Author: Kristie

I am a former schoolteacher from Los Angeles now living in the Pacific Northwest with my husband and 5 kitties. My alma mater is Brigham Young University, which I visit as often as possible. I love the written word, photography, music, technology, and history. Thank you for being here!
History, Memoir, Nonfiction

Elsie: Adventures of An Arizona Schoolteacher 1913-1916

Kristie

There are few things more satisfying than finding a book completely by accident and then plunging yourself into it completely.  I found this delightful book while browsing through the Amazon lending library.  The sample I read was so endearing that I abandoned what I was reading at the time and took this book up instead.  Over the last few days, I have affectionately called this my “Elsie book,” verbally recommending it to several people.

Through detailed letters and diary entries compiled by her granddaughter, we learn that Elsie Hayes was an idealistic young woman who lived in Southern California at the turn of the 20th century.  She went to college for a while, but needed funds to continue her education, so she embarked on the adventure of a lifetime–leaving the comfort of her family and moving to Oak Creek, Arizona to teach school.  This decision changed her life forever.

There are charming aspects to the story that simply reflect a simpler time, such as Elsie’s social life–dinners at people’s houses, and the way people visited with each other (in person!) instead of texting, emailing, or simply giving a “thumbs-up” on Facebook.  It was the kind of socializing that required effort, manners, conversation, and skill.

The more I got to know Elsie, the more I felt I knew her.  She and I have many things in common–we are both from Southern California.  We both taught school before we were married.  We both saw our younger siblings get married before us and, though we guarded our independence, longed to have a wonderful man love us and take care of us.  We both saw our plans uprooted in one relationship when Fate took a tragic turn, yet found relief in the arms of the person we were truly supposed to be with.

Aside from these remarkable parallels, reading about Elsie brings pure joy.  She was optimistic, resilient, and knew what she wanted in life.  She loved her students, but still faced the challenges a teacher is bound to face.  (I did laugh at one of her diary entries when she remarked that she told a naughty student to go home.  If only!)

The one thing I would make future readers aware of is that, because of the time period, Elsie’s references to other races may offend some people.  She speaks once of “learning Mexican” from one of her students, and the “n” word appears once as the title of a play she is reading.  None of these words or phrases are used maliciously; they were simply acceptable at the time and her granddaughter did not alter them for authenticity.

I would very much recommend this memoir.  Rarely have I enjoyed a glimpse into the past as much as seeing it through the eyes of Elsie.

9.5/10 Stars

Elsie’s granddaughter, Barbara Anne Waite, does have a website where you can learn more about Elsie in her later years.  You can find it at http://barbaraannewaite.com/.  I would recommend visiting it after reading the book.

*********************************************************

A FUN TIDBIT  October 13, 2012

This morning I sent a quick email to Elsie’s granddaughter to tell her how much I enjoyed the book.  A few hours later I heard back from her!  This is what she wrote:

Dear Kristie-

Thanks so much for your sweet note. It is such an encouragement to hear from readers that enjoyed “Elsie.” The response  has gone way beyond my expectations and prayers. I do hope you go to my website : www.BarbaraAnneWaite.com.  Under “Tidbits” there are photos not included in the book and some extra historical notes. I am willing to make a special price for book clubs who want to order the print copies. If they are ordered together, (so I can mail as one mailing) I can do for $10.00 each if mailed within USA. The print copy has a lovely hand written font that can’t be done as an e-book.  Would you consider adding your review to Amazon’s Elsie site? I think that really helps my sales. I love it that I have had reviews from New Zealand, Ecuador, Crete, Korea and Canada. My favorite review was from a lady 103 that read it on Kindle and Skyped her review to her daughter.  I live in San Diego.   I am speaking to a book club there soon and I’m very excited about that.  I am going to look right now at your book review site and thanks for including “Elsie!”

Barbara Anne Waite
History, Memoir, Nonfiction

To the Rescue: The Biography of Thomas S. Monson

Kristie

These past two months, my book club decided to take on the challenge of reading the very long and very comprehensive biography of Thomas S. Monson, president and prophet of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.  We decided that the timing would be perfect since we were not meeting in August, which gave each of us eight weeks to delve into the 600-plus pages.

Getting started was not easy, but it was nothing compared to the daunting task the author faced when Pres. Monson called her personally and asked her to be the one to write his life story.  To write a prophet’s biography would be hard enough, but to write the biography of a living prophet who is adored throughout the world would be monumental, indeed.

