Classic Children’s Book Review: Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm

Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm by Kate Douglas Wiggin

Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm
by Kate Douglas Wiggin
4 out of 5 stars
Rebecca leaves her home at Sunnybrook Farm to move in with her two aunts, Miranda and Jane. With many little brothers and sisters at home with her mother, Rebecca hopes to get a good education and be able to support the family someday. But Aunt Miranda is terribly strict, and Rebecca must find consolation with her more compassionate Aunt Jane.

I have always loved this sweet story about a smart girl growing up in the middle of nowhere. Rebecca has imagination and cleverness far beyond anyone else in her little country town. But she learns to appreciate the kindness and neighborliness of the people around her.

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February Reading Wrap Up

This video is NOT sponsored, but does contain affiliate links. Familius Affiliate Link: http://www.familius.com/happy-families-read-together/?utm_source=booksformks&utm_medium=Influencer If you make a purchase using an affiliate link, I may receive a small affiliate commission before taxes and at no additional cost to you. There are also Amazon affiliate links below. I only recommend books and products that I actually enjoy myself, and all the opinions stated here are my own true thoughts. Thank you for your support!

Emily Climbs by L.M. Montgomery https://amzn.to/3bjYZyP

Three Act Tragedy by Agatha Christie https://amzn.to/38blio8

Icefall by Matthew J. Kirby https://amzn.to/30d8AB0

Lycanthropy and Other Chronic Illnesses https://amzn.to/3sMwm30

Friendshipping: The Art of Finding Friendship https://amzn.to/2MSEBLK

Zeus the Mighty: The Maze of the Menacing Minotaur https://amzn.to/3ebSqQA

Flash Facts by Mayim Bialik https://amzn.to/38cTVKB

The Road Not Taken by Robert Frost https://amzn.to/3ebxHwa

The Night Walk https://amzn.to/3v0pocP

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Classic Manga Review: Frankenstein

Manga Classics by M.  Chandler

Manga Classics: Frankenstein
by M. Chandler (Story Adaptation), Linus Liu (Art by), Daria Rhodes (Lettering), Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley (From the original novel by)
4 out of 5 stars

Dr. Frankenstein becomes obsessed with the idea of infusing life into a created being, but when he succeeds, he is horrified at what he has done and runs from his creation, leaving it to fend for itself. Frankenstein’s monster roams the country, searching for his creator and finding only hatred and fear in everyone he meets. He vows to get revenge on the man who made him, and goes on a killing spree.

I thought the artwork did a wonderful job of showing the gothic melodrama and darkness of the story. There are many scenes that use shadows to show the tension in the characters. The art makes their intense emotions explode onto the page.

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Mystery Book Review: Three Act Tragedy

Three Act Tragedy by Agatha Christie

Three Act Tragedy (Hercule Poirot, #11)
by Agatha Christie
5 out of 5 stars

A minister falls over dead at a cocktail party, apparently poisoned. However, there is no poison in his glass. The host is determined to discover what happened, but everyone dismisses the idea that a kind and innocent minister would be the victim of murder. Even Poirot finds it unlikely, and proclaims a verdict of natural causes. But a second act unfolds which changes everything.

Agatha Christie is such a genius! I had no clue about who the murderer was. I was completely surprised! And yet, it all fit together perfectly. In retrospect, it all made sense and every little detail of the plot came together for a satisfying ending.

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Classic Review: Emily Climbs

Emily Climbs by L.M. Montgomery

Emily Climbs (Emily, #2)
by L.M. Montgomery
5 out of 5 stars
Rereading this for the tenth or twelfth time, I enjoy it just as much as ever!

Emily is growing up, honing her writing skills, and getting an education at Shrewsbury high school along with her friends, Ilse, Perry, and Teddy. She gets into innocent mischief, makes honest mistakes, and generally has little adventures around PEI.

I love the character development that Emily has in this book. There are some surprising developments with her family clan, the Murrays, as they begin to recognize that she’s no longer a little girl that they can bully.

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Classic Review: Emily of New Moon

Emily of New Moon by L.M. Montgomery

Emily of New Moon (Emily, #1)
by L.M. Montgomery
5 out of 5 stars
When her father dies, Emily goes to live with her maiden aunts at the New Moon farm. She dreams of becoming a writer someday, but her strict Aunt Elizabeth has forbidden such frivolous things as writing poetry or reading novels.

Reading this for the 12th or 13th time, I enjoy it just as much, if not more, than ever! Emily is such a sensitive and courageous little person. This book has such extreme emotions, and explores really deep feelings and experiences. Emily deals with terrible grief and fear, but also finds exquisite joy and beauty. All the characters are so vivid and interesting. They are all so different, and each person feels real. The writing pulls you into the story. The plot has something funny and weird and new in every chapter.

Such a delight to reread this old favorite!

Book Review: Mistress Masham’s Repose

Mistress Masham's Repose by T.H. White

Mistress Masham’s Repose
by T.H. WhiteFritz Eichenberg (Illustrator)
4 out of 5 stars
Delightful book!!
Rereading it for the second or third time, I have enjoyed it just as much as the first time.
Orphaned Maria lives in a crumbling old palace that her ancestors built on an extensive estate full of gardens and obelisks and temples and monuments. But there is no money to repair the palace, and she lives in poverty with her governess and one old cook.

When Maria is exploring around an island in a small lake, she encounters the tiny Lilliputian people who Gulliver brought back to England after his travels. They are in danger of being discovered by Maria’s evil guardians, the vicar and governess, and Maria must use all her ingenuity to save them from being kidnapped and sold as slaves.

I love how imaginative this book is. My favorite parts are the scenes that describe how the Lilliputians make their living on the Mistress Masham’s Repose island. They fish, and hunt, and train mice as their horses. They have their little homes in the roofs and hollow pillars of the Repose cupola, and keep their tiny farm animals in stables built into the steps of the structure.

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