Evalina has recently become quite enamored of horses. Doesn't every little girl go through that at about 8? For her birthday, my mother got her some books involving horses.
Living in Vermont, where the Morgan horse is our state animal, I thought a good start to the horse books would be Justin Morgan Had a Horse, about the first Morgan Horse (of course slightly fictionalized...)
The Story: School teacher and song master, Justin Morgan travels from his home in Vermont to Springfield, Massachusetts, in order to collect a debt owed to him from a farmer. The farmer did not have money to give him, but instead gave him a stout young foal, Ebinezer. A small runt of a foal named Little Bub followed along, and the farmer decided to throw him into the bargain. Young Joel Goss, who was traveling with Morgan, fell instantly in love with the little foal. He took it upon himself to gentle him, continuing in this endeavor even after they got back to Vermont and Joel was taken in as an apprentice at the mill. He worked to gentle Little Bub after his night school lessons, and they formed a wonderful rapport. When the foal was grown, the school teacher rented him out as a work horse. It turned out that, although smaller than other work horses, he had a strength and speed that could not be matched. He won a race against some fancy Thoroughbreds, and became famous throughout Vermont. After Justin Morgan's death, Little Bub, who became known as the Justin Morgan horse, was traded all over Vermont and Joel lost track of him. Finally, after he was a grown man, and after he had worked in the army as a horse caretaker, he found Little Bub again and was able to make him his own. When President Monroe came to Vermont, the Justin Morgan horse caught even his eye. Little Bub became the father of the Morgan horse breed.
The Good: The descriptions of the horse are wonderful. The chapters are short and contain some exciting moments. Joel's love and devotion for Little Bub is palpable. You root for the little horse, and for his reunion with his old friend. The descriptions of Vermont at that time, and of the Battle of Plattsburg in particular, are really well done.
The Bad: I can't think of much that is bad, except perhaps that it is "based on a true story," and not completely factual about the origins of the Morgan horse breed. But, that's minor. It's a really good story.
The Verdict: I can recommend this to any young horse lover. Amazon's age recommendation is 9-12. Evalina, at 8, had no troubles with it. It is not very long (less than 200 pages) and is a pretty quick read. Anyone who reads it will probably end up wanting to know more about the Morgan horse. (I anticipate we'll make a trip to the Morgan Horse Museum this summer..
Wednesday, May 4, 2011
Wednesday, April 20, 2011
Peter Pan and Wendy
It's been a while since I've blogged here, but Evalina and I have been busily reading. We just finished another one of the Ramona books (we only have one left), and we also read a true classic - Peter Pan. The version we read was called Peter Pan and Wendy, and we read it in e-book form.
Evalina got a Nook for Christmas.
The Story: Who doesn't know the story of Peter Pan? Most of us at least know the Disney-fied version. Peter Pan, a boy who doesn't want to grow up, comes to the window of the Darling house, and flies away with the Darling children - Wendy, John, and Michael. They fly to Neverland, a place all children see in their dreams. There, they have many adventures with The Lost Boys (Peter's crew of boys), fighting the nefarious Captain Hook.
The Good: The story is exciting, and the characters are well developed. You get a different sense of them from this than from the Disney version. They are more complex. Tinkerbell is not a sweet little thing. She's kind of ornery. Peter is flawed and you can feel the conflict in him. Hook is scary and fun to read. Mr. and Mrs. Darling (and Nana) are flawed, but loving. Evalina really loved listening to this book.
The Bad: The language is sometimes a bit old fashioned, and if she had been reading it on her own, it might have been more difficult to wade through. Since I was reading it aloud, we were able to work through things in context for the most part. Tinkerbell routinely calls Peter a "silly ass." Evalina was able to just take those outbursts in stride, and she knows not to repeat language like that. But it might be an issue with other readers. Some of the parts with the pirates are a little scary, and the children do kill the pirates. This might also be an issue with some readers. Some parts are a little intense, as the children are in The Neverland for so long that they begin to forget their parents. If your child is totally in love with the Disney version of Peter Pan, this book might come as a shock on some levels.
The Verdict: Overall, a really good read. A total classic. It's not the Peter Pan the Disney audience is used to. I think it's a great read-together book, because the language is sometimes more challenging for the young modern reader. Evalina really got into the imagery and loves talking about how she sees The Neverland when she closes her eyes at night. It's great to share such a classic. Amazon recommends it for ages 9-12, but I think the younger part of that range might need some help getting through it. I would recommend it, though.
