Books Read in 2019: Four-Star Children's Lit and YA Fantasy
Children's
Stars Come Out Within by Jean Little. Synopsis from Google Books: Renowned author Jean Little describes her childhood with a visual impairment, the early death of her father, the shock of losing her remaining sight to glaucoma, and her battle with depression. A talking computer and her guide dog, Zephyr, brought her independence and freedom.
Stars Come Out Within by Jean Little. Synopsis from Google Books: Renowned author Jean Little describes her childhood with a visual impairment, the early death of her father, the shock of losing her remaining sight to glaucoma, and her battle with depression. A talking computer and her guide dog, Zephyr, brought her independence and freedom.
I pulled this off the shelf at work (school library) to read on my lunch break and then brought it home to finish it. I read Mine For Keeps when I was young, and can still remember scenes from it. This was, unsurprisingly, quite readable, written fairly simply for a younger audience but still engaging for an adult reader. I really like that the reason Little started writing books for children was that she wanted and could not find a disabled protagonist that didn't either die or get miraculously cured, so she wrote one. Her enduring humility and perseverance in the face of really unfair circumstances are admirable, and her descriptions of learning to work with a seeing-eye dog are heartwarming and hilarious by turns. Willow and Twig by Jean Little. Synopsis from Goodreads: Willow doesn't know what to do. Her mother has taken off again, she has to look after her brother Twig, and they're out on the streets of Vancouver with nowhere to go. Then Willow remembers her grandmother, whom she hasn't seen in years. Gram doesn't even know Twig exists, and Twig is, well, difficult. But Gram is her only hope now. After a few urgent phone calls from a police station in Vancouver to Ontario, Willow and Twig are on their way across the country to a grandmother they hardly know, and a strange household made up of an eccentric uncle, a hostile aunt, and a motley crew of animals. Willow is entranced by this new home-but is it really home? Are they safe at last? This is the only other Jean Little book we had at my Monday library, which is kind of a travesty to be honest, and I am working on getting more in. It's excellent. Heartwrenching without being too melodramatic, heartwarming without being cheesy, the bad people aren't cartoonishly bad and it really captures Willow's perspective. I feel like a middle-grader could read this and get a lot out of it. The Tale of Despereaux by Kate DiCamillo. Synopsis from Goodreads: A brave mouse, a covetous rat, a wishful serving girl, and a princess named Pea come together in Kate DiCamillo's Newbery Medal–winning tale. Welcome to the story of Despereaux Tilling, a mouse who is in love with music, stories, and a princess named Pea. It is also the story of a rat called Roscuro, who lives in the darkness and covets a world filled with light. And it is the story of Miggery Sow, a slow-witted serving girl who harbors a simple, impossible wish. These three characters are about to embark on a journey that will lead them down into a horrible dungeon, up into a glittering castle, and, ultimately, into each other's lives. What happens then? As Kate DiCamillo would say: Reader, it is your destiny to find out.
|
Comments