This one also posted only on my old self-hosted site. I had to include it here to complete the set! I’m always a little sad when I reach the end of a great series, no matter how many times I read it. Narnia is no exception. And The Last Battle certainly wraps up the series. It is […]
The Horse and His Boy (Chronicles of Narnia), by C.S. Lewis, 1954
Once again I’ve been delighted by my journey through Narnia with my son. Like all the others, we finished The Horse and His Boy in a week because neither of us wanted to put it down. (Though not moving on to math had something to do with it, too, I’m sure.) Though late in the series, this […]
The Magician's Nephew (Chronicles of Narnia), 1955
I published this post on my self-hosted blog last spring. Since the first five Narnia books are on this blog, I wanted to put this one here, too. I’m nearly done working my way through the Chronicles of Narnia with my son. This is the sixth and second-to-last book in the series. Oddly enough, it tells of […]
The Silver Chair, by C.S. Lewis, book review
The Silver Chair is my least favorite book in the Narnia series, but that by no means makes it junk. Eustace returns and brings with him a new character, a schoolmate by the name of Jill Pole. Immediately Aslan sets them a task: locate and rescue Prince Rilian, son of King Caspian, who was kidnapped ten […]
Prince Caspian (The Chronicles of Narnia, book two), by C.S. Lewis, 1951, Book Review
In this second Narnian installment, the four Pevensie children return to the magical land they once ruled, called back by Queen Susan’s horn. They land at the ruins of Cair Paravel just in time to free the Old Narnians from the evil, usurping King Miraz and put the rightful heir on the throne. For though […]
The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (The Chronicles of Narnia, book one), by C.S. Lewis, 1950
This spring I’m making my, golly, eighth or ninth journey through Narnia, but this time I’m taking along my son. We’re going to end the homeschool year by reading the entire series. He’s watched the movie before, but he’d never experienced the written version. It was a hit. We finished The Lion, the Witch and the […]
The Princess and Curdie, George MacDonald, 1883, Book Review
MMGM is a weekly meme hosted by middle grade author, Shannon Messenger. (Finally! A meme that fits perfectly with my content!) If you have never read The Princess and the Goblin, I’d recommend starting with my review of that book. This is the sequel, and nearly as good as the first. George MacDonald wrote in the Victorian […]
From the Mixed-up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler, by E. L. Konigsburg, 1967
Can you believe I’ve never read this book before? This Newbery winner is a heavy hitter, well-known and well-loved by the generation that grew up with it. Except me. But now I see why it has such a reputation. Claudia Kincade is a sixth grader who is so unhappy with the routine of her life […]
The Secret Garden, by Frances Hodgson Burnett, 1911, Book Review
This is an oldie but goodie. Within, young Mary Lennox has been raised in India, but her socialite parents had little to do with her. When they die in a cholera epidemic, she’s sent to live with her uncle in England. Unfortunately, Mary has become a sickly, ugly, and a nasty little tyrant. And misfortune […]
Peter and Wendy, by J. M. Barrie, 1911, Book Review
Who hasn’t grown up loving Peter Pan? I still enjoy the Disney movie, and just last year I took my kids to a high school production. Peter has prompted several excellent spinoff stories, such as the 1991 live action movie, Hook, and the Starcatchers children’s literature series. I haven’t seen the 2003 movie version, but I […]