A Girl From Yamhill by Beverly Cleary

★★★★

*** Warning: This review contains spoilers! ***

I picked up this book to read aloud with Isabelle because I really, really enjoyed reading the Ramona Quimby and Henry Huggins series with her. We both thought it would be fun to learn more about the author together.

This book was just on the verge of holding Isabelle's interest. It does not have a strong narrative flow besides being told chronologically. The author basically very matter-of-factly recounts a series of choppy remembrances from her childhood. While there is an occasional bit of self-analysis, mostly there isn't a lot of depth. But, there are plenty of interesting anecdotes, and overall, this book is a good read for any Beverly Cleary fan.

Some of the stories about the author's childhood on a farm, and the histories of her ancestors who ventured out west in covered wagons, were reminiscent of the Little House series, which Isabelle loves. It was fun to draw connections between Beverly Cleary's family's life and Laura Ingalls Wilder's family's life.

Every so often, especially in the earlier chapters, we were treated to childhood experiences that clearly served as inspiration for Ramona Quimby's behavior or other aspects of Beverly Cleary's books. Isabelle and I enjoyed making those connections, too.

It was fascinating to read a first-hand account of how different life was back in the 1920's and 1930's, particularly during the Depression. I like that Isabelle was exposed to a whole different way of life that was part of the American experience. Schools especially have changed quite a bit. The author really had quite a difficult childhood after her family moved to the city. She frequently felt out of place among her peers, she and her family constantly worried about money, and her parents seemed unhappy and were not demonstrably affectionate with each other or with their daughter. In some ways, it was sad to realize that the author of so many happy children's books felt so much unhappiness in her own childhood. I actually think the book showed Isabelle that she has a lot to appreciate, though I don't know if she really got that message.

This book is appropriately categorized as "Young Adult". I do think Isabelle got a lot out of this book, even though I ended up not reading every word verbatim. I had assumed that the categorization was based predominantly on the length of the book, vocabulary, and sentence structure; it didn't occur to me that this book might contain "mature content", which it does. Besides having to explain to Isabelle the meaning of concepts like "mortgage" and "the Great Depression" (suitable topics, but mostly above her head), I also had to gloss over, or skip entirely, parts that included ideas that she just isn't old enough for. In one case, I did read the questionable material (ad-libbing when necessary), and then used the author's experience as a springboard for discussion.

Specifically, these are the "Young Adult" a.k.a. "not for children" topics that are mentioned in the book:

• The book talks explicitly of Santa Claus's non-existence.
  
  
• The author had a creepy uncle who made sexual advances towards her. For the most part, this chapter remained "PG-rated", though the word "sex" did appear a couple times throughout the book.
  
  
• There is a brief mention of the fact that one of the author's friends had a father who committed suicide.
  
  
• One of the author's friends innocently uses the word "chippy" as short for "chipmunk", only to find out later that it is slang for "prostitute".

A couple times, Isabelle realized that I was not reading the book word for word, and apparently, that really bothered her. She felt like she was missing out on something. I just had to remind her that the book is for "Young Adults", and some ideas or words in the book just aren't appropriate for a child her age.

This book ends with Beverly Cleary going off to junior college. To learn about her adult life, I will have to read her other autobiography, My Own Two Feet. That book is also categorized as "Young Adult", and I plan to read it on my own, though Isabelle has already expressed that she would like me to tell her the highlights!

Holly the Christmas Fairy (Rainbow Magic Special Edition) by Daisy Meadows

★★★

What can I say? Another Rainbow Magic book that fits the Special Edition profile, as expected.

This time, Rachel and Kirsty must help Holly the Christmas Fairy find Santa's sleigh, which Jack Frost has stolen. There are three special presents in particular that need to be retrieved. The book is divided into three 5-chapter parts, and one present is found in each part. As an added bonus activity, hidden throughout the book are nine letters which, when unscrambled, spell out a Christmas-related word.

Nothing unexpected happens in this book. Mostly the girls use fairy magic and a bit of quick thinking to thwart Jack Frost and his goblins.

