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467 reviews
What's the Big Idea? by Annie Barrows
3.0
In my opinion, this book is one of the better ones, more in the league of Book 3 ("Break the Fossil Record") and Book 9 ("Make the Rules"), the other books in the series that I consider 3 1/2 stars.
I really like Ms. Aruba-Tate. She's such a great teacher. I loved the way she put words to the way the class was feeling (on page 33): "I'm hearing that you are very worried about global warming. I'm feeling sorry that you're worried, but I'm also feeling glad that you care so much about the earth."
The entire school is having a science fair, and everyone in Ms. Aruba-Tate's class needs to come up with an idea on how to solve the global warming problem. Ivy and Bean's classmates came up with some pretty amusing ideas, and I have to say, Ivy and Bean's final idea was creative while also making a good point.
I like that this book shows the girls engaged in science, and it also introduces an important real-life issue. At one point, Ivy mentions "Lisa Something", and once again, I wondered why the actual historical figure (in this case, Lise Meitner, a woman who helped discover nuclear fission) wasn't mentioned by name. (Book 5 - "Bound to be Bad" - neglects to mention St. Francis of Assisi by name.) As it turned out, though, Lise Meitner was identified in the book's appendix, in which the author further discussed global warming. I thought the Q & A format of the appendix was effective, and that the book was enhanced by the additional information provided.
In this book, I was pleased to see Bean entertain herself using only her natural curiosity for life science. She diligently observes some ants, and she even conducts something of an experiment. (At first, I thought her experiment was a little bit cruel, especially considering the way she seemed to admire the ants, but towards the end of the book, she showed that she understood the outcome of her experiment. On page 95, Bean knows, in regards to ants, "They looked so sure of themselves, but...if she dripped water on them, they'd go nuts.")
On page 96, Ivy and Bean even articulate a pretty valid lesson for adults that I can appreciate: "What really freaks grown-ups out is not being in charge... Grown-ups and ants are a lot alike. If they relaxed a little, they'd have a better time."
As usual, though, the book falls short of a higher rating from me because of its inclusion of mean-spiritedness and disregard for safety. Ivy and Bean's neighbor Katy plays a game called Bad Orphanage, which seemed to have no redeeming value at all. At least games of "cops and robbers" have nominal "bad guys", but Katy was just bullying poor, helpless orphans! And at another point in the story, Ivy and Bean wildly wield hammers unsupervised.
I really like Ms. Aruba-Tate. She's such a great teacher. I loved the way she put words to the way the class was feeling (on page 33): "I'm hearing that you are very worried about global warming. I'm feeling sorry that you're worried, but I'm also feeling glad that you care so much about the earth."
The entire school is having a science fair, and everyone in Ms. Aruba-Tate's class needs to come up with an idea on how to solve the global warming problem. Ivy and Bean's classmates came up with some pretty amusing ideas, and I have to say, Ivy and Bean's final idea was creative while also making a good point.
I like that this book shows the girls engaged in science, and it also introduces an important real-life issue. At one point, Ivy mentions "Lisa Something", and once again, I wondered why the actual historical figure (in this case, Lise Meitner, a woman who helped discover nuclear fission) wasn't mentioned by name. (Book 5 - "Bound to be Bad" - neglects to mention St. Francis of Assisi by name.) As it turned out, though, Lise Meitner was identified in the book's appendix, in which the author further discussed global warming. I thought the Q & A format of the appendix was effective, and that the book was enhanced by the additional information provided.
In this book, I was pleased to see Bean entertain herself using only her natural curiosity for life science. She diligently observes some ants, and she even conducts something of an experiment. (At first, I thought her experiment was a little bit cruel, especially considering the way she seemed to admire the ants, but towards the end of the book, she showed that she understood the outcome of her experiment. On page 95, Bean knows, in regards to ants, "They looked so sure of themselves, but...if she dripped water on them, they'd go nuts.")
On page 96, Ivy and Bean even articulate a pretty valid lesson for adults that I can appreciate: "What really freaks grown-ups out is not being in charge... Grown-ups and ants are a lot alike. If they relaxed a little, they'd have a better time."
As usual, though, the book falls short of a higher rating from me because of its inclusion of mean-spiritedness and disregard for safety. Ivy and Bean's neighbor Katy plays a game called Bad Orphanage, which seemed to have no redeeming value at all. At least games of "cops and robbers" have nominal "bad guys", but Katy was just bullying poor, helpless orphans! And at another point in the story, Ivy and Bean wildly wield hammers unsupervised.
