Little House on the Prairie

Little House on the Prairie
Written By: Laura Ingalls Wilder, Illustrated By: Garth Williams
HarperCollins Publishers
1935
Ages: 8-12
Pages: 335

Summary

The Little House on the Prairie is about a little girl named Laura Ingalls and her Ma, Pa and her sisters Mary and Carrie who travel across the great plains in search of a better land and a better life. The whole of the book chronicles Laura's adventures on the prairie: some of the more exciting adventures to read about in the book include when Laura's family has to cross a big creek, when they get to move into their new house, when they encounter wolves on the prairie, when Indians come to visit, when her family and the surrounding people get sick with "fever 'n' ague" and when Mr. Edwards "Meets" Santa Claus. That last experience is one of my favorites. As little girls, Laura and Mary believe that Santa Claus cannot travel at Christmastime without snow and when it rains continually and the creek rises to a dangerous level, the girls are devastated. BUT Mr. Edwards soon shows up, soaking wet and shivering with a HUGE bundle. Mr. Edwards tells his story about how he met Santa. He said that Santa was sad because he didn't think that he would be able to get to the girls because of the creek. So he asked Mr. Edwards to deliver the gifts and Mr. Edwards said he would. Mary and Laura each recieved tin cups, a candy cane, heart shaped cakes sprinkled with white sugar. and a penny.

Who do you think would benefit from reading this book?

I think any young child, especially those children who are interested in our country's history and how it was settled would heartily enjoy these books. The copy that I own, was once my aunt's, and it just goes to show a love for books can be passed down from generations.

Do you see any problems arising from reading this book?

I currently do not forsee any problems arising from reading this book.

What was your reaction?

I have not read this book in quite some time and it was nice to read it again. The 'Little House' books used to be some of my favorites when I was little and it reminded me of one of my other favorite books in the series, Farmer Boy.

The Hardy Boys Case Files: The Crowning Terror

The Hardy Boys Case Files: The Crowning Terror
Written By: Franklin W. Dixon
Siomn and Schuster Children's Publishing
July 1987
Pages: 154

Summary

This is definitely one of my favorite Hardy Boys mysteries. Frank and Joe want to have lunch with their uncle, but when they try to do so, their Unlce Hugh is kidnapped and Joe and Frank are suddenly in trouble with the U.S. Espionage Unit. A certain special agent is totally bent on proving that Uncle Hugh is a traitor and he thinks that the boys helped him to escape. And a woman named Charity appearson Uncle Hugh's trail and to make things even more complicated yet again, Frank and Joe are being tailed by two different gangs who want to kill them! The rest of the novel follows Frank, Joe and Uncle Hugh's adventures and how they miraculously come out for the better.

Who would benefit from reading this book?

I think anyone who enjoys a good mystery or especially Nancy Drew or any of the other Hardy Boys mysteries would love this book. It is especially adventurous and fast paced.

What problems do you see arising from reading this book?

The hardy boys and their Uncle are always involved in extremely suspenseful and dangerous situations that involve doing harm to others and running from murderers. This might disturb some young readers.

What was your reaction?

The book was awesome! It's a hardy boys mystery, need I say more? It has adverture, danger and intrigue rolled all up into one!

Children Just Like Me

Children Just Like Me
By Anabel and Barnabas Kindersley
DK Publishing Inc.
September 1995
Ages: 8-11 years of age.
Pages: 79

Summary

This is a wonderful informational children's book that displays children from all around the world and tells of their friends, family, favorite foods and activities. It has great pictures of all of the children and where they live and their families, etc.

Who would benefit from reading this book?

I think all children and adults alike would benefit from reading this book. It is extremely informative without being boring. It is bright, colorful and very interesting with eye catching images that would catch the interest of any reader.

What problems do you see arising from this book?

I currentlydo not see any problems arising from reading this book.

What was your reaction?

I really enjoyed reading this book. It was extremely informative and I loved all of the wonderful photographs.

The Story of Ruby Bridges

The Story of Ruby Bridges
Written By: Robert Coles, Illustrated By: George Ford
Scholastic Inc.
June 2004
Ages: 7-10 years of age.

Summary

Ruby Bridges grew up during the most tumultuous times of the civil rights movement; she was the first African-American child to attend an all Caucasian elementary school. And everyone in the town was against it. Everyday Ruby had to be escorted into school by the U.S. Marshalls amongst people who threatened to kill her and do harm to her, but she instead prayed for them and the mean things that they said to her. And to top things off, no other children would go to school because Ruby was going to school and only one teacher stayed to teach her.

Who would benefit from reading this book?

I think all children would benefit from reading this book. It shows what can happen when you follow your dreams despite what other people say and think of you. It is a valuable book that teaches children about the civil rights movement without being to graphic.

What problems do you see arising from reading this book?

Children might be disturbed from the treatment that young Ruby recieves from the adults that taunt her when she goes to school.

What was your reaction?

I liked this book. I am very interested in the civil rights movement and I was overjoyed to find a children's book that is able to explain the trials of it without being too graphic for children. It is extremely educational.

The Great Gilly Hopkins

The Great Gilly Hopkins
Written By: Katherine Paterson
HarperCollins Publishers
June 1987
Ages: 9-12
Pages: 178

Summary

The Great Gilly Hopkins is an Eleven year old foster child who is determined to be against the world. She is brilliantly smart, but uses her smarts to get what she wants and to get herself booted from several different foster homes. As a frim last resort, Gilly's social worker sends her to live with a loving, wonderful, albeit illiterate and very overweight woman and a little boy who also lives there, William Ernest. Through different actions, such as stealing, swearing and being harmfully mean and racist. Gilly's (Galadriel) greatest wish is to be rescued by her mother. Gilly ends up writing a riduclously embellished letter about the conditions at her new foster home to her mother and it gets way out of hand. Gilly never expected to come to lover Trotter and William Ernest but she does and when she does, her grandmother comes to take her away permantly, believing the outlandish lies in Gilly's Letter. Gilly is sorely disappointed when she discovers what her mother is really like and is devastated because she has built her up so much. But in order to make Trotter proud Gilly puts on a stiff upper lip and confidently goes forward with what life has given her. " 'Sorry to make you wait...I'm ready to go home now.' No clouds of glory, perhaps, but Trotter would be proud.' "

Who Would Benefit from reading this book?

