Somehow I never read the Narnia books when I was growing up. I think I was not ever drawn to fantasy as much as I was to reality and historical fictioSomehow I never read the Narnia books when I was growing up. I think I was not ever drawn to fantasy as much as I was to reality and historical fiction. I remember reading books like Johnny Tremain and The Biography of Clara Barton.
Reading this as an adult is almost disturbing. I expected to find Christian symbolism, but I’m afraid I found this was primarily irreverent for me. I realized C.S. Lewis� conversion to Christianity came later in life, but I supposed I had always thought The Narnia Tales were written afterward, since they are known to contain Christian allegory.
I could not help comparing this to Tolkien. They were friends, and then drifted apart, but Lewis credited Tolkien with his conversion. Of course, Tolkien’s novels are not children’s fare–they are created for adults–so the comparison might be quite unfair, but I could not help noticing that the message was profound in Tolkien and the world he created complex, while Lewis� message seemed very garbled and his world too simple to ever be real.
I think I must stick to Lewis� essays in future....more
A very sweet story of two dogs, Luath and Bodger, and a Siamese cat, Tao, who are making their way home over the rough terrain of Canada. They have soA very sweet story of two dogs, Luath and Bodger, and a Siamese cat, Tao, who are making their way home over the rough terrain of Canada. They have some interesting adventures along the way.
This is primarily a children’s book, but the author does not talk down to her audience, so I enjoyed it. I liked that she handled it without trying to get inside the minds of the animals and anthropomorphize them. ...more
I have long intended to read Howard Bahr’s Christmas story, Home for Christmas, but copies are very hard to come by. This year I found one and the illI have long intended to read Howard Bahr’s Christmas story, Home for Christmas, but copies are very hard to come by. This year I found one and the illustrations alone make it worth the reading. Set in the post Civil War world of Oxford, Mississippi, it is a children’s tale that will have much appeal for an adult. Left orphaned, Matthew and Mary make their way to their Uncle John, a Southern soldier with only one leg remaining, whose home has been burned to the ground and left him living in a small cabin with his fiddle and his dog and cats. They are accompanied by Isiah, a former slave, who loves the children and cares for them on the journey.
The book embodies the spirit of Christmas in times that are hard–the times when we need that spirit more than at any others. It made me think of my own altered status in life, the transition from gay and merry Christmases with my mother and father and six siblings, to days of young married love and Christmases of romance, and finally to these days of age, when looking back seems to be easier than looking ahead.
To all, I wish a merry Christmas season, a connection to the love that always endures, and a chance to build memories that never fade and bless the fast-moving years. ...more
I find it so difficult to judge a book that I know, in part, does not appeal to me because I was never its intended audience. This is no doubt an inteI find it so difficult to judge a book that I know, in part, does not appeal to me because I was never its intended audience. This is no doubt an interesting read for a 9-12 years old child, but without much to hold an adult reader. I have heard so much about this author and the substance of her writing that I was surprised to find so little to admire.
It is the story of young Margaret, who moves from her New York home to a New Jersey suburb and begins a new life with new friends there. In her efforts to find her place, she struggles to determine what religion she wishes to be, because she is a product of a Jewish-Christian marriage, and her parents follow no religion at all.
I felt the book rather strongly disparaged any religion and painted both sets of grandparents as narrow-minded and bigoted because of their beliefs, but the Christian couple were portrayed as truly obnoxious. It conflicts with my own views too much to garner much praise from me and I would not be handing it to my own child to read without having a lot of discussion about the values of both faith and tolerance. I also think a sixth grader is old enough to know that a religious faith is more than a decision between whether you want to belong to the YMCA or the Jewish Center, so I think the premise of this book also sells children of this age short. ...more
I can see this being a wonderful book to read with a child and I think it would have had more appeal as well if I had been holding the actual book in I can see this being a wonderful book to read with a child and I think it would have had more appeal as well if I had been holding the actual book in my hands and not reading an ebook version. Some books, especially those with marvelous illustrations, just beg to be handled.
