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.
Wednesday, April 20, 2011
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!
Thursday, October 7, 2010
The Long Winter
Next in the Little House Series was The Long Winter, and it was a really good one. Kind of a tough read, emotionally, but worth it to show how lucky we are to live with modern conveniences, that's for sure!
The Story: After moving to the shore of Silver Lake to set up their homestead claim, the Ingalls family faces a difficult decision. In order to survive what is predicted (by an old Indian who visits the town) to be a very long and hard winter, they move from their claim shanty into the building that Pa built in town. In town, they will be close to the stores, near the incoming trains, and near other settlers, instead of in a poorly built shanty not made to withstand the harsh weather. When the winter comes, it is harder than any of them could have imagined. The blizzards come right on top of one another. The trains can not get through. No one has any food. The stores run out of groceries. There's no kerosene, and no coal for heat, and no trees anywhere in the big wide prairie to burn for heat. The Ingalls family, and all the other settlers in the town, must do everything they can just to survive until the trains can finally get through again. The blizzards last from October until April with nary a break, so that is no small task.
The Good: If nothing else, this book sure makes you appreciate how much comfort we have in modern times. The Ingalls family works together amazingly to do everything they need to in order to survive. Laura helps Pa twist hay into sticks to use for heat when the coal runs out. She then teaches Mary to twist the hay, even though Mary cannot see, she does everything she can. They all take turns grinding seed wheat in a coffee grinder so that Ma can make bread. They sing and tell stories to pass the long, cold days and nights. It goes to show that we shouldn't take anything for granted.
The Bad: Some parts are really distressing, when blizzard after blizzard hits, and they are going hungry, and when Pa can't play the fiddle anymore because his fingers are too cramped and sore. The monotony got to Laura after a while, and the reader can feel that. There are some tense moments when Almanzo Wilder and another young man from the town are out in search of wheat (at the home of a settler who wintered in his claim shanty, with seed wheat in hand) and they get caught in a blizzard on their way home. The blizzards play the role of an ominous evil character. The more sensitive reader could be really bothered by the hardships they endure. I have definitely been thinking about it, as we look ahead at winter...
The Verdict: An amazing book in an amazing series. Although it was not an easy read, it was an exceptionally educational and inspirational one. Amazon recommends this for ages 4-8, and I think that's a bit on the young side for the hard issues dealt with. Evalina didn't have a hard time with it, but it absolutely got her thinking. I'm hoping the next one brings more happy moments, though. That's for sure.
The Story: After moving to the shore of Silver Lake to set up their homestead claim, the Ingalls family faces a difficult decision. In order to survive what is predicted (by an old Indian who visits the town) to be a very long and hard winter, they move from their claim shanty into the building that Pa built in town. In town, they will be close to the stores, near the incoming trains, and near other settlers, instead of in a poorly built shanty not made to withstand the harsh weather. When the winter comes, it is harder than any of them could have imagined. The blizzards come right on top of one another. The trains can not get through. No one has any food. The stores run out of groceries. There's no kerosene, and no coal for heat, and no trees anywhere in the big wide prairie to burn for heat. The Ingalls family, and all the other settlers in the town, must do everything they can just to survive until the trains can finally get through again. The blizzards last from October until April with nary a break, so that is no small task.
The Good: If nothing else, this book sure makes you appreciate how much comfort we have in modern times. The Ingalls family works together amazingly to do everything they need to in order to survive. Laura helps Pa twist hay into sticks to use for heat when the coal runs out. She then teaches Mary to twist the hay, even though Mary cannot see, she does everything she can. They all take turns grinding seed wheat in a coffee grinder so that Ma can make bread. They sing and tell stories to pass the long, cold days and nights. It goes to show that we shouldn't take anything for granted.
The Bad: Some parts are really distressing, when blizzard after blizzard hits, and they are going hungry, and when Pa can't play the fiddle anymore because his fingers are too cramped and sore. The monotony got to Laura after a while, and the reader can feel that. There are some tense moments when Almanzo Wilder and another young man from the town are out in search of wheat (at the home of a settler who wintered in his claim shanty, with seed wheat in hand) and they get caught in a blizzard on their way home. The blizzards play the role of an ominous evil character. The more sensitive reader could be really bothered by the hardships they endure. I have definitely been thinking about it, as we look ahead at winter...
The Verdict: An amazing book in an amazing series. Although it was not an easy read, it was an exceptionally educational and inspirational one. Amazon recommends this for ages 4-8, and I think that's a bit on the young side for the hard issues dealt with. Evalina didn't have a hard time with it, but it absolutely got her thinking. I'm hoping the next one brings more happy moments, though. That's for sure.
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