Shark Lady: True Adventures of Eugenie Clark (Paperback)
by Ann Mcgovern
ISBN: 0590447718

Price: USD 4.99
196 used & new available from USD 0.10

Ever since she was a child, Eugenie Clark wanted to swim with sharks. She spent hours in the aquarium watching the fish in fascination and dreaming of the day when she would be able to study them in the wild. And when she grew up, she got that chance.

This book chronicles Dr. Eugenie Clark’s life, albeit in a somewhat condensed form. Shark Lady was one of my favorite books when I was somewhere in the eight to ten years old range. It has lovely illustrations, and is told in an engaging manner without being too choppy or “watered down” for young kids.

C. S. Lewis’ Letters to Children (Paperback)
by
ISBN: 0684823721

Price: USD 9.77
75 used & new available from USD 4.40

Here on Incredibooks, we generally review fiction, rate the books we’re reviewing, and give summaries. In a first for me, I’m doing none of those. I felt that this one deserved a review, even if it doesn’t fit into our self-proclaimed rules.

This book is a delightful collection of letters that C. S. Lewis wrote to children. It starts with one of his early letters to his goddaughter and ends with a letter he wrote the day before he died. Rounding out the book is a short biography of Lewis’ childhood, an introduction by Douglas Gresham, and a child’s bibliography of C. S. Lewis.

Full of insights into the Narnia series that you may have wondered about, answered from Lewis’ own pen. And other little tidbits C. S. Lewis tells us about himself are fun as well, giving a feel of the time period and his thoughts on the events of the day. As a bonus, for you aspiring writers out there, many of the letters include some tips. A must-read for all Lewis fans.

Champion Dog (Paperback)
by Jean Fritz & Tom Clute
ISBN: 0590020846

Price: $2.49
9 used & new available from USD 2.49

From the beginning, Prince Tom stood out from other dogs. He was a runt and the only blond puppy in a litter of black cocker spaniels. Thanks to his happy-go-lucky personality, Prince Tom was picked out as the perfect birthday gift for Tom Clute. From then on, Prince showed what he could do in the manner of tricks, obedience trials, and field trials.

Champion Dog Prince Tom is a must-read for dog lovers. It is the true story of a small cocker spaniel that set record after record, including the honor of being the first American cocker to win the national field trials and the only one to do so while holding obedience titles. The simple style of the book is perfect for younger readers, though older readers may still enjoy the story.

Rascal (Paperback)
by Sterling North
ISBN: 0140344454

Price: USD 5.99
290 used & new available from USD 0.10

Just another walk in the woods. A bag of cookies, his dog Wowser, and his good friend Oscar—what else could Sterling North want? Then Wowser finds a den-full of raccoon kits, and the boys decide to take them home. They can’t take them home without the mother, so they determine to catch the treed raccoon . . . with the aid of no more than a pocket knife and their jackets. The results are laughable. In the skirmish, the mother and three kits escape, but one of the kits isn’t quick enough. Sterling takes tiny Rascal home and obtains permission to keep him. Getting the permission isn’t hard, as his mother is dead, his older sisters are living away from the house, and his older brother is fighting in the war. His father lives in a world all his own, only occasionally taking time to be with his young son. He doesn’t mind the raccoon—or the canoe Sterling is building in the living room. Everything progresses wonderfully until Rascal develops a taste for sweet corn. The angry neighbors, robbed of their crops, demand that Rascal be kept in a cage. How can Sterling lock up a young, wild creature? Some tough decisions face him and he has to answer them.

I love this book. It is so interesting and enjoyable. Rascal is such a cute raccoon! Sterling North does a wonderful job of telling the story. There are so many adventures and characters. The memorable incidents with his older sister Theo’s missing engagement ring, the school bully, and the pie-eating contest. Very funny and memorable. Unfortunately, there are a few evolutionary references and, if I remember correctly, a mild bad word or two.

The Marsh Lions: The Story of an African Pride (Hardcover)
by Brian Jackman, Jonathan Scott
ISBN: 0879234733

Price: $0.92
21 used & new available from USD 0.92

A story of the Maasai Mara Reserve in Africa. The death of the pride’s biggest male sets in motion a long series of events that effect every part of the Reserve. Pride hierarchy changes, new males chase off the old, lionesses die, and cubs are born. Prides split or grow. The amount of available prey fluxuates. Everything from the hyenas and wild dogs, to the leopards and lions, live their lives in this world of change. Nefertari, the cheetah’s struggle to successfully raise a litter of cubs, the wild dogs of Aitong’s desperate fight against extinction, and the wildebeast migrations all play a part.

