Did you know that Hallmark has quite a few discontinued but sought-after Halloween-themed items? One of them is this fun pop-up book called A Visit to The Haunted House. It is not just a nostalgic children’s picture book but also a collectible vintage item that is sought after because of both the Halloween theme and the Hallmark brand. Read my complete review here.
THE FACTS
It is a hardcover Hallmark Children’s Editions book that is often dated to 1972, with other copies or editions dated 1985 and 1987. It may also have been reissued in other years. It was written by Dean Walley, intended perhaps for children aged 4 to 8 and illustrated by Arlene Noel.
THE STORY
The charming story is both whimsical and spooky, sharing a visit to a haunted house with characters Tommy Tribble and Stephanie Pepper via various pop-ups and pull tabs. The text on the back reads, "Are there really such things as ghosts and witches and monsters? A Visit to The Haunted House shows that these horrible creatures may not be what they seem to be at all. Children will enjoy sharing the scary adventures of Tommy Tribble and Stephanie Pepper as they unravel the mystery of Halfway House. The story offers plenty of thrills and chills, plus the comforting reminder that it’s fun to be scared when you know it’s just pretend."
REVIEWS
This is a book that people own and pass onto their children or that people owned and now want to have for their children. Those who already own it report that their children love it. One review that I read said that the writer and her children read the book at least four times a week. I can understand that; Halloween and pop-up books are just so, so very popular.
Adult readers like the vintage illustrations and the pop-ups. Some of them find the plot predictable but most say that is okay because they like the way the book was made and its nostalgic charm.
WHERE TO BUY A VISIT TO THE HAUNTED HOUSE
Looking for a copy of A Visit to The Haunted House for your family? Click here to see what is available on eBay. Shop carefully by reading the full descriptions and taking a good look at all of the photographs so that you will know what you are buying. Naturally, copies in excellent condition are hard to find and sell for more than copies that were much beloved and handled by young children. Expect to pay between US$20 and US$100 depending on the condition of the book. Originally, some of these books were sold wrapped in cellophane. If you hold out for a new copy of the book you may want to look for one that is still sealed. However, I can see that only three new copies have sold on eBay in the last three years. Waiting for a new one to be available may mean waiting for quite a while to buy this book.
Note: The author may receive a commission from purchases made using links found in this article. “As an Amazon Associate, Ebay (EPN), Esty (Awin), and/or Zazzle Affiliate, I (we) earn from qualifying purchases.”
“Hundreds of cats, thousands of cats, millions and billions and trillions of cats.” That is the refrain from the classic children’s story, Millions of Cats by Wanda Gág.
THE AUTHOR
Gág was an American author, illustrator, translator and Millions of Cats was her first and is her best-known children’s book. Done in black and white in, according to Elizabeth Haidle in the book Before They Were Artists, her “wiggly dreamscape style.” You can find Before They Were Artists here on Amazon.
Gág used her own cats as models for the “hundreds of cats, thousands of cats, millions and billions and trillions of cats” in the book. Considered groundbreaking; it was the first picture book to feature images flowing across two pages. It also featured text that was handwritten by Gág's brother as Gág preferred this more natural look.
THE REVIEWS
The book was published in 1928 and was very popular in its day with critics and readers alike. It sold well despite the Great Depression, earning a Newbery Honor in 1929. The book is still published, is said to be the oldest picture book still in print and is still popular with readers despite the controversial but happy ending.
SPOILERS
Please note that this book review contains spoilers. Reading farther will educate you but, at the same time, could compromise your enjoyment of this book.
THE STORY
The story is that of an old woman and an old man who live happily in a cute little cottage surrounded by flowers. Despite being so lucky, they are lonely and the woman asks for a cat. The man sets out to find a cat, a “sweet little fluffy cat” but is so taken with all of the cats that he finds that he brings home “hundreds of cats, thousands of cats, millions and billions and trillions of cats.” The woman despairs at having to feed them all and in order to pick just one, they ask the cats, “Which one of you is prettiest?” The result? A cat fight of major proportions mentioned but not depicted in the book. After the cat quarrel, there remains a single, solitary “thin and scraggly” kitten who the couple adopts. In a concerning but happy ending, the ugly kitten wins.