Despite my sympathies for Sis. Swinton, I do think that she had a hard time finding her footing at the beginning, and her writing style is a little sterile.  This is something that the entire book group agreed on, and so we decided to focus more on the book’s content than its literary aspects.

Whether you are of the LDS faith or not, whether you agree with the Church’s doctrine or not, there is one thing that is undeniable, which is that Pres. Monson is an extraordinary man.  Born in 1927 and raised by a loving family in Salt Lake City, Utah, even as a boy little Tommy was unique.  His concern for others, his attitude towards service, his work ethic, and his unwavering faith all began at a very young age.

He took on adult responsibilities much younger than most, and excelled in each job or calling.  Married at 21, a bishop at 22, in the stake presidency at 27, a mission president at 30, and called to the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles at the unheard-of age of 36, the accelerated rate of his callings only magnify the fact that his wisdom and faith exceeded his years.

There were some sections that I felt compelled to skim (his schedules, Boy Scout awards, descriptions of various committees,) but other sections required my full attention.  His work with the saints in East Germany was incredible and I learned things about him and the challenges experienced by the church members caught behind the Berlin Wall that were awe-inspiring and faith-building.  I also loved reading about his humility, because even though he has been in very prominent Church positions, Pres. Monson still remains incredibly humble, and incredibly focused on serving the Lord and His children.  His actions and decisions are always driven by the Lord’s will and not his own.

Every church president has a “focus” during his tenure, whether it be missionary work or temples, but Pres. Monson’s focus seems to be about helping the Lord’s lost sheep and bringing international attention to the saints scattered throughout the world.

And throughout his life, Pres. Monson has still retained a love of life, laughter and fun.  He is devoted to his wife of 61 years, his 3 children, and numerous grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

I was more inspired by his example than his accomplishments.  Few will be able to duplicate the things he has done, but anyone can emulate how he has done them.

8.5/10 Stars

 

Entertainment, Memoir, Nonfiction

Laughs, Luck…and Lucy, by Jess Oppenheimer

Kristie

After reading 2 relatively heavy books, it was time for something lighter.  While perusing the memoirs available for borrowing through the Kindle Lending Library on Amazon.com,  I came across Laughs, Luck…and Lucy, by Jess Oppenheimer. This book has been a delight.

Most people give all of the credit of I Love Lucy’s success to Lucille Ball because of her impeccable comedic timing.  Some remember Desi Arnaz as the brains behind the show.  But what few think about is that someone first had to create the show and its memorable stories, and that person was Jess Oppenheimer.

As engaging as a writer of his memoirs as he was while tweaking and crafting the scripts of TV’s most popular sitcom, Jess Oppenheimer takes us on a journey that begins with his childhood and his foray into the world of radio.  But as an expert in human nature, he knows that what readers really want to hear are anecdotes and behind-the-scenes stories of his iconic show.  Without wasting any time, we learn of his first contact with Lucille Ball while she was playing the socialite wife of a bank vice president (Richard Denning) on the radio program My Favorite Husband.  As television started to become a major force of entertainment , My Favorite Husband was reworked by Oppenheimer and the husband was recast at the insistence of Lucille Ball.  She wanted the part to be played by her husband, Desi Arnaz.  As controversial as that request was at the time, it turned out to be a great move.  (For those who are fans of the film An Affair to Remember, Richard Denning played Deborah Kerr’s handsome fiancee’. I don’t think I could picture him as Lucy’s comedic foil, could you?)

It didn’t take long for audiences to take notice of I Love Lucy, which was quickly the #1 show on television.  But the show will be remembered for other firsts as well, such as being the first to have a storyline about pregnancy, the first to show a couple sharing a bed, the first to film in front of a live audience, the first to film and save its episodes, and the first to use 3 cameras.  It was groundbreaking, and Jess Oppenheimer does a clever job of telling about how each of these firsts came to be, how the cast dealt with their success, and about the long hours involved with churning out a hit show week after week. (In those days a season had 36 episodes, not 24 like today.)

If you are a fan of I Love Lucy, as I am, you will enjoy this book very much.  It hearkens back to the days when TV shows had standards, when writing was clever, and when the most famous redhead of all time ruled the airways.

