Posted by Jordan
Categories: All Ages, Fiction, Review
Tags:E. Nesbit, Funny, Good Read Aloud, treasure hunting
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The six Bastable children have realized that their father is out of money, and because of this he has no time to spend with them anymore. So they decide to restore their family fortunes by finding treasure. They all sit down in the nursery and brainstorm ideas. Then they start trying them, one by one. Some ideas are reasonable, like going into business. Others a bit more far fetched, such as becoming highwaymen (but not robbing anybody nice).
E. Nesbit wrote this book before any of her other children’s stories. She had just finished writing breezy stories that magazines would print, and the haphazard style lingers here. The Story of the Treasure Seekers is quite enjoyable, but the writing style could turn off some people. However, fans of Nesbit will pick up on her subtle humor, which is absolutely hilarious in this one. I nearly died laughing quite a few times as the Bastables stumbled their way through money-making schemes.
Posted by Sarah
Categories: Fiction, Incredibook!, Picture Books, Review, Younger Readers
Tags:Animals, Birds, Cats, Dogs, Easy Read, Good Read Aloud, P. D. Eastman, Quick Read
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When a mother bird leaves her egg to look for some food, the baby bird hatches and goes on a search to find his mother, even though he doesn’t know what she looks like. He meets a kitten, then a hen, a dog, a cow, a car, a boat, an airplane, and a big thing. But where is his mother?
This book is fun to read aloud but is also good for beginning readers. A five-star picture book.
Posted by Jordan
Categories: Fiction, Older Readers, Review
Tags:Good Read Aloud, Natalie Babbitt
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Once, eighty-seven years ago, the Tuck family stopped to drink from a spring in the woods. Then they discovered that this spring granted them eternal life, so they have lived unchanging for eighty-seven years. But then, young Winnie Foster sees Jesse Tuck drinking from the spring. The Tucks believe it would be a disaster for the world to know about the spring, and so they are forced to kidnap Winnie and tell her the whole story. And then a man shows up, searching for the Tucks to learn their secret of eternal life.
Would it really be a great thing to live forever in this world, unchanged and unchanging? Tuck Everlasting may change your mind if you think so. This is my favorite of Natalie Babbitt’s books. All of the characters feel very real, and the question that the story revolves around is worth exploring. Every character thinks differently about the spring, some thinking that it’s a gift, others feeling that they have been cursed by the waters. Not to be missed.
Posted by Ruth
Categories: All Ages, Fiction, Review
Tags:Arthur Ransome, Good Read Aloud, Seafaring, Swallows and Amazons
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When the Walker children, John, Susan, Titty, and Roger, receive permission to explore and camp for a full week on the island nearby where they’re vacationing, they are positively delighted. They set out in the sailboat, the Swallow, and the adventures begin. A few days after their arrival, they meet Nancy and Peggy Blackett, who are crusading as fearsome Amazon pirates. A friendship is struck up immediately and an offense-or-defense treaty is signed, so that they can war together or against each other as desired. But their one common cause is against Captain Flint (or rather, Nancy and Peggy’s Uncle Jim), living on a houseboat, whose terrible crime is a refusal to join in their fun this summer.
I really had a lot of fun reading this one. I’d never heard of it before until just a month or two ago, but even though it’s considered Juvenile Fiction, I’m convinced that readers of any age would enjoy Swallows and Amazons. After all, who hasn’t dreamed as a child of having adventures on a remote island? Being centered so much around boats, there is a lot of boat-related jargon that I found difficult to pick up on at first, but by the time I’d made it halfway through the book I was able to follow along without a problem.
Posted by Ruth
Categories: Fiction, Older Readers, Review
Tags:Funny, Good Read Aloud, L. M. Montgomery
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Even Aunt Elizabeth has to admit that Emily has grown up. And despite discouragements and setbacks, Emily continues to pursue her dream as a writer. But more importantly, although she knows she loves Teddy, he seems to have forgotten her. And when he leaves to go far away to art school, she doesn’t know what to do. She tries to forget him, but all the while she can’t help but listen for the whistled three notes in Lofty John’s bush—their special signal since childhood.
A wonderful conclusion to the Emily series. A lot more happens in the book than I’ve brought up in my summary, a lot of it humorous, and all of it beautifully and simply written. L. M. Montgomery’s Anne of Green Gables series may be the most well-known, but this little trilogy should not be missed.
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