Entries Categorized as 'All Ages'
Posted by Ruth
Categories: All Ages, Fantasy, Fiction, Incredibook!, Review
Tags:Animals, Dragons, Funny, Good Read Aloud, Kenneth Grahame, Quick Read
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Our rating: 
The Boy isn’t surprised when a dragon moves in near the Downs. After all, he’s read lots of books and is quite knowledgable on the subject. He soon befriends the dragon, who is of the quieter sort, spending much of his time writing poetry. But when the townspeople discover the presence of the dragon, they immediately send for Saint George, pleading with him to fight and kill this monster who has been destructing their town. Of course, the dragon has done no such thing. And when the Boy warns him of the inevitable upcoming battle, he positively refuses to fight. Saint George can’t just up and leave without doing anything, and they both turn to the Boy to fabricate a solution.
A delightful little story! Although it’s not nearly as well known as The Wind in the Willows, I think it deserves equal recognition. Geared toward younger children, but enough to make any adult chuckle. Great fun all around.
Posted by Becca
Categories: All Ages, Fiction, Review
Tags:Animals, Dogs, Good Read Aloud, Meindert DeJong, Out of Print, Quick Read
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Jon and Vestri are staying at their grandparent’s farm for summer vacation. While they are at the farm, their grandpa tells them about some puppies that are being given away. He sends Jon and Vestri to pick one, but their grandparents end up coming along, too. Because they are unwilling to separate the puppies, Jon, Vestri, and their grandparents take all three. The rest of the summer is fun for Jon and Vestri, until the final days of vacation come and they are faced with the fact that they will have to leave the puppies behind when they go back home.
Puppy Summer is a short book, but it is still a good one. I love how DeJong did the whole thing about the hat (which I couldn’t include in the review without giving away too much of the story). Puppy Summer is out of print.
Posted by Rebekah
Categories: All Ages, Fiction, Incredibook!, Review
Tags:Animals, Badgers, Ferrets, Good Read Aloud, Kenneth Grahame, Moles, Otters, Rats, Weasels
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Mole, tired of spring cleaning, decides to leave his cozy little home and take a walk. His ramblings take him to The River, where he meets the Water Rat and the fun begins. Mole stays with Rat in his bank-side home and enjoys sharing the Rat’s love of boating. While staying there, Mole becomes friends with Otter, Mr. Badger, and Mr. Toad. Everything progresses nicely, until the Toad decides to try the wandering life of a gypsy and takes Mole and Rat along. In a highway accident, their lovely little cart is upset by a motorcar. The Mole and Rat are very annoyed, but Toad becomes infatuated with the speed and sound of motorcars and orders one of his own. Unfortunately, he disregards all rules. Badger, Rat, and Mole set out to help their friend over his dangerous driving habits, despite personal discomfort.
How to describe The Wind in the Willows? Sheer, wonderful bliss from beginning to end. There are so many adventures, so many thrills and joys. This is one of my favorite books. This is as good as it gets. (Unless you count Winnie-the-Pooh.) Don’t miss it! It’s perfect for children, young adults, and adults who are young or feel young. I have also enjoyed the audio book, read by Flo Gibson, on numerous occasions. I can close my eyes and hear whole parts of the book. A delightful story.
Posted by Becca
Categories: All Ages, Fiction, Review
Tags:Animals, Cats, Jim Kjelgaard, Muskrats, Out of Print
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Frosty is a black kitten who lives in a shed in a town. His owners pay a man named Luke Trull to take Frosty and his siblings and find them some homes. Unfortunately, Luke is dishonest and instead of doing what he promised, he merely dumps the kittens in the hill country where he lives. Frosty makes his way to a meadow and learns how to survive in the wild. One night, however, Frosty is picked up by an owl and rescued by Andy Gates, a young man who is living alone in a swamp that he is trying to stock with muskrats. Frosty decides to live with Andy, and Andy enjoys Frosty’s company. But then Andy finds Luke Trull spying on him, loses his temper, and hits Luke. Not being of a forgiving nature, Luke holds a grudge and sets out for revenge.
I was a bit surprised at the ending of this book. It resolves in a rather unexpected way. I also found a few parts where Jim Kjelgaard was a little wordy, but most of the book flows pretty well. The story switches between Frosty and Andy, though sometimes they are together for a short while. Sadly, this book is out of print so you may have to juggle your way through inter-library loans to find a copy.
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