8.5/10 Stars

Memoir, Nonfiction

The Glass Castle, by Jeannette Walls

Kristie

When I learned that our next book club selection was going to be a memoir, I was excited.  Ever since I was a child, I have loved reading biographies and autobiographies.  As I started the book, however, I could tell that this was no ordinary life that I was reading about.

Born in 1960, the 2nd of 4 children to Rex and Rose Mary Walls, Jeannette and her family lived the ultimate bohemian lifestyle.  Both of her parents were intelligent, self-taught, and talented–her mother even had a teaching certificate–but they simply did not like to work to support their family.  Rose Mary painted and wrote, although never once in the book does it say that she ever sold any of her creations.  And Rex?  Rex drank.  A lot.  He and Rose Mary had a volatile relationship, but they were also birds of a feather, always off finding that next adventure, never worrying about annoying things like the mortgage or even putting food on the table.  (I’m convinced that both of them suffered from some sort of mental illness.)  There were times when Jeannette and her siblings would go for days eating only popcorn or beans.  She became an expert at rooting through trash and eating her classmates’ discarded sandwiches, as well as fending off their embarrassing questions.  Her younger brother did the same.  When young Jeannette was in the hospital after burning herself, and when Rose Mary gave birth to her 4th child, Rex would employ his “skedaddle” method.  It is exactly what you think it is–springing his family to avoid paying the bills.

In fact, the “skedaddle” is what kept the family moving for the first decade of Jeannette’s life.  Rex Walls was all about avoidance, denial, and broken promises.  It is heart-breaking, infuriating, and exhausting to read.  But the book has that train wreck quality.  You cannot stop reading it.  I will admit, however, that there were times when I would need to take a break from it for several days. The extreme deprivation these kids suffered would take its toll on me.  Yet, the author does not write like she is asking for sympathy, and their poverty created a strong streak of resourcefulness in all of them.

The light at the end of the tunnel for me was knowing that, one by one, Jeannette and her siblings eventually escaped their parents and carved out lives of their own.  Amazingly, only one of the four turned to substance abuse and continues to lead a troubled life.  Even more amazing is that the kids have forgiven their parents and have a relationship with them (Rex died in 1994.)  As the author states in the following video, you can either look at the Glass Castle as another one of Rex Walls’ drunken promises or as a hope for the future.  No matter how dire things became, those kids retained that glimmer in their eye that life could be better, and they didn’t stop trying until it was.

8.5/10 Stars

Memoir, Nonfiction

Gift From the Sea, by Anne Morrow Lindbergh

Kristie

I’ve said it before…I love being in a book club.  I love being exposed to books that I’ve never heard of before, only to find a book that I have a deep connection with.

Gift from the Sea, by Anne Morrow Lindbergh, is one of those books.

Everything I knew about her was in relation to her husband, Charles Lindbergh.  I knew that he was the first pilot to fly solo across the Atlantic.  I knew that their first child was kidnapped and murdered.

Before getting into the book, let me establish a timeline:

Anne Morrow Lindbergh was born in 1906.  When she was 23, in 1929, she married Charles Lindbergh.  His solo flight across the Atlantic happened 2 years before they were married, in 1927.

In 1932, their first child, Charles A. Lindbergh Jr, who was 20 months old, was kidnapped from their home and the child’s body was found 2 months later. The Lindberghs (who would eventually have 5 additional children) moved to England, then France, and then back to the US in 1938.  After their return, they lived in Maine, Michigan, Connecticut, Switzerland, and Hawaii, constantly seeking a quiet life.

Anne wrote Gift from the Sea in 1955 and won many awards for her writing. Charles died in Hawaii in 1974 at the age of 72 and is buried there.  Anne, incredibly, lived to the age of 94 and just died in 2001 in Vermont.

Why the timeline?  Because when you know about what this woman has endured and experienced, it makes this book all the more amazing.

Gift from the Sea was written while Anne was on a solitary trip to a beach cottage that she had enjoyed as a child.  No husband, no children, no phone, TV or radio.  Just the ebb and flow of the waves outside her door and the shells left behind on the sand.  Each shell a gift from the sea.  And so she began to do what most of would.  She began collecting them.  And so began her journey of introspection.

What follows is a book of such depth and timelessness that, much like the scriptures, you can open it to any random page and find incredible words of wisdom.

