Entries Categorized as 'All Ages'

White Stallion of Lipizza

Our rating: ****

Hans’ passion is the Lippizaners. He is bursting with questions about them, but how can he, a mere baker’s boy, fulfill his dream: becoming a Riding Master? With the help of Borina, the champion stallion who set the record of ten courbettes in a row, Hans sets out to make his dream come true!

A well-written book. Borina, the stallion, is one of my favorite characters! I definitely recommend this book! See our Book Tips page for pointers on how to find out of print books.

Sea Star: Orphan of Chincoteague

Our rating: ***½

In this sequel to Misty of Chincoteague, Paul and Maureen are faced with a hard decision. A movie company wants to buy Misty. Maureen and Paul finally decide to sell Misty, so city children can see a wild pony. Misty’s going leaves an empty gap in their lives, which is eased by the orphan colt Sea Star. When Sea Star won’t eat, they have to find a way to make a mare, who has lost its colt, adopt little Sea Star.

A very nice story. Although, I was surprised that Sea Star only has the last half of the book and a very short half at that. It was fun reading this book again. I hadn’t read it for quite a while and I had forgotten a lot. Sea Star is one of Marguerite Henry’s heartwarming stories.

Freddy and Mr. Camphor

Our rating: ****

Summer has arrived and it finds a very bored Freddy. So when Freddy finds a help-wanted job asking for the services of caretaker for a big summer mansion, he’s sure that he has found the perfect way to spend a peaceful summer. Far from it! Soon he learns that Simon and his rat gang are back to their old tricks, and Freddy must think of a way to get rid of them. And on top of that, Mr. Winch, the cook’s husband starts planting stolen property on Freddy, so when Mr. Camphor returns, he thinks Freddy has been stealing from him. Freddy ends up in a huge mess and must try to prove himself innocent.

As usual, Freddy manages to outsmart his adversaries with hilarious results. Elmo and Waldo are two very funny characters and Mr. Webb returns in an effort to form a bug’s cause in the war. This is another great Freddy book.

Freddy the Magician

Our rating: ****½

Signor Zingo, the well-known magician, is traveling with Mr. Boomschmidt’s circus. Freddy thinks it’s a wonderful opportunity to learn magic. So when Presto, Signor Zingo’s rabbit, offers to teach Freddy all he knows about magic, Freddy is delighted. As he learns more about magic tricks and begins to put on small shows, he uncovers suspicious information about Signor Zingo. His suspicions are soon confirmed and with the help of his friends, Freddy determines to prove to the unsuspecting inhabitants of Centerburo that Zingo is a crook.

This is one of my favorites of the Freddy books. The showdown between Freddy and Zingo during the magic performance is very hilarious.

Freddy goes to the North Pole

Our rating: *½

After the Bean animals return from their famous trip to Florida, the other animals want to give traveling a try. Freddy decides to start Barnyard Tours Inc., a company that organizes special tours for different groups of animals. Soon, Freddy begins to plan the trip of a lifetime: a journey to the North Pole. As the animal explorers travel north, they encounter many adventures including a visit to Santa Claus where some well-meaning sailors are trying to systematize the toy production.

Of all the Freddy books, I think this is my least favorite. The writing style is inconsistent and sometimes confusing. The plot line seems poorly developed as well. Overall, I don’t consider this book an essential to the Freddy collection.