In this review I lamented that it was a shame that Cynthia Rylant did not restrict her Mr. Putter and Tabby book series to three or six well-crafted stories. I am so glad to be able to tell you that that is exactly what she did with this series. Perhaps because of her restraint, this…
Author: Sara Masarik
Curators of things Good, True, and Beautiful
Grandma’s Attic Series
Several years ago this book started popping up in my Amazon recommendations because I was buying Caddie Woodlawn, Understood Betsy, What Katy Did, and Betsy-Tacy for my little girl. The cover art, however, was so off-putting to me that I resisted any inclination to even consider the book. I thought, for sure, that this book was…
Love Never Ends
A year ago this month we had the privilege of reviewing The Corner Room’s beautiful album, “Psalm Songs.” In that review, I commented that I think The Corner Room musicians are like modern day Davids – musicians who play to please the Lord. “Psalm Songs” is rich, textured, and melodic. When listening to that album,…
Mr. Putter and Tabby
With 25 books in the series, Cynthia Rylant’s “Mr. Putter and Tabby” books range from sweet and endearing to naughty and questionable. I think that the series can best be understood by reading a sample of just two or three particular examples. The inaugural book, Mr. Putter and Tabby Pour the Tea, is one of…
Why I don’t like Phyllis Naylor’s Dog Book, Shiloh
I am not a fan of surprises. I especially don’t care for surprises in my children’s reading. I take the sacred vocation of being my child’s first and foremost teacher very seriously and I am extremely careful about what kind of intellectual and emotional foods I am giving them to eat. As a lover of…
Signature: The Story of Clara Barton
Published by Grosset and Dunlap, the Signature “Story of” books are a biography series very similar to the famous Landmark and North Star children’s biography series. Like those series, the publishers at Grosset and Dunlap commissioned excellent authors to write biographies that would be appropriate for children. After having read several books in each series,…
Betsy-Tacy Books
I am a Wisconsin girl. Even though most Wisconsin children grew up reading Wisconsin based Caddie Woodlawn, I grew up reading the Betsy Tacy books because my mom was raised on the Western side of the state which borders Minnesota. Maud Hart Lovelace is one of the great authors to come out of Minnesota in…
The Mad Scientists’ Club
I dislike the inherent disrespect towards adults and some of the themes in these stories. And yet, I think that the Mad Scientists’ Club has some unique…
The Mitchells: Five For Victory
Drawn from real-life World War II experiences, Hilda van Stockum created an endearing story about children and family life during the second world war in Five For Victory. Hilda van Stockum was born in Holland to Dutch-Irish parents where she was homeschooled through the age of eight. As a teen, she moved to Ireland to…
TWIG
In 1945, Elizabeth Orton Jones was awarded the Caldecott Medal of Honor for her illustration in Prayer for a Child. Before that success, however, Jones published a charming and delightful story about a little girl with a very big imagination. TWIG is one of those books that feels like a sweet dream on a warm…
The Black Stallion
What is it about gorgeous black horses that draw men in, set their imaginations on fire, and steal a bit of their hearts? As a child, I knew that horses were regal creatures. Because they are gorgeous, capable of intelligence, posses affection, and have a certain nobility, I was always smitten with horses. Nearly all…
Cautionary Review: The Great Brain
The writer is concerned about modern literature for boys, particularly “The Great Brain,” citing problematic themes and negative influences on young readers.
Henry and the Chalk Dragon
“He looked at his armor, then back at the door. This was a morning that needed a knight.” I love this book. Really, truly, and sincerely love Henry and the Chalk Dragon. I love this book because it is delightful. It is funny. It is tender. It is oh so wholesome. It is really real….
The Incredible Journey
Today I am bawling into my laundry. My son read The Incredible Journey by Shelia Bunford a few weeks ago and begged me to read it. As I am writing this, I am ignoring the stack of notes I have from ten other books which I have read and need to review. I was worried…
The Wishes of the Fish King
In May of 2016, author Doug McKelvey and illustrator Jamin Still collaborated on a Kickstarter project to fund the creation of a gorgeous new picture book. The Wishes of the Fish King is a story that Doug wrote when his first daughter was two years old. At the time, they lived in a house on…