Book Review of "Little House in the Big Woods"

Little House in the Big Woods, by Laura Ingalls Wilder

4.5 stars

Description: The Big Woods might be lonely, but it's never boring for young Laura and Mary Ingalls. There's housework to do, cheese-making, churning the butter, smoking the meat, and a thousand other chores to keep their house snug with food on the table. Unfortunately for Laura, she seems to hit a snag around every turn; it's so hard to be good, and Mary makes it look so easy! But despite the pretty pebbles that ruin her best dress and the disastrous argument over curls, Laura muddles through -- and in this tale, we follow the her family through fall harvesting, maple-sugaring, trips to town, and even as Ma slaps a bear (eeeek!). 

Concerns: One song lyric struck me as racially inappropriate.

Summary: Everybody has heard of the little Ingalls girls growing up in their log cabin, but how many know what a spunky character Laura really was? Aside from the fascinating anecdotes about life with no electricity, her story is hilarious to anybody familiar with cranky kids. Young Laura is no angel, and her memoirs don't sugarcoat her attitude or the spankings she so richly deserved! This isn't a suspenseful or action-packed read, but it is a lovely story and very engaging.

Book review of "In Grandma's Attic"

In Grandma's Attic, by Arleta Richardson

4.5 stars

Description: Growing up in the early days of America -- complete with horse and buggy, one-room schoolhouses, and a barn full of cows -- sounds idyllic. Not so for young Mabel. Unhappily for her but luckily for us readers, her growing up years were chock-full of mistakes, mishaps, and just plain embarrassing moments. As the grown Mabel recounts tales of her growing-up years, she treats her readers to a riotous romp through the fields, forests, and schoolhouses of yore in this series of short stories. Who knew hoop skirts could cause such horrors in church, of all places???

Concerns: None.

Summary: If you set down the irrepressible Anne from Green Gables into the setting of Little House in the Big Woods, you would be rewarded with something like this book. The series is wonderfully funny, none the less so because our hapless heroine just never quite seems to come out on top. But although the stories usually feature the embarrassing consequences of her own silly choice, "Grandma" takes the lesson  in stride, and can even laugh at her old mistakes. If you've ever wondered how to lose a buggy, bake a cake, or even bake your clothes (yup!) don't miss these humorous but sweet tales from yesteryear.

Book Review of "The Cabin Faced West"

The Cabin Faced West, by Jean Fritz

4.5 stars

Description: The West might be a land of opportunity, but Ann Hamilton isn't impressed. For her, the West is ... lonely. Ann longs for the comfort of her Gettysburg hometown, the companionship of her cousin Margaret, for any occasion special enough to use a tablecloth and real china -- highly unlikely in a forsaken wilderness. As time progresses, Ann's attitude begins to change; even though she understands the lure of western promise for her parents and brothers, which "home" has a stronger pull on her heart when she has the opportunity to make her own choice?

Concerns: None.

Summary: The trials and tribulations of Ann's everyday life on the frontier make for a fascinating read. Although readers aren't likely to find themselves in a quandary over fetching a coal from the neighbors to start a fire or fighting a monster-storm to bring in food from the garden, Ann's own personal failures and triumphs are still easily relatable to today. This is a fast read and a rewarding one, so join Ann as she stumbles and grumbles her way to discovery of... contentment!

Book Review of "The Sign of the Beaver"

The Sign of the Beaver, by Elizabeth George Speare

5 stars!!!

Description: Picture a log cabin, rifle and a clearing, lots of wilderness, and one twelve-year-old boy guarding the homestead until the rest of his family arrives. Living alone for one short summer sounded easy enough, but when complications arise and young Matt finds himself making an impromptu treaty with the local Indian chief, he gets into more than he bargained for. Suddenly thrown into comradeship with an Indian boy, the two grudgingly resign themselves to sticking it out... but soon Matt finds out that the discoveries packed into one short summer are beyond anything he could have imagined.

Concerns: Some Indian customs (Attean seeks the spirits).

Summary: Half the fun of this book is discovering Attean's way of doing things, whether carving fishhooks out of sticks or greasing down a bow with oil skimmed off leftover stew. Although they got off to a rocky start, the two boys' mutual distrust grows into an unlikely friendship, and their adventures in the wilderness are not to be missed. As Matt realizes, life on the frontier makes Robinson Crusoe look like a sissy!

Book Review of "Old Yeller"

Old Yeller, by Fred Gipson

5 stars!!!

Description: Ever since Bell died, Travis hasn't wanted another dog... but tough luck. The scruffy, wily, stray dog dubbed "Yeller" has picked Travis's family cabin to call home. Over one short summer, Travis and Old Yeller grow past their distrust and forge a deep bond of friendship as they fight together through a series of hair-raising (and sometimes deadly) dangers that come with living in frontier Texas; vicious killer hogs, drought, wolves, bears, and the dreaded plague of hydrophobia.

Concerns: Frontier life is rough; expect some blood. Also, little Arliss tends to get away with a lot (including throwing rocks at and bashing his older brother with a stick).

Summary: Old Yeller is both an adventure and a poignant coming-of-age story. Life on the frontier is a struggle for survival, and although Travis has his share of wild and happy romps through the cornfields, he also experiences the harsh land's real-life heartaches. But even though the rough country takes its toll on those who dare to call it home, hard work and fierce determination are rewarded by the promise of a good life. This little book (reportedly based on tales of real frontier dogs) should take its place as one of the best frontier novels of all time.

