Entries Categorized as 'Fiction'
Posted by Jordan
Categories: All Ages, Fiction, Older Readers, Review
Tags:Animals, Bears, Cats, Dogs, Donkeys, Elephants, Frogs, Funny, Good Read Aloud, Mark Twain, Out of Print
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This book is collection of several short stories by Mark Twain. The highlights include the title story, about a man who bets on a frog jumping race; and The Bad Little Boy, a cynical tale of a boy who is very bad, and yet has the best of luck.
If you like your humor a bit on the cynical side (I do), this one is for you. Otherwise, you’ll probably dislike these five stories. The link to Amazon is a different book, with several more stories in it. I don’t know what they are, but it was the only one I could find.
Posted by Jordan
Categories: Adventure, Fantasy, Fiction, Older Readers, Review
Tags:Animals, Cats, Christopher Paolini, Dragons, Inheritance Trilogy, Long Read, Scary, Seafaring
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Spoiler alert! In order to review this book, I have to give away the ending of Eragon, the previous book in the series. If you haven’t read Eragon, I recommend that you move on to the next review.
Three days after the Varden’s battle with the Urgals, a small fight leaves the Varden leaderless. Ajihad’s daughter is chosen as the new leader, and Eragon leaves to continue his training with the Elves as a Dragon Rider. However, killing the Shade Durza has left Eragon with a wound that leaves him crippled, and he despairs of ever being strong enough to fight the evil king Galbatorix.
Meanwhile, Eragon’s cousin Roran is in a desperate battle against the Ra’zac for his village of Carvahall. Together with his friends, he must convince the village to do whatever it takes to stop the evil of Galbatorix.
First of all, let me say that I enjoyed reading Eldest. That being said, I must say that for being almost 200 pages longer than the previous volume, Eldest certainly takes a long time to tell a simple story. Eragon’s training reminded me of Luke’s in Star Wars Episode V, but it had some good parts. I found myself wishing that Roran get out of the story so I could get back to Eragon’s more exciting life, but he ended up having a reason to exist at the end, so I can forgive him. Also, I have to say that I didn’t agree with a lot of the different religions, although Paolini says they are mythology. On the plus side, the second book in the Inheritance trilogy has more action than the first one. All in all, this one is worth reading, it’s just a little slow.
Posted by Sarah
Categories: Fiction, Review, Younger Readers
Tags:Animals, Award Winner, E. B. White, Good Read Aloud, Insects, Pigs, Rats, Sad
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One morning Fern Arable, an eight year-old girl, learned her father was about to kill the runt of the new pig litter. She rushed to stop him and finally Mr. Arable agreed not to harm the pig. Mr. Arable gave the pig to Fern, and she eventually named him Wilbur. However, after a few weeks of happiness together, Mr. Arable told Fern that the pig would have to be sold. Wilbur was getting bigger, along with his appetite, and Mr. Arable wasn’t willing to feed the pig any longer. So Fern sorrowfully sold Wilbur to her Uncle Zuckerman’s farm nearby, where she could go and visit him. However, even with all Fern’s visits, Wilbur became lonely. But a spider named Charlotte was ready to be his friend and would also try to save him from being killed and made into bacon and ham.
A great book. For those who don’t like spiders, this book might help them feel a little more affectionate to the eight-legged insects. Maybe. No guarantees. And all readers should be prepared for a sad and perhaps unexpected part at the end. However, Templeton the rat is rather funny sometimes, and I really like the ending of this book.
Posted by Becca
Categories: All Ages, Fiction, Review
Tags:Animals, Good Read Aloud, Horses, The Black Stallion, Walter Farley
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Alec Ramsey is returning from a visit with his Uncle Ralph when his ship stops at an Arabian port and a giant black stallion is put on board. Alec makes friends with the horse, whom he names “The Black.” Later, The Black saves Alec’s life (rather unwittingly) by pulling him to an island. After quite a long time, Alec and The Black are rescued and make it back to Flushing, Alec’s home. Alec finds lodging for his stallion at a neighbor’s barn. Henry Dailey, the owner of the barn, sees The Black’s potential as a race horse. And so Alec and Henry try to find a way to get The Black onto a racetrack with two of the greatest racing stars at the time…
An interesting book. The ending is rather predictable, but is still enjoyable. I find that The Black Stallion is one of the better books in the The Black Stallion series. I especially enjoy Tony, the Italian huckster.
Posted by Rebekah
Categories: Adventure, Fiction, Older Readers, Review
Tags:Animals, Dogs, Moose, Scott O’Dell, Sports
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Bright Dawn is an Eskimo girl whose father, Bartok, is a seal hunter. When Bartok narrowly escapes death by a hunting accident, losing four fingers in the process, some men approach him to run in the Iditarod dogsled race. He refuses, but says that Bright Dawn will do it. After some vigorous training, Bright Dawn and her team of dogs, including Black Star, who is mostly wolf, set out on the biggest adventure of their lives.
It’s interesting to get this first-hand look at what it’s like to drive a dogsled. I don’t think I could do it. There are some Eskimo superstitions in here. But it’s not your ordinary girl/dog hero story. The way the race ends is unexpected.
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