Mystery Ranch (The Boxcar Children #4) by Gertrude Chandler Warner

★★★★

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

I love how each book takes the children to a new and interesting location. This time, it's an old family ranch out west! What fun!

This book starts out in a pretty amusing way. The children all freak out because Grandfather "banged the door, and all he said was 'Hello.'" Oh, my! Violet even turns white with concern. Hahahahaha! What propriety in this family!

So in this book, the adventure starts when the children meet their Aunt Jane (Grandfather's sister), and we finally get a glimpse of a possible reason for why the children never met their Grandfather until after their parents died. We don't learn much, but it sounds like Grandfather used to be pretty arrogant.

We also get to know Violet a little better. We knew she was kind (as all the Alden children are), but now we see that she is also gentle, she likes to take care of other people, and she wants to be a nurse when she grows up.

Interestingly, while other books in the series had the children eating common foods like hot dogs, hamburgers, and baked potatoes, this time, we see a few unusual foods being fed to Aunt Jane, who is not feeling well. She drinks orange juice mixed with a beaten egg, and she eats "milk toast", which is hot milk poured over a piece of toast with a little salt. Is it just me who hasn't heard of these foods? Or has the American diet had some drastic changes in the last 50 years?

Anyway, as for the "mystery" itself. I guess it was a little thin in this book, mostly centered around the identity of a Mystery Man. It started to get good when the children discovered the make-shift hut in the woods, but that was resolved so quickly that there was hardly much time for any suspense to build. Still, there are probably enough questions floating around to keep young readers interested, and that's the whole point, after all.

Finally, I can't help but feel a little worried about the Alden family, now that we know a bit more about uranium than they did back when this book was written. Clearly the value of uranium was known, but apparently not the health risks. With uranium in the chimney, everyone in this house has an increased risk of developing cancer! At least we know that Aunt Jane is still in good health at age 70, which is comforting.

Snowbound Mystery (The Boxcar Children #13) by Gertrude Chandler Warner

★★★★

Another exciting adventure for the Alden family! This time, they are snowed in at a hunter's cabin. I really think their little getaways must be so much fun!

So far, each book has given me one new piece of information about Henry. In Houseboat Mystery, I learned that Henry was now old enough to drive. In this book, he's in college! Everyone else is pretty much the same. Benny is funny, Jessie is the cook, and Violet picks up the other household duties. (She does the sewing in the first book, the laundry in Houseboat Mystery, and the interior decorating in this one.)

The "mystery" in this book is pretty innocent. The Alden children meet a nice family, the Nelsons, who seems to act a little weird, as if they're hiding something. What are they hiding?! The Alden children talk over the Nelsons' strange behavior and do a lot of wondering. This book is an enjoyable read, and it's fun seeing how everything falls into place.

Houseboat Mystery (The Boxcar Children #12) by Gertrude Chandler Warner

★★★★

I would have preferred to read the books in this series in order, but instead I just picked up whatever was available at our library. I am reading this book right on the heels of Book 1, and I was surprised to find that Henry could drive! That was kind of fun, to see that the children had aged.

I almost gave this book 3 or 3 1/2 stars, but I settled on 4 stars because the whole idea of vacationing on a houseboat was just fantastic! What a great concept, and what fun!! And I love how the children (though perhaps Henry is too old to be called a "child" now) continue to be so self-sufficient and resourceful.

All the characters are still rather one-dimensional, except for Benny, who seemed remarkably well-developed in contrast with his brother and sisters and grandfather. In this book, he was funny, enthusiastic, inquisitive, thoughtful, friendly, sensitive, compassionate, and not at all shy. Much of this book was so focused on Benny that at times it almost seemed like this was his adventure, and the rest of the family just tagged along.

The mystery involved two strange men, and it did seem a little too coincidental that the Alden family just happened to be in the right place at the right time to get involved in this case. But that's okay, that's just how mystery stories are, I guess. The mystery also turned out to be a bigger deal than I expected, involving policemen and real "bad guys" and everything.

The Boxcar Children (The Boxcar Children #1) by Gertrude Chandler Warner

★★★★

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

I remember loving this series as a child. I even have a specific memory of looking for books in this series on the library shelves - up high on the last shelf before the windows in the children's area.

Somehow, though, I have managed to forget every single detail about the books except that there are four children, and they live in a boxcar. Re-reading this book for the first time since I was a kid, I was surprised to learn that the children were reunited with their grandfather! I honestly didn't remember there being any adult supervision at all. I also remember the books being "mysteries", and was surprised that this book wasn't.

Still, I really enjoyed this book, which I finally picked up because Isabelle found it at the library, checked it out with Ken, and read it herself first! She loved it and is looking forward to reading more in the series.

