Pollyanna Grows Up

Posted on February 20, 2019July 17, 2020 by keepinthesunlightblog@gmail.com

by Eleanor H. Porter (1927)

How could I have been such a fan of Pollyanna all these years and not read the sequel until now? I’ll admit that upon reading the short blurb on the back of this book, I almost didn’t give it the chance it deserved. Like Jimmy Bean initially felt, I just didn’t want Pollyanna to grow up. Her charming and unconscious optimism wouldn’t be quite the same coming from an adult. Needless to say though, the book did not disappoint, and I am rather glad I read it.
The book begins with Pollyanna still as a child, only she is on a stay with a family in Boston, where her Pollyanna ways spread to new friends. The book then does an abrupt 6-year fast forward midway through the book after Pollyanna’s long stay in Germany with her Aunt Polly and Dr. Chilton. Their circumstances have changed quite a lot by the time they return. Pollyanna, now 20, reconnects with her Boston friends and the Pendletons as she tries to figure out her new life.
After a bit of dramatic confusion, the book comes together like a perfect puzzle at the end, a bit unrealistically, but sweet, nonetheless.
Will I be rereading this one? Definitely. Maybe not as often as the first, but it’s surely worth revisiting.

Another Whole Nother Story

Posted on September 30, 2018September 13, 2019 by keepinthesunlightblog@gmail.com

Another Whole Nother Story (2010)
by Dr. Cuthbert Soup (aka Gerry Swallows)

Dr. Cheeseman and his kids are back in another wacky adventure. This time they’ve traveled back in time to 1668 to help break a curse and save their mom. This sequel is just as laugh-out-loud funny and enjoyable as the first one. I’m ready for the third book of the series!

You may also like:
A Whole Nother Story
Blue in the Face

Starry River of the Sky

Posted on September 28, 2018September 13, 2019 by keepinthesunlightblog@gmail.com

Starry River of the Sky (2012)
by Grace Lin

This is the companion book, a prequel, to Where the Mountain Meets the Moon. In this book, young Rendi has run away from home and ends up working as a chore boy at an inn in a small town. As much as he’d like to leave, he ends up becoming more and more invested in the lives of those who live there and the visitors who stay there. Slowly, Rendi’s story and those of the people around him are revealed, and, of course, all tie together beautifully.

For whatever reason, it took me a little longer to get sucked into this book, but once I did, there was no going back. The format is similar to Where the Mountain Meets the Moon, with wonderful ancient stories sprinkled throughout. I am in awe of the way Grace Lin so seemingly effortlessly weaves together the stories and characters of this book, while also tying into the first one in the series. For me, this a book that begs to be re-read so I can catch all the beautiful work that was put into it. With the gorgeous artwork, unforgettable ancient tales, wise words, and thought-provoking story, it is a must-own, for sure.

The Giver

Posted on September 28, 2018September 13, 2019 by keepinthesunlightblog@gmail.com

The Giver (1993) by Lois Lowry

In this Newbery Award winning book, we are introduced to Jonas’s community where everything appears to be neatly arranged for its citizens. From birth, people’s lives are decided for them, from which family they will enter to who their partners will be. At age 12, Jonas is finally ready to receive his Community position, which he will stay with until he reaches the House of Old. But when he is given the extremely rare job of Receiver, he is suddenly faced with receiving information and memories that nobody else in the community has experienced. As Jonas’s awareness expands, he realizes a change must be made and he must be the one to do it.
I have re-read this book a handful of times, but I always seem to wait long enough between readings that the story is new to me each time. A definite must-read.

Blue in the Face

Posted on September 28, 2018September 13, 2019 by keepinthesunlightblog@gmail.com

Blue in the Face by Gerry Swallow (2016)

After enjoying the first two Whole Nother Story books by “Dr. Cuthbert Soup,” I decided to read more by Gerry Swallow. When I first sat down to read Blue in the Face, I must admit I was nearly ready to give up and save it for later. One of the reasons I love my stolen moments of reading fiction is to escape the craziness of my daily life, so to open the book and be smack dab in the middle of a girl’s awful tantrum, didn’t sound quite so relaxing. But, being a fan of Swallow’s writing and stories, I pushed on. It didn’t take long to be hooked.

Young Elspeth Pule throws a tantrum so over the top that she blacks out and wakes up in a land of nursery rhyme characters. Much like the premise of the recent Alice in Wonderland movie, all the characters seem to think she is destined to be the one who will help rescue them. Their kingdom has been taken over by Old King Krool who has banished many of the townspeople, such as Humpty and BoPeep, to the forest. I wasn’t sure how the story would unfold, as it took me awhile to warm up to Elspeth, but the entertaining plot and nursery rhyme characters kept me reading. Eventually, Elspeth grows and becomes more likable, and her stubbornness and anger are exactly what are needed to help everybody gear up for their big battle.

Although my daughter is too young to read this, I told her the story bit by bit as I read it each night, and she was just as engrossed in it as I was. It was a good opportunity to explain to her that while we expect certain behavior at home or with friends, sometimes feistiness, stubbornness, and even anger can be helpful qualities in extreme situations. I talked about Constance Contraire from The Mysterious Benedict Society as well, and even brought up how people’s anger with certain current situations may be helping us get to a place of positive change.

I digress. Blue in the Face was an enjoyable, quick read, and I’m so pleased to see a second book in the series.

Quote from Blue in the Face:
“Whether you believe it or not, you were meant to do great things.” ch. 15