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Monthly Archives: February 2012
Welcome to Silver Street Farm by Nicola Davies
The friends don’t agree on when their dream began. Was it that day on the merry-go-round, or when Auntie Nat bought two poodles, or on the first day of kindergarten? Whenever the idea first took root, Gemma, Meera, and Karl long to start a farm right in their city of Lonchester. However, that is easier said than done when they: 1) don’t have any animals, and 2) have no place to keep them.
Things begin to change one day when Meera joins her friends on the merry-go-round in the park with big news: an abandoned railroad station is the perfect location. Despite her companions’ concerns that the city council would never agree to the plan, the natural leader of the trio leads the hopeful farmers on an expedition to the station. Meanwhile, Karl’s Auntie Nat finds her dream of owning poodles about to be realized: someone is selling two puppies for a price she can afford. After she returns home with her treasures, the sleeping babies in the pet carrier awaken–and, to Auntie Nat’s surprise, open their mouths and say “Baa!” And the menagerie grows when five “rotten” duck eggs that have come into Gemma’s possession turn into five little ducklings.
Posted in book reviews, books, reading
Tagged animals, books, chickens, Children's Books, cities, dogs, ducks, farm animals, friends, friendship, goats, humorous books, sheep
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Heart of a Samurai by Margi Preus
Fourteen-year-old Manjiro is a fisherman from a family of fishermen. In nineteenth-century Japan, that is all he can aspire to be. But this truth does not stop him from dreaming about being a samurai: a member of the noble knightly class.
One day, while Manjiro is on a fishing expedition with three companions, the weather turns foul. After the tempest sinks their boat, the fishermen swim to a small, uninhabited island. An American whaling vessel rescues the foursome, and the captain, William Whitfield, offers to take them home with him. Manjiro’s friends, thinking, like all Japanese, that Americans are barbarians, refuse. The teen, however, knowing that it is forbidden for any Japanese citizen to return home once he has left his homeland, accepts the captain’s offer.
So begins Manjiro’s ten-year odyssey. Adopted by Captain Whitfield, the young man learns English, becomes a skilled whaler and sailor, and becomes the first known Japanese person to set foot in America. Manjiro is determined to be successful in his new home, battling prejudice and misunderstanding even as he dreams of returning to Japan and his family some day. And by dint of hard work and remaining true to his goal, Manjiro realizes not only this dream but an earlier, impossible one, as well.
Posted in book reviews, books, reading
Tagged 19th century, adventure, books, family, fishermen, friendship, historical fiction, Japan, prejudice, teen fiction, whaling, young adult fiction
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Ruby Holler by Sharon Creech
Dallas and Florida are twins. As far back as they can remember, the thirteen-year-olds have been residents of the Boxton Creek Home for Children (except for a few unfortunate experiences when they briefly lived in foster homes that were the stuff of nightmares.) Living under the doubtful care of the Trepids–who have labeled the siblings the Trouble Twins–is no picnic. As time passes, their dream of having a real, loving home is fading fast.
One day, an elderly couple enters the Boxton Home looking for two children to accompany them on a trip. Two trips, actually: Tiller and Sairy and planning separate adventures, and they think Dallas and Florida would be ideal companions. So the twins find themselves on the way to Ruby Holler, the wonderful place where Tiller and Sairy grew up and raised their children.
Posted in book reviews, books, reading
Tagged adventure, books, brothers and sisters, Children's Books, family, foster children, foster parents, rural, siblings, twins
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