Using the shells she finds on the beach, Anne (I call her by her first name because she really feels like a friend) takes her reader through the path of life.  She focuses mostly on women and the many hats they wear as wives and mothers.  She talks about the need for women to define themselves beyond their duties to their families.  She talks about the “dance” of a marital relationship and its desire to evolve over time.  She stresses the need for spouses to enjoy time together away from their children, and even to enjoy time alone away from each other, as a way to fill our cups and find ourselves in order to return to our families and give them someone who is more whole and more at peace.

Considering the time period when she wrote this, I found her ideas to be revolutionary.  A 49 year old housewife in 1955 talking about going on trips by herself is unusual, to say the least.  But as she explores the paradoxes within womanhood, such as our need to give and yet our complaints when we feel that pieces of us are being taken, it make a lot more sense.  She also talks about how we choose certain complications in our lives when we dream of simplicity.  This is so true!

Like all great books, Gift from the Sea gives something different to different readers, which was evident during our book club discussion last night.  The young mother felt like someone understood her frenzied life raising several children.  The newlywed (me) loved the part where she talks about the ever-changing phases in relationships.  The women in their retirement years loved how she looked back on her life with satisfaction and appreciation, despite its trials.  And the interesting thing is that she never mentions her husband, her lost child, or singles out her children, except to mention them as a group “my children.”

I highly recommend this book, especially for women.  Don’t let its age discourage you.  Her ideas are as fresh and as timeless as if it were just written. And even though we do not read it while at a small beach cottage, her writing is so beautiful that you can almost hear the waves outside your window.

9/10 Stars

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Nonfiction, Self-Help, Young Adult

Eats, Shoots, and Leaves, by Lynne Truss

Kristie

ImageOh, I so wanted to like this book…

When one of the ladies in our book club suggested it for our May selection I was excited.  After all, as a former teacher I instinctively cringe at the sight of incorrect spelling and bad grammar.  But, alas…

Most of us have heard the joke.  The panda eats shoots and leaves.

Or does the panda eat, shoot, and leave?

This grammatical conundrum is one of many that is explored in Lynne Truss’s book.  Or is it Lynne Truss’ book?

Grammar and punctuation has its place in good writing and, of course, is essential when making one’s point, but is it necessary to devote an entire book to it?  Some say yes, some say no.  After starting the book and reading it thoroughly, I began to think no.  After all, I love chocolate, but I wouldn’t want to read an entire book about it.

I am one of those people who is constantly shaking their heads when I see things like:

“The dog scratched it’s ear.”  (It should be ITS.)

Or “Someone piled all of the jacket’s into a corner.”  (It should be JACKETS.)

This newly adopted problem people seem to be having with sticking unnecessary apostrophes into regular old plural nouns makes me think it is a comment on the whole of society.  BUT, I don’t find it entertaining to read about.  I don’t want to read about the history of the apostrophe and the evolution of its use down through history.  I’m sorry, I just don’t.

Having said that, the children’s version of this book is pretty entertaining because of its simplicity.  There are pictures to illustrate the meanings created by creatively-placed commas and a teacher might find this book very useful in the classroom.  If I had heard of it while I was still teaching, I probably would’ve used it too.  And the lady that suggested it, who is a school librarian, used the children’s book during our book club meeting.

I wish that was the one we read.  The adult version just gets old very fast.

6/10 Stars

Entertainment, Fiction, History

The World of Downton Abbey, by Jessica Fellowes

Kristie

As an admitted Anglophile who is completely swept up in the current Downton Abbey craze, I couldn’t wait to get my hands on the companion book.  Not only did I expect it to have beautiful pictures (which it does,) but I also thought it would be a fun way to satisfy my hunger for more information on the fictional Crawley family and the time in which they lived.

If you are unaware of what Downton Abbey is, it is a mini-series on PBS set in the years surrounding WWI.  Downton Abbey is the estate belonging to the Crawley family, the patriarch of which is the 5th Earl of Grantham.  The estate, as was the custom, has been handed down to male heirs throughout the years since it was originally bought in the 1600’s.  Robert and Cora Crawley, however, have been blessed with 3 daughters and no sons, which creates an obstacle in the inheritance of the estate.  That obstacle increases when the next heirs, a male cousin and his son, drown during the Titanic‘s sinking in 1912.