Ereth's Birthday by Avi
4.0
My favorite of the series so far.
Ereth is a (hilariously) cantankerous old curmudgeon of a porcupine with a hidden heart of gold. Up until now, Ereth has always been the protector, keeping Poppy safe with his quills. But in this book, the perspective shifts as Ereth is hunted by a fisher.
Like previous books in series, there are a couple themes and lessons: "Don't be disrespectful or cruel to nature." "Helping others is its own reward." Still, this installment is not nearly as allegorical as the earlier books, and I liked that I could enjoy the book for its pure entertainment value.
Again, I found myself thinking that this book might be better suited for older elementary school readers, maybe 2nd or 3rd through 5th graders. Like Poppy, this book contains a somewhat graphic description of an anthropomorphized animal's death, and the follow-up scene, in which the dead fox's children learn of their mother's death, is pretty emotional. There's also an egotistical, absentee father, which doesn't fit the "happy family" mold usually depicted in children's books.
One thing I found particularly interesting in this book was its portrayal of several different perspectives, perhaps showing young readers that the world is a complex place. Marty the fisher is carnivorous, and he hunts Ereth, yet he gets angry when the human hunters' trap kills Leaper the fox. The animals, though predator and prey of each other, are united against the common enemy of man.
Also, though Ereth starts out pretty antagonistic towards meat eaters - on page 49 he says, "All meat eaters are jerks!" - he eventually accepts that the fox kits eat meat. I actually wondered if there might be a vegetarian agenda in this book, but then realized that it's probably just really difficult to be sympathetic towards carnivores in a book of anthropomorphized animals. In light of that reality, it's pretty remarkable that Ereth, an herbivorous porcupine whose best friends are mice, came to befriend carnivorous foxes who eat mice. (Though rest assured, per Ereth's request, they agree to give up mice.)
Ereth is a (hilariously) cantankerous old curmudgeon of a porcupine with a hidden heart of gold. Up until now, Ereth has always been the protector, keeping Poppy safe with his quills. But in this book, the perspective shifts as Ereth is hunted by a fisher.
Like previous books in series, there are a couple themes and lessons: "Don't be disrespectful or cruel to nature." "Helping others is its own reward." Still, this installment is not nearly as allegorical as the earlier books, and I liked that I could enjoy the book for its pure entertainment value.
Again, I found myself thinking that this book might be better suited for older elementary school readers, maybe 2nd or 3rd through 5th graders. Like Poppy, this book contains a somewhat graphic description of an anthropomorphized animal's death, and the follow-up scene, in which the dead fox's children learn of their mother's death, is pretty emotional. There's also an egotistical, absentee father, which doesn't fit the "happy family" mold usually depicted in children's books.
One thing I found particularly interesting in this book was its portrayal of several different perspectives, perhaps showing young readers that the world is a complex place. Marty the fisher is carnivorous, and he hunts Ereth, yet he gets angry when the human hunters' trap kills Leaper the fox. The animals, though predator and prey of each other, are united against the common enemy of man.
Also, though Ereth starts out pretty antagonistic towards meat eaters - on page 49 he says, "All meat eaters are jerks!" - he eventually accepts that the fox kits eat meat. I actually wondered if there might be a vegetarian agenda in this book, but then realized that it's probably just really difficult to be sympathetic towards carnivores in a book of anthropomorphized animals. In light of that reality, it's pretty remarkable that Ereth, an herbivorous porcupine whose best friends are mice, came to befriend carnivorous foxes who eat mice. (Though rest assured, per Ereth's request, they agree to give up mice.)
Ramona Quimby, Age 8 by Beverly Cleary
4.0
In this book, Ramona is in third grade, and she starts to mature. There's a boy in her class who could have become a bully to her, but with the right attitude and some clever thinking, she managed to turn the relationship into one of respectful teasing. She doesn't cause as much trouble in this book, which on the one hand makes for less interesting reading, but on the other hand makes me feel (as a parent!) hopeful that the difficult behavior I see in Isabelle really might just be, at least in part, a function of her age. :P
While Ramona had had misunderstandings with her teachers before, this time, it becomes personal, and for the first time, Ramona struggles with the idea that some people - even grown-ups - actually might not like her.
