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Book Review: The Thirteenth Princess

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The Thirteenth Princess by Diane Zahler
The Thirteenth Princess 
by Diane Zahler (Goodreads Author)

5 out of 5 stars on GoodReads

 

Zita is the thirteenth daughter of a king who only wanted sons, and when her mother dies during childbirth, the king banishes Zita to be raised as a servant in the castle. Zita steals little moments with her twelve sisters, but must sneak around the castle to keep it a secret, terrified of her father’s anger. When the twelve princesses fall ill and their shoes are worn through every morning, only Zita knows the secrets ways to sneak into their bedrooms and watch where they go at night. The princesses are trapped in an evil enchantment that forces them to dance until dawn, but Zita can’t find a prince who is willing to save them!

I loved this book from start to finish! Every chapter is wonderful! Continue reading →

Book Review: Searching for Dragons

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Searching for Dragons by Patricia C. Wrede
Searching for Dragons (Enchanted Forest Chronicles, #2) 
by Patricia C. Wrede, Peter de Sève (Illustrator)

5 out of 5 stars on GoodReads


King Mendanbar, Monarch of the Enchanted Forest, is having trouble with wizards burning up bits of his forest. He visits Kazul, the King of the Dragons, for some advice, but Kazul is missing, and Mendanbar teams up with Princess Cimorene to find Kazul and restore the Enchanted Forest.

I enjoyed this book even more reading it for the second time! I still wish that there were a little more romance between Mendanbar and Cimorene, but I do enjoy their friendship and the way they respect and rely on one another through all the sticky magical situations they find themselves in.

There are so many delightful characters in this book! Even the side characters shine with originality and wit.
The basic plot is rather straightforward, but there are so many misdirects and twisty roads for the characters to get delayed and misguided and thrown off course, that it feels like a complex plot.

Book Review: Nurse Matilda

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Nurse Matilda by Christianna Brand
Nurse Matilda 
by Christianna Brand, Edward Ardizzone (Illustrator)
4 out of 5 stars on GoodReads


The Brown children are the most ill-behaved, mischievous, naughty little children in all the world, and the only nanny who can possibly control them or teach them any manners is Nurse Matilda. With her magical walking stick, Nurse Matilda teaches important lessons like going to bed when you’re told, not chomping your food, closing doors after yourself, and putting on your best clothes when you’re told. Only the insane magical situations the children find themselves in could possibly teach them to say please and thank you!

I started rereading this one as a way to de-stress and help me fall asleep at night, but then I got so interested in the story that I stayed up late reading it!

Continue reading →

Book Review: On the Far Side of the Mountain

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On the Far Side of the Mountain by Jean Craighead George
On the Far Side of the Mountain (Mountain, #2) 
by Jean Craighead George

4 out of 5 stars on GoodReads

Sam and his sister Alice are living alone on the mountain, away from the turmoil of civilization. They hike and fish and forage for forest berries and roots, and of course Sam has his falcon, Frightful, to do the hunting. But their peaceful life is thrown into chaos when Frightful is confiscated by government conservation authorities, and Alice disappears into the forest with her pet pig. Sam, heartbroken over the loss of his bird, must lay aside his grief in order to track down his little sister through the treacherous Catskill Mountains.

I loved reading about how Sam and Alice build a plumping mill to make acorn flour, and how they built a dam by watching the beavers. All the little details of their forest life are so interesting and well-described! Continue reading →

Book Review: Granny’s Wonderful Chair

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Granny's Wonderful Chair by Frances Browne
Granny’s Wonderful Chair 
by Frances Browne

5 out of 5 stars on GoodReads


This is one of my favorite books from when I was a young girl. Fairy tales at their best!

Young Snowflower’s grandmother leaves her alone in the cottage with only an enchanted chair for company. The chair tells wonderful stories and takes Snowflower on a journey to the court of King Winwealth. Each evening Snowflower is called to the court after their feasting, and she asks her magical chair to tell the company a story. The King rewards Snowflower for each story that is told.

In each chapter a different fairytale story is told, and although they follow the classic fairytale structure, they are not common or well-known. Each one is a delight to read!

Book Review: Hand Made

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Hand Made by Melissa K Norris
Hand Made: The Modern Woman’s Guide to Made-from-Scratch Living 
by Melissa K Norris
4 out of 5 stars on GoodReads


After reading this book about baking, cooking, growing herbs, creating hand-made soaps or candles, and decorating and organizing your home, I want to try it all! I want to cook every recipe, and start an herb garden, and make little gifts for all my friends! I want to organize my kitchen, and plan for holiday decorating, and fill my house with the yummy smells of baking. Continue reading →

Book Review: Kid Authors

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Kid Authors by David Stabler
Kid Authors: True Tales of Childhood from Great Writers 
by David Stabler (Goodreads Author), Doogie Horner (Illustrations)

5 out of 5 stars on GoodReads

This collection of short biographies of famous authors focuses on each author as a child, and what childhood experiences and situations led that person to become a writer.
Including interesting biographies about authors such as Lucy Maud Montgomery, Laura Ingalls Wilder, J.R.R. Tolkien, Jules Verne, Mark Twain, Roald Dahl, J.K. Rowling, Sherman Alexie, and Stan Lee; this book covers authors from a wide variety of backgrounds and time periods for an eclectic look at what inspires readers to become writers.
Continue reading →

Book Review: Miss Bianca in the Antarctic

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Miss Bianca in the Antarctic by Margery Sharp
Miss Bianca in the Antarctic 
by Margery Sharp

3 out of 5 stars on GoodReads

Miss Bianca, Bernard, and Nils are together again, determined to rescue their Norwegian poet friend, who is once again a prisoner, this time in the frozen wastelands of the Antarctic. They encounter some friendly penguins, some not-so-friendly polar bears (who are visiting through an exchange program), and one egotistical Emperor penguin who threatens to keep everyone prisoner for eternity.

This book is not my favorite in the series. It lacked imagination, although there are a few clever little characters. Mostly the story lacked any structure or suspense. I was disappointed that the poet is rescued almost immediately, and then Miss Bianca and Bernard spend the rest of the time just meeting various arctic animals. I was also disappointed that Nils is only present in a couple of chapters at the beginning. I wanted to see Nils working with the team again!
Still a fun little book in the series and worth the read, but not the best.

Book Review: Dealing with Dragons

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Dealing with Dragons by Patricia C. Wrede
Dealing with Dragons (Enchanted Forest Chronicles, #1) 
by Patricia C. Wrede, Peter de Sève (Illustrator)

5 out of 5 stars on GoodReads

Princess Cimorene, who hates the endless embroidery lessons and dancing lessons at court, decides to run away and ends up being the “captive princess” of the Dragon Kazul. Studying Latin, cooking anything she likes, and concocting magic spells are exactly what Cimorene loves, and she has the time of her life with Kazul. If only those pesky knights and princes would stop hanging around trying to rescue her! When a group of sneaky wizards start spying in the dragon’s caves, only Cimorene has the wits and courage to stop them. Continue reading →