Flip (Paperback)
by Wesley Dennis
ISBN:

Price: $3.62
10 used & new available from USD 3.62

Flip is a happy little colt who enjoys life on a Kentucky farm. He can run, buck, and play, but he can never manage to jump the brook in the pasture. One day, Flip falls asleep and dreams he has wings. Jumping the brook should be easy now!

A very short, easy read with a humorous story and wonderful illustrations. It is simple enough for children just beginning to read and is enjoyable for more advanced readers as well. Since the early 1940′s, Flip has pleased many horse-loving youngsters and it is sure to gather even more fans.

The Highly Trained Dogs of Professor Petit (Paperback)
by Carol Ryrie BRINK
ISBN:

Price: $3.75
13 used & new available from USD 3.75

Willie is the errand boy for Puddling Center, a town where all the people think much more of work than play. One day, a showman named Professor Petit comes to town with his five dogs. Willie and the Professor become good friends, and Willie is distressed to hear that Professor Petit’s show may go bankrupt. The cause of the trouble is another showman, Black Hoskins, who is taking all of the Professor’s business. Professor Petit doesn’t mind being beaten by an honest showman, but Black Hoskins seems to be doing everything in his power to shut down the Professor’s show, and Willie suspects that the competing showman is swindling the townsfolk as well.

The Highly Trained Dogs of Professor Petit is a short, fun story. Some of the tricks done by the dogs seem a little unrealistic, however the rest of the book has plenty of charm to make up for that slight flaw. Younger and older readers will both find the story entertaining, and I highly recommend it.

No Jumping on the Bed! (Paperback)
by Tedd Arnold
ISBN: 014055839X

Price: USD 6.99
80 used & new available from USD 0.10

Walter has been warned about jumping on his bed, but he chooses to disobey. An extra hard bounce sends his bed crashing through the floor and into the room below where Miss Hattie is enjoying dinner. Though Walter would love to stay, he continues the descent through every floor of the apartment, taking the occupants and their possessions with him.

Quite the funny story. The list of people and objects gets longer with each page. The rhyming names of the occupants makes the list even more humorous. Make sure that you pay close attention to the illustrations, especially the dinosaur on the television. All in all, this book is much more fun to read out loud than for one person to read it by himself.

A Girl of the Limberlost (Paperback)
by Gene Stratton-Porter
ISBN: 1604594497

Price: USD 6.75
18 used & new available from USD 6.75

Elnora Comstock is determined to go to high school. On her first day, she is laughed at for her hair and dress styles, her lunch is stolen, and she is told that she must buy her own books. Elnora’s mother refuses to help her daughter succeed, so Elnora is forced to raise money to buy school supplies all by herself, though the Comstock’s kind-hearted neighbors help where they can. Elnora finds out that she can collect and sell the Limberlost moths for a good price and she begins saving for high school and college. In between school and moth collecting, Elnora tries to find the story behind her mother’s lack of love.

Although it is usually listed as first, A Girl of the Limberlost is actually the sequel to Freckles. It can stand alone, but some characters from the first book make an apperance which may cause some confusion if the reader is not acquainted with them. That said, the plot of this book involves so much more than a girl paying her way through high school. Rather, A Girl of the Limberlost is a well-developed, beautiful story to which a summary cannot do justice.

Warton and the Traders (Paperback)
by Russell E. Erickson
ISBN: 0440494109

Price: $0.01
10 used & new available from USD 0.10

Warton sets off once again to visit his Aunt Toolia, this time to deliver some canned goods. On the way, he meets two woodrats and helps them escape from a wildcat. The woodrats tell Warton that they live in The Bogs and that the wildcat had been plaguing their colony for several days. When he arrives at his aunt’s house, Warton finds that Aunt Toolia has been missing for some time and, with the help of a whippoorwill, finds her in the the dangerous Bogs caring for an injured fawn. Knowing that two small toads cannot possibly cart enough food for such a large animal, Warton leaves to locate the colony of woodrats and enlist their help. But the woodrats insist that everything be a trade, and Warton has nothing to offer in return for their help in feeding the fawn—unless he can find some way to get rid of the wildcat.

