Entries Categorized as 'Younger Readers'

Otto in Africa

Our rating: ***

Otto the giant otterhound lives with his master in France. One day Duke, the owner of Otto, decides that Otto is too big to live in France and takes him to Africa. At a fort in Africa, Duke and Otto learn that Abou the Fierce and his bandits are planning an attack on the fort. Duke offers to fight them with only Otto to help.

The ending of Otto in Africa is rather funny. It is well worth your time to read this book. Otto is unfortunately out of print.

The Black Stallion and Satan

Our rating: ***

Abu Ishak has died, leaving Alec the Black. At the same time, Alec and Henry have entered Satan in a big race in which the top horses from around the world are going to compete. Then they discover that Abu Ishak had entered the Black in the same race. Taking the chance that they can overcome the Black’s viciousness towards other horses, Alec and Henry decided to take both the Black and Satan to the racetrack. But one of the entries is diagnosed with an incurable and highly contagious disease. All of the horses entered in the race are placed in quarantine. Then dangerous forest fires start ravaging the area…

This book is a pretty good read. It gets rather exciting near the end, though that’s not to say that the rest is boring. Also (can you believe it?) Walter Farley actually tells whether or not the Black is faster than Satan. This is the fourth book in the Black Stallion series.

Henner’s Lydia

Our rating: ***

Lydia, a girl in an Amish family, wants to go to Lancaster with her father like her older brother and sister. She can go as soon as her hooked rug is finished, but after a certain disaster I won’t mention so it isn’t spoiled, Lydia feels her chances are ruined for a long time.

This is a fairly short book with a fairly simple plot with fairly interesting speech. In regard to the latter, the Amish speak a mixture of German and English. I suppose this book might be hard to read aloud with their kind of talk, but I think it might make a good read aloud otherwise. Henner’s Lydia might be aimed for children younger than I am, but it’s alright. Not one of my favorites, though. If you’re looking for a simple, somewhat educational book to relax with, this book might be for you!

Why the Chicken Crossed the Road

Our rating: ****

A chicken crosses the road, beginning a hilarious chain reaction involving a burglar, an explosion, and stampeding cows.

Macaulay’s genius shines through brilliantly. The adults reading this book will enjoy it more than the children they are reading to. Make sure you look closely at the pictures for speech bubbles, goofy happenings, and the burglar hiding on most pages.

The Moon Singer

Our rating: ***½

Torr, a young boy, has been abandoned at a miller’s house because his mother can no longer care for him. The miller and his wife adopt the him readily, thinking that Torr will be useful around the mill later in his life. One night, however, the miller and his wife wake up to the sound of Torr singing outside. After being reprimanded for singing in the middle of the night, and maybe waking up the entire village, Torr goes out into the woods to sing. His fame as a singer spreads and he ends up at the queen’s palace. But he cannot sing in her presence, so he is sent back to the village. Torr is driven out of the village, too, and forced to wander.

This is a rather nice story, as Clyde Robert Bulla’s usually are. It’s a little longer than some picture books, but it’s still short. I enjoyed this story very much.