Book 515

The Trumpet of the Swan, by E. B. White, illustrated by Fred Marcellino, HarperCollins, 1970.

My first grade son and I were reading this book a few chapters a day for a class project.  It is actually a rather lengthy book to read in seven day -- there were about ten pages per chapter -- but my son was enthralled.  At the end of each day's reading, he would illustrate his favorite part of what he had read. 
I do love this book, but it also makes me a bit sad.  It is about sacrifices for love, and, although everything worked out fairly well at the end, I was still sorry for some of the things that had been given up along the way.

Book 514

Nicholas St. North and the Battle of the Nightmare King, by William Joyce and Laura Geringer, Athenium Books for Young Readers, 2011.

I bought this book because my son and I love the movie The Rise of the Guardians and wanted to know more about the central characters. 

What a great book, and what a great start to a series.  I want more, more, MORE.

Book 513

Tales of Amanda Pig, written by Jean Van Leeuwen, illustrated by Ann Schweninger, Puffin Easy-to-Read Books, 1994.

My first grade son read this book for a Literature unit on family life.  He liked this book for two reasons:  1.  He could read it on his own, and 2.  It was funny, so he wanted to read it on his own.  

And those are two very good reasons for buying a book. 

Book 512

The Saint in London, by Leslie Charteris, 1934.

These stories are ridiculously fun, and it is easy to see how The Saint could have paved the way for the just-on-the-right-side-of-the-law James Bond.  By the way, if you had the misfortune of seeing the movie The Saint starring Val Kilmer, put that right out of your mind because these stories and that movie are in no way related.

Book 511

An Object of Beauty, by Steve Martin, Hachette Books, 2010.

I liked this book.  Of course, I worked (very briefly) in Art when I was in my twenties, so I understood much of it. 

The book has been compared to Edith Wharton's Age of Innocence.  I disagree.  I see much more of another Edith Wharton book in this one:  The House of Mirth.  Lacey Yeager is very much like Lily Bart.  Her character, while not likable, somehow still manages to engender sympathy. 

One more thing, the writing is sharp and crisp and witty.  After a while, I forgot that Steve Martin wrote this book and just enjoyed the writing.

Book 510

Little Tree, by Loren Long, Philomel Books 2015,

Terrible alliteration (by me) aside, I have long loved Loren Long's illustrative work.  This book is another excellent example of his beautiful work.

The story itself is very sweet and simple, possibly a tad too simple, or possibly just right for the readers of this book.  Either way, my seven-year-old son read it on his own and had no trouble understanding the message.