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Author Archives: jenny
The Horse and His Boy by C.S. Lewis
The Horse and His Boy by C.S. Lewis is my favourite Narnia story. It tends to be the one people forget as none of the main characters are “from our world” and very little of the action actually happens in … Continue reading
Crime and Punishment by Feodor Dostoevsky
Before I read Crime and Punishment all that I had heard about Feodor Dostoevsky was that he was a Russian author and, whereas Tolstoy understood legalism, Dostoevsky understood grace. I’ve since found out that he is also considered one of the greatest … Continue reading
Posted in 18th Century, Classic, Crime fiction, General adult audience, Realism, Russian, Social Novel
Tagged character-driven, classic, drama, ethics, exam period friendly, fiction, grace, Murder, philosophy, poverty, psychological, relationships, Russian, society, St Petersburg, worldview
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The Phantom Tollbooth by Norton Juster
The Phantom Tollbooth by Norton Juster is the story of a bored boy named Milo who comes home to find a box. It contains a a tollbooth that allows him to drive his toy car into the Kingdom of Wisdom, … Continue reading
The Black Tulip by Alexandre Dumas
The Black Tulip by Alexandre Dumas is a tale of two tulip-fanciers – Dutchmen obsessed with growing (or stealing) a 100 000 guilder-winning black tulip. Set against the backdrop of post-Reformation Holland, the story is a mix of historical novel, … Continue reading
Posted in Classic, French, General adult audience, Historical Fiction, Melodrama, Romance, Victorian
Tagged 17th century, classic, death by emotion, drama, exam period friendly, fiction, French, historical, Holland, humour, tulips
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This is Not My Hat by Jon Klassen
This is Not My Hat by Jon Klassen is a hilarious picture book that former-housemate C sent me. It’s about a fish with criminal tendencies who is optimistic about his chances of escaping justice. The pictures are simple but very … Continue reading
Posted in Contemporary Children's, Picture Books, Under 5 years, Under 7 years
Tagged 21st Century, all ages, animals, Canadian, drama, ethics, excuses, fiction, fish, good out loud, humour, illustrated, justice, theft, under 5s, under 7s
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Paul Meets Bernadette by Rosy Lamb
Paul Meets Bernadette by Rosy Lamb is a picture book that is beautifully illustrated with oil paintings. It is the story of Paul, a goldfish, whose life is limited to swimming up and down, left and right, round and round, … Continue reading
Posted in Contemporary Children's, Picture Books, Under 5 years
Tagged 21st Century, American, animals, companionship, confinement, discovery, fiction, fish, good out loud, humour, illustrated, relationships, under 5s, under 7s, whimsical
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Henrietta’s War and Henrietta Sees It Through by Joyce Dennys
Henrietta’s War by Joyce Dennys and its sequel, Henrietta Sees it Through, are a series of letters to a childhood friend during WWII. They document the small and amusing indignities and challenges of life in a “safe part of England” … Continue reading
Posted in 20th Century Light Fiction, British, Comedy, Episodic Novel, Epistolary Novel, General adult audience, Light Fiction, Novel, Social Novel, War Story
Tagged 20th Century, British, epistolary, fiction, good out loud, home front, humour, illustrated, overcoming adversity, semi-autobiographical, war novel, wartime, WWII
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Ballet Shoes by Noel Streatfeild
Ballet Shoes by Noel Streatfeild is a book that I loved growing up and still enjoy. It is the story of Pauline, Petrova and Posy Fossil, orphans adopted and sent to England by a travelling collector of fossils and raised … Continue reading
Wonder by R.J. Palacio
Wonder by R.J. Palacio is the story of ten-year-old August who likes Star Wars and Halloween and who just wants to be ordinary as he starts attending a regular school for the first time. But August isn’t ordinary and an … Continue reading
Posted in 10 years and up, Coming of Age/Rites of Passage, Contemporary Children's, Family Drama, Novel, Young Adult
Tagged 10 and up, 21st Century, American, coming-of-age, disability, facial deformity, fiction, good out loud, high school, humour, overcoming adversity, siblings, the movie lives up to it, young adult
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The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis
The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe is a book that my parents read to each other while I was in utero and which has been a regular feature of my life ever since. I have enjoyed it in primary … Continue reading
Posted in 20th Century Children's, 7 years and up, Children's Classics, Fantasy
Tagged 20th Century, 7 and up, action, allegory, animals, better than the movie, British, C.S. Lewis, children's classic, Christianity, fantasy, fiction, food and fighting, good out loud, home front, humour, Narnia, The Inklings, wartime, WWII
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