Evalina got a Nook for Christmas.
The Story: Who doesn't know the story of Peter Pan? Most of us at least know the Disney-fied version. Peter Pan, a boy who doesn't want to grow up, comes to the window of the Darling house, and flies away with the Darling children - Wendy, John, and Michael. They fly to Neverland, a place all children see in their dreams. There, they have many adventures with The Lost Boys (Peter's crew of boys), fighting the nefarious Captain Hook.
The Good: The story is exciting, and the characters are well developed. You get a different sense of them from this than from the Disney version. They are more complex. Tinkerbell is not a sweet little thing. She's kind of ornery. Peter is flawed and you can feel the conflict in him. Hook is scary and fun to read. Mr. and Mrs. Darling (and Nana) are flawed, but loving. Evalina really loved listening to this book.
The Bad: The language is sometimes a bit old fashioned, and if she had been reading it on her own, it might have been more difficult to wade through. Since I was reading it aloud, we were able to work through things in context for the most part. Tinkerbell routinely calls Peter a "silly ass." Evalina was able to just take those outbursts in stride, and she knows not to repeat language like that. But it might be an issue with other readers. Some of the parts with the pirates are a little scary, and the children do kill the pirates. This might also be an issue with some readers. Some parts are a little intense, as the children are in The Neverland for so long that they begin to forget their parents. If your child is totally in love with the Disney version of Peter Pan, this book might come as a shock on some levels.
The Verdict: Overall, a really good read. A total classic. It's not the Peter Pan the Disney audience is used to. I think it's a great read-together book, because the language is sometimes more challenging for the young modern reader. Evalina really got into the imagery and loves talking about how she sees The Neverland when she closes her eyes at night. It's great to share such a classic. Amazon recommends it for ages 9-12, but I think the younger part of that range might need some help getting through it. I would recommend it, though.
Sunday, January 23, 2011
The Ramona Series
We are whizzing our way through the Ramona Quimby books by Bevery Cleary, though unfortunately, we are not really reading them in order... so, I'm just blogging the whole set of books instead of each book separately.
The Story: These books focus on Ramona Quimby, from the time she is 5-8 (I think). She is a spunky, imaginative, sometimes mischievous little girl. In other words, a lot like Evalina. She has an older sister, Beatrice, also known as Beezus, and very loving parents. She goes through trials and tribulations of being a kid who is trying very hard to grow up.
The Good: The wonderful thing about Ramona is that she doesn't pull any punches. She lets you know just how it is to be a kid, worrying about the world around her sometimes. She doesn't always love school. She worries that people don't like her. She sometimes gives in to her naughtier instincts. In other words, she's a typical kid. I think it's great to have a series of books that really try to tell things from a kid's point of view, without condescending to the child reading it. Ramona is a delightful character to read, and her family goes through real family problems that are relevant today. Amazingly, I just read that the first Ramona book was published in the mid-50's! I would have thought they were in the 70's or 80's (though I read some as a child in the 80's and they were already classics then, so...) Ramona's parents go through job loss, financial difficulties, going back to school, childcare issues, and other absolutely familiar things to people today. And, one thing I like is that the books explore what these things mean to Ramona. She notices. But they don't just deal with her issues with the adult problems, they also delve into her own mind. What if her teacher doesn't like her? What if people think she's a pest? What if she has to be nice to a friend's annoying kid sister?
The Bad: Sometimes, Ramona does naughty things. She gets so mad that she squirts out an entire tube of toothpaste, just because. She cracks eggs on her head (and, unfortunately, not always hard boiled eggs...) She crushes school projects instead of talking to her teacher when another student copies her work. She goes a different way to school and gets a shoe stolen by a dog. Still, all of these are good teaching moments, and none of them are implausible situations. Sometimes, it is obvious that Ramona was written in a different time, when kids were given more freedom (walking to school alone in first grade, for instance..) Not that it's a bad thing (I personally think that we don't give our kids enough trust nowadays... but that's a discussion for a different time), but it's something to be aware of.