THE CONTROVERSY
Is the book disturbing? What happens to the “hundreds of cats, thousands of cats, millions and billions and trillions of cats” after they "bit and scratched and clawed each other" is not explicitly stated when they argue over who is the prettiest. All but one of them are simply gone when the noise subsides and the old woman surmises that they have “eaten each other all up.”
On Goodreads, one reader and reviewer says that the book has a wicked sense of humor and that the end is a bit of a joke acknowledging that people today don’t like jokes at the expense of animals. Remember that this book was written in 1928, which was a very different time. The roaring 20s was a time of prosperity and excess.
That same reader also discussed the response of her children saying that they were surprised by the ending. When the cats started to fight, their eyes became really big and her little boy asked, "What's going to happen?" She went on to day that, "her children's heart strings were tugged upon when the answer came and her little guy gave a short 'Ha' at the conclusion.”
Another reader says, “You can have too much of a good thing, but is it possible to have too many cats?” and finishes by saying it is up to you to draw a moral from this story.
Yet another reader says, it is an “entirely unexpected tale with a dark twist, like traditional fairy tales from the days when children were introduced to terrifying life lessons as well as moral goodness through fantastical animal stories, and social-political messages were hidden in nursery rhymes." She continues by saying, "It is also a charming story, highly original, with a happy ending.”
Finally, a reader says, that the cats in this book are, as cats can be, “destructive, vain and (possibly) cannibalistic." She continues by saying that she "can see how other people might find that disturbing but that it rings true to her, as a cat-lover.”
You can take this book as a simple picture book or, as some believe, as a book with a much bigger message driven by Gag’s political leanings. Public Domain Reviews, writes that this book "tells a very disturbing story about the barrenness of bourgeois living, greed, competition, environmental degradation and senseless violence."
BUY MILLIONS OF CATS
You can buy a nice, shiny new version of this book for the children in your life on Amazon by clicking right here. It is available in various formats including hardcover, paperback, Kindle and audiobook but it looks like the later two do not feature Gag's artwork. If it matters to you as it does to me, make sure you are buying an original version of the book. It entered the public domain in 2024 and therefore, there are now numerous versions of the story available not all of which feature Wanda Gag's illustrations.
Have you read this story? What do you think of it and, in particular, the ending? Would you read it to your children? Your grandchildren? I would carefully consider doing so, having read it myself and having a good feeling for what disturbs my children and/or grandchildren. As an adult with memories of this book? I would definitely add it to my collection.
Stay tuned for more about Wanda Gag and her books in another post.
See you
at the book store!
Brenda
Treasures By Brenda
Note: The author may receive a commission from purchases made using links found in this article. “As an Amazon Associate, Ebay (EPN), Esty (Awin), and/or Zazzle Affiliate, I (we) earn from qualifying purchases.”
Erin Napier’s The Lantern House is exactly what you would expect from a mother who also happens to be the designer of a hugely popular HGTV decorating show like Home Town. It’s a children’s picture book, which tells the story of a house as it becomes a home, effectively sharing the life cycle of a house.
Napier’s simple, sweet pose combine to take us on the house’s journey. The story starts with a new 1940s-era house and follows as the house grows and develops when a family moves in, when children are born, when they grow up and leave and when the couple grows old until just one of them remains and finally, the family’s ownership or stewardship of the house comes to an end. The house waits until a new family arrives and it starts the process again. There's a lot to think about here. The book shares as a house does both life's happy and life's sad moments.
What started as a story for Erin and Ben Napier’s daughters is now available for all of us to enjoy. According to People magazine, Napier said, "The house is a watcher, a keeper and a guardian of the families that live there.” It starts as a shell but the occupants make it become more human, taking on life along with those who take up home within the walls.
