Month: August 2019

The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane by Kate DiCamillo

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

The blurb: Once, in a house on Egypt Street, there lived a china rabbit named Edward Tulane. The rabbit was very pleased with himself, and for good reason: he was owned by a girl named Abilene, who adored him completely. And then, one day, he was lost. . . . Kate DiCamillo takes us on an extraordinary journey, from the depths of the ocean to the net of a fisherman, from the bedside of an ailing child to the bustling streets of Memphis. Along the way, we are shown a miracle — that even a heart of the most breakable kind can learn to love, to lose, and to love again.

My review: I was searching my local library ebooks and discovered this one. There was something about the cover and the blurb that pulled me in. I borrowed it and started reading immediately and read half the book in one sitting. And the second half of the book in a second sitting.

It’s the story of a china rabbit. He’s a bit stuck up, putting himself above all others. But life teaches him a lesson, and he learns what’s important in life.

I enjoyed this story. It was short and easy to read. I especially liked that it held my total attention while reading. However, more than that, it spoke to my heart and made me ‘feel’. It left me with blurred vision and the need to tell my loved ones that I love them. The author did an exceptional job writing this story. I recommend this book.

The Case of the Claymore Diamond by Daniel Kenney

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The blurb: When the Claymore Diamond is stolen from Ravensburg’s finest jewellery store, Stanley Carusoe gets the bright idea that he and his friends should start a detective agency. 

Armed with curiosity and their love for math, Stanley, Charlotte, Gertie and Felix race around town in an attempt to solve the mystery. Along the way, they butt heads with an ambitious police chief, uncover dark secrets, and drink lots of milkshakes at Mabel’s Diner. But when their backs are against the wall, Stanley and his friends rely on the one thing they know best: numbers. Because numbers, they never lie. 

Join Stanley and his friends in this smart and funny first mystery in The Math Inspector series, perfect for kids ages 9-12. 

My review: I wanted something to read that was quick and easy. Something that held my attention and just took me for a ride, without having to work for it.

I saw this ebook and liked the premise, so decided to give it a try. Maths isn’t my thing and I was a bit concerned that might be an issue, but it wasn’t.

The author kept the pace going. The inspector team worked well together and I enjoyed the humour and the mystery side of the storyline. The book includes some black and white illustrations, which I felt complemented the story, and gave the author’s impression on what the four main characters look like. Again, I have no issue with that.

My only issue is that while the first ebook is free, the second ebook costs $6.49 for Australians to purchase, and that is expensive (in my opinion) for a digital book. I refuse to pay that so will be leaving the series here, which is a shame.

When Breaks the Dawn by Janette Oke

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

The blurb: After surviving a harsh first year in the far north, Elizabeth Delaney and her Royal Canadian Mountie husband, Wynn, are settling into the small community of Beaver Creek. Elizabeth is once more teaching school, and they seem to be gradually making a place for themselves among the Indians. And then the news arrives…

My review: The third book picks up exactly where the second book finishes. Spring brings warmth, but it also brings long awaited friends back to Beaver Creek. Elizabeth and her best friend, Nimmie, start teaching the local Indian children, they build a vegetable garden, they go berry picking, and children are on the horizon for one of them too.

Elizabeth has settled into the Indian community. She has learned the language, made friends and found her place. Yes, she missing her family and, sometimes, she misses pretty things, but she has come to love her surroundings. Five years passes before new orders arrive.

The pace slowed yet again. At times, I felt this book should have been part of the second book. Yet I couldn’t stop reading and I continued to enjoy the characters that had come to be a firm part of Elizabeth’s life.

Still recommend this series.

When Comes the Spring by Janette Oke

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The blurb: After a year of teaching in a one-room schoolhouse on the western frontier, Elizabeth plans her wedding to Wynn Delaney, a member of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. As they begin their new life together at his isolated outpost in the far north, Elizabeth is unprepared for the loneliness she feels and the rigors of life without any of the conveniences she’s accustomed to. Her deep love for Wynn and her faith in God seem like all she has. But will that be enough?

My review: Now we leave the TV series behind. Elizabeth is living with her brother and his family in a small town and she and Wynn plan their wedding. Elizabeth is no longer the timid girl who first came out west and is no longer scared of anything that scurries in dark corners or growls in the night. She is enjoying “civilisation” while she can knowing that once they are married, they could be sent anywhere. And when the orders come, they find themselves going far north to a place few white people, especially women, have ever been. A place plush cushions and lace curtains are not seen as luxuries, but a total waste of resources.

The pace of this book was slower than the first. However, it did pick up when the orders arrived. But I think that was mainly because of the primitive surroundings that Elizabeth and Wynn had to endure. I don’t want to give too much away, but I will say that there is no way I could do what Elizabeth did. Yet she did it for love, so I say no more.

The book was an eye opener, so how can I not recommend it.