The Verdict: I think that the Ramona series is utterly enjoyable. I also think that it's empowering for kids to have a character they can relate to so much. The writing style is not too difficult, and they are relatively quick reads, I'd say on par with most Roald Dahl books. Absolutely recommended. Also, though it would be nice to read them in order, it's not really a necessity, so we are reading them as they become free at the library (and Evalina did get a couple of them for Christmas). I think they would be great books to own, because they would be good to re-read over and over. Amazon has the reading level from ages 9-12, but I think that's ridiculous. I'd say more 6-10 (and I am enjoying them as a grown up, too!)
The Story: These books focus on Ramona Quimby, from the time she is 5-8 (I think). She is a spunky, imaginative, sometimes mischievous little girl. In other words, a lot like Evalina. She has an older sister, Beatrice, also known as Beezus, and very loving parents. She goes through trials and tribulations of being a kid who is trying very hard to grow up.
The Good: The wonderful thing about Ramona is that she doesn't pull any punches. She lets you know just how it is to be a kid, worrying about the world around her sometimes. She doesn't always love school. She worries that people don't like her. She sometimes gives in to her naughtier instincts. In other words, she's a typical kid. I think it's great to have a series of books that really try to tell things from a kid's point of view, without condescending to the child reading it. Ramona is a delightful character to read, and her family goes through real family problems that are relevant today. Amazingly, I just read that the first Ramona book was published in the mid-50's! I would have thought they were in the 70's or 80's (though I read some as a child in the 80's and they were already classics then, so...) Ramona's parents go through job loss, financial difficulties, going back to school, childcare issues, and other absolutely familiar things to people today. And, one thing I like is that the books explore what these things mean to Ramona. She notices. But they don't just deal with her issues with the adult problems, they also delve into her own mind. What if her teacher doesn't like her? What if people think she's a pest? What if she has to be nice to a friend's annoying kid sister?
The Bad: Sometimes, Ramona does naughty things. She gets so mad that she squirts out an entire tube of toothpaste, just because. She cracks eggs on her head (and, unfortunately, not always hard boiled eggs...) She crushes school projects instead of talking to her teacher when another student copies her work. She goes a different way to school and gets a shoe stolen by a dog. Still, all of these are good teaching moments, and none of them are implausible situations. Sometimes, it is obvious that Ramona was written in a different time, when kids were given more freedom (walking to school alone in first grade, for instance..) Not that it's a bad thing (I personally think that we don't give our kids enough trust nowadays... but that's a discussion for a different time), but it's something to be aware of.
The Verdict: I think that the Ramona series is utterly enjoyable. I also think that it's empowering for kids to have a character they can relate to so much. The writing style is not too difficult, and they are relatively quick reads, I'd say on par with most Roald Dahl books. Absolutely recommended. Also, though it would be nice to read them in order, it's not really a necessity, so we are reading them as they become free at the library (and Evalina did get a couple of them for Christmas). I think they would be great books to own, because they would be good to re-read over and over. Amazon has the reading level from ages 9-12, but I think that's ridiculous. I'd say more 6-10 (and I am enjoying them as a grown up, too!)
Sunday, January 2, 2011
The King's Stilts
For Christmas, I got the kids several Dr. Seuss books. One of them was The King's Stilts. We have read it several times now, and it's a really great one!
The Story: The King of Binn works very very hard. He is up at 5 in the morning, working. He works all day, to keep the kingdom safe from the threat of the horrible Nizzard birds that peck at the Dike trees that protect the kingdom from being flooded. But when his work is done for the day, the King loves to roam about on his beloved stilts. All of the people in the kingdom find the King's stilting hobby endearing and love him all the more for it. All of the people, of course, except for the sour Lord Droon. He thinks that the stilts are far too much fun, and might cause troublesome smiling. So, he decides to steal the stilts and orders the King's paige boy, Eric, to bury them. Eric doesn't want to do it, because he knows how much the king loves his stilts, but he is forced to obey. Without his stilts, the King becomes despondent. He can't bring himself to do his work with the same enthusiasm as he had before, without his stilts to look forward to. The Kingdom is in terrible trouble, without the King working to fend off the Nizzards, and Eric decides to defy Droon and return the stilts to the King. With his stilts back, the King regains his vigor, the Kingdom is saved, and Droon is duly punished.
The Good: It's a prose-style Seuss, which I like quite a lot. The message is clear - All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy, and King Birtram a poor king. The illustrations are, of course, wonderful. Eric is akin to Bartholomew in his rank and determination to save the kingdom he loves. The kids have asked me to read this book three nights in a row.
