Entries Categorized as 'Review'
Posted by Sarah
Categories: All Ages, Fiction, Review
Tags:Arthur Ransome, Good Read Aloud, Seafaring, Swallows and Amazons
Add a comment »
Our rating: 
John, Susan, Titty, and Roger return to the lake with high hopes. But everything seems to go wrong. Nancy and Peggy have a very prim and proper great-aunt with them, so they can hardly get out to play. Then the Swallow wrecks and must be sent off to Rio to be fixed. However, the explorers find a hidden little valley and decide to move in.
I didn’t like this book as much as the first one. There isn’t as much boating what with the Swallow wrecked, and it isn’t quite the same without Nancy and Peggy there all the time. Also, Titty performs some kind of magic to make the great-aunt go away, which I didn’t think needed to be in there. But setting these things aside, it can still be an enjoyable read. I just didn’t like it as much as the first one, Swallows and Amazons.
Posted by Jordan
Categories: Adventure, Fantasy, Fiction, Mysteries, Older Readers, Review
Tags:city, Cornelia Funke, detective, Venice
Add a comment »
Our rating:
Prosper and Bo are orphans. Their aunt Esther wants to adopt Bo, but not Prosper, so the boys run away to Venice to escape being separated. There they join a gang of other orphaned children, led by a boy who calls himself The Thief Lord. Things get interesting when a strange man commissions the kids to steal a wooden wing for him, and Esther hires a detective to track down her nephews.
At first glance this story is quite simplistic. But wait until you get about a hundred pages in, and you have a very complex book in your hands. Nothing is really as it seems here. Unfortunately, near the end the story takes a completely unexpected turn toward fantasy, which while interesting and clever, is also confusing without any foreshadowing. Other than that, though, The Thief Lord is worth reading.
Posted by Becca
Categories: Historical Fiction, Older Readers, Review
Tags:Award Winner, Christopher Collier, James Lincoln Collier, Revolutionary War, Sad
Add a comment »
Our rating:
Tim Meeker lives in a small town with his parents and his only sibling, Sam. The town is sympathetic to the Tories, so Mr. Meeker is astonished to hear that Sam is going to fight on the American side in the coming war for independence from Britain. Once Sam leaves, Tim has to take on more responsibility. Not only does he have to do Sam’s chores at the family tavern, but he also needs to choose which side he will support in the Revolutionary War. Should he side with Sam, or should he side with the rest of the town?
This story, told through Tim’s eyes, is a good account of what the ordinary civilian would experience during the Revolution. I marked it for older readers because, although it doesn’t take place on the front lines of battle, there are some unpleasant details. Altogether, My Brother Sam is Dead is an enjoyable and thought-provoking read.
Posted by Ruth
Categories: Advanced Readers, Fiction, Review
Tags:Jane Austen, Long Read
1 Comment »
Our rating:
The arrival of an unmarried young gentleman by the name of Mr. Bingley is a matter of great interest to everyone in the small town. Mrs. Bennett in particular is hoping he will take notice of one of her five daughters and sets about ensuring several meetings at dinners and the local balls, etc. Elizabeth Bennett, the second-oldest, finds it of little consequence—but she does take an immediate disliking to Bingley’s friend Mr. Darcy, who seems undoubtedly proud and conceited. However, as the months go by and many, many scenarios unfold, she begins to see his true character. But surely her change of opinion is too late now?
Perhaps not everyone can enjoy Jane Austen’s writings, but I personally find them to be delightful reads of an “every now and then” sort. While not fast-moving, they keep me interested throughout the entirety—and surprising plot twists are not uncommon. Pride and Prejudice must certainly be Austen’s most famous novel (so if you haven’t read it, give it a try); however, I have enjoyed some of her others like Mansfield Park and Persuasion equally well.
content rss