What follows is a series of events that are made more intriguing by the fact that they are happening to an aristocratic family with daughters that need to be married off, a family estate that needs a future owner, and a bevy of servants downstairs who are accompanied by their own set of issues. The class system continues downstairs as well, with the butler at the head and the kitchen maids near the bottom.  There are secrets, mysteries, unrequited love affairs, schemes, and other storylines that keep the plot moving forward in a clever and entertaining way.

The Downton Abbey Companion Book does a satisfactory job of being no more than what it claims to be– a “companion.”  It does not give away any of the plot beyond the first season. There are a few behind-the-scenes anecdotes, some history of the house that is used (Highclere Castle,) and explanation of the work that is done to preserve the time period’s authenticity.

But what I most appreciated in the book are the tidbits on real-life people who lived during that time; people upon whom some of the characters are based.  There are quotes from duchesses, butlers, footmen, maids, and others who lived the time and its required customs.  If nothing else, it makes you appreciate the efforts of the writers and production team to create a realistic setting for a fictional family during a time in history when their way of life was slowly becoming more and more obsolete.

The book’s author, Jessica Fellowes, is an author and free-land journalist.  She is also the niece of Julian Fellowes, who is the creator and writer of Downton Abbey.

If it seems odd to include a television companion book on a book review site, my only excuse is my love for this series and the fact that it reads like a book.  And, because the characters are so well thought out, it is refreshing to read about some of their backgrounds, which is provided in the book.  We learn about the history of the house in the series, the courtship of Robert and Cora, and the expectations of everyone in their distinctive social standings.

In fulfilling its intended purpose, the Downton Abbey Companion Book is quite successful.

9/10 Stars

Memoir, Nonfiction, Travel

The Kindness of Strangers: Penniless Across America, by Mike McIntyre

Kristie

Our comfort zones is exactly that…the zone in which we are comfortable.  We rarely travel outside of it.  Is it because of fear?  Anxiety?  Lack of ambition?  Boredom?

In The Kindness of Strangers: Penniless Across America, journalist Mike McIntyre takes the leap and decides to abandon every comfort he knows.  He says goodbye to his job, his girlfriend, his San Francisco apartment, and even his money, in order to conduct a social experiment.  His plan is to hitchhike across the United States–San Francisco, CA to Cape Fear, NC.

The experiment is as much a challenge for himself as for the unsuspecting people he encounters.  As someone who has let fear guide a lot of his decisions in life, he feels like this is his last chance to prove to himself that he has courage.  For Mike, the comfort zone has become a trap.

He has some rules for his trip:  he will accept food, he will accept shelter, he will stay near smaller towns, he will accept rides from 1 man, 1 woman, a man and a woman, a family, but not from 2 men.  He will not accept money throughout the trip.  Not one penny.  He won’t accept it and he won’t carry it with him.  When and if he reaches his destination, he’ll call his girlfriend (collect) and have her mail his ATM card to the nearest post office.

And so he begins…

Food becomes an immediate issue, but less of an issue over time.  Rides vary depending on where he is traveling.

It is the array of people he meets that really make the story, as well as the growth and trust that Mike develops.  In the end, he realizes that the people who have the least, are the most generous.  Makes sense, really, as they understand the plight of someone in need.

There were times, at the beginning, where I found myself rolling my eyes a few times at the description of the people who offered rides.  As someone who is not very comfortable leaving her comfort zone, I was a bit skeptical at the colorful lives and language of so many of the people Mike encountered.  (I’m still a bit cynical after reading James Frey’s A Million Little Pieces, which turned out to be almost completely fabricated.)

But I decided to give the author the benefit of the doubt.  After all, I recently moved from a big metropolis to a small town, and the people are certainly different.  Not better, not worse, but different.

After a while, though, I must admit that some of the people Mike met started to run together.  I focused, instead, on his own growth, of which there was much.  I was also riveted by an experience he had at the end of the book, talking with a man who panhandles for a living.  Apparently there is a lot of that, which is unfortunate for people who are really down-and-out.

As expected, Mike returns home a changed man, but not necessarily how he expected.  The journey affects the way he sees everything, and makes him re-evaluate what is really important.

This is an unusual book about a man who fights his fears and take a journey most of us would never have the courage to do.  It is worth reading.  If nothing else, it restores your faith in the American people.

8.5/10  Stars

Nonfiction, Sports

Outcasts United, by Warren St. John

Kristie

Anytime you read a sports biography, you hope to be inspired and you expect to read about obstacles being overcome.  These were the feelings I had as I began to read Outcasts United, the true story of a Jordanian woman named Luma Mufleh, who moved to the United States and, through a series of events, put together a soccer team full of immigrant, at-risk boys from war-torn countries.