The Bad: I can't think of much bad about it, unless you don't like prose-style Seuss...
The Verdict: A wonderful addition to any Dr. Seuss library. It's not a very well known one, but it's worth owning. I've already gotten the kids to do their chores with a little less argument, reminding them that they can play when they are done working. That's always a good thing.
The Story: The King of Binn works very very hard. He is up at 5 in the morning, working. He works all day, to keep the kingdom safe from the threat of the horrible Nizzard birds that peck at the Dike trees that protect the kingdom from being flooded. But when his work is done for the day, the King loves to roam about on his beloved stilts. All of the people in the kingdom find the King's stilting hobby endearing and love him all the more for it. All of the people, of course, except for the sour Lord Droon. He thinks that the stilts are far too much fun, and might cause troublesome smiling. So, he decides to steal the stilts and orders the King's paige boy, Eric, to bury them. Eric doesn't want to do it, because he knows how much the king loves his stilts, but he is forced to obey. Without his stilts, the King becomes despondent. He can't bring himself to do his work with the same enthusiasm as he had before, without his stilts to look forward to. The Kingdom is in terrible trouble, without the King working to fend off the Nizzards, and Eric decides to defy Droon and return the stilts to the King. With his stilts back, the King regains his vigor, the Kingdom is saved, and Droon is duly punished.
The Good: It's a prose-style Seuss, which I like quite a lot. The message is clear - All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy, and King Birtram a poor king. The illustrations are, of course, wonderful. Eric is akin to Bartholomew in his rank and determination to save the kingdom he loves. The kids have asked me to read this book three nights in a row.
The Bad: I can't think of much bad about it, unless you don't like prose-style Seuss...
The Verdict: A wonderful addition to any Dr. Seuss library. It's not a very well known one, but it's worth owning. I've already gotten the kids to do their chores with a little less argument, reminding them that they can play when they are done working. That's always a good thing.
Wednesday, December 8, 2010
A Necklace of Fallen Stars
I found A Necklace of Fallen Stars in the library when I was a child, and it stuck with me. I know you shouldn't judge a book by it's cover, but the cover on this one is highly memorable. It's beautiful. Unfortunately, it's out of print... I found it at another local library a couple of years ago and re-read it for myself, but still couldn't find it for less than $60 on ebay...
Then, last year, I found it on Amazon, used, and not to spendy, either. Hurrah! I ordered it immediately for Evalina and decided that it was a good departure from the Little House books, so it was a good time to read it.
The Story: Kaela is not your typical princess. She doesn't like the pomp and circumstance of Court, and she likes to spend time with the commoners and tells them stories. Her father didn't appreciate her free spirit, and in an effort to quash it, he arranges her marriage to an unbearable man, Duke Gavrin. Unable to face the thought of it, Kaela runs away. On her travels, she meets a young minstrel named Kippen, and together they flee from Stafgrym, the evil wizard in the employ of Gavrin and her father. He plays tunes and she tells tales to pay their way across the land, and they become very close to each other in the process. Meanwhile, Stafgyrm convinces her father to charge her with high treason, and also convinces him to throw her kind sister Melina, and her sometimes unreasonable sister Tamara into the dungeon as well. Can Kaela somehow manage to get out of marrying Gavrin, escape Stafgrym, and can her sisters be saved?
The Good: Kaela is strong and spunky and likable. Kippen is similar, and loyal. The evil characters, particularly Stafgrym, and really despicable. Melina would be a good big sister for anyone. The journey is exciting, and all the while, Kaela tells simply wonderful stories. And there is a really fabulously described winged horse that Evalina really enjoyed.
The Bad: The story is sometimes disjointed, and Evalina was disappointed in the rather abrupt ending. The king's behavior is at times reprehensible, and really difficult to understand. He is prideful to a fault. And Stafgrym is rather scary and sinister.
The Verdict: Evalina didn't love this as much as I did when I was a child, but I believe that parts of it will definitely stick with her. I hope that she revisits it in the years to come. It was probably more of a nostalgic love of mine than anything else. Still, I do think it's a good story, and if you can find a copy, give it a try. I wish that the ending was better, though. I can use my imagination and think of what might have happened, but Evalina wanted something more concrete. I still have a deep seated love for the book, though I wonder if the idea is better than the book itself.
