This is the story of Lewis and Clark as told by Seaman, Captain Lewis’s Newfoundland dog who accompanied the Corps of Discovery on their epic journey to the Pacific Ocean in 1804-6. I’d seen this book before and was very intrigued. I love history. I’ve taught this subject several times for homeschool as each of […]
Redwall, by Brian Jacques
(I just got home from 2 weeks without internet. I’ve been off the grid and out of touch, but I’m back and trying to catch up!) 🙂 I’m very late to this party. Before there was Harry Potter (90’s), there was Redwall (80’s). Where was I? I thought perhaps I had read this long ago, […]
The Mosque Hill Fortune, by Vivienne Mathews
This is the tale of two otters, both sea captains, both strong and self-assured, both masters of their own crew. Marshall, son of the famous (and missing) relic hunter, is the darling of the Secoran navy, master of weaponry, loyal, honest, and stalwart. McKinley the Marauder, infamous pirate, quick on his feet, adaptable, brash, and […]
The Tale of Despereaux, by Kate DiCamillo
This is an ebook I borrowed from the library over spring break. I only grabbed it because I figured the eight I packed wouldn’t be enough and I knew it had won the Newbery (2004). It happened to pop up when I was randomly browsing the library website. I wasn’t searching for it. It didn’t […]
Kibble Talk, by Cynthia Port
I picked this one up on a whim, after meeting the author online (unbeknownst to her). I’m glad I did, and so are my boys. Kibble Talk is a cute story about a young girl named Tawny who discovers she can converse with her dog, Dinky, whenever she eats dog food. At the heart of […]
The One and Only Ivan, by Katherine Applegate, 2012
Ivan has lived at the Exit 8 Big Top Circus Mall since he was a juvenile gorilla, just off I-95 and under the billboard lauding “The One and Only Ivan.” His best friends include Stella, the aging elephant, Bob the stray dog, and Julia, the daughter of the janitor. But the Big Top isn’t faring […]
The Island Stallion, by Walter Farley, 1948, Book Review
After rereading The Black Stallion a few weeks ago (read my review), I had to revisit my second favorite book by Mr. Farley. This is the first of a companion series, one I put off reading as a child because after cruising through a dozen books featuring the Black, my loyalties were firmly entrenched. I […]
The Black Stallion, by Walter Farley, 1941, Book Review
I relived some of the best moments from my childhood over the last two weeks as I shared the all-time greatest book ever with my boys. As a young girl, I spent a good deal of time dreaming of horses. And much of the blame for that can be laid at the feet of Mr. […]
The Celery Stalks at Midnight, by James Howe, 1983, Book Review
Who knows what evil lurks in the hearts of artichokes? This title and catch phrase just cracked me up. This is the third in the Bunnicula series. It took only four days to read aloud, and my boys enjoyed it, but it isn’t quite the caliber of Howliday Inn, which isn’t quite the caliber of […]
Socks, by Beverly Cleary, 1973, Book Review
Socks is written in true Beverly Cleary style. The cat for whom the book is named was the Bricker’s only pet, pampered, loved and a little spoiled. But his mistress’ comfortable lap began to shrink, and then one day Mr. and Mrs. Bricker brought home a new pet. One that wailed and smelled funny and stole […]