wish the story had gone into detail about Kit's life with her Grandfather) after the loss of her parents, now he is gone too. There is no money left and Kit must leave and go live with her Aunt and Uncle who are Puritans in America. A time when Quakers were looked down upon which included one of Kit's only friend Hannah who has friendships with outcasts. An illness comes and takes the lives of three and are blamed on the Witchery of Hannah. A mob plans to kill Hannah and burn her home down. Can Kit save Hannah and herself?
I did not care for the religious and political tensions (times are different now we seem more tolerable of contrast between us). It is a well thought out historical novel covering the lives of young women during education and courtship to marriage, and the coming of the Salem Witch Trials. Historically I would give the novel 4 stars....more
The author spent a summer watching and studying the behaviors of a wolf pack in Denali. She had seen a young woman walking the tundra alone. The storyThe author spent a summer watching and studying the behaviors of a wolf pack in Denali. She had seen a young woman walking the tundra alone. The story is inspired.
Julie of the Wolves is a story about Miyak's journey from leaving a frightening situation behind at a very young age, to find her way, to her pen pal in San Francisco. She is lost in Alaska with no food and no way to shelter herself from the tundra. During her journey she is torn between a Gussak (Julie) way of life or is the Eskimo (Miyak) life a better way? At times it is intense, will she survive? She finally finds hope in a pack of wolves and begins to study how they communicate to one another which allows her to interact with them, in-turn saves her life.
The story is well written, it is believable in the fact that it could possibly happen in the world of Eskimo life. Miyax's ingenuity to survive with the pack and sustain herself with some of the lessons she learned from her father is the heart of the story. She also is able to save another, with the Plover Bird. A couple that is out hunting find her and give her hope to reunite with her father and show him what she has learned.
The descriptions are very detailed, the real life hits her hard when she realizes her father is modernized which has led to the death of one she admired so much. She gives the Plover to her father as a gift, shortly after the bird passes. Is this a sign? Sad.
The sketchings are also pretty detailed and give you a true image of her different circumstances. Wolves are fascinating creatures the way they build structure in the pack and how they show respect towards the leader....more
Sounder is a loyal coon hunting dog that stumbles into the life of his master to be. A poor family of sharecroppers who cannot afford to support themsSounder is a loyal coon hunting dog that stumbles into the life of his master to be. A poor family of sharecroppers who cannot afford to support themselves in the middle of winter. So the father steals a ham for his wife and starving children. The sheriff and deputies come to the door with the evidence still present. Sounder, tries to rescue his master, gets horribly shot while the master is taken to jail. The oldest son in the family look everywhere for Sounder and is unable to find his father's loyal dog. Sounder is all he has left of his father who is in jail and later working somewhere in a Labor Camp. While the father is in jail his mother tries to make amends by returning the stolen food, she is deeply religious and tries to do the right thing. The eldest son is very alone, his desire to read and attend school, almost outweighs his determination to find his father. When Sounder finally returns, he is broken and barely a dog. Sounder is the only one given a name leaving you with the personalities and emotions of a resilient family. The years the father is gone goes by way to fast, without much detail, but the joyous reunion between master and dog are deep, heartfelt, love....more
A true story of a strong young girl/women and the demands of surviving on her own. No chore or task broke her spirit or instinct to live as her tribe A true story of a strong young girl/women and the demands of surviving on her own. No chore or task broke her spirit or instinct to live as her tribe had. Not even the amount of days of preparation it might have taken her to achieve a chore she set out to do.
Karana lives alone on an island for eighteen years after her tribe was taken aboard a ship of white men. They accidentally leave her brother behind. Karana sees her brother and dives off the ship. Twelve-year-old Karana and her younger brother try to fend for themselves. Her brother, Ramo, decides he is the new chief of the tribe (of him and his sister!) takes off on his own to fetch the canoe by the cliffs and runs into a group of wild dogs. The pack of dogs killed Ramo and left Karana alone. She befriends one of the wild dogs after she tries to kill him (Rontu) and while doctoring him he ended up remaining with her and being her loyal companion for the rest of his life.
Her survival depends on her determination and perseverance. She recalls the tools her tribe made gets her through even the toughest circumstances. She befriends many animals that bring her happiness through the 18 years she is alone.
You can tell Scott O'Dell had a reverence for life, of all creatures in this telling of her story....more
This is probably the second or third or....read for me.
Papa leaves the family behind to drive cattle to Abliene and leaves Travis the oldest to look aThis is probably the second or third or....read for me.
Papa leaves the family behind to drive cattle to Abliene and leaves Travis the oldest to look after his Mama, Arliss his annoying little brother and the homestead with daily chores of milking, firewood, hunting and tending to the crop of corn. During the time his father is gone an ugly, dingy, thieving yeller dog shows up. He is a smart and loyal stray even though Travis finds him a pest. Old Yeller becomes an important part of the family and his understanding of the situations, teaming him up with Travis, to complete those chores that need taken care of, allows Old Yeller to form a special relationship with Travis.
Travis is patiently allowed to follow through with his intentions by his Mama, which enables Travis to see the end result of his own decisions and how to correct them when they just do not work right. Even though he is trying his best to prove himself.
A simple yet heart warming story that allows pure love and respect grow. A perfectly captured setting by Gipson of Texas in 1860s and what challenges daily farm life could be with an abundance of wolves, bobcats and wild pigs. Kids of today have no idea how hard life was than and rarely have to make the decision Travis did in the end. Newbery Honor in 1957.
Very moving story, that will be hard to forget, Travis and his dog....more
This is one of the few books I had in my possession as a child.
Mr Popper is a house decorator (painter) and during the winter the season is over (no This is one of the few books I had in my possession as a child.
Mr Popper is a house decorator (painter) and during the winter the season is over (no work). He and Mrs Popper have two children, a boy and a girl. Mrs Popper tries her best to make ends meet during his down time. This is the time that Mr Popper is reading about the South Pole. He writes a letter to the Drake Exploration. He is mentioned on the radio broadcast and Admiral Drake sends him a thank you by the way of a Penguin. All kinds of exciting things happen with Captain Cook and the family. Mrs Popper has the patience of Job. Needless to say CC is bored and lonely and a Zoo gives Mr Popper a female named Greta. Well the life of living not in the wild allows Greta to lay ten eggs and they all hatch and thrive. Mr Popper is a bumbling but caring and nice person. His attempts at handling the issues that arise with the penguins are funny and lovable. Mrs Popper just lets Mr Popper be his dream. The ending is sweet, the story is full of wit, charm and just as fun as I remember.
This year the story is 80 years old. It was named a Newbery Honor Book in 1939 and won the 1940 Young Reader's Choice Award. It was also one of the inaugural 1958 Lewis Carroll Shelf Award books. It is a shame it is not read by more!...more
Loading...
