Take a photo of a barcode or cover
3.8 AVERAGE
3.8 AVERAGE
Winnie Foster is leaving. This is it. Really. She’s tired of her family, of always being stuck behind the fence. Then she hears the elf chimes in the wood next door and wanders out there to investigate.
A classic for a good reason, Babbitt’s story is equal parts wonder and dread, hope and despair.
A classic for a good reason, Babbitt’s story is equal parts wonder and dread, hope and despair.
I had to read this for school this year and i liked it. When i was like around 7 maybe i watched the movie with my sisters because one of them had to read it for school. i only remember bits and pieces of it so i didn't remember what happened. so when my teacher told me that we were reading it i guess i was happy. yeah, so when i read it with my class it took FOREVER to read. it wasn't a long book, but they dragged it on forever. i didn't really like the ending. i thought Winnie should have ended up with Jesse and not with some other random dude who i don't know name. I think it was good how Mae and tuck went to Winnie's grave so we knew what happened. I liked how Winnie gave the frog the water and then later on tuck said something like "that toad thinks hes going to live forever" after the toad hops in frount of there car.
This was a reread for a book club I am in, oh my how sweet was this book. I remember little bits from when I was younger and always get emotional at the end.
I love going back to reread books i enjoyed as a child and see if my POV has changed. In this case it did, I always wanted her to go and search this family as they really provided her another life vs the one she was living. Now I can see why she chose not to drink the water, I do wish we could have seen them stay in contact later in life after she got married vs. the ending where they did not get to reunite.
Such a cute story, so happy I went back to read this again.
I love going back to reread books i enjoyed as a child and see if my POV has changed. In this case it did, I always wanted her to go and search this family as they really provided her another life vs the one she was living. Now I can see why she chose not to drink the water, I do wish we could have seen them stay in contact later in life after she got married vs. the ending where they did not get to reunite.
Such a cute story, so happy I went back to read this again.
adventurous
emotional
reflective
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Alexis Bledel's narration, which is what inspired me to re-read this childhood favorite, was absolutely spot on. 10/10. So perfect. The book itself wasn't quite everything I remembered. Maybe I was conflating it with memories of the film or maybe I just aggrandized the scale of adventure, but this is very much the story of a child who is kidnapped and witnesses a murder, then sides with the killers because they told her a fairy story. Wild! And the whole Jesse Tuck sub-plot is far more creepy and cringey than romantic (though I do believe that was different in the film). Still a worthwhile read, and the opening lines are so iconic I've thought of them every summer for actual decades.
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
So many of the books that I loved as a kid were mentioned in The Read-Aloud Family, and I decided I just couldn't wait until Iain is old enough to read them again! This one wasn't really what I remember - I thought it was much more of an adventure than it turned out to be, but maybe the movie is different. Regardless, it's a very well written story with a meaningful message. I will definitely come back to this one in a decade or so!
Also, the book is set in the first week of August, so I picked this up at just the right time!
"Life's got to be lived, no matter how long or short. You got to take what comes. We just go along, like everybody else, one day at a time."
“Don't be afraid of death; be afraid of an unlived life. You don't have to live forever, you just have to live.”
Also, the book is set in the first week of August, so I picked this up at just the right time!
"Life's got to be lived, no matter how long or short. You got to take what comes. We just go along, like everybody else, one day at a time."
“Don't be afraid of death; be afraid of an unlived life. You don't have to live forever, you just have to live.”
I read this one to keep up with my fifth grader’s reading assignments. This was a thought-provoking theme, obviously. It was a little darker and more serious than I was expecting for a children’s selection. The author seems to favor detailed scenery descriptions when the reader is really anxious to find out what is to happen next. I’m sure this was done intentionally to draw out the suspense. All this said, It was well-done and kept my interest.
mysterious
reflective
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Really beautiful prose but I'm more nostalgic for the movie adaptation
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated