November in Minnesota is well known for cold temperatures and dwindling hours of daylight. A day is still 24 hours long. It seems shorter because it’s still dark when I wake up in the morning and the sun often sets before I have supper. While it often snows in November sometimes there isn’t enough snow for sledding. Cold and dark isn’t a good combination for outdoor fun—and without enough snow it is just boring!
What isn’t boring is having a good book to read. Books are very interesting. It’s fun to learn about people, places, time periods and the adventures they have. Nearly all of my friends like to read books almost as much as I do. We talk about the new books we are reading. Sometimes we try to be the first person to finish reading a new book—or all the books—of a specific series. I would really like to hear about some of the books that you enjoy. Here are some that I have read, or plan to read, that may interest you.
The Princess and The Goblin (1872) & The Princess and Curdie (1882) by George MacDonald
The cover illustrations for these books alone give you the idea that they would be fun to read. The Princess of the title is named Irene. Curdie is the son of a miner. In the first book, Irene discovers a secret stairway to the top turret of the castle. Meanwhile, Curdie learns of a fiendish plot cooked up by the Goblins who live under the mountain. Princess Irene and Curdie have to work together to foil the plot.
In the next book, “Princess Irene’s great-great-grandmother has a testing task for Curdie.” Part of the test is the companion she assigns to travel with Curdie. “The oddest and ugliest creature Curdie has ever seen.” However, his travelling buddy turns out to be a very loyal and trustworthy friend. I haven’t read these books but I look forward to adding them to my list.
Black Beauty by Anna Sewell (1877)
This book is a classic and one of the best-selling books of all time – over 50 million copies. It has 49 chapters – some of which I’ve read, though not all, just yet. Black Beauty (the horse) narrates the book since it is his story. It begins with his early life “on an English farm with his mother, to his difficult life pulling cabs in London, to his happy retirement in the country.” By using the hardships and cruelty faced by Black Beauty, the book “also teaches (us) how to treat people with kindness, sympathy, and respect.”
Charlotte’s Web by E. B. White (1952)
This is a very interesting book. Talking animals! Who doesn’t like talking animals? A lot of people know about this book through the movies that have been made based on the story. It is a great book for parents to read to their kids. The phrase, “Don’t judge a book by its cover,” is a lot of what this story is about. At first, everyone dismisses Wilbur (the pig) because he is such a runt and he is, well, a pig. Though Charlotte the spider and the little girl, Fern, are convinced there is something special about ‘ol Wilbur.
Time Cat by Lloyd Alexander (1963)
This is a story about Jason and his cat, Gareth. Unlike most cats (including my, Mia Meow), Gareth can travel through time and space. “Anywhere, any time, any country, any century.” Throughout the book Jason and Gareth visit exotic places like ancient Egypt and Japan. They travel to Italy during the time of a young Leonardo da Vinci. In all of these adventures Jason learns how cats played important roles in those time periods.
There are also books published as a series that I really enjoy
Percy Jackson & the Olympians/ The Heroes of Olympus by Rick Riordan
There are five books in each series. I’ve read them all and I am currently reading “The Blood of Olympus” which just came out last month. Though, by the time you read this column, I’ll probably have finished it.
The Last Dragon Chronicles by Chris d'Lacey
There are seven books in this series. I have read two of them and am in the middle of reading the third in the series.
The Sisters 8 by Lauren Baratz-Logsted
While there are only eight sisters, this series has nine books. The last book, “The Final Battle . . . For Now” is a very interesting addition to the series.
The Boxcar Children by Gertrude Chandler Warner
This series of books was first published in 1924. With spin-offs of the original 100+ books there are now hundreds of titles in the series. I’ve read most of them. They are short, easy to read books.
Rainbow Magic by Daisy Meadows
This is another series of short books that have been published since 2003. Each series includes 7 books focused on a central theme: The Rainbow Fairies, The Weather Fairies, The Party Fairies, etc.
Goosebumps by R. L. Stine
The original titles in this series included 62 books. There are currently about 180 titles. They’re not super-scary, but I chose to read them in the daytime – just in case.
A Series of Unfortunate Events by Lemony Snicket
The author’s real name is Daniel Handler. The 13 books in this series focus on Violet, Klaus, and Sunny Baudelaire. After their parents' death in a house fire, the children are placed in the custody of their distant cousin Count Olaf – who keeps trying to steal their inheritance. The books are not that scary, but rather full of suspense.
Frances Copenhaver is the Corcoran News youth reporter.
Contribute, advertise, or learn more about Corcoran News.
Click here for current edition.