Napier says it seemed natural for her to write a story about a house for her children because she has worked with and learned the story of so many houses. On one page of the book, the family’s daughter is married at the hearth, a story directly taken from the history of the author’s own home. See what the author has to say about the book in this short video:
FAST FACTS:
Author - Erin Napier Illustrator - Adam Trest Format - Hardcover picture book Pages - 40
Publication Date - May 2022
Publisher - Little Brown Size - 9 inches x 9 inches x 0.4 inches
ISBN Number - 9780316379601 Age Recommendation - Preschool to Grade 3
The book is illustrated by American artist Adam Trest. He illustrates this particular story with a lively blue house, a red-headed family and a spirited dog that everyone will love.
The Lantern House is a lovely story book for any child, sharing the story of both family and home. However, besides being appropriate for children, I think it would also make an unusual but interesting gift choice for any book-loving young couple taking up residence in a house and beginning the process of growing their own home and family or even for anyone who simply loves houses. Find The Lantern House here on Amazon.
Note: The author may receive a commission from purchases made using links found in this article. “As an Amazon Associate, Ebay (EPN), Esty (Awin), and/or Zazzle Affiliate, I (we) earn from qualifying purchases.”
When you think of Cookies at Christmas, what comes to mind? Probably a few good recipes and some great memories. What about a great Christmas cookie cookbook? A beautiful children's picture book? A Christmas apron or a cookie jar or a plate or even a coffee mug? That's what you'll find on this page. No recipe, just my tribute to the yummy Christmas cookie and a host of ideas for you to use to create a cookie themed gift set with no baking required though obviously fresh cookies would be a fabulous addition to any cookie gift set.
A COOKIE COOKBOOK
ROSE'S CHRISTMAS COOKIES
Let's start with this beautiful cookie cookbook by Rose Levy Beranbaum who is famous for her many beautiful baking books. Almost too beautiful to use, this one would make a very impressive Christmas gift for anyone who loves to bake. Find your copy of Rose's Christmas Cookies on Amazon by clicking here.
OUR CHRISTMAS COOKIES
One year I did the unthinkable. I didn't make our traditional Christmas cookies. My sister-in-law visited and she baked and that meant we had plenty of sweet treats in the freezer. I simply did not need to bake and so I didn't. I thought nothing of it and no one said anything, until a few months later when one of my sons referred to the Christmas when they didn't have any of their favorite Christmas cookies. I felt so bad and I will not be repeating that faux pas ever again though this Christmas, Christmas 2020, the year when we cannot have people drop by to say hello, I will definitely be cutting back since there are only two of us to eat cookies.
With the exception of that well-remembered year when I did not make any cookies, we normally have three kinds of cookies on hand at Christmas: the best-ever ginger crinkles, the best ever M&M cookies with Christmas colored M&Ms and the best-ever brownie bites. They're all easy, they're all yummy and they all freeze beautifully. Best of all, they offer a nice variety and when I put a plate of cookies out and I am fairly comfortable that I can please not only my family but anyone who drops in during the holidays.
A CHILDREN'S COOKIE BOOK
Here are three great cookie-themed picture books for children. The first is not actually a Christmas story as The Gingerbread Boy makes his break for freedom in a season that definitely is not winter at least in my part of the world. Paul Galdone's version shown here is one of the classic versions and was my family's favorite. Featuring a barnyard full of critters and one foxy fox, the gingerbread man is unfortunately and as always undone in the end. You can find the book on Amazon by clicking right here.
The second book, Christmas Cookies: Bite Size Holiday Lessons by Amy Krouse Rosenthal, introduces your young child to new vocabulary words like 'tradition' and 'celebrate' in the context of good manners in certain social situations. It is a beautiful combination of wisdom and artistry. You can read my review of Christmas Cookies: Bite Size Holiday Lessons here or you can read more about it on Amazon by clicking here.
