children’s books
Recent Reads: Children’s Classics
Book Review: Jorie and the Magic Stones
Jorie and the Magic Stones
by A.H. Richardson (Goodreads Author)
by A.H. Richardson (Goodreads Author)
2 out of 5 stars
Jorie comes to live with her maiden aunt in a house by the Tarn, a deep lake with a magical past. She finds out that she is a Chosen One, who can pass through the Tarn to the magical world beneath, where dragons and goblins roam free. With her friend Rufus, Jorie sets out on a quest to recover the three missing magic stones that will bring peace to the land, but an evil enemy is also looking for the stones, and betrayal haunts every step of their journey.
I was disappointed in this book. The story is promising, but the writing lacks polish and badly needs an editor. The spelling is good, but punctuation and sentence structure are riddled with mistakes and typos. The plot is predictable and trite, making the story boring at times. The whole Chosen One/ prophecy storyline is really overdone, and there’s nothing new in this story to add interest to the trope. Continue reading
Book Review: Freddy the Detective
Freddy the Detective
by Walter R. Brooks, Kurt Wiese
by Walter R. Brooks, Kurt Wiese
4 out of 5 stars
A cute, old-fashioned children’s story about Freddy, an intelligent pig, who reads about Sherlock Holmes and decides to become a detective. All the farmyard animals bring their little problems to Freddy, and he does some sleuthing to solve their mysteries. A little rabbit goes missing, someone steals a toy train, and a cat is wrongfully accused of murdering a crow, but Freddy is up to the task, looking for clues, and tracking down heartless criminals.
I enjoyed the charming old style of writing, and the simple story lines. The characters are sweet and funny, and they kept my interest. I liked how Freddy makes mistakes at first. He is not a very good detective to begin with, but he learns quickly and does a better job each time he tries.
Continue reading
Book Review: Mary Poppins in the Park
Mary Poppins in the Park (Mary Poppins, #4)
by P.L. Travers, Mary Shepard
by P.L. Travers, Mary Shepard
3 out of 5 stars
Mary Poppins is back again with Jane and Michael for adventures in the Park! An ordinary outing in the park turns into a magical and extraordinary adventure when you go for a walk with Mary Poppins.
I love how Mary Poppins can be stern with the children, but is also kind and loving. She has a no nonsense attitude, but secretly loves to take the children on nonsensical and silly outings!
The writing is enchanting, and has a beautiful charm in its simplicity! I love all the Mary Poppins books! Continue reading
Book Review: The Language of Spells
The Language of Spells
by Garret Weyr, also Freymann-Weyr
Katie Harnett
by Garret Weyr, also Freymann-Weyr
Katie Harnett
3 out of 5 stars
I really enjoyed this book about a dragon under an enchantment and the little girl who gives up everything to save him and his fellow dragons!
Grisha is still a young dragon when an evil sorcerer freezes him into the shape of a small teapot. Trapped within the teapot for decades, Grisha dreams of being free once more, but as soon as a friend breaks the enchantment of the teapot, Grisha is trapped in another kind of prison. The cruel bureaucracy of Vienna keeps a close watch on the few dragons allowed to remain in the city, and every aspect of Grisha’s life is locked between rigid rules and regulations, even restricting his thoughts and words. Continue reading
Book Review: The Big Six
The Big Six (Swallows and Amazons, #9)
by Arthur Ransome
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
Picture Book Review: Narwhal and Jelly
Peanut Butter and Jelly (A Narwhal and Jelly Book #3)
by Ben Clanton (Goodreads Author)
by Ben Clanton (Goodreads Author)
5 out of 5 stars
The cuteness!! The adorableness!! The sillyness! I can’t get enough of Narwhal and Jelly. They are so cute and lovable! Narwhal has some strange eating habits, so Jelly tries to help him broaden his culinary comfort zone with hilarious results.
Each little comic is so delightfully funny! I laughed my head off, and smiled and chuckled with glee. I love the simple yet striking illustrations, and the bright colors. I love the sweetly imaginative dialogue and storylines.
I can imagine reading this aloud to a child and having so much fun together! Continue reading
Book Review: Pinocchio
The Adventures of Pinocchio
by Carlo Collodi
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: Alanna: The First Adventure
Alanna: The First Adventure (Song of the Lioness, #1)
by Tamora Pierce (Goodreads Author)
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
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