Circle C Adventures by Susan K. Malow might sound familiar to you, as we reviewed Thick as Thieves by the same author at the end of March. This time, we had the opportunity to read Tales from the Circle C Ranch.
Flower dove right in and didn't put the book down until she was finished with it. Upon completion, she picked up Thick as Thieves again and re-read it. Many happy sighs were heard as Flower read these books. They are perfect for tween girls (and big brothers who read them on the sly) who like excellent adventure writing and strong "G rated" values.
This book allows us glimpses of Andi's childhood, spent in California in the 1800's. Flower found the writing interesting and thrilling. While this book consists of vignettes, the character development is what grabs you, pulls you in and you feel like you have become part of Andi's life. It's easy to relate to Andi's feelings and thoughts. The book ties everything to a relationship with God and living a life of faith- the family goes to church and scripture is used throughout the story.
That being said, these stories are in no way pedantic, preachy or stuffy. The faith of Andi is blended throughout the story so that my tween daughter felt like it made sense. Andi's struggles and resolutions addressed some of Flower's feelings and struggles and offered kind and Godly resolutions to real life problems. In that, Malow allows the reader to transcend their own issues, relate to someone else and come to a resolution. That, my friends, is great writing.
This story is true to the time period-"very historical," states my history loving daughter. The author writes about universal issues that young people face, regardless of the age in which they live. This series is very much like Laura Ingalls Wilder stories, with a different setting.
Flower's over-all assessment of Tales from the Circle C Ranch? She is a total fan-girl and let me know that we needed to buy each and every book in the series as soon as possible! That is a huge endorsement from my history loving daughter. Cub (aged 15) picked the books up on the sly, and read them too, so don't limit the books to girls only. They will have a wide-appeal and would be a perfect read-aloud! To view all of the books in the series, go to
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As always, find more terrific reviews from the fabulous Crew:
1 comment:
Thanks, Lisa (and Flower!) for your enthusiastic review of Andi's newest adventures. I'm glad to hear the "boy on the sly" read them too and liked them. My 14 year old son did not read it on the sly but proclaimed it was his favorite book now. Hmmmm . . . who would have guessed that?
Anyway, I'm glad you all enjoyed the book. Thanks for taking your time to share your thoughts with your blog readers.
Susan
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