The third and final book, If You Take A Mouse To The Movies, is a special Christmas edition featuring that cookie-loving mouse that was created by Laura Numeroff in If You Give A Mouse A Cookie. The Christmas version has all sorts of extras including a CD and recipes. You can buy it on Amazon here or if you find it unavailable there, you can try eBayby clicking here. At the time of writing this post, I was unable to find it on Amazon.
A COOKIE APRON
An apron is such a practical and affordable gift idea. If you or someone you know spends a lot of time in the kitchen at Christmastime, you (or they) should definitely own a Christmas apron and there are so many great ones available. I love this Christmas Cookie Baking Team apron from Etsy and the fact that it can be personalized for all of the members of your baking team. You can find it on Etsy From Elegant Night Design by clicking right here.
A CHRISTMAS COOKIE JAR
Nothing could be more fun than a cookie jar especially when it is full of cookies. I found this beautiful but simple metal cookie jar or tin on Amazon. I love the idea that it will hold your Christmas treats and, when they are gone, go in your dishwasher for easy clean-up. You can find it on Amazon by clicking here. Gift it empty or even full of your favorite Christmas cookies.
A COOKIE PLATE
This Waechtersbach Santa's cookies plate is perfect for leaving cookies out for Santa or simply serving cookies throughout the month of December. It would make a fine tradition for any family. We love using the same plate every year. To find this plate and a few other Christmas-cookie themed ones, look to eBay by clicking right here.
A COOKIE MUG
Yes, there's such a thing as a cookie mug and I don't mean a mug with the image of a cookie on it but rather a mug that has a pocket for holding your cookie. This is a fun one featuring Disney's Mickey Mouse and promising to deliver holiday cheer. Originally on Amazon but now retired but you can find ithere on eBay.
A COOKIE BAKING SET
Finally, I will close with this fun child-sized baking set, which you can find on Amazon by clicking here. Whether you offer it on its own or team it up with some of the other great gift ideas on this page, the choice is yours. Maybe you could create a set for the family with this set for the children.
So how about it? Is there something sweet in this batch for you? Are you a smart cookie who likes to assemble gift sets cookie themed or otherwise?
Note: The author may receive a commission from purchases made using links found in this article. “As an Amazon Associate, Ebay (EPN), Esty (Awin), and/or Zazzle Affiliate, I (we) earn from qualifying purchases.”
I think it is because I am very interested in the world of art, particularly paintings, that I listened carefully to a recent CBC radio story about the Dr. Seuss book Horse Museum, which was released posthumously in 2019.
It was a fascinating story as this was a book found decades after Theodor Seuss Geisel, who wrote as Dr. Seuss, had passed away. The manuscript was discovered in a box that for whatever reason missed being sorted through at the time of his death and was only discovered in 2013.
This book is a different type of book for author and artist Dr. Seuss in that it does not feature rhymes like so many of his other books and it is also one of the few books that he wrote that is non-fictional in nature and not intended to help children with their reading skills. Instead, the goal of this book is to help children learn about looking at and creating art and yes, there's something to be learned within the covers of this book for adults, too.
Horse Museum looks at how artists have painted horses over the years. The choice of horses was not because Seuss was fascinated by horses but because he knew many artists have painted them and he had to choose a theme that provided lots of artwork to learn by.
Within the cover are many horse-themed pieces by famous artists like Picasso, George Stubbs, Rosa Bonheur, Alexander Calder, Jacob Lawrence, Deborah Butterfield, Franz Marc and Jackson Pollock. While learning about horses, you and your child will also be discovering information about how artists create pictures and about how to observe art.
Suess did not do the illustrations for this book. His found manuscript was not finished but rather a guide to what his idea for the book was with rough sketches in place. Illustrator Andrew Joyner was brought in to illustrate the book with the caveat that the illustrations must be somewhat Seuss like but yet still represent the artist’s style. Throughout the book you will see Joyner's illustrations blended with illustrations from real works of art.
A fun bonus in the book is that you will see cameo appearances of the characters we know and love from Dr. Seuss books. Those guests include the Cat in the Hat, the Grinch and Horton the Elephant.
