I love reading. I read more than three hours a day. I hope to encourage someone to read the books I discuss. My favorite genres are classics, plays, children's books, and short stories.
This was a pretty good novella by John Steinbeck. It concerns a family that is too poor to pay for their baby boy Coyolito's health. After finding a pearl the family starts to dream big thinking not only of medical help but for an education for their boy. Surprisedly this find isn't the answer to their prayers. Instead, the discovery of the pearl becomes a nightmare. People respond to them with jealousy lying and calling the pearl worthless. They come across thieves. Eventually the father has blood on his hands and the family is met with tragedy. The only John Steinbeck's books I have read have been short ones. One of these days I need to challenge myself to read The Grapes of Wrath.
When I was 15, I blew off my English class assignment of mythology. Now I've come to regret it. I wish I knew at that time how cool mythology could be. Now I'm 39 and I have to catch up with all of the mythology stories of tons of cultures. Anyway, this book for kids was pretty cool. It has good illustrations, and the stories are simply told. My favorite story was about the seal catcher who turns into a seal and realizes the error of his ways. I also liked the Lugh story about a man who tries to enter a kingdom but has to a master in a skill that only one person possesses, only to discover that being a many-skilled person is a rarity in itself.
This was an ok children's book about Chinese mythology which I know little about. It was a pretty good introduction to the culture. Half the book is about The Monkey King who comes across as a stubborn creature who eventually learns wisdom from his experiences. I like reading mythology books from the children's section since they tend to get to the point.
I loved Penelope Farmer's Charlotte Sometimes. It should be considered a children's classic. I decided to try another one of her books and this was just ok. It's in the same Aviary Hall series that Charlotte Sometimes was put in. It's about two classmates who travel backwards in time together while they sleep. I liked how the friendship developed but there was nothing special about this book. It was just a pleasant read.
