Posted by Rebekah
Categories: Adventure, Fiction, Older Readers, Review
Tags:Animals, Jim Kjelgaard, Out of Print
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Pepe has tended his family’s twenty-four goats ever since a tigre killed his father. Now, after four years, the Tigre has struck again. The oldest man in the village, Uncle Ruiz, predicts more bad luck, and soon Pepe must decide who and what to believe. Sam Jackson, a visiting “Norteamarican” becomes friends with Pepe as they attempt the very dangerous task of killing the Tigre. But, unfortunately, Uncle Ruiz begins spreading the rumor that Sam is an evil spirit, and must leave. Can Sam and Pepe bag the Tigre before it’s too late?
This book makes quite an interesting read. The superstitions Uncle Ruiz has are very eye opening. Pepe has a friend goat, Brother Goat, who is always on the look out to knock someone over, but is really very gentle. I like how Pepe’s highest dreams are owning thirty-six or forty-eight goats, and, after the Tigre’s reappearance, a gun like the “Norteamaricanos” use.
Posted by Ruth
Categories: Adventure, All Ages, Fantasy, Fiction, Review
Tags:Animals, Cats, Edward Eager, Funny
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Jane, Mark, Katharine, and Martha are four ordinary children. They love reading books about magic, but can’t help wishing they could find some magic somehow. Then, when Jane finds an old, dropped coin on the sidewalk, everything changes. It’s a magic coin that grants wishes. Well, almost. It will grant half of your wish. This may sound simple to thwart, but it’s not as easy as it seems. After all, if you have a cat that can half talk, how many times do you have to wish it to not talk before it’s back to normal?
This is a very funny book. The children go from one adventure to another, in a style very similar to E. Nesbit. Most of their wishes result in a minor disaster of some sort or another, and they have to figure out how to get everything back to normal. In the end though, everything is nicely resolved. I definitely recommend Half Magic.
Posted by Rebekah
Categories: Adventure, All Ages, Fiction, Review
Tags:Animals, Fish, Jim Kjelgaard, Out of Print
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Ramsay Cartou, formerly from Chicago, is on his way north to take a job in a tannery. However, during his trip through Lake Michigan, the boat sinks during a storm. Ramsay makes it ashore and arrives at Three Points, ready and eager for the job at the tannery. Unfortunately, his potential boss turns out to be a man who Ramsay wouldn’t work for in a million years. Due to the man having most of Three Points under his thumb, Ramsay finds refuge with a farmer and eventually learns to be a fisherman.
I didn’t tell you half the story! There’s a lot more. The White Sturgeon is dreaded because it is commonly believed that his appearance heralds disaster. While Ramsay is learning to be a fisherman, someone begins destroying the local fishermen’s nets, so Ramsay and his fishing friend Hans have to catch the vandal before their livelihood is ruined.
Posted by Sarah
Categories: Adventure, All Ages, Fiction, Review
Tags:Animals, Horses, The Black Stallion, Walter Farley
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With Satan retired from racing, it looks as if Henry is out of a job. Or is he? Black Minx, the Black’s first daughter, is up for sale at auction and Henry buys her with the Kentucky Derby in mind. Though spoiled by her previous owners, Black Minx can be cured of her bad habits. But when she shows a lack of enthusiasm for racing, will she really be able to enter and win this classic race?
I haven’t read this book for a while, so it was fun to read it again. And, despite the fact that I’m not really a horse-lover, it kept me quite interested.
Posted by Rebekah
Categories: Adventure, All Ages, Fiction, Review
Tags:Animals, Dogs, Jim Kjelgaard, Out of Print
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When Bill Rawl’s uncle dies of a heart attack, Bill is left with a little money and a general store. Bill decides to leave college and work the store out of debt. With his new friend, Rifle Eye Smith, and a stray dog called Lamb Chops, Bill must learn fast and avoid his mysterious enemies.
This is, so far, my favorite Kjelgaard book. My review does not do it justice. There’s plenty of action, and the way Bill and Jan (the store’s employee) get along is great. Lamb Chops is hilarious!