OFFICIAL HORSE MUSEUM BOOK TRAILER
Here’s the official book trailer for this adorable children’s book. Fair warning, you may want to buy this book for the children in your life once you watch this trailer.
Anyone, child or otherwise, who loves Dr. Seuss and who wants to learn about art and horses will enjoy this book. Find your copy of Dr. Seuss's Horse Museum on Amazon by clicking here.
Note: The author may receive a commission from purchases made using links found in this article. “As an Amazon Associate, Ebay (EPN), Esty (Awin), and/or Zazzle Affiliate, I (we) earn from qualifying purchases.”
Skeet is a young deer mouse who lives
in a burrow on a spruce knoll above a swamp in a peaceful
valley. A brook runs past the knoll toward a pond. Skeet lives with
his mother, his sister Samantha, his baby brother Loopey, and his
grandfather, Overdare.
One day while he's getting a drink in
the brook, he hears something making a loud splashing sound. He was
curious, so he drew nearer to the sound. He heard a high-pitched
whistle. The splashing stopped. Then he saw a dark brown head looking
cautiously around an edge of grass. He had never seen such an odd
creature as that which emerged. He thought it looked comical with its
large orange front teeth and its paddle-like tail. Skeet stopped
being afraid because he could see this awkward creature would never
be fast enough to catch him. The creature was soon joined by five
more like it.
Skeet ran home to ask Overdare what
these creatures might be. “'Beaver!' exclaimed Skeet's
grandfather....'I hoped I'd never see in my lifetime when beaver get
into this valley.'” (p, 7)
Overdare confirmed the beaver weren't
dangerous to mice, since they didn't eat meat. So Skeet couldn't
understand why his grandfather didn't want them around. Overdare
explained:
“Beaver...think they know the way
everything ought to be in any place they settle down. If it isn't
that way, they make it so, and they don't care a bit what happens to
anyone else in the process.” (p. 8)
What the Beavers Do
Grandfather hopes the beaver will
leave, but curious Skeet hopes they hang around long enough for him
to watch. And watch he does. He sees the beavers build a dam, chop
down trees, raise the level of the pond, build a canal for
transporting logs from the places where they had felled them, and
build a second dam. The water level kept rising higher and higher.
Photo of p. 16-17, Beaver Valley, Leslie Morrill's illustration, text by Walter D. Edmonds
What Author Walter D. Edmonds Thinks of
Beavers
Edmonds was raised in upper New York
State in the small town of Boonville. He frequently observed beaver
at his family home, Northlands, along the Black River . He personally
saw how negatively the beavers impacted the ecosystem when they moved
into an area.
Beavers have always fascinated me. Most
of us who have never seen one in the wild think of them positively because they are such industrious animals. Teachers often hold up the hardworking beavers
as examples their students should follow. Edmonds seems to see them as
industriously destroying their environment to please themselves.
He reveals this attitude in one of the
book's last sentences. He describes a mother who had brought her
young son to the spruce knoll for a picnic to see the beaver ponds.
She wanted to teach her son some natural history. She didn't seem
interested in all the dying trees whose roots had gotten too wet. She
was only interested in all the work the beavers had done building
their dams, their home, and their canal. Let's eavesdrop on her:
“Isn't it wonderful,
Tommy?....They're as clever as engineers. They're just like men.” (p, 69)
Should You or Your Child Read This
Book?
Whether you love beavers or not, you
will learn a lot about their behavior in this book from one who has
observed beavers over time. Older readers will pick up the author's
attitude. The book would be perfect to read aloud as a family and
discuss.
The author shows us each step in the beavers'
transformation of the valley, and suspense builds as the water level
rises. Skeet at first is just curious. But as the water level
continues to rise, he realizes that animals in burrows on lower
ground will lose their homes. Some don't get out in time and are
trapped to die. Skeet and his family wonder if they, too, will have
to find a new home.
The copy of the book I have is
illustrated by Leslie Morrill. I love her drawing of the beavers and
the mice. Her hand-drawn maps help readers keep track of the changes
in the valley.
