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3.57 AVERAGE
3.57 AVERAGE
Well, I read this for Rory Reading Challenge and I'm not too fond of any of the characters.
1.5/5 which is only because the descriptions of tiny things are cute. Honestly, Stuart is insufferable at times and everyone kinda sucks. There was no plot really and then it just ends? For no reason? Didn't even resolve his conflict which wasn't even introduced until the last third of the book.
So maybe it is just out of its time but this book was so all over the place it's like it have bipolar disorder. It had a somewhat coherent story line but would go on weird tangent for a chapter or so that had no point to the story what so ever. It was okay my son liked it enough to be interested in the sequel but I thought it was a bit all over the place.
adventurous
funny
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
The premise of this book was much stranger than I remember as a kid. I liked the movie and never really had much of an issue with it. I'm not sure if it is because I was reading it or because I'm nearly 20, but it wasn't really enjoyable.
Charleston and I both loved our reading of Charlotte’s Web so much that when he requested we choose another of E.B. White’s books as our next read-aloud, it was an easy YES! Though this book has been on my radar since my own school years, I somehow had never read it. It tells the story of Stuart, who gave his parents the surprise of their lives when he was born into their family—because they are all human and he is a mouse! And a rather dapper and precocious mouse at that! Stuart’s size and appearance present many challenges for the Little family, but they make necessary accommodations, and by the time Stuart is seven years old he is independent, conscientious, kind-hearted, and adventurous.
When Stuart’s best friend, a songbird named Magalo, is forced to flee after the the Littles’ pet cat, Snowbell, determines to eat her, Stuart sets off after the bird. Stuart’s adventure sees him borrowing an invisible car, becoming a substitute teacher for a small-town classroom, and courting a teenager girl who happens to be just Stuart’s size.
I adored the character of Stuart and appreciated the honorable character attributes he exhibits of loyalty, persistence, resilience, courage, resourcefulness, curiosity, and kindness. Stuart and his adventures set the stage for some great book chats with Charleston, and the story itself offered plenty of laughs. I was surprised by (and didn’t love) the odd blend of fantasy and realism: like Charlotte’s Web, this is a very realistic story with just one aspect (in this case, Stuart’s mouse-ness) being fantastical. I can’t quite name why this worked so well for me in Charlotte’s Web and not here; it wasn’t an issue for Charleston (or for millions of other Stuart Little fans over the years, obviously!) so it might just have been a matter of mood while reading.
Other aspects of the novel I didn’t love were the inconclusive ending and the strange shift that occurs mid-book from family story to adventure tale; it almost felt as though this should have been two separate novels entirely. For his part, Charleston hated the cliffhanger end and cried about the lack of resolution. (He solved this by writing his own ending and taping it to the back of our copy of the book.)
While this didn’t have the same charm as Charlotte’s Web, there is no denying that Stuart Little is a sweet story with some lovely themes of family, friendship, and learning to make one’s way in the world. I’m glad Charleston and I got to savor this classic together, even if it wasn’t a read-aloud favorite.
My Book Rating: 4 Stars // Charleston’s Rating: 3.5 Stars // Book Format: Print
When Stuart’s best friend, a songbird named Magalo, is forced to flee after the the Littles’ pet cat, Snowbell, determines to eat her, Stuart sets off after the bird. Stuart’s adventure sees him borrowing an invisible car, becoming a substitute teacher for a small-town classroom, and courting a teenager girl who happens to be just Stuart’s size.
I adored the character of Stuart and appreciated the honorable character attributes he exhibits of loyalty, persistence, resilience, courage, resourcefulness, curiosity, and kindness. Stuart and his adventures set the stage for some great book chats with Charleston, and the story itself offered plenty of laughs. I was surprised by (and didn’t love) the odd blend of fantasy and realism: like Charlotte’s Web, this is a very realistic story with just one aspect (in this case, Stuart’s mouse-ness) being fantastical. I can’t quite name why this worked so well for me in Charlotte’s Web and not here; it wasn’t an issue for Charleston (or for millions of other Stuart Little fans over the years, obviously!) so it might just have been a matter of mood while reading.
Other aspects of the novel I didn’t love were the inconclusive ending and the strange shift that occurs mid-book from family story to adventure tale; it almost felt as though this should have been two separate novels entirely. For his part, Charleston hated the cliffhanger end and cried about the lack of resolution. (He solved this by writing his own ending and taping it to the back of our copy of the book.)
While this didn’t have the same charm as Charlotte’s Web, there is no denying that Stuart Little is a sweet story with some lovely themes of family, friendship, and learning to make one’s way in the world. I’m glad Charleston and I got to savor this classic together, even if it wasn’t a read-aloud favorite.
My Book Rating: 4 Stars // Charleston’s Rating: 3.5 Stars // Book Format: Print
adventurous
Enjoyable but strange. The set up is a stretch, but there is not anything problematic enough to not read to the four year old. We enjoyed some chapters, but the end is getting a bit boring and more rambling.
What a weird fever dream of a book.
Once in a while when consuming children’s content I am surprised how mature it is. Stuart Little is one such item. I would have expected that ending to come from someone like Hemingway or Steinbeck and not the author of Charlotte’s Web.
Once in a while when consuming children’s content I am surprised how mature it is. Stuart Little is one such item. I would have expected that ending to come from someone like Hemingway or Steinbeck and not the author of Charlotte’s Web.
I know this is a children’s book about a talking mouse who has assimilated to human society with little to no complications, but even so Stuart is a weird AF lil dude. My 4 year old loved it though.