As usual, Beverly Cleary effectively gets inside Ramona's head, and you get a good sense of what really matters in the world of a third grader.
As for Isabelle, she says she liked the part when Ramona made a cat mask for her oral book report. In the books, Ramona is very creative and artistic, and when she gets assigned an oral book report, she comes up with a really clever way of doing it. She throws herself into her project and is proud of her work. Even if Isabelle only remembered this part of the book because of the silliness factor, it's nice that it also had a have-fun-with-your-work-and-be-proud-of-what-you-can-do component.
While Ramona had had misunderstandings with her teachers before, this time, it becomes personal, and for the first time, Ramona struggles with the idea that some people - even grown-ups - actually might not like her.
As usual, Beverly Cleary effectively gets inside Ramona's head, and you get a good sense of what really matters in the world of a third grader.
As for Isabelle, she says she liked the part when Ramona made a cat mask for her oral book report. In the books, Ramona is very creative and artistic, and when she gets assigned an oral book report, she comes up with a really clever way of doing it. She throws herself into her project and is proud of her work. Even if Isabelle only remembered this part of the book because of the silliness factor, it's nice that it also had a have-fun-with-your-work-and-be-proud-of-what-you-can-do component.
The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams
3.0
Yeah, I don't know. I read this book back in middle school, I think, maybe early high school, and I do remember thinking it was funny. I remember my cousin being enthusiastic when I told him I was reading it, and him saying he laughed out loud at parts. I've just re-read it for the first time, and I did chuckle to myself a few times. There were certainly a handful of one-liners that I thought were especially clever, but I wasn't rolling on the floor laughing like I thought I would be. Mostly this book is just plain silly. A light and fun read, though I have to admit, considering how light and fun it is, I'm surprised at how long it took me to finish it.
Burning Bright by Ron Rash
4.0
This is my first time reading Ron Rash, and I imagine it might be a decent introduction. At least, I feel like I wouldn't mind reading more of his work.
This collection of twelve short stories focuses on the Appalachia region of the United States. Main characters and their experiences are varied: a young boy whose parents are meth addicts ("The Ascent"), an older woman whose husband may or may not be an arsonist ("Burning Bright"), a middle-aged white collar professional man who can't shake his blue collar roots ("The Corpse Bird"), a young woman who is trying to hold down the farm while her husband is at war ("Lincolnites"). A wide range of time periods is covered as well, from the Civil War ("Lincolnites") to the Great Depression ("Hard Times") to modern day.
"Hard Times", "Back of Beyond", and "The Ascent" - three of the first four stories in the collection - are the most intense. I was almost wary about reading the rest, afraid they would all leave me feeling like I was suffocating from the weight of poverty and meth addiction. These stories paint stark portraits of hard-scrabble lives in which happiness is a distant memory and hope is nonexistent.
The stories do lighten up - a bit - but the somber tone continues, and every character faces hardship. Sometimes it's personal, sometimes it's financial, and in more than one case, law enforcement gets involved. In my mind, only two stories offer any sense of hope: "Return" and "Waiting for the End of the World". Most of the time, main characters' lives go downhill, and I kept hoping to see some kind of survivor's grit that would save them. I think I caught a glimpse of it in "Into the Gorge", and an even better look in "Lincolnites".
Each story is well-crafted, but the author seems to have a penchant for open-endedness. In several cases, the lack of a resolution left me wanting to know more, and in a couple other cases (again, "Return" and "Waiting for the End of the World"), the work just seemed less of a "story" and perhaps more of a "scenario".
The subject matter in this collection certainly makes for compelling reading. But it can also be kind of depressing. This is a good read, but don't expect too much warmth or optimism.
This collection of twelve short stories focuses on the Appalachia region of the United States. Main characters and their experiences are varied: a young boy whose parents are meth addicts ("The Ascent"), an older woman whose husband may or may not be an arsonist ("Burning Bright"), a middle-aged white collar professional man who can't shake his blue collar roots ("The Corpse Bird"), a young woman who is trying to hold down the farm while her husband is at war ("Lincolnites"). A wide range of time periods is covered as well, from the Civil War ("Lincolnites") to the Great Depression ("Hard Times") to modern day.