Warton and the Traders is perfect for younger readers who want more than a short picture book, but it is written in a way that appeals to the older crowd as well. The story is well-told, amusing and has no objectionable material. Warton and the Traders is part of a series about Warton and Morton, the first being A Toad for Tuesday, with the others following in no particular order.

Houseboat Girl (Hardcover)
by Lois Lenski
ISBN:

Price: $34.95
12 used & new available from USD 34.95

Pasty Foster has spent most of her life on a houseboat because her father cannot bear to stay on land. After two years in a regular house, the Fosters are set for another trip down the Mississippi river. Although she is excited to be on the river, Pasty misses her friends and wishes to live in a real house again.

Houseboat Girl is not a fast-paced story by any means. The moments of adventure are over in a few pages at most. This isn’t Lenski’s best book, but the characters are realistic and the setting is different than what is found in most books, making it an enjoyable, light read.

the little cow and the turtle (Hardcover)
by Meindert Dejong
ISBN:

Price: $2.53
14 used & new available from USD 2.53

The little cow is very curious and is always ready to investigate new things around the farm. She makes friends with picnicking children, a group of hoboes, and a man changing a tire. One day, the little cow discovers a snapping turtle that is moving to a new pond. The cow follows the turtle on its journey across a road, several fields, and the dangerous railroad track.

There really isn’t much to say about The Little Cow and the Turtle. It is a wonderful, simple story with no swashbuckling action and no tough decisions—just a curious little cow and a grumpy old turtle. This beautifully written, memorable tale has become one of my new favorites.

Sea Pup (Hardcover)
by Archie Binns
ISBN:

Price: $92.94
1 used & new available from USD 92.94

Clint Barlow goes on a sailing expedition one day and finds an orphaned harbor seal. Unwilling to just leave the animal and interested in all things having to do with the ocean, Clint takes the seal home and gains permission to keep it until it makes trouble. The seal, Buster, becomes a good friend to Clint, but soon becomes a nuisance when he steals milk from cows, “helps” fishermen with their catches, and scares a family who have never seen a seal, much less a tame one. Clint also finds that Buster is always in danger because almost everybody in the area considers seals as pests to be shot on sight. The Barlows try sending Buster to Alaska, only to have the seal return. Clint is torn between keeping his friend forever and finding a place where Buster will be safe from harm.

Sea Pup presents a fairly good take on the “adopt an orphaned wild animal” theme. There are times when Clint seems to act young for his age and, with his interest in science, there are some references to the evolutionary origin of seals. Thankfully, these do not dominate the story. The ending could have used some work, but on the whole the story is an enjoyable light read.

Sam Small Flies Again: The Amazing adventures of the Flying Yorkshireman (Hardcover)
by Eric Knight
ISBN:

Price: $6.89
5 used & new available from USD 6.89

Sam Small is the most extraordinary man in Yorkshire, which, of course, means the whole world. Throughout the book, Sam manages to get into several absurd situations, such as splitting his personality so that there are two Sams, finding a talking dog, learning how to fly, and turning into a German officer and planning an attack on Britain by accident.

Sam Small is in an episodic format, so each of the ten stories can stand alone. Some of the stories contain material that is unsuitable for younger readers, similar to James Herriot’s books, and much of the humor may not be understood by a younger reader. Older readers will find Sam Small to be enjoyable and hilarious. Do not skip author’s note as it explains the origins of the main character and includes a beautiful piece about writing in general. The Yorkshire dialect takes a bit of getting used to, but the book is well worth it. Despite the title, Sam Small Flies Again is Eric Knight’s only book about Sam.

Petunia (Hardcover)
by Roger Duvoisin
ISBN: 0394808657

Price: USD 11.55
118 used & new available from USD 0.99

One day, Petunia, the silly goose, finds a book lying on the ground. Petunia has heard the farmer say that those who own books and love them will be wise, so she keeps the book, believing that she will no longer be a silly goose. With her new-found wisdom, Petunia feels that she is qualified to give advice to the rest of the farm animals but, since she has never read the book, her advice has disastrous (and explosive) results.

Petunia is a silly story with a moral. Although the moral is a little too obvious, the rest of the book comes across well, is very enjoyable, and makes a good start to a small series featuring the silly goose.