I have seen the ballet numerous times and found it magical, so I was expecting something more from the book than I got. I did enjoy this, I just didn't love it. Sadly, it did not hold up in contrast to the other Christmas books I have slipped into my reading this season....more
I find it pretty much impossible to read YA books as an adult and leave the adult in me behind long enough to enjoy them. There are those rare ones thI find it pretty much impossible to read YA books as an adult and leave the adult in me behind long enough to enjoy them. There are those rare ones that are written on two levels, a level at which the youth gets all they need and another in which the adult is also satisfied. This book doesn’t quite make that bar for me, even though it addresses some important issues and would make a great choice if you were teaching a class filled with nine and ten year olds.
Jonas is a twelve year old boy, living in a colorless dystopian world of regiment and sameness. There is no pain or unpleasantness here, nor is there any joy or morality. Choices are never made, rules are followed, without anyone feeling the need for more...for in fact, in this society, all feeling has been purged. Kind of made me think of Stepford Wives.
In order to be held, I expect a lot from a good dystopian novel. This is a good one if you are young, but, again, the comparisons are inevitable, and I’ll take Margaret Atwood’s Maad Adam series, thank you.
I suppose what it all comes down to, for me, is that I would rate this book quite differently depending on what the criteria were for rating it. If I consider it for what it is, a YA novel, meant for a young audience, and concerned with stirring thoughts and considerations among them, it would get a 4-star rating, easily. As an adult, it was less enthralling and more just “interesting.� I wouldn’t probably give it more than a 2-star rating. So, I have landed on a 3-star compromise, with a caveat that if you are a parent or spend time with children in the right age group, this would be a great book to read and discuss with them. There will probably be a generation of kids who grow up with this book as an all-time favorite and a feeling that it helped shape their lives. ...more
A boy, before he really grows up, is pretty much like a wild animal. He can get the wits scared clear out of him today and by tomorrow have forgotten A boy, before he really grows up, is pretty much like a wild animal. He can get the wits scared clear out of him today and by tomorrow have forgotten all about it.
Of course, everyone my age knows this story. The Wonderful World of Disney, introduced by Mr. Disney himself, fed a whole generation with delights of this sort; just put on the TV at 7:00 on Sunday night and watch something wonderful, but don’t forget because there is no DVR, so if you miss it, you are waiting for summer reruns.
Because I knew the story and what to expect, I thought I might not have a really emotional reaction to the end, but alas the two boxes of tissues I bought came in handy. Some of the tears were for the story and the characters and Yeller, of course, but some of them were for that little girl who sat frozen to a flickering TV screen in the living room of a four room house, with her three sisters and her precious mother and father, making a memory that would last all her life. ...more
I know why I loved this as a kid. It is a raw adventure, with a natural charm, and the idea of a wild wolf-dog that is tamed by one man’s kindness wouI know why I loved this as a kid. It is a raw adventure, with a natural charm, and the idea of a wild wolf-dog that is tamed by one man’s kindness would have been irresistible to my nine year old self. Even as an adult, it reads like a heroic tale, as White Fang fights his way through life’s difficulties, like Odysseus trying to find his way home. There can be little doubt that Jack London understood the nature of a wild animal and the dangerous life in the Northern climes.
The descriptive powers of London made me shiver with the chill of the cold and the fear that must accompany a night spent with a fire being the only thing standing between a man and a hungry wolf pack. There are moments of animal cruelty and even nature’s cruelty that make one cringe, but the story is true to life, and life is often unkind. But there is also a feeling of hope, of the possibility of survival, and of the love that a dog, or even a wolf, can offer a man, whether he deserves it or not. ...more
Came across a review of this Dr. Seuss book that I had never seen before. I didn't expect to find an unfamiliar Dr. Seuss, so I took a few moments (whCame across a review of this Dr. Seuss book that I had never seen before. I didn't expect to find an unfamiliar Dr. Seuss, so I took a few moments (which was all I had to spare) and read it. It is an early work and Seusslike, but more in the form or a traditional fairytale than his books usually are. What's not to enjoy if Theodore is involved? I have loved every word he has put to paper.
