My name is Marissa and I have been given the opportunity to write some book reviews for Mrs. Sally Clarkson's blog. This spring and summer I have challenged myself to read 50 books. While looking for interesting books, I used Sarah Clarkson's Read for the Heart as a reference. I found about 40 of the books I am going to read for my challenge in her reference book, it was a great help!
One of the books I read that Sarah recommends in her book was "My Side of the Mountain" by Jean Craighead George. This book is adventurous from front cover to back cover and is a great read for children and parents alike. This book tells of the adventures of a boy named Sam Gribley, who runs away from home and lives off the land in the Catskill Mountains. This book was such a great read! I found out it was part of a trilogy, so I read all three books and they were equally entertaining!
Another book that Sarah recommends in her reference book was The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien. This book was so engaging, that it only took me a week to read. Between myself, my mom, and my dad, we were all in a competition to see who would finish first! In this novel, from "An Unexpected Party" to "The Last Stage," this book was packed with adventure as well as lessons learned by Bilbo Baggins. I recommend this book for Jr. High or High School age kids, just because of the goblins, dragons, and other things that may be frightening to younger children. The adventure all starts when a hobbit named Bilbo Baggins is asked to be the burglar of a group of dwarfs who are trying to recapture the kingdom that was stolen from them by the dragon Smaug. The party of dwarfs and Bilbo set out on a quest to regain the dwarfs kingdom, but encounter many troubles along the way.
I have also just finished an audio of The Merry Adventures of Robin Hood by Howard Pyle. I must say, it was a good book, but I didn't enjoy listening to the narrator sing the songs throughout the book. It just wasn't my cup of tea! Everyone has their favorites, this just wasn't one of mine.
Maybe this could be a challenge you would want to join me in? Let me know some of your favorite books or not so favorite! I have just started my challenge a little over one week ago. So I have 2 books down and 48 to go! My next selection from Sarah's reference book is Tuck Everlasting by Natalie Babbitt.
These books are all great reads and there are many more listed in Sarah's Read for the Heart that can be enjoyed. Sarah's book was a tremendous help in finding books that would appeal to me for my 50 book challenge. To purchase Read for the Heart click HERE.