Photo of p. 10-11, Beaver Valley, Leslie Morrill's illustration
This is chapter book is at a grade
3-5 reading level. It's a great book for homeschoolers. Almost any age from kindergarten on will find it
interesting. Why not get a copy for your home library?
All quotes and book illustration photos are from this book: Beaver Valley by Walter D. Edmonds, illustrated by Leslie Morrill; Little, Brown and Company, 1971.
Note: The author may receive a commission from purchases made using links found in this article. “As an Amazon Associate, Ebay (EPN), Esty (Awin), and/or Zazzle Affiliate, I (we) earn from qualifying purchases.”
I do not have any wee folk around anymore nor did I ever have any wee girls about the house but that did not stop me from holding throughout my life a love of all things related to Anne of Green Gables and Prince Edward Island. A hold over from my girlhood, I am thrilled to know that the red headed heroine we loved as girls continues to be introduced to successive generations of girls through some beautiful books and television programming.
Anne Arrives and Anne's Kindred Spirits are a retelling of the traditional Anne of Green Gables story for early readers in an easy chapter book format that have been adapted by Canadian author Kallie George. Kallie, that is, with an e. Anne Arrives was released in 2018 and Anne's Kindred Spirits will be released in 2019.
The first story introduces the young reader to Anne Shirley and sets her down at Green Gables where we all know that she belongs. She settles in, that is, after a rough start when they find out she is a girl and not a boy and after she has a run in with the neighbor, Mrs. Lynde.
The second story introduces Anne and the reader to her bosom buddy, Diana. In this book, Anne enjoys a community picnic, which is her first, although that outing is jeopardized when Marilla's prized brooch goes missing.
Author Kallie George has written a number of other books for children including a picture book about Anne Shirley called Goodnight, Anne. Kallie says that she believes that she and Anne Shirley are kindred spirits!
The illustrator Abigail Halpin says that she was gifted with a copy of the original book when she was a teenager and that that book still holds a special place on her book shelf. The illustrations in Anne Arrives, she says, were "influenced by her memories of one of the most beautiful, magical spots on the planet, Prince Edward Island." Her illustrations were crafted using a combination of traditional and digital media.
Both of these books were written with children aged 6 to 8 or in grades 1 through 3 in mind. However, if you child is not quite ready to read these books on her own, you could certainly read them to her. Although intended for children, they are suitable for any one who loves Anne.
I think that this book is wonderful, sharing as it does a simple version of the classic story with the accompaniment of some charming illustrations. My favorite picture might be the two page spread that shows Green Gables in the distance, shown above. It sets the scene in my head, for sure.
As you can tell, yes, this book is RECOMMENDED by me. I think it is lovely but I am biased toward anything from Anne's world. However, Kirkus Reviews calls Anne Arrives, "A dream of an adaptation that is an unabashed love letter to the series that inspired it." In my mind that is high praise indeed.
I think that either book would make a beautiful gift for anyone who loves Anne but it would be especially appropriate for any young girl who is learning or will soon be learning to read. If you want to expose your children to Anne's world, you can never start to young!
Note: The author may receive a commission from purchases made using links found in this article. “As an Amazon Associate, Ebay (EPN), Esty (Awin), and/or Zazzle Affiliate, I (we) earn from qualifying purchases.”
Patricia Polacco's books aren't just stories. They are connections to the hearts of her readers. You will see why in a moment. Polacco is not just a talented artist with a style that's easy to recognize, but she's a storyteller with heart.
Patricia Polacco is only a year younger than I, but she led a much less sheltered life. Her parents had divorced when she was only three, and she and her mother had been living with her grandmother in many different towns until her grandmother died. In one of those towns, Union City, Michigan, they had lived on a farm. Life on the farm with her Babushka (grandmother) provided Polacco with many of her story ideas when she later began to write.