So, a bit of fun in an otherwise not much fun day....more
What a darling little book of letters written from J.R.R. Tolkien (Father Christmas) to his children, John, Michael, Christopher and Pricilla. I foundWhat a darling little book of letters written from J.R.R. Tolkien (Father Christmas) to his children, John, Michael, Christopher and Pricilla. I found it interesting that a man of so much imagination gave his children such common names.
The illustrations that he drew to accompany the letters are remarkable and I shall now think of Polar Bear as a Christmas staple, the way I think of the Grinch.
What a lovely glimpse into the person Tolkien was! These are very personal interactions with his children and say quite a lot about his relationship with them.
Here’s to Christmas, imagination and fathers.
(A special thank you to my friend, Angela M., for putting this one on my radar). ...more
When I read a book like this one, I try to imagine what my eight or ten year-old self would have thought of it. I’m pretty sure she would have loved tWhen I read a book like this one, I try to imagine what my eight or ten year-old self would have thought of it. I’m pretty sure she would have loved this and read it more than once. It is beautifully written, very sweet and uplifting, and inspires kindness and a view of the world as a place that will rescue you.
William Beech is an evacuee from London during WWII, and Tom Oakley is the reclusive elderly man who has the boy foisted upon him. Will is a child who has been abused and bullied and his fear is evident almost immediately to Mr. Tom, who is a very kind man at heart. The reader witnesses the growing relationship that saves these two people, who don’t always fit with the rest of the world, as they face both everyday life and some traumatic experiences together.
I believe this would make an excellent book to read with a young person. They would learn a lot about life during WWII, you could talk about what it takes to make a family, how to overcome the difficulties life throws at you, and both of you could enjoy a good story and a fun read. ...more
A sweet, if predictable, story for the Christmas season. Exactly what you would expect from Montgomery...the world the way we wish it were.
After a verA sweet, if predictable, story for the Christmas season. Exactly what you would expect from Montgomery...the world the way we wish it were.
After a very meaningful discussion with The Breakfast Club, I have come back to raise my rating by one star. This went from a story I "liked" to one I truly appreciated....more
Whenever I re-read a fairytale from my childhood, I am always surprised at how different it is from my memory of it. This one, of course, suffered froWhenever I re-read a fairytale from my childhood, I am always surprised at how different it is from my memory of it. This one, of course, suffered from the innumerable times I was forced to watch the Disney version with the grandchildren.
Andersen was the quintessential moral story teller, with many lessons to be carried away by both children and adults. The obvious ones of not longing for things that you cannot have and measure the cost carefully before you make the deal, but on the flip side, nothing exceeds love for virtue and you might get unexpected rewards for good deeds done.
I was interested in the religious overtones regarding the soul, for that was what the little mermaid was seeking, the chance to be human and have a soul that would live beyond the grave. ...more
This is a sweet, little, predictable book suitable for children. When I was seven, it would have been a favorite, no doubt. It has a poor boy who is oThis is a sweet, little, predictable book suitable for children. When I was seven, it would have been a favorite, no doubt. It has a poor boy who is orphaned, rich ladies who are gracious and generous, old houses that have sat unoccupied and are now brought back to life, circus life, horses, a dog that does tricks like spelling its name with blocks, a boy’s first ever birthday party, and a tea party with two girls and eleven dolls!
Louisa May Alcott writes excellent children’s fare and if I were rating this from that point of view I could give it another star for sure. But, I opened it as an adult and I’m grading it as fare for an adult, and of course it doesn’t measure up. It read quickly enough and I have no doubt I will forget it almost as rapidly. If you have a child seven or eight years old, this should be an excellent read for them; if you are looking for something for yourself, you should probably pass. ...more
What a delightful book this is. I am generally disappointed by children’s books, but Mary Mapes Dodge did not talk down to her audience, and as a resuWhat a delightful book this is. I am generally disappointed by children’s books, but Mary Mapes Dodge did not talk down to her audience, and as a result the read is enjoyable, even for an adult.
