Chester Cricket’s New Home (Paperback)
by George Selden
ISBN: 0440412463

Price: —
56 used & new available from USD 0.10

Chester Cricket’s beautiful stump by the brook has been squashed, and he is forced to move down the brook to a pond with Simon the old turtle, and Walter, a rather eccentric water snake, while he looks for a new home. Animals all over the Old Meadow volunteer to let the cricket stay with them, but he despairs of ever finding a real home again—not knowing that some of his friends have a trick up their sleeves.

A fun, light-hearted story, good for the whole family to enjoy. Though Harry and Tucker from A Cricket In Times Square don’t make an appearance, many other unique characters in Chester’s neighborhood do. Good for a short read.

The Whisper of Glocken: A Novel of the Minnipins (Paperback)
by Carol Kendall
ISBN: 0152025170

Price: USD 6.00
49 used & new available from USD 0.10

Five years after the invasion of the Mushrooms, a new problem has arisen. The Watercress river, flowing through the valley of the Minnipins, has changed direction and begun flooding the towns. Five unlikely heroes, Glocken, Silky, Scumble, Gam Lutie, and Crustabread, are commissioned by the five old Heroes to journey outside the valley and find the source of the flooding. With them goes the ancient Whisper Stone, which has been passed down through Glocken’s family for generations, and contains the secret for finding the legendary Whisper of Glocken, a bell now known only in pretend-stories.

This was an interesting read, but I don’t like it as much as its prequel. Some important parts of it seemed a bit vague and confusing, and sometimes I’d get turned around and couldn’t figure out exactly where the main characters were. It’s also more strange than the first book, because the Minnipins spend most of their time outside the valley, where they meet strange creatures and plants, and even full-size humans. Overall, not as good as The Gammage Cup, but it might be worth reading just for the sake of reading it.

We Didn’t Mean to Go to Sea (Godine Storyteller) (Paperback)
by Arthur Ransome
ISBN: 0879239913

Price: USD 11.21
60 used & new available from USD 2.84

While awaiting Commander Walker’s return in Harwich, John, Susan, Titty, and Roger make friends with the sailor of the Goblin. Mrs. Walker gives them permission to sail up and down the river for a few days until their father arrives. When the sailor disappears ashore, however, and the anchor drags, the Walker children find themselves being swept out to sea on a very real adventure.

Whereas most of the other books contain more imaginative, light-hearted adventures, the dangers in this story seemed more present and real. The children are, after all, at sea by themselves. It’s an exciting read, though sadly the Amazon pirates never show up. Nevertheless, it’s probably one of my favorite Swallows and Amazons books.

Part of our Read-a-Thon 2010 highlight posts.

Today we’re featuring one of our Read-a-Thon 2010 sponsors, Eric Reinhold. (Check out the interview we did last year!) Mr. Reinhold writes Christian fantasy and already has released two books in his series, The Annals of Aeliana, with more on the way!

Ryann Watters and the King’s Sword

Ryann Watters And The King’S Sword (The Annals of Aeliana) (Hardcover)
by Eric Reinhold
ISBN: 1599792885

Price: USD 15.38
28 used & new available from USD 8.97

In the first book, Ryann Watters is visited by the angel Gabriel and given the task of finding the king’s sword, along with three gifts to aid him in his quest. Join Ryann and his friends, Liddy and Terell, as they discover the powers of the gifts and travel to and from the fantastical world of Aeliana.

Ryann Watters and the Shield of Faith

(Not yet reviewed)

Ryann Watters And The Shield Of Faith Vol 2 (Annals of Aeliana) (Hardcover)
by Eric Rinehold
ISBN: 1599796260

Price: USD 13.59
18 used & new available from USD 12.05

The sequel to Ryann Watters and the King’s Sword came out last year! We haven’t written a review for it yet, but if you enjoyed the first one, you may want to look into the sequel!

The original Ryann Watters is even in the process of becoming a feature-length film. Pretty cool, huh? For more information, check out the Official Movie Site or Mr. Reinhold’s blog.