The sentences are very simple, and they have a kind of wholesomeness that I associate with the 1950's. (Actually, it looks like this book was first published in 1942.) Except for the baker's wife in the beginning, every character is "good", and all the children - even 5-year-old Benny - are well-behaved. Besides being kind and polite, they are also hard-working and resourceful. Their good-naturedness might be a little unrealistic, but since this is a book for children, I rather like that they are good examples for behavior.

I don't know if the characters get fleshed out more in subsequent books, but in this one, none of the children has much of a personality besides what might be expected from each child's age and gender. But honestly, I don't mind when characters in children's books lack personality, because I wonder if that makes them more appealing and relatable to a wider audience of young readers who might like to imagine being one of the characters themselves.

I was a little put off by how matter-of-factly the children stated that their parents "are dead". And though their death must have been recent, the children didn't seem to miss them at all. Moreover, I really didn't understand how the grandfather fit in. He seemed so good and kind, and he lived nearby, so why didn't he ever see his grandchildren before? Did he really dislike their mother, and basically held a grudge against the parents until they died, at which time he realized the error of his ways and sought to make things up with his grandchildren? Well, whatever. I guess it's really not important to the story. It's about the kids, and their adventures with the boxcar, and everything else must be filed away under "suspended disbelief".

Mandy by Julie Edwards

★★★★

This book just sort of fell into my lap. My uncle was packing up his house for a move, throwing out and giving away a lot of random stuff. He had two boxes of books from which we salvaged a handful of keepers, and then donated the rest. While rummaging through the boxes, I skipped over this book because I didn't recognize the title or the author, and the cover illustration didn't capture my interest. A couple days later, I was surprised when Isabelle saved this book from the donation pile, telling me, "I want to read it. It's by that person you like, in The Sound of Music!"

Well, apparently Isabelle had done a better job examining the books than I did! Sure enough, I flipped over the book, read the back cover, and indeed, "Julie Edwards" the author is the same as "Julie Andrews" from The Sound of Music and Mary Poppins! I think I vaguely knew that she wrote children's books, but I imagined them to be picture books for young children, not novels. Anyway, what a find!

As it turns out, this is a lovely book. Mandy is an orphan who finds an old abandoned cottage on the property adjoining the orphanage. Having always felt an aching loneliness from not belonging to a family, she finds that having a secret cottage all to herself - a place to take care of and to call all her own - makes her really, really happy.

Mandy is a sweet, polite, and thoughtful girl. At one point, she does resort to "borrowing" items from the orphanage to help her efforts at the cottage, but she is riddled with guilt and vows to return the items when she can afford to buy her own. (She diligently helps out in a local general store for pocket money.) Though only 10 years old, she uses matches and makes her own fires at the cottage, though these events are mentioned only in passing, as if a child starting fires is not out of the ordinary. And perhaps it wasn't in the English countryside in 1971, when the book was first published? Well, I'll just be sure to remind Isabelle, if she reads this book, that these days, kids aren't allowed to use matches by themselves. :P

Anyway, the book is predictable, and though it makes for a nice story, it doesn't really offer anything especially new or different. Still, an enjoyable read, and I even shed a few tears at the end. The sentences are simple and straight-forward, yet well-written. The reading level might be a little above Isabelle now, so maybe we will read it together as a bedtime read-aloud book, or maybe we'll just keep it on the shelf until she feels ready to read it on her own.

Rainbow Magic Roundup

Here is an age appropriate series that I am happy to let Isabelle read! These books are geared perfectly towards girls in pre-K through 2nd grade. No, they are not "literature", but they are fun to read, and I think they are great for encouraging independent reading while also fostering a healthy imagination. Plus, the girls are great models for good behavior - they are polite, compassionate, determined, and, of course, eager to help others.

So, the Rainbow Magic series is actually a series of series. To follow events chronologically, books within a sub-series should be read in order. There is a defined order for the sub-series, but I don't think it's necessary to read the sub-series in order. We jumped around, and it was fine.

Besides the sub-series, there are also a number of Special Edition books. These books are not a part of a series and each can stand on its own. They are longer than the series books - about 160 pages each, compared to about 65 pages in each series books. Also, each Special Edition book is divided into 3 parts, and each part has 5 chapters. In this way, the Special Edition books are like 3-book mini-series bound into one book. All the Rainbow Magic books are well-formatted for early independent readers.

Some of the books also include a bit of letter fun to further engage young readers. In the Special Editions (that we've read), there are instructions to look for hidden letters throughout the book. The letters can then be unscrambled into a word related to that book's fairy. As it turns out, after reading a Special Edition book, Isabelle discovered that even some of the series books have hidden letters! There are no instructions, but if you are "in the know", you will find one letter in each series book, and the seven letters of a sub-series can be unscrambled into a "special" word. (Of the series we've read, the only one in which we did not find any hidden letters was the first Rainbow Fairies series.)