Then, last year, I found it on Amazon, used, and not to spendy, either. Hurrah! I ordered it immediately for Evalina and decided that it was a good departure from the Little House books, so it was a good time to read it.
The Story: Kaela is not your typical princess. She doesn't like the pomp and circumstance of Court, and she likes to spend time with the commoners and tells them stories. Her father didn't appreciate her free spirit, and in an effort to quash it, he arranges her marriage to an unbearable man, Duke Gavrin. Unable to face the thought of it, Kaela runs away. On her travels, she meets a young minstrel named Kippen, and together they flee from Stafgrym, the evil wizard in the employ of Gavrin and her father. He plays tunes and she tells tales to pay their way across the land, and they become very close to each other in the process. Meanwhile, Stafgyrm convinces her father to charge her with high treason, and also convinces him to throw her kind sister Melina, and her sometimes unreasonable sister Tamara into the dungeon as well. Can Kaela somehow manage to get out of marrying Gavrin, escape Stafgrym, and can her sisters be saved?
The Good: Kaela is strong and spunky and likable. Kippen is similar, and loyal. The evil characters, particularly Stafgrym, and really despicable. Melina would be a good big sister for anyone. The journey is exciting, and all the while, Kaela tells simply wonderful stories. And there is a really fabulously described winged horse that Evalina really enjoyed.
The Bad: The story is sometimes disjointed, and Evalina was disappointed in the rather abrupt ending. The king's behavior is at times reprehensible, and really difficult to understand. He is prideful to a fault. And Stafgrym is rather scary and sinister.
The Verdict: Evalina didn't love this as much as I did when I was a child, but I believe that parts of it will definitely stick with her. I hope that she revisits it in the years to come. It was probably more of a nostalgic love of mine than anything else. Still, I do think it's a good story, and if you can find a copy, give it a try. I wish that the ending was better, though. I can use my imagination and think of what might have happened, but Evalina wanted something more concrete. I still have a deep seated love for the book, though I wonder if the idea is better than the book itself.
Sunday, November 21, 2010
These Happy Golden Years
We have finished all of the books (*that we are going to read - see note at the end of the post for explanation) in the Little House Series. What a joy! These Happy Golden Years is a lovely ending.
The Story: Laura passed her teacher's examination at the end of the last book, and at the beginning of this one, she is leaving for her first teaching job. It's her first time away from home, and it is hard. The family she is boarding with is not warm and inviting - at times, the wife seems close to a psychotic break, the students she is teaching are sometimes difficult, and she misses home terribly. Though she never asked him to, and quite by surprise at first, Almanzo Wilder comes to get her every Friday in his sleigh so that she can spend the weekends at home. He comes every week, even one Friday when they risked their lives to drive home - it was so cold that the thermometers froze, and Laura nearly got hypothermia on the drive. Almanzo had to stop several times to break ice off the poor horses' noses. But still, he came. After her teaching term ended, he still came for drives on Sundays, though Laura denied he was courting her. She rode with him when he was breaking (sometimes dangerous) new colts, and she drove with him on Sundays when Mary was home for the summer. They went to a singing school (really, Friday night community music lessons) together/ And still she denied they were courting. He went away for the winter to spend some time with his family, and she didn't realize how much she missed him until he showed up, unexpectedly, during a snow storm on Christmas eve! Though this book involves many other things, including her continued schooling, and teaching several terms at different schools, and getting some fine new clothes, in the end it really revolves around the fact that Almanzo was, in fact, courting Laura, and it ends with their marriage and moving into their own sweet little grey house.
The Good: The courting is portrayed in an innocent way, so there is nothing scandalous that would be inappropriate for younger children. Laura deals with her trials during her teaching well, and ends up being a really good teacher (though she didn't intend on teaching any more after she got married). The descriptions of life in that era continue to be enthralling. One of our favorite parts was when Pa bought Ma her very own sewing machine. Another was when they used some of Laura's teaching money to buy an organ for their home, to surprise Mary. The tone of the book is lovely, and it ended the series beautifully for us. (*Again, see note at the end of the post)
The Bad: The part where the wife in the house Laura was boarding at seemed to nearly have a psychotic break was kind of scary! She was standing over her husband's bed with a knife, begging to go back east. We felt so badly for Laura, because she had no other choice than to stay there, but she didn't sleep well for the rest of her teaching term. Who can blame her? I can't think of anything else really negative about the book. Perhaps some of the descriptions of the clothing that Laura was buying or sewing got a little long-winded, but Evalina never complained. There are a lot of songs written into the chapters that I don't know, but we just made up our own tunes and no one cared so much.