November in Minnesota is well known for cold temperatures and dwindling hours of daylight. A day is still 24 hours long. It seems shorter because it’s still dark when I wake up in the morning and the sun often sets before I have supper. While it often snows in November sometimes there isn’t enough snow for sledding. Cold and dark isn’t a good combination for outdoor fun—and without enough snow it is just boring!
What isn’t boring is having a good book to read. Books are very interesting. It’s fun to learn about people, places, time periods and the adventures they have. Nearly all of my friends like to read books almost as much as I do. We talk about the new books we are reading. Sometimes we try to be the first person to finish reading a new book—or all the books—of a specific series. I would really like to hear about some of the books that you enjoy. Here are some that I have read, or plan to read, that may interest you.
The Princess and The Goblin (1872) & The Princess and Curdie (1882) by George MacDonald
The cover illustrations for these books alone give you the idea that they would be fun to read. The Princess of the title is named Irene. Curdie is the son of a miner. In the first book, Irene discovers a secret stairway to the top turret of the castle. Meanwhile, Curdie learns of a fiendish plot cooked up by the Goblins who live under the mountain. Princess Irene and Curdie have to work together to foil the plot.
In the next book, “Princess Irene’s great-great-grandmother has a testing task for Curdie.” Part of the test is the companion she assigns to travel with Curdie. “The oddest and ugliest creature Curdie has ever seen.” However, his travelling buddy turns out to be a very loyal and trustworthy friend. I haven’t read these books but I look forward to adding them to my list.
Black Beauty by Anna Sewell (1877)
This book is a classic and one of the best-selling books of all time – over 50 million copies. It has 49 chapters – some of which I’ve read, though not all, just yet. Black Beauty (the horse) narrates the book since it is his story. It begins with his early life “on an English farm with his mother, to his difficult life pulling cabs in London, to his happy retirement in the country.” By using the hardships and cruelty faced by Black Beauty, the book “also teaches (us) how to treat people with kindness, sympathy, and respect.”
Charlotte’s Web by E. B. White (1952)
This is a very interesting book. Talking animals! Who doesn’t like talking animals? A lot of people know about this book through the movies that have been made based on the story. It is a great book for parents to read to their kids. The phrase, “Don’t judge a book by its cover,” is a lot of what this story is about. At first, everyone dismisses Wilbur (the pig) because he is such a runt and he is, well, a pig. Though Charlotte the spider and the little girl, Fern, are convinced there is something special about ‘ol Wilbur.
Time Cat by Lloyd Alexander (1963)
This is a story about Jason and his cat, Gareth. Unlike most cats (including my, Mia Meow), Gareth can travel through time and space. “Anywhere, any time, any country, any century.” Throughout the book Jason and Gareth visit exotic places like ancient Egypt and Japan. They travel to Italy during the time of a young Leonardo da Vinci. In all of these adventures Jason learns how cats played important roles in those time periods.
There are also books published as a series that I really enjoy
Percy Jackson & the Olympians/ The Heroes of Olympus by Rick Riordan
There are five books in each series. I’ve read them all and I am currently reading “The Blood of Olympus” which just came out last month. Though, by the time you read this column, I’ll probably have finished it.
The Last Dragon Chronicles by Chris d'Lacey
There are seven books in this series. I have read two of them and am in the middle of reading the third in the series.
The Sisters 8 by Lauren Baratz-Logsted
While there are only eight sisters, this series has nine books. The last book, “The Final Battle . . . For Now” is a very interesting addition to the series.
The Boxcar Children by Gertrude Chandler Warner
This series of books was first published in 1924. With spin-offs of the original 100+ books there are now hundreds of titles in the series. I’ve read most of them. They are short, easy to read books.
Rainbow Magic by Daisy Meadows
This is another series of short books that have been published since 2003. Each series includes 7 books focused on a central theme: The Rainbow Fairies, The Weather Fairies, The Party Fairies, etc.
Goosebumps by R. L. Stine
The original titles in this series included 62 books. There are currently about 180 titles. They’re not super-scary, but I chose to read them in the daytime – just in case.
A Series of Unfortunate Events by Lemony Snicket
The author’s real name is Daniel Handler. The 13 books in this series focus on Violet, Klaus, and Sunny Baudelaire. After their parents' death in a house fire, the children are placed in the custody of their distant cousin Count Olaf – who keeps trying to steal their inheritance. The books are not that scary, but rather full of suspense.
Frances Copenhaver is the Corcoran News youth reporter.
Contribute, advertise, or learn more about Corcoran News.
Click here for current edition.