Entries Categorized as 'Fiction'
Posted by Jordan
Categories: Adventure, Fantasy, Fiction, Older Readers, Review, Science Fiction
Tags:Award Winner, Madeleine L’Engle, Times Quartet
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Meg Murry’s father has been missing for years. All the family knows is that he went on a mission for the government. They have almost given up hope of his return, when three odd ladies, Mrs. Whatsit, Mrs. Who, and Mrs. Which, move into a supposedly haunted house. The three of them take Meg, her brother Charles Wallace, and her friend Calvin on a trip through space to rescue their father.
Although far from being L’Engle’s best book, A Wrinkle in Time is well worth reading. Older readers will pick up on the depth of the story, while younger readers will simply enjoy reading as the plot unfolds. I found that the characters weren’t as deep as in some of L’Engle’s other work, but that is to be expected, since this is one of her first books. Some parts of the story are just plain weird, and some are a little bit off theology-wise, but when taken with a grain of salt, A Wrinkle in Time shines through as a brilliant tale.
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 Jordan
Categories: Fiction, Older Readers, Review
Tags:Animals, Cats, Emily of New Moon, Funny, Good Read Aloud, L. M. Montgomery
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Picking up where Emily of New Moon left off, Emily Climbs continues the story of Emily and her ambitions to become a writer. As the book opens we find Emily despairing over the fact that her three best friends (Ilse, Teddy, and Perry) are all going away to Shrewsbury for school, but her aunt Elizabeth will not let her go. Things change, however, when Aunt Elizabeth decides that Emily may go to Shrewsbury, but only if she promises not to write any fiction for the three years she will be there. And so Emily resigns herself to writing only words which are “strictly true,” staying with her nasty aunt Ruth, and trying to get some of her poetry (which is “strictly true”) published.
Alright, one thing must be said before I go any further: Boys, take note. I am about to highly recommend what you may call a book for girls only. Emily Climbs most definitely does not fall into that category. Are we clear? Good. Now you may go on to the rest of the review.
Writers, I don’t know about you, but I found Emily Climbs quite inspiring. Beyond that, however, I found L. M. Montgomery’s style of “biographer” quite to my tastes. I love how she inserts notes from herself at points in the story where she feels that she must comment on Emily’s behavior. Oh, and Montgomery obviously understands cats, so cat lovers will get a kick out of Emily’s cat comments. Don’t think this book is all seriousness, either. Emily and her friends get into many hilarious scrapes, much to the delight of the reader. Overall, this is one to cherish, reread, and pass on to the next generation of bookworms.
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.
Posted by Ruth
Categories: Advanced Readers, Fiction, Historical Fiction, Review
Tags:Janette Oke, Pioneers
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Starting a journey West with the man she loves, Marty’s dream is shattered, just like that. Her husband is killed and she is left with practically nothing. Expecting a child and nowhere to turn, her only choice is to accept a proposal from Clark Davis, a man she does not know. Their marriage is for convenience only — his wife died, leaving him with a young girl who needs a mother, and Marty needs shelter and protection for the coming months. This first book in the series follows Marty through her initial hatred of her circumstances to her acceptance of her surroundings and Clark… Maybe even love.
I’d heard of Janette Oke’s books on several occasions and finally decided to give one a try. I read Love Comes Softly in a single afternoon and enjoyed it quite a bit. The story moves along swiftly, without feeling rushed. The scenes are simply written, but have deep meaning. There are eight books total in this series, continuing the story of Marty and the following generations. I have linked to a complete boxed set.
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