l frank baum

Classic Book Review: Aunt Jane’s Nieces and Uncle John

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Aunt Jane's Nieces and Uncle John by Edith Van Dyne

Aunt Jane’s Nieces and Uncle John (Aunt Jane’s Nieces, #6)
by Edith Van Dyne (Pseudonym), L. Frank Baum
3 out of 5 stars

Patsy and Beth are on a cross-country automobile drive with their father and uncle John, when they encounter a disabled young girl searching for her distant relatives. They decide to help her, and the group travels across the Southwest, finding adventure on their way to California.

The plot can be a little slow with all the descriptions of travelling, and the scenery, and the mountains and deserts and the plants and wildlife, etc… If you enjoy travelling-style books, then you would like this one. I found it interesting to hear about all the different places they visit, but it definitely slows down the main plot.

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Book Review: Marvelous Land of Oz

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The Marvelous Land of Oz by L. Frank Baum
The Marvelous Land of Oz (Oz, #2) 
by L. Frank Baum

2 out of 5 stars on GoodREads
 Tip is a young boy living in Oz, servant to a nasty witch. He fashions a pumpkin head that comes to life, and they travel to the Emerald City to meet the Scarecrow and Tin Man, falling into the middle of a revolution along the way.
I didn’t really enjoy this book, maybe because I listened to it as an audiobook, and I didn’t like the narrator. Usually I love the Oz books, but this one fell flat. The characters are so dry, the jokes aren’t funny, and even the imaginative setting of Oz felt like a rehash of the same old things from every Oz book. Maybe it was the narrator. Maybe I just wasn’t in the mood for this book. Maybe because I’ve been reading the Oz books out of order, so I already knew some of the plot points. It’s a good story, but I somehow couldn’t enjoy reading it.

Book Review: Aunt Jane’s Nieces at Work

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Aunt Jane's Nieces at Work by Edith Van Dyne
Aunt Jane’s Nieces at Work (Aunt Jane’s Nieces, #4) 
by Edith Van Dyne (Pseudonym), L. Frank Baum


3 out of 5 stars on GoodReads
In this fourth book in the series, Kenneth is getting involved in politics and is sadly losing the election to become a State Representative. The three nieces decide to help him in his campaign, and they fight against dirty politicians, ignorant country voters, and shady political dealings that threaten to overwhelm the campaign. Along the way, they befriend the country people, and help a farmer to find his missing daughter.

I get bored with politics, so I didn’t especially enjoy the plot, but I liked how the mysteries were surprising and interesting. I loved how the girls help Kenneth to set up a rally that throws their opponent’s arguments out the door, how they discover the underhanded political deals, and they aid in solving the mystery of the missing farmer’s daughter. Continue reading →

Book Review: Aunt Jane’s Nieces at Millville

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Aunt Jane's Nieces at Millville by Edith Van Dyne
Aunt Jane’s Nieces at Millville (Aunt Jane’s Nieces, #3) 
by Edith Van Dyne (Pseudonym for L. Frank Baum)

5 out of 5 stars on GoodReads

I just love the Aunt Jane’s Nieces stories, and each one pleasantly surprises me. The simple story lines really keep my interest and the characters are funny and likeable.

In this book, Uncle John acquires a run-down farm in the country, and promptly proposes to spend the summer there with his three favorite nieces. The local village is all agog at the fancy “citified” furniture, decorations, and trappings that come in to furnish the old farmhouse with more “modern” conveniences.

The summering party arrives in the country and finds a mystery to unravel regarding the previous owners of the farm, an old sea-captain who died under questionable circumstances, and his wayward son who is currently missing.

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