Third Round-Up

Wow. It has taken so long to get to this point. Ah well, I'm still enjoying this little challenge (though I'll be straight up honest there are three book so far that I've started and been unable to finish).

Anyway, the newcomers!

Island of the Blue Dolphins - This is such a wonderful and beautiful book. Sadly I look at reviews and it seems that there are a great many people who don't like it. It is, apparently, too boring. I am always amazed at how the times have changed, some, in fact most, modern books I love, but I also love classic literature. It doesn't seem that many of my peers or those younger than myself find classic literature to be worth the time of day, which is sad because they miss books like this.

Maniac Magee - Ahhhhh!!!! I enjoyed reading this again, it was just as fun as I remembered. I fell in love with these characters for the first time more than ten years ago. It was also the book that introduced me to that magical reading time that occurs far after a sane person would have fallen asleep.

The Tale of Despereaux - This was such a fun book! I read it very quickly and discussed it with some friends over lunch. One mentioned that she had heard the book ended differently than the film. Being a fair-minded individual I pulled it up on Netflix.

See what being fair has gotten me?

She was right the ending was different, but to be fair, so was the beginning and middle, and character traits (both physical and personality). If you have only ever seen this movie, please don't assume the book is a similar by any means. I would also go so far as to guess that it would be the most popular book with today's audience that I have on this list.

The Westing Game - I don't often get a chance to indulge in a full length mystery novel. I also think that children need to be engaged in a good mystery every once and a while, it can only sharpen their brains further.

The View from Saturday - I'm still not a fan of Mrs. Olinski but I got to relive so many memories just reading this book that it's hard for me to hold a grudge against it. It was a great read set in contemporary times which was enjoyable, while a lot of these works are 'contemporary' it is obvious that they are on the tottering edge of becoming historical.

The Cat Who Went to Heaven - I often find myself reflecting on the beautiful story in this book. Then again I'm a cat lover... not that I exclude dogs mind you, I just really love cats and feel they are more prone to take flack from society.

Dear Mr. Henshaw - Just days past reading this one I can say that it mimicked life quite nicely. However it isn't necessarily a book I would rush back to again and again. I might use it for a unit on journal writing, at any rate it will certainly be an available read in my future classroom.

A Gathering of Days - Another book that I enjoyed but have no strong desire to read again. It mirrored life excellently, but for the most part life is boring unless it is happening strictly to you. I felt that some of the more interesting things that happened were glossed over so quickly and too much time was spent on the 'everyday' things.

Rabbit Hill - A simple, enjoyable read. One that I might break out as a bedtime story for any future children I might have, but I doubt I'd ever use in the classroom.

The Matchlock Gun - Well, someone had to occupy the bottom slot on this list. I liked this book, I really did. But only a few months out and I don't find myself thinking about it very often, nor have I recommended it to anyone. Like The Whipping Boy, I simply can't justify comparing this to some of the other works on this list.

All right then, "From the top!"

1. Number the Stars
2. Crispin: Cross of Lead
3. Island of the Blue Dolphins
4. Julie of the Wolves
5. Maniac Magee
6. Bud, Not Buddy
7. King of the Wind
8. Out of the Dust
9. The Tale of Despereaux
10. Caddie Woodlawn
11. Kira-Kira
12. Sounder
13. Good Masters! Sweet Ladies!: Voices from a Medieval Village
14. The Westing Game
15. Bridge to Terabithia
16. The View from Saturday
17. Sarah, Plain and Tall
18. Joyful Noise: Poems for Two Voices
19. Call It Courage
20. The Cat Who Went to Heaven
21. Onion John
22. Dear Mr. Henshaw
23. Missing May
24. A Gathering of Days
25. The Whipping Boy
26. Rabbit Hill
27. The Matchlock Gun
28. A Visit to William Blake's Inn
29. Johnny Tremain
30. Dobry
31. Daniel Boone