Interestingly enough, I had thought this book was written by a Hollander, but it was written by an American. She obviously wanted her young readers to learn something about a nation that she so clearly admired, so she included a great deal of history, descriptions of customs and well-drawn images of the countryside and the cities. The history was interwoven into the story as a group of boys showed off their land to a visiting English lad. It was done deftly, so that you could learn a great deal without feeling you had just sat through a lecture, and it did not subtract from, but rather added to, the boy’s adventures.
The story at the heart of the book, a tale of a poor but proud family with a seriously ailing father and a race in which the two children, Gretel and Hans compete to win a pair of silver skates, was nothing like the idea that I had harbored over the years. I never read the book as a child, so somewhere along the way I had adopted an erroneous idea of the plot. The actual story was much more complex and far more interesting than the one had imagined.
I’m sure modern children might find this a little old-fashioned, but it was sweet, had a good moral purpose, and would make a worthwhile read for them all the same. ...more
The only encounter I had ever had with Pinocchio was with the Walt Disney version that was a favorite of childhood. I found this original story on whiThe only encounter I had ever had with Pinocchio was with the Walt Disney version that was a favorite of childhood. I found this original story on which that one was based to be a more jarring, less cohesive, and less interesting version altogether. While the movie tended to make you feel a sweet tenderness for Gepetto, a concern for the dangers into which Pinocchio’s errant ways might lead him, and a sense of Jiminy Cricket as Pinocchio’s conscience that will lead him to the right path if he will but listen, all those elements seemed to be missing from the children’s book itself.
The lesson? If you are a boy and you do not obey your parents, go to school, avoid bad companions and listen to your better urges, you will end up in trouble. But, then again, if you have a big heart and at your depths you care for those parents and regret your faults (like killing the cricket for goodness sake!), you will end up fine and get your reward. ...more
A children’s book by one of my favorite authors, Mary Stewart. What a delightful little tale this is, full of the kind of magic that makes the ancientA children’s book by one of my favorite authors, Mary Stewart. What a delightful little tale this is, full of the kind of magic that makes the ancient fairytales so pleasing. I kept wishing I had a very young granddaughter to read it to and felt a bit sad to know that it existed when my granddaughter was just the right age and we missed it.
The writing is superb, full of Mary Stewart’s unparalleled eye for detail:
But otherwise the forest was still, with the heavy, sleepy stillness of summer. Not that it was really silent. If you lay with your eyes shut, and really tried to listen to the silence, you could hear it; it was made up of thousands of tiny sounds which might be the trees growing, or the toadstools pushing up through the pine needles, or the air breathing gently through the twigs overhead as the sun heated the ground and the moisture drifted upwards from the mosses.
Even as an adult, I was transfixed by the tale as it unfolded. And, even though I knew how it was likely to end, it was exciting and charming. Isn’t that, after all, one of the things we loved about the original fairytales...knowing that there was happily ever after at the end: Snow White, Rapunzel and Sleeping Beauty sure to get their princes and the evil enchanters sure to get their due?
If your child is a precocious reader, hand her this book. If not, read it to her. Don’t miss the fun.
A simple, straight-forward adventure tale. I can understand why it captured the hearts of its juvenile audience when it was written, and why so many bA simple, straight-forward adventure tale. I can understand why it captured the hearts of its juvenile audience when it was written, and why so many boys wished to go to sea and seek for buried treasure. The hero of this tale is the unlikely Jim Hawkins, whose luck and fast thinking gets him out of many a deadly scrape; the villain the memorable Long John Silver, who forms for most of us a lasting image of the one-legged pirate with a parrot squawking at his shoulder.
I remember the tale from my childhood, and believed I had read it, although I now suspect it was the movie I saw and not the book that I read. Not that I would have been above a good adventure tale, but I imagine myself with my head buried in Nancy Drew or The Hardy Boys rather than Stevenson, and nothing of the details of the book seemed familiar to me.
A lot of fun, and a nice break from more serious fare. I started reading it on the Serial Reader but found myself unwilling to stop with one installment a day–a testament, I suppose, to the ability this story still has to drag the reader in.
Sixteen men on a dead man’s chest. Yo, Ho, Ho…and a bottle of rum. ...more
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