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A review by sarah_reading_party
The Yellow House Mystery by Gertrude Chandler Warner
4.0
just finished this book with my son last night, and wow! lots of thoughts about this one. just a few thoughts, even though much could be said about this book...
1) a real mystery! at least, more of a mystery than surprise island. my son was just so into this book - would the children find bill? what is a hermit?
2) all the "indian" content is obviously problematic, as are the illustrations. but given the time period when this book was written, it makes sense. we had a nice chat about that.
3) as an adult - why in the world would joe and alice spend their honeymoon on a barn on surprise island?! oh my goodness noooo. obviously a bit of creative license, because who'd want to do that even in the 1940s??! and then they come home in a station wagon lololol!
4) and lastly, as an adult... the children were just so thrilled at finding bill and bringing him home. i can't imagine what that must have been like for margaret - living without her husband for 40 years and then suddenly having him turn up? oh what joy, but also the heartache of all those missing years...and their reunion was just glossed over with the children's excitement at being home and finding the money and getting to fix up the yellow house on surprise island. i get that they are children and therefore are self-centered, but man...what a reunion to be glossed over!
1) a real mystery! at least, more of a mystery than surprise island. my son was just so into this book - would the children find bill? what is a hermit?
2) all the "indian" content is obviously problematic, as are the illustrations. but given the time period when this book was written, it makes sense. we had a nice chat about that.
3) as an adult - why in the world would joe and alice spend their honeymoon on a barn on surprise island?! oh my goodness noooo. obviously a bit of creative license, because who'd want to do that even in the 1940s??! and then they come home in a station wagon lololol!
4) and lastly, as an adult... the children were just so thrilled at finding bill and bringing him home. i can't imagine what that must have been like for margaret - living without her husband for 40 years and then suddenly having him turn up? oh what joy, but also the heartache of all those missing years...and their reunion was just glossed over with the children's excitement at being home and finding the money and getting to fix up the yellow house on surprise island. i get that they are children and therefore are self-centered, but man...what a reunion to be glossed over!