The Verdict: We loved it. Evalina really enjoyed the rides with Almanzo and loved the spirit of the new colts. She liked to read about how Laura became a more proficient teacher, and how wonderful it was when Mary came home for visits. Overall, a really really nice book.
*Now, the note, and why we are choosing not to read The First Four Years. I read some reviews, and that "final" book was published after Laura's death, and from what I read, the tone is much different. It focuses on some really tough times that Laura and Almanzo had when they first got married, between illness, the death of a newborn son, and a fire that destroyed their home, among other things. It also includes the birth of their daughter, Rose, which was happy, but I didn't want to spoil the glow and warmth of These Happy Golden Years. I spoke to Evalina about it, and told her that she could read it later by her own if she wanted to, but I let her know that I thought we should end on a happy note. She agreed. So, we are done with the Little House Series and on to our next book!
The Story: Laura passed her teacher's examination at the end of the last book, and at the beginning of this one, she is leaving for her first teaching job. It's her first time away from home, and it is hard. The family she is boarding with is not warm and inviting - at times, the wife seems close to a psychotic break, the students she is teaching are sometimes difficult, and she misses home terribly. Though she never asked him to, and quite by surprise at first, Almanzo Wilder comes to get her every Friday in his sleigh so that she can spend the weekends at home. He comes every week, even one Friday when they risked their lives to drive home - it was so cold that the thermometers froze, and Laura nearly got hypothermia on the drive. Almanzo had to stop several times to break ice off the poor horses' noses. But still, he came. After her teaching term ended, he still came for drives on Sundays, though Laura denied he was courting her. She rode with him when he was breaking (sometimes dangerous) new colts, and she drove with him on Sundays when Mary was home for the summer. They went to a singing school (really, Friday night community music lessons) together/ And still she denied they were courting. He went away for the winter to spend some time with his family, and she didn't realize how much she missed him until he showed up, unexpectedly, during a snow storm on Christmas eve! Though this book involves many other things, including her continued schooling, and teaching several terms at different schools, and getting some fine new clothes, in the end it really revolves around the fact that Almanzo was, in fact, courting Laura, and it ends with their marriage and moving into their own sweet little grey house.
The Good: The courting is portrayed in an innocent way, so there is nothing scandalous that would be inappropriate for younger children. Laura deals with her trials during her teaching well, and ends up being a really good teacher (though she didn't intend on teaching any more after she got married). The descriptions of life in that era continue to be enthralling. One of our favorite parts was when Pa bought Ma her very own sewing machine. Another was when they used some of Laura's teaching money to buy an organ for their home, to surprise Mary. The tone of the book is lovely, and it ended the series beautifully for us. (*Again, see note at the end of the post)
The Bad: The part where the wife in the house Laura was boarding at seemed to nearly have a psychotic break was kind of scary! She was standing over her husband's bed with a knife, begging to go back east. We felt so badly for Laura, because she had no other choice than to stay there, but she didn't sleep well for the rest of her teaching term. Who can blame her? I can't think of anything else really negative about the book. Perhaps some of the descriptions of the clothing that Laura was buying or sewing got a little long-winded, but Evalina never complained. There are a lot of songs written into the chapters that I don't know, but we just made up our own tunes and no one cared so much.
The Verdict: We loved it. Evalina really enjoyed the rides with Almanzo and loved the spirit of the new colts. She liked to read about how Laura became a more proficient teacher, and how wonderful it was when Mary came home for visits. Overall, a really really nice book.
*Now, the note, and why we are choosing not to read The First Four Years. I read some reviews, and that "final" book was published after Laura's death, and from what I read, the tone is much different. It focuses on some really tough times that Laura and Almanzo had when they first got married, between illness, the death of a newborn son, and a fire that destroyed their home, among other things. It also includes the birth of their daughter, Rose, which was happy, but I didn't want to spoil the glow and warmth of These Happy Golden Years. I spoke to Evalina about it, and told her that she could read it later by her own if she wanted to, but I let her know that I thought we should end on a happy note. She agreed. So, we are done with the Little House Series and on to our next book!
