Entries Categorized as 'Review'

Five o’clock Charlie

Our rating: ****

Charlie is an old workhorse. His owner, Mr. Spinks, thinks he is too old to work, so he retires him and gives him a field that only grows chickweed and thistles. Charlie misses his working days. He misses especially the times when Birdie, the cook at the Boar Head Inn, rang the bell, telling that the apple tarts were ready, and the people would come to eat them, including Mr. Spinks. So, one day…

A cute book. Though a pretty quick read, it’s still a good book! I like it.

DragonSpell

Our rating: *****

A dragon meech egg is held captive with an urgent need for rescue. Held within the very center of the evil Risto’s stronghold, this will be no easy task. Lord Paladin, for reasons seemingly unknown, selects Kale, a former slave girl, to undertake the mission. Unused to adventure of any sort, she is joined by Dar and Leetu who promise to guide her along the way. But when something goes wrong, the quest complicates by the moment.

This has to be one of the best fantasy books I have ever read! I enjoyed every minute reading this book and I couldn’t put it down. The baby dragons are adorable in their own special way, and Dar is quite a character. Definitely a five star and a must-read! I’m looking forward to reading Donita K. Paul’s next book: DragonQuest.

Peter Pan

Our rating: ***

Wendy, John and Michael, three children living in London, are enticed to the Neverland one night by the rather conceited Peter Pan. Upon arriving in the Neverland, they are spotted by pirates, who fire a cannon at them. No one is hurt, but they are separated. Wendy is led to the home of the Lost Boys by the jealous Tinkerbell, with very disastrous results. Later, Wendy becomes the pretend mother of the Lost Boys. During a story that Wendy tells, Peter Pan reveals a secret. What he says convinces Wendy that she must take her siblings home. Unfortunately, the pirates have a different plan.

This book was a little confusing to me sometimes. There is at least one sentence that made no sense until I had read almost to the end of the chapter. The writing style is different from what I normally see. J. M. Barrie wrote as if he was telling the story out loud to someone. This book also started out as a play, that may account for the writing style. A few more things. Almost everybody knows of the Disney version of Peter Pan. It is a lot different from the book. They basically made up their own story and kept the character names. I have heard that there is another Peter Pan movie that is closer to the book. But I haven’t seen it and so I can’t compare it here. This book is enjoyable, though not a must-read.

Pollyanna

Our rating: *****

Miss Polly Harrington receives a letter from Jerimiah O. White saying that her brother-in-law, Reverend John Whittier, died two weeks ago and would she take his only child, Pollyanna? Miss Polly feels that it is her duty, so she consents. Pollyanna arrives with the “glad-game” and after she is run over by a automobile and the doctors say she can never use her legs again, nearly the whole town starts playing the glad-game.

A good book! It has very well portrayed characters. I like it very much.

Five Children and It

Our rating: ***½

Cyril, Anthea, Jane, and Robert are all looking forward to vacationing in the country with their family, but no sooner do they arrive but they find a sand fairy, or Psammead, as he calls himself, who consents to give them a wish every day. Adventures follow, of course, and the children begin to discover that not all their wishes are what they anticipated.

Told in the usual, British, E. Nesbit style, I pull this book out now and then to enjoy. Most of the chapters cover a new wish every day, so there is a lot of variety, even if there isn’t really a driving, overall story.

You can also buy Five Children and It from Amazon in the United Kingdom and Canada.