Most of Polacco's stories relate to problems and fears that children have. In some a child has lost a beloved adult -- a grandparent or neighbor. I have read many other children's books, both fiction and nonfiction, that deal with these issues, but none have made the connection with my heart that Polacco's did. I believe that in almost every one of her books I've read, and I've read lots of them, her own heart and feelings were involved. In others, her love of books and reading connected with me.
Polacco understands the importance of family relationships in both the nuclear and extended family. She understands the value of intergenerational relationships. In many of her books a child and a lonely elderly person make a connection that ends their isolation. Not all children have grandparents and not all widows and widowers have grandchildren. Polacco shows that these intergenerational relationships can be just as vital even when child and elderly person come from different races or cultures.
Gifts of the Heart by Patricia Polacco
In this precious Christmas story, young Patricia and her brother have been living with their mother and her parents on a farm in Michigan. When Patricia's grandmother dies, her grandfather wants to sell the farm and move because the house is so full of memories. Meanwhile, Grandfather has hired a woman who says she is Kay Lamity to look after the children, as their Babushka used to do, while their mother went to work. Patricia's brother, especially, rebels at the thought that anyone can replace their Babushka.
A Gift for a Child with Dyslexia: Thank You, Mr. Falker
My brother had the misfortune to have dyslexia before anyone knew what it was. Born into a family with a mother and sister who loved reading and read to him all the time, everyone assumed he'd also become a reader. Except he didn't. As much help as he had from a mother who was a teacher and a sister who wanted to help, he just became more frustrated when books didn't make sense to him. Like Patricia, he didn't get help until he was in middle school. Like Patricia, he thought he must be dumb. He never told me what he might have suffered from teasing by his classmates. This is a book every teacher and parent should read -- especially if they have a child with a reading problem. Listen to Jane Kaczmarek read it on YouTube and see if you can keep your eyes dry. I couldn't
If you know a child who needs this book, please get Thank You, Mr. Falker for him or her. I recommend a physical book for all the picture books to enhance the reading experience.
My Favorite Polacco Book: Aunt Chip and the Great Triple Creek Dam Affair
This my favorite because I can't imagine a life without reading. I've loved reading since I was three years old, and I loved being read to even before that. I've never been a great fan of TV, either. So I can imagine how it would feel to be Eli's Aunt Chip, the Triple Creek librarian, when people stopped reading to watch TV. Television was the center of their lives and they always had it on. Pretty soon even school teachers were replaced by television.
Although Aunt Chip still faithfully showed up to work every day, no one came. Finally the library was demolished and replaced by a giant TV tower, and Aunt Chip took to her bed. She told told the mayor and the townspeople there would be consequences to replacing books with television.
When Eli arrived on the scene, he loved his Aunt Chip. He did think it strange she'd not left her bed since he'd known her, but she told wonderful stories. Finally he asked her one day where she got her stories. She replied, "Some come out of thin air. Some come out of my dreams. Some come right out of books!"
Eli asked how you would get a story from a book. All he'd seen books used for were patching holes in the street, sitting on, building things, and even shoring up the dam. Never for reading. This is when Aunt Chip discovered that not only Eli, but no one else in the town could still read. So she showed Eli the inside of a book and explained about writing.
'Now look at this. Those are words. They tell about ideas, dreams, and feelings. They take you to places far from here....Books are a treasure. All you need is the key.'
I don't want to give the story away, but Aunt Chip leaves her bed and the town soon learns the consequences of their rashness in closing the library and replacing books with television. I think the ending will make you happy, and you will love what happens to Eli. This book is not a tear-jerker like the others I reviewed. Give it to anyone who thinks reading isn't important.
Here are more of my favorites. There's a story for almost any child in this group of books. You can find more detailed reviews of the books below and many others, as well as more about Patricia Polacco's life and inspiration in "Patricia Polacco and Her Books" at Books to Remember. You will also find study guides and readers' theater scripts for the most popular of her books.
Note: The author may receive a commission from purchases made using links found in this article. “As an Amazon Associate, Ebay (EPN), Esty (Awin), and/or Zazzle Affiliate, I (we) earn from qualifying purchases.”
