kimlynne 's review for:

The Water Babies by Charles Kingsley

2.0

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Read for the Read Harder 2018 challenge - a children's classic published before 1980. On my shelf for a long time...I had picked it up hoping for something Oz-like. Nope. Just a very dated, very preachy, kind of lame book - the kind of book an adult would write for kids who really doesn't understand kids. Also, very reflective of the times in terms of prejudices (the Irish being the bad guy for this author). First published in 1863, this Facsimile Classic Series version described it as "one of the most enchanting children's classics of all time". Um.....nope I don't agree...not enchanting at all. The only reason it got two stars instead of one was because there were a few spots that surprised me in a good way...hints that raising a child with kindness and a balance of play and work and learning was good and beating, overworking, over teaching, etc. was bad. And maybe a hint of environmentalism. But overall...ugh.