"Hard Times", "Back of Beyond", and "The Ascent" - three of the first four stories in the collection - are the most intense. I was almost wary about reading the rest, afraid they would all leave me feeling like I was suffocating from the weight of poverty and meth addiction. These stories paint stark portraits of hard-scrabble lives in which happiness is a distant memory and hope is nonexistent.
The stories do lighten up - a bit - but the somber tone continues, and every character faces hardship. Sometimes it's personal, sometimes it's financial, and in more than one case, law enforcement gets involved. In my mind, only two stories offer any sense of hope: "Return" and "Waiting for the End of the World". Most of the time, main characters' lives go downhill, and I kept hoping to see some kind of survivor's grit that would save them. I think I caught a glimpse of it in "Into the Gorge", and an even better look in "Lincolnites".
Each story is well-crafted, but the author seems to have a penchant for open-endedness. In several cases, the lack of a resolution left me wanting to know more, and in a couple other cases (again, "Return" and "Waiting for the End of the World"), the work just seemed less of a "story" and perhaps more of a "scenario".
The subject matter in this collection certainly makes for compelling reading. But it can also be kind of depressing. This is a good read, but don't expect too much warmth or optimism.
Poppy's Return by Brian Floca, Avi
2.0
*** Warning: This review contains SPOILERS!! ***
I continue to like Poppy, the character. She is thoughtful and level-headed, and has a nice calming presence.
The major theme in this book is family. I like that we see a bit of Poppy's insecurities as a parent. Perhaps some young readers, who may be inclined to be as disrespectful to their own parents as Junior is to his, will see that that sort of behavior is hurtful and unnecessary.
Some lessons from this book: "Treat your parents respectfully." "Don't take your family for granted."
It seemed to me, though, that the author simply recycled some of the family drama from Poppy and Rye. In that book, Rye's family home is threatened (by beavers), and the whole family looks for first-born Ragweed to come and save the day. In this book, Poppy's family home, Gray House, is threatened (by a bulldozer), and the whole family looks for first-born Poppy to come and save the day. In both cases, the potential contributions of the second-born children (Rye and Lilly, respectively), who are ready and willing to step up, are overlooked.
Still, this book does explore family dynamics a bit more than Poppy and Rye. Junior's relationship with his parents is strained. Even though Poppy yearns for a better relationship with Junior, her own relationship with her parents is strained as well. We see that while Poppy doesn't always agree with her parents, she still has a sense of filial piety - she can disagree with her parents while still being respectful. Unfortunately, I'm not sure that Junior learned this lesson. While he does manage to get along with Poppy's father Lungwort, he does not give up his troublesome behavior - belching, swearing ("freaking"), and causing trouble without feeling any remorse. While it's good that he and Poppy are eventually able to come to a better understanding of each other, I wish Junior could have exhibited a bit more growth and learned to behave more maturely. When it comes right down to it, for me, Junior was not a likable character.
I did like Mephitis the skunk, and his perspective - being alone without a family, and wanting to have one - certainly added to the family theme. Somehow, though, he seemed to always be on the sidelines of the story. He was a good supporting character, but I still wish his role had been bigger.
Certainly Mephitis, like Ereth, played a role in the resolution of the story, but I couldn't help but feel that the ending was just too contrived. I really didn't see the point of Junior, Mephitis, and Ereth being the ones ultimately responsible for bulldozing Gray House, especially since Junior didn't learn anything from the experience. What was gained by that outcome? Why not leave it up to the humans? If the author was trying to set up an ending in which the house was not completely destroyed, and the humans would not come back to clean up the mess, that ending could still have been achieved with the red mice smelling like skunk scaring the driver away after the house is knocked down, but not totaled.
Come to think of it, it wasn't just the ending - the whole story was too manufactured. The whole time I was reading the book, I kept asking, "Why don't they all just move to New House?!?!" This most obvious solution was mentioned a couple times, but pushed aside without a convincing reason.
One final tidbit: The mice's use of "wicked" as an adverb, e.g., "wicked scary", makes me think that Dimwood Forest must be not too far from Boston!
I continue to like Poppy, the character. She is thoughtful and level-headed, and has a nice calming presence.
The major theme in this book is family. I like that we see a bit of Poppy's insecurities as a parent. Perhaps some young readers, who may be inclined to be as disrespectful to their own parents as Junior is to his, will see that that sort of behavior is hurtful and unnecessary.