I know some adult readers complain that these Rainbow Magic books are too formulaic, but I think that is exactly why Isabelle enjoys these books so much. She knows that Jack Frost will cause trouble, but she also knows that Rachel and Kirsty will help the fairies to solve the problem. She knows that there will be a confrontation with goblins or with Jack Frost himself, and that they will be defeated in the end. For a girl who hasn't watched too many movies - not even Disney movies - because she gets too anxious or scared, knowing what to expect is a good thing. In Isabelle's case, it's also good that Jack Frost is basically just a trouble-maker, not really especially scary, evil, or cruel.

This book strikes me as a good Christmas present or stocking stuffer for a first grade girl who is learning to become an independent reader.

Shannon the Ocean Fairy (Rainbow Magic Special Edition) by Daisy Meadows

★★★

Apparently, the Rainbow Magic franchise is not only a series of sub-series, it also includes a whole bunch of "Special Edition" books. As far as I can tell, Special Edition books are like 3-book mini-series bound together in one book. Each series book has 6 chapters and is about 65 pages long. Each Special Edition book has 3 parts, each part has 5 chapters, and the total number of pages is around 160. I found a couple Special Edition books at the library to keep Isabelle reading while we wait for the next series books to become available.

The premise is the same as in all Rainbow Magic books. Rachel and Kirsty are called upon by their fairy friends in Fairyland to help find missing items that Jack Frost has stolen and cast into the human and/or fairy worlds. Jack Frost's goblin servants try to thwart the search efforts. All the familiar components are here, including helpful wildlife and adventures experienced while fairy-sized.

Despite the formulaic storytelling, I have to admit, I am continually impressed by the way the same basic confrontation is placed within new contexts. The manner in which the lost item is hidden and the method by which the goblins are foiled are always different. If the stories themselves are repetitive, I still think it takes a lot of imagination to come up with so many new scenarios! Of course, I haven't read every book in the series (and I probably won't...), so I don't know if some ideas are eventually recycled or not, but, for me, so far so good.

In this book, Rachel and Kirsty are visiting Kirsty's grandmother, who lives by a beach. Jack Frost has stolen 3 enchanted pearls, and Shannon the Ocean Fairy asks the girls to help find them. Each 5-chapter part of the book is dedicated to finding one of the pearls.

Unfortunately, for the first time, I felt that inconsistencies bothered me. In other Rainbow Magic books I have read so far, I was always able to suspend disbelief and allow for various magical solutions. This time, though, some of the "problems" encountered just felt too contrived. At one point, the girls are magically transported from the beach by Kirsty's grandmother's house to Hawaii along some kind of magic current created by Shannon. Basically, they travel super fast. Yet, later, when they need to chase the goblins, they are unable to swim fast enough. Why can't Shannon create another magic current to make them go faster? Alternatively, why couldn't Shannon magically give the girls and herself flipper feet so they can swim faster, as Jack Frost did for the goblins?

At any rate, Isabelle was not bothered by any such concerns, and she gave this book 5 stars, just like the other Rainbow Magic books she has read. Additionally, this book had an extra bit of fun to further engage the reader. Seven letters were hidden throughout the book, and when unscrambled, they spell out an ocean-related word. Isabelle had fun looking for letters, diligently keeping track of them on a piece of paper, and trying to figure out the special word.

Heather the Violet Fairy (Rainbow Magic #7: The Rainbow Fairies #7) by Daisy Meadows

★★★

This book worked well as a satisfying conclusion for the series. It was fun seeing all the fairies again, all together!

I like how even though these stories are formulaic - in each book, the girls find a fairy while goblins try to stop them - there is still a respectable amount of variety to make each story unique. In this one, when the girls find Heather the Violet Fairy, goblins are nowhere to be seen. It's not until all seven fairies are reunited that Jack Frost himself causes trouble.

Surprisingly, this book provides some background on Jack Frost, which is interesting if you've ever wondered why he has a place in Fairyland at all. We even see a bit of a soft spot in him!

Izzy / Inky the Indigo Fairy (Rainbow Magic #6: The Rainbow Fairies #6) by Daisy Meadows

★★★

This book deviates from the formulaic storytelling of previous books in the series. Instead of finding a fairy somewhere on the island, the girls are magically transported to the Land of Sweets. There, they meet all sorts of candy characters, which makes for fun reading. The goblins are there, too, and this time, they even get so far as to carry Izzy / Inky off!

