Love 2 Learn.net

Setting:

Grade / Age level:

Elementary

Review:

DeSmet is a well-established town and the Ingalls family owns a homestead outside of town as well as a story on the main street. There are early signs in nature that the winter will be particularly cold and long. The Ingalls decide to move into town for the winter and thus share the fate of their neighbors as one blizzard after another pummels the region from October through May. The trains can't get through with food supplies, school is usually closed and the townspeople run dangerously low on food. Two daring youths (you'll recognize one of them from Farmer Boy) race yet another blizzard to try to find desperately needed food.

Reviewed by:

First reviewed:

2-15-01

Little Town on the Prairie

Author(s):

Laura Ingalls Wilder

Illustrator(s):

Garth Williams

Number of pages:

307 pages

1941

ISBN / ID:

9780718805197

Publisher:

HarperTrophy

Binding:

Softcover

Subject(s):

Setting:

Grade / Age level:

Elementary

Review:

Laura continues her studies and enjoys life as a young teen in a growing frontier town.

Reviewed by:

First reviewed:

2/15/01

These Happy Golden Years

Author(s):

Laura Ingalls Wilder

Illustrator(s):

Garth Williams

Number of pages:

289 pages

1943

ISBN / ID:

9780064400084

Publisher:

HarperTrophy

Binding:

Softcover

Subject(s):

Setting:

Grade / Age level:

Grades 6-8

Review:

Laura, at only 15 years of age, teaches school in a neighboring town and is courted by Almanzo Wilder.

Another fascinating read from an excellent storyteller.

Caution: This story does contain some elements that may frighten younger or more sensitive children, namely, the situation of the Brewster family with whom Laura boards while teaching at the neighboring town. To give you a brief idea of the situation, Mrs. Brewster seems to be coming unglued, perhaps because of her isolation from all that she is used to. Their child is neglected. And Laura fears for her life after she sees Mrs. Brewster threaten her husband with a knife one night. Yet does not tell her family of her fears because she so wants to earn money for her sister Mary to be able to come home during her vacation.

Reviewed by:

First reviewed:

2/15/01

The First Four Years

Author(s):

Laura Ingalls Wilder

Illustrator(s):

Garth Williams

Number of pages:

134 pages

1971

ISBN / ID:

9780064400312

Publisher:

HarperTrophy

Binding:

Softcover

Subject(s):

Setting:

Grade / Age level:

Grades 6-8

Review:

Laura and Almanzo's first four years of married life and the difficulties of starting out as farmers. This book seems to have been written quite a bit later than the other books of the series and has quite a different flavor. When I first read the series in grade school I found this difference a little disappointing and confusing. The story is quite a good one, though, but geared more for older children (perhaps 12 and up).

Additional notes:

"According to a biography of Laura Ingalls Wilder, the book was begun shortly before Almanzo's death, and afterwards Laura lost interest in it; thus it was published "as is" some years after her death. The different tone is due to the fact that it is a first draft – she did not do the revising and "fleshing out" she did with the others." (Contributed by Pat Dixon)

Reviewed by:

First reviewed:

2-15-01

The Good Land

Author(s):

Loula Grace Erdman

Number of pages:

185 pages

Publisher:

Bethlehem Books

Binding:

Softcover

Subject(s):

Setting:

Grade / Age level:

Review:

Years ago the telephone company ran an ad that sang, “Reach out, reach out and touch someone.” But what if you were too afraid to reach out? What if you were too ashamed of your new circumstances to ask for help? That is the situation for the Warren family, a family that moves to the Texas Panhandle in The Good Land. Carolyn is the youngest member of the Pierce family. At fifteen, she feels on the verge of adulthood. In her mind, however, everyone seems to treat her as the “baby” of the family and she resents it. Can’t they see how mature she is? After all, she is going to Amarillo to a real high school in the fall. Amarillo will be a whole new adventure for Carolyn. She wonders what living in the city will be like. She wonders if she will have any friends. She wonders if she will miss her family, even though she will be living with her sister. In the meantime, however, Carolyn wants to reach out and help the new family that has moved into the area, especially Rowena a girl almost her age. But after two local boys play a mean trick on them, the father wants nothing to do with the local farmers. That is until a prairie fire threatens to destroy the Warren home, livestock, and land. Will everyone join together in time to save the Warren family? Loula Grace Erdman expresses an intuitive understanding of a young teenage girl’s heart, all her secret desires and threatening fears. The Good Land is both an engaging read and an uplifting story. The exciting plot carries the reader along, while at the same time developing the characters’ virtues. The purity and goodness of the characters shines through even as they struggle with their faults. Although the book is part of a highly recommended series, The Good Land stands on its own. In the end, Carolyn finds out that growing up can be both complicated and wonderful. With quite the dramatic ending, The Good Land is also a beautiful unfolding of a love story as love stories should be, focusing on relationships and character, especially kindness to others under all circumstances. Your daughter won’t want to miss this uplifting story of courage and kindness.

