Entries Categorized as 'All Ages'
Posted by Jordan
Categories: Adventure, All Ages, Fiction, Review
Tags:Arthur Ransome, Funny, Monkeys, parrots, pirates, sailing, Seafaring, Swallows and Amazons, treasure hunting
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The Swallows and Amazons, along with Captain Flint (the Amazons’ Uncle Jim) are preparing for a holiday in a small schooner, the Wild Cat. When they hire Peter Duck as an extra sailor, things begin to happen. The notorious Black Jake and his ship Viper begin following their every move. Why? Peter Duck was witness to a treasure burial many years ago and word has gotten to Black Jake. Captain Flint thinks a go at treasure would be a good vacation, so off they sail into an adventure.
Peter Duck is meant to be a story made up by the Swallows and Amazons during a winter holiday. However, this is never explained, so the book could be as real as you want it to be. Here we have a rollicking good time hunting for treasure, fighting pirates, and sailing on the open sea. I thought the story dragged a little at the beginning, but once Arthur Ransome hit his stride, I was carried along and reading at a furious rate. Guaranteed to make you wish you were sailing!
Posted by Ruth
Categories: All Ages, Fantasy, Fiction, Review
Tags:Animals, Award Winner, Easy Read, Gail Carson Levine, Good Read Aloud
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Ella has a problem. At birth, a foolish fairy granted her the gift of obedience. Now any command she receives, however big or little it be, she is compelled to obey. This has obvious disadvantages, and if the knowledge of her curse falls into the wrong sort of hands… well, it could be very bad indeed. However, Ella is not one to simply accept her fate. She determines to find the cure, no matter how long it takes.
This is a delightfully fun read. It’s lighthearted, but at the same time isn’t meaningless fluff. The story is cleverly written, and I found it almost impossible to put down. In short, Ella Enchanted is… enchanting! I’d say it’s best suited for ages 12 and up, but it could be a good read aloud book, too.
Posted by Becca
Categories: All Ages, Fiction, Review
Tags:Animals, Dogs, Funny, Good Read Aloud, Monkeys, Wilson Rawls
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Jay Berry Lee loves to explore the river bottoms near his home in Oklahoma. One day, his dog, Rowdy, finds a strange creature in a tree. Jay Berry finds out from his grandpa that the creature is an escaped circus monkey and that there are about twenty-nine more. The circus is offering two dollars for each monkey, except for one. This one monkey is the leader of the other monkeys and the reward for it is a hundred dollars. Having the opportunity of making so much money, Jay Berry sets out to capture all thirty monkeys, but the task proves to be harder than he had expected.
Summer of the Monkeys is filled with Jay Berry’s humorous adventures. Every time the boy thinks he’s outsmarted the monkeys, the monkeys outsmart Jay Berry. Though there is some questionable theology about the Old Man of the Mountains, but the rest of the book is great. Be sure to have a tissue handy at the end because it’s very touching.
Posted by Jordan
Categories: All Ages, Fiction, Review
Tags:Animals, Astrid Lindgren, Funny, Good Read Aloud, Horses, Monkeys, Pippi Longstocking, Quick Read
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Pippi Longstocking lives all alone in Villa Villekulla in a little village in Sweden. When the neighbor children, Tommy and Annika, come over to play, they discover that Pippi is no ordinary little girl. Pippi has a different, crazy way of doing many common things, making every chapter a laughter-filled delight as Pippi becomes a thing-finder, goes to school, and has other adventures.
I really can’t say much about Pippi Longstocking that hasn’t been said. The book, originally written in Swedish, has been around for longer than I have and is a favorite of children everywhere. This book serves as an introduction to the mischievous, big-hearted Pippi, paving the way for the, in my opinion, better sequels. But the first volume is still fun and worth reading.
Posted by Rebekah
Categories: All Ages, Fiction, Incredibook!, Review
Tags:Animals, Frances Hodgson Burnett, Good Read Aloud, Horses
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To all appearance Cedric Errol is just another young American boy. He lives with his widowed mother in their tiny house and has a great many friends. Mr. Hobbs, the grocer; Dick, the boot-black; and Mary, the maid, all think the world of him. Imagine their surprise when it is discovered that little Ceddie is the only living descendant of the English Earl of Dorincourt. Cedric and his mother are packed off to England to live with Cedric’s grandfather the Earl. But only Cedric is to live with him. The Earl has never forgiven his son for marrying an American, and now he refuses to even meet Cedric’s mother. Can young Cedric win the heart of this grumpy, hating old man and use his sudden good fortune wisely? With his mother’s careful guidance, and his own stout courage, Cedric not only succeeds, but completely conquers.
A charming story. I love that so much fun and good reading can come out of a little paperback bought from one of those used book email loops. To me, that’s one of the measures of a good book. If you can forget that the paper and ink isn’t in the best of shape and enjoy the story, it’s a great story. But I digress. This is a very nice, easy to read story. The characters are memorable, the story sweet, and a good dash of stately comedy is thrown in there for good measure. If you fall asleep during anything but action, skip this book. Unless you’re up for a little stretch, of course. It’s so gentle and enjoyable, I find it well worth reading.
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