What really interested me about this book, though, is that the version published in the US, Inky the Indigo Fairy, has a different name from the original version published in the UK, Izzy the Indigo Fairy. Izzy is not an uncommon name in America, so why the change? I got to wondering how else the books might differ...

Our local library carries the American version, and a sister library had the UK version. We put in a request for the UK version, and we borrowed both books at the same time. Isabelle and I had great fun comparing and contrasting the two books! I had thought that maybe there would only be a handful of changes in the whole book, but as it turned out, there were several, sometimes many, changes on each page!

Some word choices had obviously been changed to sound more American. A British "rucksack" became an American "backpack"; "on holiday" became "on vacation"; "I trod on a twig" became "I stepped on a stick". Even the definition of "indigo" differed: the British version called it "bluey-purple", but the American version called it "purplish blue". Many candy references were changed, e.g., "toffee" to "caramel", "sweet shop" to "candy store". Even "lemon sherbet" - which isn't really uncommon in America - was changed to "cocoa powder", a completely different substance!

Spelling was also country-specific. British "colour" versus American "color", "realised" versus "realized".

But, oftentimes, I couldn't figure out why the wording was changed. The British version used words like "gleaming", "beside", "odd", and "little" - all perfectly acceptable words - but the American version replaced those words with synonyms like "shining", "next to", "strange", and "small", respectively. Why!? It seemed so arbitrary. These type of seemingly inexplicable changes were very common. It was fascinating.

Very frequently, the American version changed or added words, presumably to make the text more descriptive. Over and over, the original British version had "they", but the American version specified "the girls". Other changes include:

• British version: "dusty, old books"
  American version: "dusty old books that looked like they hadn't been read in a long time"
• British version: "Let's get out of here!"
  American version: "Let's get out of here before they realize that Inky is free!"

Oddly, sometimes the American version simply dropped words - even whole sentences - from the original British version for no apparent reason at all.

• British version: "They sound too sweet and soft to be goblins' voices."
  American version: "They sound too sweet to be goblins' voices."
• British version: "Rachel and Kirsty stared at each other in delight."
  American version: "Rachel and Kirsty stared at each other."

Finally, punctuation - particularly, the use of commas - frequently differed between the two versions as well.

Lucy the Diamond Fairy (Rainbow Magic #28: The Jewel Fairies #7) by Daisy Meadows

★★★

A satisfactory conclusion to the Jewel Fairies adventures.

This book doesn't quite follow the formula of previous books in the series. As soon as the book opens, the girls are transported to Fairyland, where the last jewel, a diamond, is hidden. This time, instead of dealing with Jack Frost's goblins, the girls must deal with Jack Frost himself!

We are also introduced to a new character, Pegasus, which helps to keep things interesting.

Sophie the Sapphire Fairy (Rainbow Magic #27: The Jewel Fairies #6) by Daisy Meadows

★★★

This book pleasantly surprised me with a couple unexpected deviations from the otherwise formulaic series.

In this book, as part of fairy / goblin confrontation, the goblins were transformed into other creatures! I admit, I wondered, "What will happen to them? Will they be stuck in the human world forever? That's sad!" Happily, this concern was actually addressed.

Also, for the first time that I've encountered, this book had a twist. The girls got the jewel, the goblins were defeated, but the book wasn't over yet! It wasn't a huge dramatic turn or anything, but it was still a nice change of pace.

Amy the Amethyst Fairy (Rainbow Magic #26: The Jewel Fairies #5) by Daisy Meadows

★★★★

Another great location for a fairy / goblin encounter! This time, Rachel and Kirsty visit an adventure playground with a fun and elaborate tree house. "Daisy Meadows" is actually the pen name of a group of authors who ghostwrite these Rainbow Magic books, and I have to say, I think the actual author(s) of the last few Jewel Fairies book have done an especially good job.

For the first time that I have noticed, this book makes evident that books within a sub-series should be read in order. In the last book, the goblins ran into some trouble because the warmth of the jewel burned their icy hands. Having realized that, the goblins in this book now wear gloves! Interestingly, the use of the gloves are not explained, and it's up to the reader to figure out why the goblins are wearing them. I liked that; the author didn't spell it all out, and the reader is expected to think. I think it's fun for young readers to make connections to previous books, and they can even feel a bit of pride for having figured out the purpose of the gloves without being told.