Part of our Read-a-Thon 2010 highlight posts.

One of the series we’ve enjoyed reading is Freddy the Pig by Walter R. Brooks, full of whimsical, adventurous stories involving Freddy and the rest of the talking animals on the Bean farm. Sadly, most of these books have gone out of print, but you may still be able to find some through inter-library loans. I’m not gonna go through all twenty-six books in this post, so here are a few of my favorites.

Freddy the Pilot

Freddy the Pilot (Hardcover)
by Walter R. Brooks
ISBN: 087951941X

Price: USD 18.68
31 used & new available from USD 9.96

Mr. Boomschmidt, Freddy the pig’s old friend and a circus owner, has got a dilemma on his hands. Mademoiselle Rose, the bareback rider, has rightly refused to marry the sour-faced Mr. Condiment, who is now dive-bombing the circus and trying to put Mr. Boomschmidt out of business. It’s up to Freddy and his animal friends to turn the tables on Mr. Condiment, including disguises, skunks acting like Robin Hood and his merry men, and, of course, Freddy’s new airplane.

Freddy Rides Again

Freddy Rides Again (Hardcover)
by Walter R. Brooks
ISBN: 1585672688

Price: USD 23.95
27 used & new available from USD 10.65

Freddy and friends are back in this sequel to Freddy the Cowboy. The Margarines have moved in and are disrupting the neighborhood with their fox hunts. Not only that, but there have been rumors of a rattlesnake near the Bean farm. Join Freddy, Jinx the cat, and others as they gallop to the rescue.

Freddy Goes Camping

Freddy Goes Camping (Hardcover)
by Walter R. Brooks
ISBN: 1585671770

Price: USD 18.68
31 used & new available from USD 10.98

Mr. Camphor’s two unusual aunts have always spent the summer in a nearby hotel, but when the hotel is shut down due to mysterious ghost stories, they come to stay at Mr. Camphor’s large estate. Which is a problem. Mr. Camphor appeals to Freddy for help, and together they go on a camping trip across the lake on a search for the trickster causing these ghosts.

Check out our Freddy the Pig page for a complete list of the series, with links to our reviews.

Part of our Read-a-Thon 2010 highlight posts.

If you’re looking for some good contemporary (or historical, I suppose) fiction with a fun twist, you may want to check out the Swallows and Amazons series by Arthur Ransome. Set in England some while ago, it follows John, Susan, Titty, Roger, Nancy, Peggy, and other friends introduced throughout the series as they sail on the lake and make up different adventures. Ransome manages to give it a real, yet imaginative feel with an overall sense of fun. Some of the books are devoted entirely to the stories the children make up.

Here are some of my personal favorites from the series.

Swallows and Amazons

Swallows and Amazons (Paperback)
by Arthur Ransome
ISBN: 087923573X

Price: —
57 used & new available from USD 4.81

The original Swallows and Amazons! On a holiday trip to the lake, the Walker children (John, Susan, Titty, and Roger) meet for the first time the wild Amazon “pirates,” Nancy and Peggy Blackett. Fun adventures ensue, including a war against the Blacketts’ Uncle Jim (also known as Captain Flint).

Winter Holiday

Winter Holiday (Godine Storyteller) (Paperback)
by Arthur Ransome
ISBN: 0879236612

Price: USD 10.17
51 used & new available from USD 1.98

Several books after Swallows and Amazons, Winter Holiday introduces some new characters: Dick and Dorothea, who arrive at the lake during the winter. They meet the Walkers and Blacketts there (or the Swallows and Amazons) and are swept up into building an igloo and eventually a race to the “North Pole.”

Pigeon Post

Pigeon Post (Godine Storyteller) (Paperback)
by Arthur Ransome
ISBN: 087923864X

Price: USD 10.17
37 used & new available from USD 8.77

The whole company from Winter Holiday turns into miners as they try to find legendary gold in the hills for their Uncle Jim. However, a mysterious man is following them, and he seems to be after the same gold. There was one weird section in this book that I didn’t like, but otherwise it was a pretty good read!

