book reviews

Book Review: The Big Six

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The Big Six by Arthur Ransome
The Big Six (Swallows and Amazons, #9) 
by Arthur Ransome

5 out of 5 stars

Joe, Bill, and Pete are fixing up their boat, the Death and Glory, with bunks, cupboards, and a little stove, so that they can camp out on the river all winter long. When someone starts casting off boats in the middle of the night, it gets blamed on the boys, and they have to prove their innocence. With the help of Coot Club members, Tom, Dick, and Dorothea, they start their own detective agency to track down the real culprits.

As always, I adore this interesting story, full of nautical knowledge and adorable characters. The plot really keeps the mystery moving as each clue comes to light, and the desperation and anxiety of the characters keeps the tension high, even if some of the plot points are a little predictable. The story is not so much about the mystery, as it is about how the characters follow the mystery. Continue reading →

Book Review: Pinocchio

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The Adventures of Pinocchio by Carlo Collodi
The Adventures of Pinocchio 
by Carlo Collodi

1 out of 5 stars

This is NOT Disney’s Pinocchio. It’s all violence, disaster, cut-throat assassins, hangings, imprisonment, thieves, bullies, greed, murder, more violence, and one ungrateful little puppet. Pinocchio really is a heartless scoundrel. He steals and lies and cheats, and then cries “Woe is me!” when someone steals from him, or lies to him, or cheats him. Well, you got what you deserved, puppet! Continue reading →

Book Review: Gannon and Wyatt: Hawaii

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Travels with Gannon and Wyatt by Patti Wheeler
Travels with Gannon and Wyatt: Hawaii 
by Patti Wheeler, Keith Hemstreet (Goodreads Author)

5 out of 5 stars on GoodReads

Another fantastic adventure with twin brothers Gannon and Wyatt, this time in beautiful Hawaii. The twins rescue a drowning man, who urges them to hide a secret map for him. The map may contain clues to the ancient burial place of Hawaii’s King Kamehameha the Great, and Gannon and Wyatt set out on a treasure hunt to find it with the help of their guide, Alana. A mysterious archaeologist is also searching for King Kamehameha’s tomb, and is determined to take the map from the twins. Gannon and Wyatt survive a mountainous blizzard, explore a jungle, trek around lava flows, and delve deep into the culture and history of Hawaii. Continue reading →

Book Review: Alanna: The First Adventure

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Alanna by Tamora Pierce
Alanna: The First Adventure (Song of the Lioness, #1) 
by Tamora Pierce (Goodreads Author)

3.5 out of 5 stars

Alanna switches places with her twin brother, so that he can study magic with the priests and become a sorcerer, and Alanna can study to become a knight in the royal palace.  She pretends to be a boy, and joins the pages in the palace. She learns to fight and begins to control her magical abilities. But it’s difficult keeping her biggest secret, her true gender, from all the boys around her!

I really enjoyed this book, and I read it in one sitting! Couldn’t put it down. The writing style has a few flaws, but the memorable characters and fascinating plot make up for it. A few trite “fairy tale” sort of things pop up (King of Thieves, a horse named Moonlight, a sword named Lightning), but I like them anyway. Not exactly original sometimes, but the oldies are the goodies. Continue reading →

Graphic Novel Review: The Lost Path

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The Lost Path by Amélie Fléchais
The Lost Path 
by Amélie Fléchais

2 out of 5 stars

Three little boys follow a treasure hunt, misread their map, and get lost in the darkest part of the forest. They meet odd creatures, see strange sights, and try to avoid the dark powers of the forest. It’s pretty grim and violent at times. The plot lacks cohesion, and I had to read the ending twice to try to understand just what had happened.
The illustrations are sometimes lovely, sometimes bland. Some of the pages are in color, others are in black and white.
I was not impressed with the story. It jumped all over the place with no real explanations of what was actually happening or why.
I liked the whimsical characters at first, but quickly got bored with them as they repeated the same things again and again. Continue reading →

Book Review: Lorna Doone

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Lorna Doone by R.D. Blackmore
Lorna Doone 
by R.D. Blackmore

4 out of 5 stars on GoodReads

Young John Ridd is called home from school when his father is murdered by notorious highwaymen, the Doones. Although others cry out for revenge, young John focuses on working his mother’s farm, and growing up tall and strong, without bitterness in his heart.

While he is fishing one day, he comes across the lovely Lorna Doone, the innocent granddaughter of the leader of the Doone clan. The two children become secret friends, and as they grow up, their love blossoms. Lorna is promised in marriage to her violent cousin, Carver Doone, but John vows to rescue her from the clutches of the Doone family.  Continue reading →

Book Review: Strawberry Girl

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Strawberry Girl by Lois Lenski
Strawberry Girl 
by Lois Lenski

3 out of 5 stars on GoodReads

I liked this book about a family who moves to a new farm in Florida, during the pioneer days, determined to make the farm a success with a beautiful orchard and strawberry grove.
Birdie is excited to become a Strawberry Girl, but is worried that the disgruntled neighbors will make trouble for her family. When the neighbor’s pigs and cows trample over the new strawberry plants, Birdie’s father is outraged and vows to fence in his property to keep them out. This begins a feud between the two farmers, but the farmer’s children are eager to make friends. Only Birdie and her forgiving mother can make peace between the warring neighbors, and make both farms a success! Continue reading →

Graphic Novel Review: The Hound of the Baskervilles

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Dark Tales by Arthur Conan Doyle
Dark Tales: The Hound of the Baskervilles: A Graphic Novel 
by Arthur Conan Doyle

3 out of 5 stars on GoodReads

A good retelling of the Hound of the Baskervilles in comic book form! The artwork is dark and creepy, giving deep shadows to everything, and perfectly reflecting the mysterious nature of the story.
I thought that Holmes’ character is represented beautifully both through the artwork and the dialogue. His austere personality and furtive energy comes across strongly on every page! Continue reading →