I feel that this book is a great example of how God made all nature to work together. It is out of print, unfortunately. It does not humanize the animals (thankfully) and when the writers don’t know a detail for sure, they tell you. It is a very true-to-life account, down to every detail, and you can learn a lot about African wildlife from it. I really enjoyed The Marsh Lions.

The Story of Helen Keller (Paperback)
by Lorena A. Hickok
ISBN: 0448055473

Price: $1.19
7 used & new available from USD 1.19

Since two years old, Helen Keller had been blind and deaf. She could not speak, either. Her mother and father have tried several places, but it seems impossible that she will ever be let out of her unhearing, unseeing, and unspeaking world. Finally, Perkins Institution for the Blind sent a young woman — Miss Anne Sullivan. Will Miss Sullivan be able to help Helen? With discipline, love, trials, and break-throughs, this is the story of Helen Keller.

I like this book a lot. There are a few parts that may be startling or sad to some of you, but I don’t think I had much trouble at all the second time through. I’m not sure if I was upset or sad at those parts the first time I read it, because that was a long time ago. Helen Keller wrote an autobiography called The Story of My Life. I haven’t read it, but I think we own it. Well, The Story of Helen Keller is a great book! The summary may not sound very interesting, but please read this book! Lorena A. Hickok does a good job. Tired of me talking about how good this book is? Then please read it!

Ring of Bright Water (Classic, Nature, Penguin) (Mass Market Paperback)
by Gavin Maxwell
ISBN: 0140249729

Price: $0.11
35 used & new available from USD 0.11

Gavin Maxwell lives all by himself in an isolated area of Scotland called Camusfearna, with no other human beings within forty miles. After Jonnie, his dog, dies, he begins wondering what it would be like to have an otter as a pet. He travels to the marshes of Southern Iraq and, with the help of a few natives, secures a wild otter of unknown species. This otter is Mijbal (Mij for short), and the resulting adventures are hilarious!

I must warn you first: You may find the first few chapters extremely boring!!! But please keep reading! It’s well worth it. I recommend this book to anyone who loves animals and nature. MGM made it into a movie in 1969. I haven’t seen it, but from what I’ve read about it, it’s not like the book at all.

Lincoln: A Photobiography (Houghton Mifflin social studies) (Paperback)
by Russell Freedman
ISBN: 0395518482

Price: USD 9.95
268 used & new available from USD 0.10

Abraham Lincoln lived in a log cabin during the 1700’s. He was poor and in debt for a long period of time. But Lincoln was determined to fulfill his dreams. Overcoming ridicule and poverty, Lincoln made his way to being the president of the United States.

This is a great book for history lovers. Russell Freedman does a great job of telling Lincoln’s story without adding anything of his own. On almost every page, there are actual pictures of Lincoln’s life. If you like history, read this book! (By the way, I marked this book as All Ages. It’s not really. But it isn’t Older Readers or Younger Readers either. I would say this book is suitable and enjoyable for ages eleven and up.)

George Washington’s World (Paperback)
by Joanna Foster, Genevieve Foster
ISBN: 096438034X

Price: USD 18.76
38 used & new available from USD 10.80

This is a great book! It’s extremely hard to write a review for, so I’m just going to give you the highlights. It’s especially good for history. Listen to me on this, it makes reading about history fun! Yes, you heard that right! (Crowd gasps then applauds.) It doesn’t just follow George Washington; it follows famous people around the world at the same time. Including Catherine the Great of Russia, Voltaire, Daniel Boone, and Benjamin Franklin, to name just a few. Bet you didn’t know that Pompeii was discovered, Bach died, James Cook ran away to sea, the first air travel tests were being attempted, and Mozart was born during George Washington’s time! This is a really interesting book. I will give you a brief warning: Genevieve Foster treats all religions as equal and it shows up a little bit in her books. However, her books are really good. For you Charlotte Mason style home-schoolers out there, this is a very living book.

Meet George Washington (Landmark Books) (Paperback)
by Joan Heilbroner
ISBN: 0375803971

Price: USD 4.99
104 used & new available from USD 0.10

Read the story of America’s first president in this short book about George Washington. Also included are some of the legendary stories. (Anybody remember the cherry tree?)

This is more for younger readers. The print is large, and it’s easy to read. Not a bad history, but you really need something a little more in depth if you want to know the whole story.