As someone who taught at-risk kids for years, many of them immigrants or children of first generation immigrants, I have a lot of respect for someone who can devote so much time helping these kids assimilate to American culture.  The boys in this story were dealing with all sorts of issues, including the psychological trauma of living for years under the umbrella of war.  Many had experienced the loss of a parent or sibling, lived in ramshackle refugee camps with their accompanying starvation and poverty, and little or no schooling.

The US government, in an attempt to give these families a fresh start in the “land of promise and opportunity,” chose the small city of Clarkston, Georgia, to relocate them.  The housing was sparse and in a bad part of town.  And the city’s residents, many of whom had lived there all their lives, did not take to their new neighbors well.  The differences could not be ignored, and many complained or simply moved away.

Meanwhile, a young woman named Luma Mufleh, was dealing with the challenges of going beyond her own culturally acceptable boundaries and the affect it was having on her family, particularly her father.  She was a Middle Eastern woman who did not want to be put into a certain mold. She was searching for her niche at the same time as the Clarkston refugees were in need of sympathetic leadership.

The story, itself, is inspiring.  I grew to really like Luma.  Her courage and tenacity is to be admired.  She became much more than a coach, but also a tutor, a mentor, and a surrogate parent for many.  She had, and has, very high standards for the boys, insisting that they sign a contract and follow certain rules in order to be on the team.  Hard work, dedication, discipline, and respect for rules takes precedent over athletic skill.

Although the story is inspiring, however, I found the writing to be lacking.  There is a monotone quality to the author’s style that detracted from the book’s potential.  Even though you know that it is a true story, the people in it are still treated in a flat, 2 dimensional way .  It wasn’t until I went to the teams’ website and watched their coach being interviewed that I got a full sense of the kinds of kids she was helping.  She’s energetic and spunky, the kids are excited and hopeful.  This should have been conveyed on the page and, sadly, it wasn’t.

7/10 Stars

Children, History, Nonfiction, Series & Collections, Young Adult

Value Tales Series, by Spencer and Ann Donegan Johnson

Kristie

One of the many problems with today’s society is that children do not have adequate heroes and role models.  When little girls want to grow up and be Britney Spears and boys want to be Eminem, there is a real problem.  And, part of the reason the kids look to those people is because they are who they see all the time in the media.  So, one way to combat this is by introducing positive role models to them.  And it should be done early, while they are still impressionable and learning about the world.

When I was a kid in the 1970’s, the media’s influences were slightly more controlled because there was no internet, no cable, to texting, heck, no computers.  A friend of my mom’s gave my brother and me a book called The Value of Patience, the Story of The Wright Brothers.  The story was full of facts about these 2 brothers who invented the first working aircraft, and the pictures were bright and colorful and the writing engaging.  We loved that book.

Soon, we started to collect the Value Tales, by Spencer and Ann Donegan Johnson.  The Wright Brothers’ biography was soon followed by The Value of Determination, The Story of Helen Keller and then it was Beethoven, Jackie Robinson, Columbus, Will Rogers, Johnny Appleseed, the list goes on and on.  By the time I was in high school, I had learned about all sorts of historical figures that never seem to make their way into the history books anymore.  Significant people who have made incredible contributions to the world…Ralph Bunche, Nelly Bly, Elizabeth Fry, Cochise, the Mayo Brothers…how many kids today have heard of these people?  Probably very few.  But all of them have books devoted to them in the Value Tales series.  And they are interesting, fun, colorful and educational.  After all, isn’t the best kind of learning when you don’t even realize it?

When I became a teacher, the Value Tales worked their way into my classroom.  My students loved them.  It didn’t matter that each book is about 60 pages.  I had 2nd graders that would sit through an entire volume, hanging on every word, and part of the reason is because the writing by the Johnsons humanizes the subjects.  We learn where they came from, their families, and their struggles and perseverance to obtain success.  And to make things extra fun, a lot of the subjects have little imaginary friends that pop out somewhere in the beginning and become their inner voice.