And if you’re feeling ambitious, you may want to read the whole series! Here’s a list of them in their proper order.

Some of the later ones, which we haven’t reviewed yet, made it onto my favorites list as well, such as We Didn’t Mean To Go To Sea and Great Northern?.

Oh, come on. You can at least try the first one, and if you like it, there are eleven more in the series. Pretty good opportunity to boost your page count for the summer, too. Don’t you think?

The Sable Quean (Redwall) (Hardcover)
by Brian Jacques
ISBN: 0399251642

Price: USD 16.31
53 used & new available from USD 12.95

Buckler, a blademaster hare from Salamandastron, is sent to Redwall Abbey to deliver new bell ropes to the Abbess and is caught up in the adventure of his life. Vilaya the Sable Quean, along with her captain Zwilt, plan to take over Redwall Abbey by kidnapping their Dibbuns and holding them hostage. But Buckler has a score of his own to settle with Zwilt and leads the inhabitants of Redwall to stop the evil vermin horde.

I’m afraid I wasn’t particularly impressed with this book. It’s pretty stereotypical Redwall, without enough new things to make it feel original. Two of the characters (including a warrior mole!) are introduced later on in the book and assume important roles, which felt a little last-minute to me. I would say that big Redwall fans might want to read this, but The Sable Quean is not a must-read.

Coot Club (Godine Storyteller) (Paperback)
by Arthur Ransome
ISBN: 0879237872

Price: USD 11.21
39 used & new available from USD 4.57

Dick and Dorothea Callum are on their way to visit Mrs. Barrable (who used to be their mother’s schoolteacher) for the summer, when they meet a boy named Tom Dudgeon. It turns out that he is a neighbor of Mrs. Barrable, and is also the oldest member of the Coot Club—a club consisting of himself and five other children, formed for the protection of birds along the river. But the real trouble begins when some rowdy tourists scare a pair of coots from their nest, and Tom casts off their moorings during the night. Dick, Dorothea, and Mrs. Barrable decide to help Tom hide from the angry tourists and take him on a trip down the river in Mrs. Barrable’s houseboat.

I was a bit put off that none of the original Swallows and Amazons were included in this book—in fact, all the characters are new except for Dick and Dorothea. Once you get to know them, however, it isn’t so bad, and I particularly like Mrs. Barrable and her habit of making drawings in the margin of her letters. Tom’s action, though desperate, could also be considered a bit questionable. I wouldn’t consider this one of the very best of the Swallows and Amazons series, but it’s still an enjoyable read.

Freddy the Politician (Hardcover)
by Walter R. Brooks
ISBN: 1585670804

Price: —
14 used & new available from USD 8.59

The Beans are going on a trip to Europe, so the farm animals decide to form a republic and elect a president who can run things in the Beans’ absence. It seems like a good idea, but a couple of newcomers to the farm are scheming to be elected and seize control — not only of the Bean farm, but of the surrounding farms as well. And when Simon and his gang of rats are discovered to be in on the plot, things do not bode well for the election. The Bean animals must stick together and solve this problem.

This is one of the earlier Freddy books, so some of the characters aren’t developed as much as they are later in the series. Nevertheless, I found this a quite enjoyable read. Sadly, though, this book is hard to find now-a-days.

Hittite Warrior (Living History Library) (Paperback)
by Joanne Williamson
ISBN: 1883937388

Price: USD 10.04
35 used & new available from USD 8.18

After the death of his father, Uriah the Hittite journeys from his hometown and eventually comes to the hill country, where Barak and Deborah are mustering the tribes of Israel to fight against Sisera.

I was assigned to read this book for school. It was interesting enough to keep me reading, but it didn’t really grip me. Parts of it seemed a bit cliché, and the author seems to favor blatant foreshadowing. I categorized this book as all ages, but I would suggest using discretion as there is a lot of pagan gods and such in the story. Overall a relatively interesting book, but I think it could have been better.