Some lessons from this book: "Treat your parents respectfully." "Don't take your family for granted."
It seemed to me, though, that the author simply recycled some of the family drama from Poppy and Rye. In that book, Rye's family home is threatened (by beavers), and the whole family looks for first-born Ragweed to come and save the day. In this book, Poppy's family home, Gray House, is threatened (by a bulldozer), and the whole family looks for first-born Poppy to come and save the day. In both cases, the potential contributions of the second-born children (Rye and Lilly, respectively), who are ready and willing to step up, are overlooked.
Still, this book does explore family dynamics a bit more than Poppy and Rye. Junior's relationship with his parents is strained. Even though Poppy yearns for a better relationship with Junior, her own relationship with her parents is strained as well. We see that while Poppy doesn't always agree with her parents, she still has a sense of filial piety - she can disagree with her parents while still being respectful. Unfortunately, I'm not sure that Junior learned this lesson. While he does manage to get along with Poppy's father Lungwort, he does not give up his troublesome behavior - belching, swearing ("freaking"), and causing trouble without feeling any remorse. While it's good that he and Poppy are eventually able to come to a better understanding of each other, I wish Junior could have exhibited a bit more growth and learned to behave more maturely. When it comes right down to it, for me, Junior was not a likable character.
I did like Mephitis the skunk, and his perspective - being alone without a family, and wanting to have one - certainly added to the family theme. Somehow, though, he seemed to always be on the sidelines of the story. He was a good supporting character, but I still wish his role had been bigger.
Certainly Mephitis, like Ereth, played a role in the resolution of the story, but I couldn't help but feel that the ending was just too contrived. I really didn't see the point of Junior, Mephitis, and Ereth being the ones ultimately responsible for bulldozing Gray House, especially since Junior didn't learn anything from the experience. What was gained by that outcome? Why not leave it up to the humans? If the author was trying to set up an ending in which the house was not completely destroyed, and the humans would not come back to clean up the mess, that ending could still have been achieved with the red mice smelling like skunk scaring the driver away after the house is knocked down, but not totaled.
Come to think of it, it wasn't just the ending - the whole story was too manufactured. The whole time I was reading the book, I kept asking, "Why don't they all just move to New House?!?!" This most obvious solution was mentioned a couple times, but pushed aside without a convincing reason.
One final tidbit: The mice's use of "wicked" as an adverb, e.g., "wicked scary", makes me think that Dimwood Forest must be not too far from Boston!
Ruby the Red Fairy by Daisy Meadows
3.0
This book is only the first in the "Rainbow Magic" series, and it is pretty much just an introduction, setting up the characters and the story. Two girls, Rachel and Kirsty, meet on the ferry on their way to Rainspell Island, where they will be vacationing with their parents for a week. On the first day, they find Ruby the Red Fairy, and they get pulled into a fairy hunt that spans the rest of the series. Ruby has 6 sisters who also need to be found, and presumably, Rachel and Kirsty will find one fairy per day per book.
The writing and the dialogue are not especially interesting or well-done. There's not much in the way of character development. As far I can tell, the only difference between Rachel and Kirsty is that Rachel has light-colored hair and Kirsty has dark hair. It's unclear how old they are supposed to be. Maybe fourth graders? Old enough to go off by themselves, at least.
Basically, the story laid out in this series strikes me as a quintessential "storybook" story, maybe the kind of adventure Dora the Explorer might get mixed up in. There's a magical place called Fairyland where all kinds of fairies and small animals live in harmony. There's an angry Jack Frost who casts an evil spell that needs to be broken. It certainly doesn't offer much in the way of entertainment for adults, but it does seem to be pitched just right for young girls in, say, pre-school through 2nd grade.
Most importantly, Isabelle liked it. She read it to herself, and she's looking forward to reading the rest of the series. When it comes down to it, any book that encourages Isabelle to read independently, and gets her excited about reading, is worth keeping around.