There are many biographical series available, but you would be hard-pressed to find one that is better than the Value Tales series.  There are around 40 books.  (I have 29.) They are not in print anymore but you can easily find them on Amazon or other used books sites.  Some are very valuable, like the Lucille Ball Value Tale…probably the most in-demand of the series (I still don’t have that one,) which can run $100 just for 1 volume, but most are much, much less.  If you can find a set for sale somewhere that has 10-15 books for around $100, it is a good buy and well worth the investment for your children.

Isn’t it time you gave your kids some good role models?  You’ll find them in The Value Tales.  My childhood set is in my bookcase about 3 feet from me right now. *wink*

10/10 Stars

Children, Fantasy, Fiction, Young Adult

Princess Academy, by Shannon Hale

Kristie

One of the great things about being in a book club is that you get exposed to books and authors that you’ve never heard of before.  After reading several books with heavy themes, it was suggested that we treat ourselves to something a little lighter, even a kids’ book.  We chose The Princess Academy, by Shannon Hale.

Ironically, I already owned the book.  I had been shopping at Target a few months before, and was somehow drawn to this book.  Maybe it was the earnest look on the girl’s face, maybe it was the words “bestseller” and “Newbery Honor book.”  Either way, it sounded interesting.

Technically, you could call the book a fantasy.  But it is one of those fantasies that feels like it could really happen.  The protagonist, Miri, is part of a group of “highlanders” in a fictional land.  The village’s people all work in a quarry, digging a valuable stone out of the earth that is not available anywhere else.  That life is all they know.  They have families, they work in the quarry, and, periodically, the crafty “lowlander” merchants come and buy the stone from them to sell at a profit.  The lowlanders view the highlanders as backward and ignorant.  But many of the highlanders who work in the quarry have a special “gift” that no one else has.

Miri, who lives with her sister and father, soon experiences an interruption in her peaceful life.  The nation’s young prince needs to find a wife, and it has been revealed that the future princess must come from the highlander people.  The only way to prepare for such a thing is to have a “princess academy,” which will train the youngest daughters of each family in ways of grace and gentility.  Only after they have received their sufficient training will the prince choose his future bride.

The idea of the story sounds a little far-fetched, but it works.  Miri is a strong-willed, but charming character who you want to succeed.  She endures prejudice, greed, competition, and even some physical abuse while at the academy.  The dynamics between the girls and their motivations for winning the prince’s affections are fun and interesting to read about.  There are jealousies and alliances, leaders and followers, but all of them benefit from the education.  Miri even learns some things that benefit her entire town.  Ruling over the girls is a strict teacher named Olana, and even she experiences some growth in the course of the story.

There is a crisis towards the end that, I feel, seems a bit contrived, but the story needed something to show how the girls could work together when necessary.

As a whole, this is a very unique tale with a surprise ending.  I think it is this uniqueness, plus the engaging characters and writing that rarely lags, that make this an appealing book.  It is appropriate for all ages.

8.5/10 Stars

Entertainment, Memoir, Nonfiction

A Little Bit Wicked, by Kristin Chenoweth

Kristie

Anyone who is a fan of Broadway musicals, and a fan of Wicked–one of the best musicals ever– has heard of Kristin Chenoweth.  Like Judy Garland, there is a whole lotta talent and a whole lotta voice in her tiny 4’11” frame.   So when Borders bookstores were closing down and selling everything at great discounts, I couldn’t resist picking up A Little Bit Wicked.

Like most entertainment memoirs, this is pretty light reading.  But it is fun to read about her beginnings as an adopted child in the Midwest discovering her love of performing and the way she worked her way to becoming one of the Great White Way’s most recognizable stars.  She is also one of the few who has made a smooth transition back and forth between the stage and TV, although her TV characters are usually “larger than life,” as a stage actor is expected to be.  Flashback to her role on the short-lived Pushing Daisies and her many guest appearances on Glee.  Those are some pretty wacky characters.

While I do admire the talent and tenacity it takes to start from the bottom and make your way to becoming a Tony award-winning Broadway star, I do have an issue with one thing.  Kristin calls herself very religious, yet, at the same time, seems pretty promiscuous.  Maybe it was not her intent to give that impression while writing the book, but give it she did.  Perhaps that is her way of justifying the book’s title, but I just found her beliefs and her actions in life a bit conflicting.  Perhaps it was just a little too soon for her to write a memoir.  I felt, by reading the book, that this is a very talented small-town girl who still needs to decide who she wants to be.

Overall, it is a fun book that needs not be read more than once.

7/10 Stars