Posted by Jordan
Categories: All Ages, Fiction, Review
Tags:Animals, Astrid Lindgren, Funny, Good Read Aloud, Horses, Monkeys, Pippi Longstocking, Quick Read
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Pippi Longstocking lives all alone in Villa Villekulla in a little village in Sweden. When the neighbor children, Tommy and Annika, come over to play, they discover that Pippi is no ordinary little girl. Pippi has a different, crazy way of doing many common things, making every chapter a laughter-filled delight as Pippi becomes a thing-finder, goes to school, and has other adventures.
I really can’t say much about Pippi Longstocking that hasn’t been said. The book, originally written in Swedish, has been around for longer than I have and is a favorite of children everywhere. This book serves as an introduction to the mischievous, big-hearted Pippi, paving the way for the, in my opinion, better sequels. But the first volume is still fun and worth reading.
Posted by Rebekah
Categories: All Ages, Fiction, Incredibook!, Review
Tags:Animals, Frances Hodgson Burnett, Good Read Aloud, Horses
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To all appearance Cedric Errol is just another young American boy. He lives with his widowed mother in their tiny house and has a great many friends. Mr. Hobbs, the grocer; Dick, the boot-black; and Mary, the maid, all think the world of him. Imagine their surprise when it is discovered that little Ceddie is the only living descendant of the English Earl of Dorincourt. Cedric and his mother are packed off to England to live with Cedric’s grandfather the Earl. But only Cedric is to live with him. The Earl has never forgiven his son for marrying an American, and now he refuses to even meet Cedric’s mother. Can young Cedric win the heart of this grumpy, hating old man and use his sudden good fortune wisely? With his mother’s careful guidance, and his own stout courage, Cedric not only succeeds, but completely conquers.
A charming story. I love that so much fun and good reading can come out of a little paperback bought from one of those used book email loops. To me, that’s one of the measures of a good book. If you can forget that the paper and ink isn’t in the best of shape and enjoy the story, it’s a great story. But I digress. This is a very nice, easy to read story. The characters are memorable, the story sweet, and a good dash of stately comedy is thrown in there for good measure. If you fall asleep during anything but action, skip this book. Unless you’re up for a little stretch, of course. It’s so gentle and enjoyable, I find it well worth reading.
Posted by Becca
Categories: Non Fiction, Review, Younger Readers
Tags:American Cocker Spaniels, Animals, Dogs, Good Read Aloud, Jean Fritz, Out of Print, Tom Clute
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From the beginning, Prince Tom stood out from other dogs. He was a runt and the only blond puppy in a litter of black cocker spaniels. Thanks to his happy-go-lucky personality, Prince Tom was picked out as the perfect birthday gift for Tom Clute. From then on, Prince showed what he could do in the manner of tricks, obedience trials, and field trials.
Champion Dog Prince Tom is a must-read for dog lovers. It is the true story of a small cocker spaniel that set record after record, including the honor of being the first American cocker to win the national field trials and the only one to do so while holding obedience titles. The simple style of the book is perfect for younger readers, though older readers may still enjoy the story.
Posted by Sarah
Categories: All Ages, Fiction, Review
Tags:Arthur Ransome, Good Read Aloud, Seafaring, Swallows and Amazons
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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: All Ages, Fiction, Mysteries, Review
Tags:Animals, Cats, dictator, Dogs, Freddy the Pig, Funny, Good Read Aloud, Horses, Poetry, politics, Walter R. Brooks
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When a young rabbit talks back to Mr. Bean, Freddy and Jinx know something’s up. When they follow the clues to a rebellious meeting of animals bent on taking over New York, they realize something is terribly wrong. But Freddy is unable to do anything right away, since his old friend Mr. Camphor needs help getting out of a nomination for governor. Then when he gets back, Jinx has turned traitor! Freddy has his hands full as the revolution begins…
Freddy and Simon the Dictator could possibly be one of the funniest Freddy books ever written! In this day and age, the political satire is welcome and hilarious. As the comedy continues, the story warps into perhaps the most sinister plot Walter Brooks ever wrote for Freddy, but the light-hearted humor is still around. As is always the case with these books, the person reading aloud will have more fun than the child being read to.
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