I was also glad to see that the characters in this book exhibited positive characteristics like cleverness and bravery. (Too often in the Rainbow Fairies books, magic simply saves the day.) In this book, when trying to re-capture the amethyst from the goblins, a little bit of magic helped, but Kirsty also came up with an idea that required some physical daring on her part. And when they needed to hold the goblins at bay, Amy the Amethyst Fairy came up with a pretty clever solution! Plus, an added bonus: Amy thoughtfully made sure that her magic, which altered the real world, would not compromise the safety of humans.

I think it's worth noting that I read part of this book out loud to Sebastien, and he enjoyed it! He liked hearing about how the goblins would be defeated, and he liked looking at the pictures, too. I know these books are geared towards young girls, and I don't know if Sebastien will be interested in fairies once he gets old enough to read on his own, but for now, I think these books - or excerpts from these books - can serve as good read-aloud options that are longer than our usual picture books.

One final note: While reading this book, Isabelle asked something about the drawings, something about letters. I really didn't understand her question at all, and it wasn't until after we later read Shannon the Ocean Fairy that I realized what she was asking. It turns out, each series book has a hidden letter in it! The seven letters of a sub-series can be unscrambled to make a word. There are no instructions describing this activity, it's like a secret game for readers "in the know"! I think that's fun. Going back, Isabelle found letters in all the series books except the first Rainbow Fairies series.

Chloe the Topaz Fairy (Rainbow Magic #25: The Jewel Fairies #4) by Daisy Meadows

★★★½

Another fun read. Like Emily the Emerald Fairy, this book takes place in a setting that serves as a perfect backdrop for a confrontation with goblins - a costume store.

I especially liked how well-mannered the girls were in their interactions with the store owner!

I've noticed, though, that the goblins don't seem to have the same effect on their environment as they did in the Rainbow Fairies series. With the Rainbow Fairies, every time a goblin was nearby, the clouds covered the sun, the girls felt a chill in the air, and ice formed. In this Jewel Fairies series, the goblins don't have the same power. Maybe it's because the warmth of the jewels counteracts their iciness? Or maybe I just shouldn't think too much about consistency among the sub-series.

Emily the Emerald Fairy (Rainbow Magic #24: The Jewel Fairies #3) by Daisy Meadows

★★★½

This book was a fun read. In this installment, the girls' fairy adventure takes place in a giant toy store, a perfect backdrop for a confrontation with a goblin. There's quite a chase as the goblin tries to make off with the emerald, and the bit of action made for enjoyable reading.

Scarlett the Garnet Fairy (Rainbow Magic #23: The Jewel Fairies #2) by Daisy Meadows

★★★

Isabelle and I are reading these Rainbow Magic books as they become available at our local library, which means we are sometimes left hanging as we wait for the next book. (In the future, I plan to snag all seven books in a series at once!) Right now, while we wait for the next Rainbow Fairies book, we're also reading the Jewel Fairies series.

So, I haven't finished the Rainbow Fairies series yet, and I'm only two books into the Jewel Fairies series, but already I think I like this series better. Rachel and Kirsty don't have any magic bags, and the fairies who help them are all running low on magic precisely because the jewels are missing. As a result, unlike in the Rainbow Fairies books, the girls now must rely more on themselves. In this book, they don't have any impressively clever ideas or anything, but at least they have ideas.

Sky the Blue Fairy (Rainbow Magic #5: The Rainbow Fairies #5) by Daisy Meadows

★★

HMMM... After Isabelle gets over this fairy phase, I think I should look for some books with more empowered girls in it.

In this book, there were just too many instances of the girls and the fairies not stepping up to challenges.

When the girls find Sky the Blue Fairy, she is trapped in ice that was created by the close proximity of Jack Frost's goblins. Rachel and Kirsty spent all of no time trying to come up with a way to rescue Sky by themselves, which was all the more disappointing because they did manage to melt ice to rescue Fern.

Rachel: "Poor Sky! We have to rescue her! But how can we melt all that ice?"
Kirsty: "I know! Why don't we look in our magic bags?"

Rescuing Sky also involved getting some help from some friendly crabs, but I was bothered because the crabs really didn't do anything that the girls couldn't have done themselves.