Additional notes:

The Panhandle Series is set in the 1890's..

First reviewed:

4-9-2008

Bernadette, Our Lady's Little Servant

Author(s):

Hertha Pauli

Number of pages:

187 pages

1956

ISBN / ID:

9780898707601

Publisher:

Ignatius Press

Binding:

Sewn Softcover

Subject(s):

Setting:

Grade / Age level:

Review:

In the consistent style of the Vision Series of non-fiction Catholic stories for young people, the author presents a very engaging account of the important story of Our Lady's appearances to Bernadette Soubirous – probably the poorest and simplest child in the small town of Lourdes, France. Bernadette's beautiful devotion is inspiring and her stubborn honesty is refreshing. More important, however, is Our Lady's message and her profound effect on those who come to her out of devotion and sometimes only curiosity. Many people who have visited the famous spring at Lourdes have experienced miraculous cures, but there are many more miracles that can be seen only within the human heart.

Perspective:

Catholic

Reviewed by:

First reviewed:

11-16-99

Mother Cabrini

Missionary to the World

Author(s):

Frances Parkinson Keyes

Number of pages:

190 pages

1959

ISBN / ID:

9780898705997

Publisher:

Ignatius Press

Binding:

Sewn Softcover

Subject(s):

Setting:

Grade / Age level:

Review:

The story of the great Italian missionary to the United States is told to two young students in one of the schools she founded. The story especially elaborates on the history of the schools and works founded by Mother Cabrini in New Orleans, Louisiana. A very beautiful story already, this particular rendition has the unique angle of being told by one of the Sisters of Charity who had come to America from Italy with Mother Cabrini. This would make a good read aloud story for the whole family and would be a helpful supplement to your American History curriculum.

Perspective:

Catholic

Reviewed by:

First reviewed:

1998-99

Saint John Bosco and Saint Dominic Savio

Author(s):

Catherine Beebe

Number of pages:

157 pages

1955

ISBN / ID:

9780898704167

Publisher:

Ignatius Press

Binding:

Sewn Softcover

Subject(s):

Setting:

Grade / Age level:

Review:

This was the book that got our family "hooked" on the Vision Series. I happened to find it at a Used Book store (Ignatius Press books are fairly easy to spot because of the contrasting color around the author's name on the spine of the book). I didn't expect my children to be interested in full-length books at such a young age (my oldest had just turned five). Somehow we got started and they loved it. This is a particularly good Saint story to start with because St. John Bosco is a special patron of children and especially boys. Any child will delight in the stories of how he taught himself juggling and other tricks in order to teach catechism and morals to the troublesome boys in town. We also enjoyed the stories of the dog who followed Don Bosco through the streets of the city late at night and protected him from danger.

Perspective:

Catholic

Reviewed by:

First reviewed:

1998-99

St. Therese and the Roses

Author(s):

Helen Walker Homan

Number of pages:

149 pages

1955

ISBN / ID:

9780898705201

Publisher:

Ignatius Press

Binding:

Sewn Softcover

Sample Pages

Subject(s):

Setting:

Grade / Age level:

Review:

Therese Martin (1873 – 1897) was the youngest of five girls growing up in a devout Catholic family in France in the late nineteenth century. We all know how, in just over one hundred years she has become one of the most beloved Saints in the Church and has recently been named "Doctor of the Church" by Pope John Paul II. This is the delightful and moving story of a little girl who became a great saint; of five sisters who were all called to religious vocations. The story focuses on her family life and the little details that make an interesting story and when added together make sense out of who she was. Although the Vision Series was intended for ages nine to fifteen, this story is one of my six year old daughter's favorites (we've had to read it aloud twice so far). It is an excellent read-aloud book for the whole family, which allows moms (and dads too) to benefit from the story and become more acquainted with Saint Therese's Little Way.

Perspective:

Catholic

Reviewed by:

First reviewed:

11-16-99

The Cure of Ars

The Priest Who Outtalked the Devil

Author(s):

Milton Lomask

Number of pages:

190 pages

1958

ISBN / ID:

9780898706000

Publisher:

Ignatius Press

Binding:

Sewn Softcover

Sample Pages

Subject(s):

Setting:

Grade / Age level:

Review:

This is a quicker and slightly easier read than the title by Mary Fabyan Windeatt. It lacks the richness of explanations about the priesthood, but I thought that it portrayed St. John Vianney's humility and simplicity a little more clearly. It's also clearly written to be interesting even to those who are not accustomed to reading saint stories, so there is more emphasis on exciting events, such as when John Vianney, as a young boy, helped to hide a hunted priest from the authorities.

Perspective:

Catholic

Reviewed by: