Mandie and the Shipboard Mystery

Mandie and the Shipboard Mystery is the fourteenth book in this delightful series. I like the suspense in it, and the extra doses Loise Gladys Leppard put in this good book, made it just the kind of book I wanted to read. The Mandie series was given to my mother by my great-grandma. I am glad she did. The series is exciting. I just finished this book last night, so now I am going to read Mandie and the Foreign Spies. I can't wait to finish this book so I can blog on it to my readers.

Peter and the Starcatchers

Peter and the Starcatchers is written by Ridley Pearson and Dave Barry. The two authors rewrote the tale of Peter Pan in their own way. I enjoyed reading the book so much, that I looked up other books written by them about Peter Pan. I now am currently reading Peter and the Shadow Thieves, which has turned out to be as good a book as the first. When I finish it, I shall blog on it, so that my readers may know of this good book as well as the first...

Escape from the Slave Traders and The Chimney Sweep's Ransom

Escape From the Slave Traders and The Chimney Sweep's Ransom are both part of a series in which different people learn about God and come to believe in him. The events in these books are all real, and they did happen. I think this a wonderful, exciting series. Escape From the Slave Traders is a story about two boys from the Ajawa tribe. They are captured by slave traders, and the book is about the boys getting away from the slave traders. The Chimney Sweep's Ransom is about a young boy who is sold by his father when he gets drunk. His older brother sets out in search of his brother, who has been sold in London, England. I think it is such a very, very, very, happy ending when the older brother buys his brother back! These are great stories, and I can't wait to finish the next, very soon.

Mandie - The Secret Tunnel

The Mandie series is great. Mandie is a country girl who used to live with her father, stepmother, and stepsister, Irene. Mandie did not know this and lived happily, thinking nothing could go wrong in Charley Gap. But when her father dies, her mother treats Mandie like she is a servant. Mandie runs away to live with her Uncle John and finds out he isn't there. Between the time Mandie stays at her Uncle John's house and he comes home, a lot takes place. Throughout the series, Mandie has exciting adventures, and I was happy to read them.

Joe's Boys

 Joe's Boys is one of the many books written by Louisa May Alcott. It is a good book, one that was a "must read" for me before. Now Joe's Boys is a "must read" for my younger sister, Noel. I liked this classic book, and I think if Noel took the time to read it, she would find it interesting too. I like to think of myself as one of the characters in this book and many others. Then, I really am devoured up by the classical, mysterious, adventurous, books I read. Joe's Boys enchanted me.

Little Women

Little Women is a good book. Being a classic, it was also a "need to read it sometime" book. I quickly started to read the book, thinking I would devour it quickly so I could read a more "interesting" book. Turns out the book swallowed me up and proved itself interesting, for I never wanted to tear my eyes from it. The ever spirited writer, Jo; the beautiful, timid Beth; Amy, the artistic one; and the beautiful, ever wanting silk and taffeta, Meg; kept me ever so occupied. I discovered that Jo is quite like me when I write. I don't where a certain outfit, but I am always occupied in my story. I have been published in somebody else's book, but I don't know if anyone else would call that big. To me it is! It is my first giant step toward getting my stories published, not just an essay. Who knows? Maybe I will have a book published that you'll read someday....

Glinda of Oz

Once again, the land of Oz comes to life. While humorous and kind characters explore Oz, John R. Neil's colorful drawings bring them to life. I returned to this land of fun and frolick where there are a great adventures that take place. Like many of the other books, Ozma finds something wrong in the beautiful land of Oz. "Goodness knows! I may spend a great deal of time trying to sort things out here!" Bringing her friend Dorothy from Kansas,  Ozma sets out on an adventure I shall never forget.  

The L.A. County Fair

Here is part of an article I wrote on the fair:


                                                          The Sunnystate News
                                                         *******************
                                                         The L.A. County Fair
   Yesterday was the legendary L.A. County Fair. The Grau's and the Ayars' went to the fair, and enjoyed it a lot.  That morning,with the idea of fun in their minds, the whole group set off. When the race downhill was over and the plunge uphill done, the families set off for the barns, before it got smelly or hot. After playing in the hay bales, the kids and a few grownups got chocolate milk or plain milk for free. Then, they actually milked goats. The children washed their hands enthusiastically, and then begged their parents to go the dude ranch. Wyatt and Colson made rope, Noel, Lina, and Joseph rode on the big rocking horses that were 42 inches high, Anastasia and Emma roped a fake calf, and Mr. Ayars, Mr. Grau, and Emma eventually roped the plastic heads on hay.....


I drew pictures on the side of the paper, and then was done. I might write an article for my Sunnystate News on the park day we're having tomorrow......

Little Wizard Stories of Oz

Little Wizard Stories of Oz is one of the many classical, richly illustrated books, written by L. Frank Baum. This book is not of all our little friends, Dorothy, Ozma, the Wizard, Glinda, Scarecrow, Tinman, and many others, but instead it is a little volume filled with tales of two or three of your favorite inhabitants of Oz. John R. Neil illustrated these finely written books, and he has done so again, bringing the lively characters to life. Dorothy being captured by Crinklink, Tiktok going to the foolish Nome King (who tends to fly off the handle), and many other miraculous scenes. This little volume is filled with everything...

I have to say I enjoyed this volume. I returned to the delightful land of Oz after some months with this wonderful book and another, which I shall blog about another day....  

Ella Enchanted

Ella Enchanted is a good book. I saw the movie, which was not similar to the book. I think both were alright, but out of the two, I think the book was better. The movie was too romantic. The book, instead, offered adventure, excitement, and comedy. Ella Enchanted is one of the books that sparks my imagination. It gives me ideas on how I could be creative with the creatures of the forest (ogres, elves, giants, etc.). So if anyone asked me what my favorite adventure, funny, fantasy story, would be; I would simply answer, Ella Enchanted. (So far!)

The Dark is Rising

I remember reading this book well. My pop's fun stories remind me of this series. He tells us fantasy stories. His fantasy stories have a lot of things in common (well, maybe actually only a few!) with this series. They are mysterious, exciting, and once in a while funny books. I think they are kind of scary, but they aren't really. I enjoyed these books a lot. I read five books out of this series! I'd love to find the others. I shiver with delight to think of the next adventures I'll read of. I like to read so many other books like these. I'd like to read a hundred books like this. Or maybe just all kinds of books! Maybe I have already....

Happy Trails

Happy Trails, a biography on the life of Roy Rogers and Dale Evans, is a sad, funny, and joyful book.  This book is about how they came to be the stars of the west, their trials and joys, life before they met each other, making movies, and great friends. The couple made many movies together, all of which included Trigger, the smartest horse in the west. I enjoyed reading this book, though it did make me realize how many sad things happened in their lives. I now have sympathy for them, as I never did know such sad things could happen, least of all to the King of the Cowboys and the Queen of the West. Now when I watch these movies, I will not just relax and enjoy them, I know I will remember the sad and joyful facts in this book.

The Waterstone

This book is very good. I enjoyed it a lot, and I have to say, that it was very enchanting. This story is a fantasy story. It was interesting to read. I would recommend it to a lot of people. The author wrote this story amazingly, and took me to another time. I like animals a lot, and in the book, the hero could speak to animals through his mind. His sister could tame animals, and also crush and mix herbs to heal wounds. If I had a power, I would like to be able to shape-shift. Then I could change into a bird or a cheetah. I could fly, and run fast. 

I like to write fantasy stories, and I am writing a fantasy story right now. It is about this girl who can shape-shift, fly, and do many other things. She is a human girl, but she was given powers by the Guardians. Her father used to tell her stories about the Guardians. I plan to write a series of books. In each book, the girl learns more about her powers, defeats the bad guys for now, and meets the magic people in the Guardians' world. The series is going to be called Tales of the Guardians and then the name of the book is going to be in the picture my dad will draw. My pop is going to be the artist. This book and many others, have given me help with creating the world in my stories. But I have to say, I think The Waterstone helped me the most.