Entries Categorized as 'Non Fiction'

The Story of Helen Keller

Our rating: *****

Since two years old, Helen Keller had been blind and deaf. She could not speak, either. Her mother and father have tried several places, but it seems impossible that she will ever be let out of her unhearing, unseeing, and unspeaking world. Finally, Perkins Institution for the Blind sent a young woman — Miss Anne Sullivan. Will Miss Sullivan be able to help Helen? With discipline, love, trials, and break-throughs, this is the story of Helen Keller.

I like this book a lot. There are a few parts that may be startling or sad to some of you, but I don’t think I had much trouble at all the second time through. I’m not sure if I was upset or sad at those parts the first time I read it, because that was a long time ago. Helen Keller wrote an autobiography called The Story of My Life. I haven’t read it, but I think we own it. Well, The Story of Helen Keller is a great book! The summary may not sound very interesting, but please read this book! Lorena A. Hickok does a good job. Tired of me talking about how good this book is? Then please read it!

Ring of Bright Water

Our rating: ****½

Gavin Maxwell lives all by himself in an isolated area of Scotland called Camusfearna, with no other human beings within forty miles. After Jonnie, his dog, dies, he begins wondering what it would be like to have an otter as a pet. He travels to the marshes of Southern Iraq and, with the help of a few natives, secures a wild otter of unknown species. This otter is Mijbal (Mij for short), and the resulting adventures are hilarious!

I must warn you first: You may find the first few chapters extremely boring!!! But please keep reading! It’s well worth it. I recommend this book to anyone who loves animals and nature. MGM made it into a movie in 1969. I haven’t seen it, but from what I’ve read about it, it’s not like the book at all.

Lincoln: A Photobiography

Our rating: *****

Abraham Lincoln lived in a log cabin during the 1700’s. He was poor and in debt for a long period of time. But Lincoln was determined to fulfill his dreams. Overcoming ridicule and poverty, Lincoln made his way to being the president of the United States.

This is a great book for history lovers. Russell Freedman does a great job of telling Lincoln’s story without adding anything of his own. On almost every page, there are actual pictures of Lincoln’s life. If you like history, read this book! (By the way, I marked this book as All Ages. It’s not really. But it isn’t Older Readers or Younger Readers either. I would say this book is suitable and enjoyable for ages eleven and up.)

George Washington’s World

Our rating: *****

This is a great book! It’s extremely hard to write a review for, so I’m just going to give you the highlights. It’s especially good for history. Listen to me on this, it makes reading about history fun! Yes, you heard that right! (Crowd gasps then applauds.) It doesn’t just follow George Washington; it follows famous people around the world at the same time. Including Catherine the Great of Russia, Voltaire, Daniel Boone, and Benjamin Franklin, to name just a few. Bet you didn’t know that Pompeii was discovered, Bach died, James Cook ran away to sea, the first air travel tests were being attempted, and Mozart was born during George Washington’s time! This is a really interesting book. I will give you a brief warning: Genevieve Foster treats all religions as equal and it shows up a little bit in her books. However, her books are really good. For you Charlotte Mason style home-schoolers out there, this is a very living book.

Meet George Washington

Our rating: ***

Read the story of America’s first president in this short book about George Washington. Also included are some of the legendary stories. (Anybody remember the cherry tree?)

This is more for younger readers. The print is large, and it’s easy to read. Not a bad history, but you really need something a little more in depth if you want to know the whole story.