One final thought: Let me compare this book to the "Ivy + Bean" series, the only other series for young girls that Isabelle has read independently (so far). I think the Ivy + Bean books are overall geared to an older audience. They are certainly better constructed; they have well-developed characters, entertaining dialogue, and in most cases, interesting plots. But, the girls' behavior so often cross the line into "unacceptable" that I felt compelled to read each book before Isabelle so that I could discuss with her the difference between behavior we read about in books and behavior that is allowed in real life. I admit, it's something of a relief to feel that I can probably let Isabelle read this series on her own, trusting that any "bad behavior" will probably be limited to the "bad" Jack Frost character. Of course, I'll need to read a few more books in the series to make a more informed judgment, but right now, the series seems to offer a cute, "safe" story for a little girl to get excited about.
The writing and the dialogue are not especially interesting or well-done. There's not much in the way of character development. As far I can tell, the only difference between Rachel and Kirsty is that Rachel has light-colored hair and Kirsty has dark hair. It's unclear how old they are supposed to be. Maybe fourth graders? Old enough to go off by themselves, at least.
Basically, the story laid out in this series strikes me as a quintessential "storybook" story, maybe the kind of adventure Dora the Explorer might get mixed up in. There's a magical place called Fairyland where all kinds of fairies and small animals live in harmony. There's an angry Jack Frost who casts an evil spell that needs to be broken. It certainly doesn't offer much in the way of entertainment for adults, but it does seem to be pitched just right for young girls in, say, pre-school through 2nd grade.
Most importantly, Isabelle liked it. She read it to herself, and she's looking forward to reading the rest of the series. When it comes down to it, any book that encourages Isabelle to read independently, and gets her excited about reading, is worth keeping around.
One final thought: Let me compare this book to the "Ivy + Bean" series, the only other series for young girls that Isabelle has read independently (so far). I think the Ivy + Bean books are overall geared to an older audience. They are certainly better constructed; they have well-developed characters, entertaining dialogue, and in most cases, interesting plots. But, the girls' behavior so often cross the line into "unacceptable" that I felt compelled to read each book before Isabelle so that I could discuss with her the difference between behavior we read about in books and behavior that is allowed in real life. I admit, it's something of a relief to feel that I can probably let Isabelle read this series on her own, trusting that any "bad behavior" will probably be limited to the "bad" Jack Frost character. Of course, I'll need to read a few more books in the series to make a more informed judgment, but right now, the series seems to offer a cute, "safe" story for a little girl to get excited about.
Poppy and Ereth by Avi
3.0
This is the last book of the Tales of Dimwood Forest series.
In the introduction, the author specifically states that he "worked hard to join many of the characters, events, and memories of the previous five books." With that kind of set-up, I was especially disappointed that Mephitis, Nimble, Tumble, and Flip did not appear in this book. A passing mention was made of the three foxes, but I would have liked to have seen them interact with Ereth again. At the very least, it would have been nice to find out if they ever did visit Ereth. Moreover, Mephitis's complete absence was particularly troublesome because the previous book led us to believe that he and Ereth would be living together, like a family. So, what happened to him!?
Ereth, one of my favorite characters throughout the series, also left me feeling disappointed. Yes, he was grumpy and short-tempered, but he loved Poppy, and he was not self-centered. His bizarre speech and behavior at Poppy's "funeral" seemed to be out of character for him.
I think a forest fire as a central plot element was good, but was it really necessary to burn the whole forest down? Destroying all of Dimwood Forest seemed too final, as if the end of our time with Poppy should be equivalent to the end of Dimwood Forest, period. I would have preferred to say goodbye to Poppy and Ereth while also preserving the knowledge that future generations of wildlife would make their homes and find their own adventures within the same forest. Yes, this book left us with one small sign of hope... but it just wasn't enough for me. What would happen to all the wildlife in the meantime?
Also, I just didn't like the idea of Ragweed's earring being the cause of the fire. Rather than the fire simply being an act of nature, it's almost as if Ragweed and Poppy (with her decision to put the earring in the tree) were direct causes of the mass destruction. That just seemed wrong.
Still, after all that, this book managed a 3-star rating from me. I liked the way Junior had matured. I liked Spruce, Luci, and the whole bat colony. I even lamented the fact that Rye never saw the beauty of a bat cave. I liked the way Poppy and Bounder formed an alliance in the face of a common threat, similar to the way the animals were united against the threat of man in Ereth's Birthday. And, I like that neither Poppy nor Ereth died.