Finally, when the other Rainbow Fairies see that Sky is weak and needs help, instead of putting their heads together to figure out a way to help Sky themselves, Ruby the Red Fairy says:

"We must think of something to help Sky! Oh, I know! Let's ask Bertram for his advice!"

Sure, Bertram is helpful, but his solution isn't anything the fairies couldn't have come up with themselves.

At first, I was also bothered when Bertram said, "You must all stay close to the pot so that I can protect you." But then I remembered - I think the Rainbow Fairies' magic is limited until they are all together again, so maybe they do need extra protection? Still. Did the King and Queen have to send a male protector?

Fern the Green Fairy (Rainbow Magic #4: The Rainbow Fairies #4) by Daisy Meadows

★★★

I have to admit, I was a little surprised that in this book, Rachel and Kirsty go searching for Fern, and they actually find her! What happened to the "Let the magic come to you" message?

This time, the girls had to do just a smidge of problem-solving in order to free Fern from her tree hole. Jack Frost's goblins were on their heals, but they managed to escape with help from various wildlife. This book did make use of the magic bags, and part of the girls' adventure was spent fairy-sized.

At this point, I think I've got a pretty good idea of the formulaic storytelling that is to come, and this book had all the expected components.

Sunny the Yellow Fairy (Rainbow Magic #3: The Rainbow Fairies #3) by Daisy Meadows

★★½

First, let it be known that Isabelle is LOVING this series. Today, she read 5 of these fairy books!

Okay, so, there was a little questionable behavior in this book. The girls suspect that Sunny the Yellow Fairy is in a beehive, and even though they are wearing protective hoods, the rest of their bodies are exposed when they open up the beehive without permission from the beekeeper! But I suppose no one wants to read about main characters who are complete goody two-shoes, and no one ever has adventures by being an absolute rule-follower. I still get the impression that the series does make an effort to lean more towards safe and appropriate behavior, whenever possible, because even though the text says the girls took off their hoods once they opened the beehive, the illustrations around the beehive always show the girls with their hoods on.

In this book, we also have our first encounter with Jack Frost's goblins. They strike me not so much as evildoers capable of cruel acts, but more as just bungling troublemakers, like Gargamel from The Smurfs. Their mischief surrounding Sunny's wand was foiled thanks to the assistance of some friends Sunny made while in captivity.

While I enjoyed the introduction of Bertram in the last book, I'm a little put off by him now. He seems like a kind enough frog, and he means well, but I don't like the way his presence implies that the fairies - girl fairies - wouldn't have been able to take care of themselves without his - a male's - protection.

Rachel and Kirsty continue to be rather flat characters, but now I am wondering if they are purposely left under-developed... If the main characters are generic enough, maybe that allows a young reader to more readily imagine that she herself might be one of the girls in the story?

Anyway. One final interesting tidbit. Sunny the Yellow Fairy was originally called Saffron the Yellow Fairy when the book was first published in England. Is saffron too esoteric for American readers?

Amber the Orange Fairy (Rainbow Magic #2: The Rainbow Fairies #2) by Daisy Meadows

★★★

A fine follow-up to Ruby the Red Fairy!

In Ruby the Red Fairy, the Fairy Queen had told Rachel and Kirsty, "Let the magic come to you." Indeed, they were unable to find any fairies when they searched purposefully. It was only when they were caught up in their own fun at the beach that Amber the Orange Fairy appeared to them.

The Fairy Queen had also given each girl a magic bag to be used when they were in need of help. Sure enough, when the girls first found Amber, she was trapped, and it was only with the help of their magic bags that they were able to free her. Sure, this "solution" lacked ingenuity, but I have to admit it was pretty cute.

Unfortunately, there was still no sign of either Rachel or Kirsty having any particular individualized personality. The focus seems to be much more on the fairies, as Amber was clearly portrayed as being pretty keen on gymnastics. Her fairy dust turned into bubbles that smell like oranges when they pop! What little girl wouldn't love to get immersed in an imaginary world like that?!

To keep things interesting, we also meet a few new characters, including Jack Frost's goblin minions.

I am pretty sure this is a "safe" series that I won't mind Isabelle reading on her own, i.e., there doesn't seem to be any bad or even questionable behavior. For example, when the girls ran into the ocean at the beach, we are even told that they waved to their parents, so we the readers knew they were being supervised while in the water. Still, I'm sufficiently charmed by books 1 and 2 that I think I'll finish off this series. It's not a huge commitment, after all; each book takes like half an hour to read.