Thursday, November 4, 2010
Little Town on the Prairie
After the rough time the Ingalls family had in The Long Winter, it was nice to read Little Town on the Prairie, about a calmer time in their lives.
The Story: After surviving the horrible, blizzard filled winter, life resumes for the Ingalls family in De Smet, Dakota Territory. In spring, Laura got her first job, and she was able to earn some money to help send Mary to the special college for the blind at long last. They got the homestead a little more settled, and they got some crops from it (though they had to battle blackbirds and gophers...) Pa managed to get a hold of a kitten (which were hard to come by out west) to help with their pest problem, after a mouse crawled into bed in the middle of the night and chewed off a hunk of Pa's hair to use in it's nest! For the winter, they moved back into town, and Carrie and Laura went back to school. Laura worked towards studying as hard as she could, in order to earn her teacher's certificate once she turned 16, but there were distractions to her studies. Through the mild winter (welcome after the terrible previous one), the town set up Literaries - meetings where they had entertainments and competitions, to help beat the doldrums. And all the time, Laura had to work towards her ultimate goal of earning her certificate so that she could earn money and help keep Mary in college.
The Good: It was a breath of fresh air after the tough times of the previous winter. Laura and the family were settling in nicely to life in their new town. The descriptions of everyday life were compelling and thorough. When Pa went after the blackbirds that had been eating their corn, it was something else! I can't even imagine that many blackbirds. Laura is growing up and getting more responsibilities. She has good friends at school (and her old rival, Nellie Oleson, has moved to De Smet. That's always fun reading). It's amazing reading about things that they learned in school - makes you feel humbled at the thought. Almanzo Wilder started taking an interest in Laura by the end of the book... and we all know how that turned out...
The Bad: The thread of the story wasn't as strong as in previous books. It seemed a much longer read than the others, though it was about the same length or shorter. It was a little sad to know that Laura is going to have to teach school, even though it wasn't really what she wants to do with her life. But, that's just how it was.
The Verdict: A lovely book exploring the everyday life of the time, without the strife of the long, terrible winter. It connected with Evalina, and she began to want to play Laura and Carrie every day when we walked to school. I am continually amazed by her comprehension. It makes me happy to know that she understands, and it verifies that she is the perfect age to be reading these books with. I cannot wait to read the next book in the series!
The Story: After surviving the horrible, blizzard filled winter, life resumes for the Ingalls family in De Smet, Dakota Territory. In spring, Laura got her first job, and she was able to earn some money to help send Mary to the special college for the blind at long last. They got the homestead a little more settled, and they got some crops from it (though they had to battle blackbirds and gophers...) Pa managed to get a hold of a kitten (which were hard to come by out west) to help with their pest problem, after a mouse crawled into bed in the middle of the night and chewed off a hunk of Pa's hair to use in it's nest! For the winter, they moved back into town, and Carrie and Laura went back to school. Laura worked towards studying as hard as she could, in order to earn her teacher's certificate once she turned 16, but there were distractions to her studies. Through the mild winter (welcome after the terrible previous one), the town set up Literaries - meetings where they had entertainments and competitions, to help beat the doldrums. And all the time, Laura had to work towards her ultimate goal of earning her certificate so that she could earn money and help keep Mary in college.
The Good: It was a breath of fresh air after the tough times of the previous winter. Laura and the family were settling in nicely to life in their new town. The descriptions of everyday life were compelling and thorough. When Pa went after the blackbirds that had been eating their corn, it was something else! I can't even imagine that many blackbirds. Laura is growing up and getting more responsibilities. She has good friends at school (and her old rival, Nellie Oleson, has moved to De Smet. That's always fun reading). It's amazing reading about things that they learned in school - makes you feel humbled at the thought. Almanzo Wilder started taking an interest in Laura by the end of the book... and we all know how that turned out...
The Bad: The thread of the story wasn't as strong as in previous books. It seemed a much longer read than the others, though it was about the same length or shorter. It was a little sad to know that Laura is going to have to teach school, even though it wasn't really what she wants to do with her life. But, that's just how it was.
The Verdict: A lovely book exploring the everyday life of the time, without the strife of the long, terrible winter. It connected with Evalina, and she began to want to play Laura and Carrie every day when we walked to school. I am continually amazed by her comprehension. It makes me happy to know that she understands, and it verifies that she is the perfect age to be reading these books with. I cannot wait to read the next book in the series!
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