In the introduction, the author specifically states that he "worked hard to join many of the characters, events, and memories of the previous five books." With that kind of set-up, I was especially disappointed that Mephitis, Nimble, Tumble, and Flip did not appear in this book. A passing mention was made of the three foxes, but I would have liked to have seen them interact with Ereth again. At the very least, it would have been nice to find out if they ever did visit Ereth. Moreover, Mephitis's complete absence was particularly troublesome because the previous book led us to believe that he and Ereth would be living together, like a family. So, what happened to him!?
Ereth, one of my favorite characters throughout the series, also left me feeling disappointed. Yes, he was grumpy and short-tempered, but he loved Poppy, and he was not self-centered. His bizarre speech and behavior at Poppy's "funeral" seemed to be out of character for him.
I think a forest fire as a central plot element was good, but was it really necessary to burn the whole forest down? Destroying all of Dimwood Forest seemed too final, as if the end of our time with Poppy should be equivalent to the end of Dimwood Forest, period. I would have preferred to say goodbye to Poppy and Ereth while also preserving the knowledge that future generations of wildlife would make their homes and find their own adventures within the same forest. Yes, this book left us with one small sign of hope... but it just wasn't enough for me. What would happen to all the wildlife in the meantime?
Also, I just didn't like the idea of Ragweed's earring being the cause of the fire. Rather than the fire simply being an act of nature, it's almost as if Ragweed and Poppy (with her decision to put the earring in the tree) were direct causes of the mass destruction. That just seemed wrong.
Still, after all that, this book managed a 3-star rating from me. I liked the way Junior had matured. I liked Spruce, Luci, and the whole bat colony. I even lamented the fact that Rye never saw the beauty of a bat cave. I liked the way Poppy and Bounder formed an alliance in the face of a common threat, similar to the way the animals were united against the threat of man in Ereth's Birthday. And, I like that neither Poppy nor Ereth died.
India The Moonstone Fairy by Daisy Meadows
3.0
We haven't finished reading the Rainbow Fairies series yet, but while waiting for the next Rainbow Fairy book to become available at our local library, Isabelle was thrilled to find this book, the first in the Jewel Fairies series.
So apparently, there is an order in which you're supposed to read the series of series. In this book, Rachel and Kirsty have magic lockets that were given to them after they helped the Weather Fairies in a previous adventure.
This time, the icy Jack Frost has stolen Queen Titania's seven magic jewels and scattered them in the human world. Kirsty happens to be visiting Rachel for exactly one week, and presumably they will find one jewel per day per book.
Just as in Ruby the Red Fairy, the girls are told that they must let the magic come to them. I am probably over-thinking this, but it occurs to me that this aspect of the series could serve as a little reminder that you can't go around looking for good things to happen; good things will happen to you when you are mentally in a place to recognize good things when they come along.
To make things a little harder for Rachel and Kirsty, Jack Frost's goblins are guarding the jewels. The goblins can't actually touch the jewels, but they serve as obstacles for the girls to overcome. Queen Titania tells the girls that they will need to outwit the goblins. I'll have to see how the rest of the series unfolds, but I'm hoping that perhaps the girls will be doing some clever thinking in the books ahead. At least in this book, when India the Moonstone Fairy's magic is not sufficient to thwart the goblins, Kirsty does some quick thinking and comes up with a way to complete India's original plan.
So apparently, there is an order in which you're supposed to read the series of series. In this book, Rachel and Kirsty have magic lockets that were given to them after they helped the Weather Fairies in a previous adventure.
This time, the icy Jack Frost has stolen Queen Titania's seven magic jewels and scattered them in the human world. Kirsty happens to be visiting Rachel for exactly one week, and presumably they will find one jewel per day per book.
Just as in Ruby the Red Fairy, the girls are told that they must let the magic come to them. I am probably over-thinking this, but it occurs to me that this aspect of the series could serve as a little reminder that you can't go around looking for good things to happen; good things will happen to you when you are mentally in a place to recognize good things when they come along.
To make things a little harder for Rachel and Kirsty, Jack Frost's goblins are guarding the jewels. The goblins can't actually touch the jewels, but they serve as obstacles for the girls to overcome. Queen Titania tells the girls that they will need to outwit the goblins. I'll have to see how the rest of the series unfolds, but I'm hoping that perhaps the girls will be doing some clever thinking in the books ahead. At least in this book, when India the Moonstone Fairy's magic is not sufficient to thwart the goblins, Kirsty does some quick thinking and comes up with a way to complete India's original plan.