In the list below, books that are linked are books that I've read. Just for fun, I decided to list all the books that Isabelle has read as well, even if I didn't read them. (She would give every book 5 stars!) I do think they are fun stories, and sometimes it's nice just to have an easy, light-hearted read. But, after a while, I just had enough. :P Maybe every now and then, I might pick up a book or a series, but I don't feel compelled to read every single one!

The Rainbow Fairies (2003) ★★★

• Ruby the Red Fairy ★★★
• Amber the Orange Fairy ★★★
• Sunny the Yellow Fairy ★★½
• Fern the Green Fairy ★★★
• Sky the Blue Fairy ★★
• Izzy the Indigo Fairy ★★★
• Heather the Violet Fairy ★★★

The Weather Fairies (2004)

• Crystal the Snow Fairy
• Abigail the Breeze Fairy
• Pearl the Cloud Fairy
• Goldie the Sunshine Fairy
• Evie the Mist Fairy
• Storm the Lightning Fairy
• Hayley the Rain Fairy

The Party Fairies (2005)

• Cherry the Cake Fairy
• Melodie the Music Fairy
• Grace the Glitter Fairy
• Honey the Candy Fairy
• Polly the Party Fun Fairy
• Phoebe the Fashion Fairy
• Jasmine the Present Fairy

The Jewel Fairies (2005) ★★★½

• India the Moonstone Fairy ★★★
• Scarlett the Garnet Fairy ★★★
• Emily the Emerald Fairy ★★★½
• Chloe the Topaz Fairy ★★★½
• Amy the Amethyst Fairy ★★★★
• Sophie the Sapphire Fairy ★★★
• Lucy the Diamond Fairy ★★★

The Pet Fairies (2006)

• Katie the Kitten Fairy
• Bella the Bunny Fairy
• Georgia the Guinea Pig Fairy
• Lauren the Puppy Fairy
• Harriet the Hamster Fairy
• Molly the Goldfish Fairy
• Penny the Pony Fairy

The Fun Day Fairies (2006)

• Megan the Monday Fairy
• Tara the Tuesday Fairy
• Willow the Wednesday Fairy
• Thea the Thursday Fairy
• Felicity the Friday Fairy
• Sienna the Saturday Fairy
• Sarah the Sunday Fairy

The Petal Fairies (2007)

• Tia the Tulip Fairy
• Pippa the Poppy Fairy
• Louise the Lily Fairy
• Charlotte the Sunflower Fairy
• Olivia the Orchid Fairy
• Danielle the Daisy Fairy
• Ella the Rose Fairy

The Dance Fairies (2007)

• Bethany the Ballet Fairy
• Jade the Disco Fairy
• Rebecca the Rock 'N' Roll Fairy
• Tasha the Tap Dance Fairy
• Jessica the Jazz Fairy
• Serena the Salsa Fairy
• Isabelle the Ice Dance Fairy

The Music Fairies (2008)

• Poppy the Piano Fairy
• Ellie the Guitar Fairy
• Fiona the Flute Fairy
• Danni the Drum Fairy
• Maya the Harp Fairy
• Victoria the Violin Fairy
• Sadie the Saxophone Fairy

The Sports Fairies (2008)

• Helena the Horse-riding Fairy
• Stacey the Soccer Fairy
• Zoe the Skating Fairy
• Brittany the Basketball Fairy
• Samantha the Swimming Fairy
• Alice the Tennis Fairy
• Gemma the Gymnastics Fairy

The Magical Animal Fairies (2009)

• Ashley the Dragon Fairy
• Lara the Black Cat Fairy
• Erin the Phoenix Fairy
• Rihanna the Seahorse Fairy
• Sophia the Snow Swan Fairy
• Leona the Unicorn Fairy
• Caitlin the Ice Bear Fairy

The Ocean Fairies (2010)

• Ally the Dolphin Fairy
• Amelie the Seal Fairy
• Pia the Penguin Fairy
• Tess the Sea Turtle Fairy
• Stephanie the Starfish Fairy
• Whitney the Whale Fairy
• Courtney the Clownfish Fairy

The Night Fairies (2010)

• Ava the Sunset Fairy
• Lexi the Firefly Fairy
• Zara the Starlight Fairy
• Morgan the Midnight Fairy
• Nia the Night Owl Fairy
• Anna the Moonbeam Fairy
• Sabrina the Sweet Dreams Fairy

The Princess Fairies (2011)

• Hope the Happiness Fairy
• Cassidy the Costume Fairy
• Anya the Cuddly Creatures Fairy
• Elisa the Royal Adventure Fair
• Lizzie the Sweet Treats Fairy
• Maddie the Fun and Games Fairy
• Eva the Enchanted Ball Fairy

