Entries Categorized as 'Review'
Posted by Becca
Categories: Fiction, Review, Younger Readers
Tags:Astrid Lindgren, Good Read Aloud, Orphans, Out of Print, Quick Read, Sweden, Tramps
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Our rating: 
Rasmus is tired of living at the orphanage. Everybody who comes to adopt an orphan always picks a girl with curly hair. Nobody wants a boy with straight hair. One day, Rasmus decides to take matters into his own hands and sets out to find a family who wants him. The very next morning, Rasmus meets up with a tramp named Oscar who seems very friendly. Oscar says that he will help Rasmus find a home, but the two new friends run into trouble when Oscar is suspected for a crime he did not commit.
Probably the biggest thing I didn’t like about this book was Oscar’s disrespect for policemen because he is tired of them assuming that “tramp” equals “badguy.” That’s all well and good, but Oscar doesn’t even try to be nice to the policemen, which would help to clear the “tramps are bad” mindset. Another interesting item to note is that, unlike other books by Lindgren, Rasmus and the Vagabond is not a humorous story. The ending is somewhat predictable, but this is still a good quick read for days when you don’t have time for a long story.
Posted by Jordan
Categories: All Ages, Non Fiction, Review
Tags:C. S. Lewis, Funny, letters, Quick Read
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Here on Incredibooks, we generally review fiction, rate the books we’re reviewing, and give summaries. In a first for me, I’m doing none of those. I felt that this one deserved a review, even if it doesn’t fit into our self-proclaimed rules.
This book is a delightful collection of letters that C. S. Lewis wrote to children. It starts with one of his early letters to his goddaughter and ends with a letter he wrote the day before he died. Rounding out the book is a short biography of Lewis’ childhood, an introduction by Douglas Gresham, and a child’s bibliography of C. S. Lewis.
Full of insights into the Narnia series that you may have wondered about, answered from Lewis’ own pen. And other little tidbits C. S. Lewis tells us about himself are fun as well, giving a feel of the time period and his thoughts on the events of the day. As a bonus, for you aspiring writers out there, many of the letters include some tips. A must-read for all Lewis fans.
Posted by Sarah
Categories: Fiction, Picture Books, Review, Younger Readers
Tags:Animals, Easy Read, P. D. Eastman, Quick Read
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One day, a boy finds an egg lying in the path. He sees a nest nearby and decides to put the egg into it. Later, Mr. and Mrs. Bird are quite surprised when they come back to find a very large egg in their nest. Nevertheless, they take care of the egg until it hatches into… Well, you’ll find out.
A humorous tale, accompanied by P. D. Eastman’s excellent illustrations. I found it rather difficult to read aloud, as the sentences tend to be very short, but it would probably be enjoyable for a beginning reader. Overall, a fun book, but I think I like The Best Nest better.
Posted by Becca
Categories: All Ages, Fiction, Review
Tags:Award Winner, Good Read Aloud, New York City, Ruth Sawyer
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Lucinda Wyman’s parents are going to Italy for health reasons, leaving ten-year-old Lucinda with two spinsters for a whole year. Lucinda is excited about her “year of orphanage” because she will be allowed to roam the streets of New York City without being tied to a French governess. Her freedom allows her to make many friends, from the poor family in the upstairs apartment to the Italian street vendor.
Roller Skates is wonderful in that Lucinda is given so much freedom to explore and make friends, within bounds of reason, allowing her to come out of the shell imposed on her by her high-class, snooty, and somewhat uncaring family. There is one loose end that is upsetting to Lucinda and to the reader that is never tied up in the end, but most of the story is a good read with no lack of the subtle emotions of a young girl whose feelings have been hidden for so long.
Posted by Jordan
Categories: Adventure, Fantasy, Fiction, Older Readers, Review
Tags:Animals, Dragons, Sad, Scott Appleton, The Sword of the Dragon
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Our rating: 
Six sisters, human daughters of a dragon, are given a sword each from a six-warrior band that turned traitor a thousand years ago. Their task? Find one of the traitors who is still around and bring him to justice. After that, a future involving a difficult choice, especially for Dantress, the youngest and most powerful of the sisters.
It’s unfortunate that I couldn’t delve further into the depth of story here without dropping major spoilers. There’s a lot of backstory and plot going on, and the ending theme is certainly worth the read. The author states in a note at the beginning that this, his first novel, is a prequel to a much larger story to come. That may be the reason why this particular facet of the story came across as somewhat disjointed to me. Several events left me asking, “Why did that happen?” and some parts of the story felt almost random. Here’s hoping that book two will answer many of the remaining questions. I’m looking forward to reading it!
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