I think despite some of it's content and Gilly's attitude, that every child would benefit from reading this book. I think this because it shows that life is just not all fun and games, it has trials too, but those trials don't keep you from enjoying life and that you can work to get what you want. It teaches children good values.

What problems do you see this book causing?

Gilly is not like a typical eleven year old. She speaks her mind regardless of what situation she's in and does what she likes and says what she likes with no respect to authority. Children might get the wrong idea and copy Gilly's attitude.

What was your reaction from this book?

Despite my surprise at reading this book for the first time, I grew to enjoy it as I read it. It made me laugh and I love Gilly's brovado and cavalier and confident attitude.

Stargirl

Stargirl
Written By: Jerry Spinelli
Random House Children's Books
May 2004
Age Range: Young Adult
Pages: 186

Summary

Stargirl is a very unique story. It starts with a young boy named Leo who is in high school and he is BENT on trying to fit in, not caring what he has to do or who he has to shun in order to fit in. Then Stargirl comes along and changes everything. She is everything someone in high school tries to avoid; she is ridiculously odd, and different in a way that seems almost otherwordly. She dresses from different centuries and different genres, plays the ukelele to people who have birthdays, makes cards, decorate her desk in class, and above all, doesn't care what other people think. Leo soon falls for Stargirl, but soon discovers that hanging out with her and spending time with her and getting to know her isn't as perfect or as idealized or as easy as he expected to be. Stargirl changes the high school forever, sky-rocketing to popularity for her radical uniqueness, but then she is shunned for things which can't be explained, for being herself and for something that is not her fault. Leo has a hard time choosing between who he wants to be and who everyone else wants him to be. He and Stargirl go through several different experiences together which help them to discover that perhaps popularity isn't all it's cracked up to be.

Who would benefit from reading this book?

This book is definitely a coming of age story and anyone, male or female around the age of 12 turning thirteen, would appreciate this book. It teaches important lessons that may not be able to be learned or absorbed any other way. It shows that it's okay to be different and that life goes on and that you don't need people's approval to be who you really are.

What problems do you see this book causing?

This book could go either way; the kids reading it could be on stargirl's side, rooting for uniqueness or wishing she'd just stop what she was doing and try to fit it. The kids at the high school get to be particularly cruel and berating and some younger audiences might not like the content.

What was your reaction to this book?

This book was wonderful. I liked how it accurately portrayed the reaction of high school students, even though it might not have been very flattering. I think it's important for all people to understand what they are capable of and what you yourself are capable of.

Tuck Everlasting

Tuck Everlasting
Written By: Natalie Babbitt
Farrar, Straus and Giroux
January 1975
Ages:12 and up
Pages: 139

Summary

Tuck Everlasting is a book that I will never, ever forget reading. Tuck Everlasting starts out with the story of a young girl from a rich family named Winifred "Winnie" Foster. Winnie is tired of being told what to do, day in and day out; of being told how to dress, how to act and when and where it is appropriate to do things. So one day, Winnie sneaks out to the wood (which her father owns) across from the cottage where she lives and goes exploring. Winnie soon gets lost, but she then suddenly comes across a boy who appears to be about seventeen, drinking from a freshwater spring at the base of a big tree. Captivated by the young boy and fighting terrible thirst, Winnie approaches the boy and asks for a drink from it. Immediately terrified, the young boy, Jesse, staunchly refuses her a drink;coming up with all sorts of ridiculous excuses that just end up contradicting his actions. Angry and exhausted and from her excursions, winnie trys to push past Jesse and is suddenly swept up by someone on horseback. Before Winnie realizes what has happened, she has been kidnapped and then she finds out the miraculous story of the Tucks. A mother, a father and two boys, Jesse and Miles. They are immortal and the source of their immortality is the spring from which Jesse drank. The next few days are spent at the tucks house, explaining why winnie under any circumstances, CANNOT EVER tell anyone about the spring. Obviously, back home, Winnie has gone missing and her return is being negotiated by a cruel, coniving man in a yellow suit who knows the miraculous circumstances of the tucks. The man in the yellow suit will help return winnie in exchange for the deeds to the wood. One things leads to another and when the man in the yellow suit turns up and tries to take Winnie by force, Mae Tuck (the mother) clubs him over the head with a shotgun, inveitably killing him and earning a death sentence when the sheriff shows up in time just to see everything go down. Obviously, when Mae Tuck hangs, she will not die and so the rest of the book is how winnie manages to save Mae and break her out of jail.

Who would benefit from reading this book?

I would reccommend this book to anyone who would listen or stand still for me to do it. It is a book that everyone will enjoy, despite their literary genre preferance.

What problems do you see arising from this book?

The only thing I would have concern with in this book mostly has to do with the man in the yellow suit. He is cruel and coniving and uses blackmail in order to get what he wants, even threatening to murder Winnie or do harm to her if she doesn't come quietly. And of course, Mae Tuck unintentionally murders the man in the yellow suit when she is trying to protect winnie. Some children might not be comfortable with some of these types of themes.

What was your reaction?

I absolutely LOVE this book. I was first introduced to it in the fifth grade and have been in love with it ever since. It is a unique and tragically beautiful story that has the ability to pull people in and identify with the characters.