Special Edition Books

• Holly the Christmas Fairy (2004) ★★★
• Joy the Summer Vacation Fairy (2005)
• Stella the Star Fairy (2005)
• Shannon the Ocean Fairy (2008) ★★★
• Gabriella the Snow Kingdom Fairy (2008)
• Mia the Bridesmaid Fairy (2009)
• Trixie the Halloween Fairy (2009)
• Destiny the Rock Star Fairy (2009)
• Juliet the Valentine Fairy (2009)
• Belle the Birthday Fairy (2010)
• Cheryl the Christmas Tree Fairy (2010)
• Florence the Friendship Fairy (2011)
• Emma the Easter Fairy (2011)
• Selena the Sleepover Fairy (2011)
• Olympia the Games Fairy (2011)
• Brianna the Tooth Fairy (2012)

Saints at the River by Ron Rash

★★★

This is my first novel by Ron Rash, but I did read Burning Bright, a collection of short stories, and I can't help but compare the two. My 3-star rating for this book is relative to my 4-star rating for Burning Bright.

Overall, this book just seemed lacking. The dialogue frequently seemed to me too formal and forced, not natural enough. It took almost the entire book to draw me in, and once I finally felt invested in the characters - right at the climax - everything was wrapped up a bit too quickly. The main character, Maggie, did grow on me, but her character was developed so slowly, mostly through intermittent flashbacks, that for most of the book, I found her uncompelling. Aside from Maggie and a couple other supporting characters, there were too many named characters that ended up playing only minor or passing roles, and I was kind of annoyed for having tried to keep track of them.

There are really two stories in this book. On the surface, the book is about a father trying to recover the body of his 12-year-old daughter, who drowned in the Tamassee River. The opening passage is heart-wrenching to read, particularly for a parent who can't help but imagine, "What if it were my child?" Unfortunately, recovering the body means disturbing the natural course of the river, and environmentalists protest the means of recovery. This particular controversy, while it does have merit, seemed exaggerated. The engineer who tries to bring in a portable dam is remarkably - and unreasonably - unwilling to heed the recommendations of the locals, who have valuable knowledge of the river, nor does he bother to make any concessions to appease the environmentalists.

Another story that runs like an undercurrent is the emotional upheaval Maggie feels upon returning to the river, where she was born and raised. Besides trying to figure out where exactly she stands on the river controversy, she also needs to come to terms with her strained relationship with her father. On top of that, there is a budding romance, which I found superfluous, but not actually as distracting as it could have been, except for the repeated references to "the small of my/his/her back".

I really liked the way the river and the mountains were prominent in the story, and as a reader I did feel like I could be immersed in the location. Apparently, the Appalachian South is a specialty of the author's, and I wouldn't mind reading another one of his books.

My Own Two Feet by Beverly Cleary

★★★★

This book literally picks up where A Girl from Yamhill leaves off, with the author on a bus heading for junior college in California.

I enjoyed this book and found it more personal than A Girl from Yamhill, which I thought was written rather matter-of-factly.

We follow the author as she attends college, goes to librarian school, and finds employment, all the while making friends, meeting men, and learning and striving to stand "on her own two feet". Her naivete, and her retrospective self-awareness of it, is amusing.

I think this book would make a good read for a teenage girl who was a fan of Beverly Cleary's books as a child. Even if many of the references are old-fashioned, the author makes for a good role model. She shows integrity, perseverance, and diligence while also making time for an active social life.

Much of what I found interesting in this book was the author's first-hand account of life during the Depression and World War II. Her experiences as a librarian during a time in which reference questions could not be easily and conveniently Googled and carefully maintained card catalogs were the backbone of libraries was fascinating. Perhaps I am showing my ignorance or my age, but I will mention that the author used the acronyms NYA and WPA without explaining them; one quick Google search told me that NYA = National Youth Administration and WPA = Works Progress Administration.

While A Girl from Yamhill offered sporadic connections to Beverly Cleary's books in the early chapters, it is only in the very last part of the final chapter of My Own Two Feet that we are given a satisfying glimpse into the author's writing of her first book, Henry Huggins.

As a fan of Beverly Cleary's works, I wish the book had provided even more background on her life as an author, like where she found her inspiration for other characters besides Henry Huggins, and what anecdotes in her books came from incidents in real life. By the time she wrote this memoir, she had already won awards (she makes a very brief mention of one in particular), and I would have loved to read about how she felt when she received her first award, and what it was like for her to meet and/or receive letters from fans. Her strained relationship with her mother was a theme in both her autobiographies, and I found myself wondering how that relationship might have affected the way she mothered her own children. This book, however, only briefly mentions that she had twins later in life, and the narrative stops right after Henry Huggins was published, before she becomes a mother. As a mother myself, I further wondered how being a mother might have affected her writing, or how her experience as a children's librarian and author might have affected her parenting.