India the Moonstone Fairy (Rainbow Magic #22: The Jewel Fairies #1) by Daisy Meadows

★★★

Ken took Isabelle to the library today, and she was thrilled to discover that the Rainbow Fairies are only one small part of the Rainbow Magic franchise. :P While waiting for the next Rainbow Fairy book to become available at our library, Isabelle managed to find this book, the first book of 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.

Dimwood Forest Roundup

Isabelle's first grade teacher apparently loves this series, and she's been reading it aloud in class.

Isabelle doesn't like these books at all. I decided to read them because I was curious about what type of book Isabelle wouldn't like. I don't know if it's the anthropomorphized animals, or the more advanced writing style, or what.

Personally, I found the books made for pleasant enough reading, but I don't think I would go so far as to recommend this series to others - unless I knew that someone was a fan of anthropomorphized animals.

1. Ragweed (#1) ★★★½
2. Poppy (#2) ★★★
3. Poppy and Rye (#3) ★★★
4. Ereth's Birthday (#4) ★★★★
5. Poppy's Return (#5) ★★½
6. Poppy and Ereth (#6) ★★★

Poppy and Ereth (Tales of Dimwood Forest #6) by Avi

★★★

*** Warning: This review contains SPOILERS!! ***

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.

Ruby the Red Fairy (Rainbow Magic #1: The Rainbow Fairies #1) by Daisy Meadows

★★★

I asked Isabelle what other kids in her class like to read, and she said that Amy reads books about "rainbow fairies". I Googled it, and borrowed this book from the library.

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-K 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's Return (Tales of Dimwood Forest #5) by Avi

★★½

*** 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!

Burning Bright by Ron Rash

★★★★

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.

Ivy + Bean Roundup

When it comes right down to it, I don't think I would recommend this series to others. UNLESS, you are really keen to get your young daughter (in 1st through 3rd grade) reading independently. If that's the case, then this series just might do the trick.

I sort of reluctantly let Isabelle read these books. I'm not really a fan of them, but she sure did love them. Being able to say to Isabelle, "Why don't you go read the next Ivy and Bean book?" and have her sit down to quietly read for an hour? Priceless.

After the first book, I made a point to read each book before Isabelle read it. I made note of the inappropriate behavior and unsafe activities that came up in the book, and then made sure to discuss the specific events with Isabelle.

1. Ivy + Bean ★★★
2. Ivy + Bean and the Ghost that Had to Go ★★½
3. Ivy + Bean Break the Fossil Record ★★★½
4. Ivy + Bean Take Care of the Babysitter ★★★
5. Ivy + Bean Bound to be Bad ★★
6. Ivy + Bean Doomed to Dance ★★★½
7. Ivy + Bean What's the Big Idea? ★★★½
8. Ivy + Bean No News is Good News ★★½
9. Ivy + Bean Make the Rules ★★★½

Ivy + Bean Doomed to Dance (#6) by Annie Barrows

★★★½

I dare say, I have very little to complain about in this one. :P I am almost tempted to give it 4 stars, but looking at my list of 4-star books, my enjoyment of this one just doesn't match up.

In this book, Ivy and Bean are convinced that they will love ballet, and they beg their parents for lessons. Not surprisingly, they hate it. Fortunately, their parents had the foresight to allow them to take lessons only under one condition: The girls can not quit. Moreover, they must participate in the recital.

To the girls' disappointment, the recital has an underwater theme, and they are cast as squids. Seriously, who wants to be a squid!? I don't blame the girls for wanting to find a way out of having to perform in the recital. They come up with some crazy ideas, and settle on running away.

Once again, the author makes reference to something in real life - in this case, the book From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs Basil E. Frankweiler (I had to Google the connection) - and I had to wonder why the book was not mentioned by name. What a great opportunity this would have been to introduce young readers to something of a children's classic. Unfortunately, most young readers probably would not make the connection, nor would they bother trying to figure it out.

What I really liked most about this book was the ending. Ms. Aruba-Tate's reaction to the girls' behavior was exactly what I hoped it would be. And in regards to the girls having to play squids in the recital - they happily found a way to make the most of an unpleasant situation.