Sarah, Plain and Tall (Paperback)
by Patricia MacLachlan
ISBN: 0064402053

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

Out in the country of early America, Anna and Caleb’s father puts an ad in the newspaper for a wife. His previous wife died not long after Caleb’s birth. A woman named Sarah answers the ad and comes to live with them for a month for a trial period. But often she misses the sea, where she came from. Will Sarah stay, or will she return to the sea?

A somewhat simple, short story. I read Sarah, Plain and Tall in about an hour, if I remember correctly. This book might be a little better for people younger than me. It’s alright, but not my favorite. Oh, and Sarah, Plain and Tall is the beginning of a trilogy. There are two more books after this one.

Why the Chicken Crossed the Road (Sandpiper books) (Paperback)
by David Macaulay
ISBN: 0395584116

Price: —
13 used & new available from USD 2.35

A chicken crosses the road, beginning a hilarious chain reaction involving a burglar, an explosion, and stampeding cows.

Macaulay’s genius shines through brilliantly. The adults reading this book will enjoy it more than the children they are reading to. Make sure you look closely at the pictures for speech bubbles, goofy happenings, and the burglar hiding on most pages.

The Wonderful Flight to the Mushroom Planet (Paperback)
by Eleanor Cameron
ISBN: 0316125407

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

When David sees an ad in the newspaper about someone named Mr. Bass wanting a spaceship, he plans on being the first person to build a spaceship and bring it to Mr. Bass. He and his friend Chuck build a spaceship and bring it to Thallo Street, Mr. Bass sends them off on an adventure to rescue the people living on the small planet Basidium-X!

This was an interesting story and I enjoyed it.

Dorothy and the Wizard in Oz (Books of Wonder) (Hardcover)
by L. Frank Baum
ISBN: 0688098266

Price: USD 16.49
49 used & new available from USD 12.39

Dorothy, her cat Eureka, a horse named Jim and Dorothy’s cousin Zeb are caught in an earthquake and fall into the depths of the earth. They find themselves in a strange country, where the people are vegetables. While the vegetable people are deciding what to do with them, Dorothy’s old friend, the Wizard of Oz, falls from the sky in his balloon. He joins them in an attempt to escape the vegetable people and get back to the surface of the earth. But they may have to journey to Oz.

I didn’t like this one quite as much. It’s only the fourth in the series, and as you read through the whole series, it gets a little better. About two thirds of this book is about the journey to Oz, and the rest is about what they do when they get there. It’s a fun story, but I enjoyed the fifth book The Road to Oz a lot better.

Along Came a Dog (Harper Trophy Books) (Paperback)
by Meindert De Jong
ISBN: 0064401146

Price: USD 5.95
77 used & new available from USD 0.10

The only red hen in the man’s henhouse has frozen her toes off. The man’s boss advices him to kill the hen, but the man is very attached to her. He decides to keep the hen. Unfortunately, the red hen is repeatedly mobbed by the other hens. Her only protector is a large black dog who even steals eggs for her. But the man doesn’t trust the dog. He tries to lose it in the city. But the dog has appointed himself to protect the red hen, his only companion.

This is a very heart-warming story. It’s more about the hen and the dog than the man, so the man doesn’t really have a name. Not quite as good as some other books by DeJong, but still enjoyable. I very much recommend this book.

Lizard Music (Paperback)
by Daniel Manus Pinkwater
ISBN: 0440413192

Price: —
10 used & new available from USD 4.72

Victor’s parents leave him at home with his sister, who quickly leaves with a bunch of her friends for a camping trip. He’s alone in the house and can do anything he wants: eat anchovy pizza, watch TV all night and build model planes on the dinner table. Victor meets a strange black man, who takes his pet chicken everywhere and goes under several names, with Charlie being the most prominent. Then, long after the TV stations stop broadcasting for the night, lizards take over the station and put on their own shows. Afterwards, Victor notices lizard music records, posters and advertisements all over his town. Victor thinks this is strangely connected to a movie he sees about Pod People from another planet who take over people one by one. He knows that Charlie holds the key to the whole mystery, but can Victor convince Charlie to tell him?

Lizard Music is probably one of Daniel Pinkwater’s weirdest books. Every little thing fits together and points to giant lizards. You may not want to read this if you’re not on good terms with reptiles. Otherwise, it’s pretty good, although I question Victor’s activities at home by himself. A thrilling story with many unusual twists and turns. Just don’t read it at night!

The Emerald City of Oz (Paperback)
by L. Frank Baum
ISBN: 0486256812

Price: USD 8.95
54 used & new available from USD 0.30

When Dorothy brings Uncle Henry and Aunt Em to the Emerald City of Oz, they begin a tour of the surrounding cities and people, encountering the Cuttenclips, the Fuddles, the inhabitants of Utensia, the Flutterbudgets, and many more. Meanwhile, the Nome King is furious over the loss of his magic belt, and begins gathering an army to dig an underground tunnel to the Emerald City and capture the entire population.

This isn’t my favorite Oz book, but the hilarious wordplays and puns are thicker than ever. Especially in Utensia. I think this one was intended to be the last Oz book, but L. Frank Baum was forced to write more by popular demand.

Ozma of Oz (Paperback)
by L. Frank Baum
ISBN: 0486247791

Price: USD 9.31
62 used & new available from USD 0.10

A storm at sea blows Dorothy Gale and a hen named Bill off into another magical adventure in the lands surrounding Oz. After changing the hen’s name to Billina, Dorothy and Billina set off into the unknown. They’re chased by Wheelers and rescued by Tik-Tok the Clock-work man, they meet Princess Langwidere, who is very conceited, and finally meet up with Ozma and many of Dorothy’s old friends. Ozma is on a mission of rescue, with the intent to free the ten children of the former King of Ev, and their mother, the Queen. The Nome King has the children and their mother and is holding them captive. As Ozma and her friends march against the Nome King, they meet many dangers, including an iron giant with a hammer! In the final encounter, the Nome King reveals that he has transformed the royal family of Ev into pieces of bric-a-brac and ornaments. He gives each person eleven guesses, and if they guess them wrong they will become ornaments themselves. Can Ozma and her friends defeat the Nome King?

Of course they can. But there are some interesting twists to the plot along the way, so be forewarned! This is one of the funnest Oz books. Almost everybody’s in it! The Lunch-box and Dinner-pail trees are fun to think about. Have fun!