Book Review of "Captive Treasure"

Captive Treasure, by Milly Howard

4 stars

Description: Young Carrie Talbot is traveling with her parents to minister to an Indian mission out west. When the deadly cholera casts a shadow over the group, Carrie and other children trail the wagon train driving a separate wagon for quarantine reasons. But pandemonium breaks out when the small unguarded wagon proves an easy target for Cheyenne and Sioux warriors. Carrie alone is taken captive and she is made to journey back to the Cheyenne camp. She struggles with loneliness for her family, but she appreciates the fact that the Indians are surprisingly kind to her and she find herself growing close to them. If Carrie’s dream of rescue comes true, will she be able to leave her new family?

Concerns: The Indians think that Carrie’s Bible has special powers and there is a brief description of some Indian rituals.

Summary: Having read this book numerous times, I can say with complete candidness that it is well worth the time! Readers will be intrigued by Carrie’s unfailing courage in the face of danger, her steadfast trust in God that changes the lives of many in the Cheyenne tribe, and her gradually dawning love for her captors. This story blends with impressive success its elements of action/adventure with a strong development of the main characters; accomplishing a feat many books today lack. In short, Captive Treasure is, well, a treasure!

Book Review of Naya Nuki

Naya Nuki: Shoshoni Girl Who Ran, by Kenneth Thomasma  

4 stars 

Description: Shoshoni girls Naya Nuki and Sacajawea live in an Indian village in Montana. The Shoshoni are a strong and brave tribe, but as they travel to the prairie to hunt buffalo, their trip is overshadowed by one terrifying fear: the Minnetare tribe. The Minnetare have a history of attacking the Shoshoni, killing warriors and taking prisoners.  With every step toward the prairie, the risk of enemy attack grows stronger, but it is a risk that will have to be faced – if Naya Nuki’s people don’t get buffalo, they will starve. One fateful day, their fear becomes reality as scouts gallop into camp with the horrifying news: the enemy is near. Naya Nuki, Sacajawea, and others are taken captive and find themselves forced to walk the one thousand miles to the Minnetare village in North Dakota. Every day, escape grows in Naya Nuki’s mind… but the penalty for an attempted escape is death. Will Naya Nuki survive not only the imminent Minnetare chase, but also the dangers of traveling so far in the wildness alone?

Concerns: As a story about Indians, the book contains Indian traditions that are sometimes less than scenic, as well as references to the “Great Spirit”.

Summary:  Naya Nuki is a brave eleven year-old whose wildness survival savvy is remarkable. Travel with her as she battles the challenges of the wild including an encounter with a fierce grizzly, the relentless pursuit of the Minnetare, and a near-fatal buffalo stampede. This extraordinary story has excitement and suspense throughout and combined with the courage and wit of Naya Nuki, it is no less than exceptional.

Book Review of The Lone Ranger

The Lone Ranger on Powder Horn Trail, by Fran Striker

4 stars 

Description: Texas has an outlaw on the loose -- but things looks hopeless when renegade Dave Lowry escapes into the badlands beyond the jurisdiction of the Texas Rangers. With justice for the unsolved shooting at stake, the Lone Ranger and Tonto step in to take up the outlaw's trail. A classic western chase follows, as the hunters and the hunted do their best to outdo one another across badlands, mountains, and landslides, while each maintaining their own code of honor... and the Lone Ranger discovers he may have met his match.

Concerns: Gunplay isn't always bloodless (a knife, too).

Summary:  Come on. Gunfights, posses, desperate chases on horseback, treacherous ambushes, split-second draws and the man behind the mask... it's classic. There's nothing of literary merit in the little book, and it's often flat-out ridiculous (Tonto: "You find-um tracks?"), but it's great fun if you're looking for sheer entertainment. It's an old book, so it's not going to pop up at Barnes and Noble, but this type tends to sell at library book sales for a dime a dozen. It's cheesy, but had sweaty horses and six-guns. I liked it!

Book Review of Snow Dog

Snow Dog, by Jim Kjelgaard

5 stars!

Description: In a northern wilderness that is ruled by a killer wolf who hates mankind, a northern fur trapper loses his dog. The trapper's search for the dog proves fruitless, and when he gives up, we follow the trail of the dog and her pups as they fight and live and grow and die in their quest for survival, ever stalked by the menacing wolf and his pack. At last, the trapper meets one of the grown pups - but the two have little time to overcome their mutual wariness before they are faced by a growing threat in the forest. The snow has grown deep and the game scarce, and the now-starving wolf pack has come back to finish the job it started years before.

Concerns: It's a wilderness, and it can be savage. Wolf/dog fights, several casualties (including a man). One wolf in particular is frequently and flippantly called a devil. One matter-of-fact and innocent reference to a... female dog.

Summary: Set in the harsh and yet fiercely beautiful forest deep in the north country, this is an enthralling tale of a fierce struggle for survival. Reads like an old western or Royal Canadian Mounted Police story, but this time about a trapper and his dog. The description of the frozen wilds is fascinating; wild creatures include everything from the moose and snowshoe rabbits to the lynx and the grizzly bear, the rivers and marshes are almost visible on the pages, and the struggles and triumphs of the hard life are almost real as the glint of savagery in the eyes of the wolves. A favorite from the first time I read it.