Movie Review: "The Book of Ruth: Journey of Faith"

This movie is based on the book of Ruth which is found in the Old Testament, in the Bible. The story is about how Ruth, a woman from the land of Moab, goes to the home land of her mother-in-law, Naomi, after tragedy strikes in their family. There in Israel, the land Naomi is from, she soon meets Boaz, a rich man from whose fields she gleans wheat. Perhaps she will marry again.

My Review: I think this movie was nice, and can be an enjoyable movie for young and older ladies to watch. There is no language in it that I remember, but there is mentioning of "gods." This is because the movie starts out in the land of Moab where the people there worshipped false "gods."

There was a problem with the sound in the movie. A sentence was lower in sound and therefore harder to hear. I can only remember this being in one part in the movie, but it may have happened more than once. I do not think it is a big problem, though.

If you like movies set in Bible times, romance, and decent, than I think you may like this film.

Book Review - "A Peep Behind the Scenes"

  A Peep Behind the Scenes by Mrs. O. F. Walton is the touching story of Rosalie - a little girl living behind the scenes of her father's traveling carnival. Her life as an actress may look wonderful and exciting to outsiders, but in reality her life is full of hurt and heartache. One day a gentlemen gives her a picture of a shepherd holding a little lamb, and tells her about the Good Shepherd who loves and cares for her.

  I love this book so very much, it's one of my favorites. I really recommend it. I think anyone 11+ will enjoy reading this.

Book Review of Princess of Orange by Elisabeth Kyle

Princess of Orange is the story of Mary, a young English princess, daughter of the Duke of York, in the late seventeenth century. She is being educated with her sister Anne and a sharp, clever, and extraordinarily pretty spitfire named Sarah Jennings. Even when only eleven or twelve her cousin Monmouth's hints and Sarah Jennings sharp teasing remind her that she is only a pawn, to be married to some foreigner, perhaps the Prince of Orange. And when she was fifteen, that was exactly what happened. Then William, Prince of Orange comes from Holland, asks to marry her, and her father and her uncle, King Charles, insist. Mary is unwillingly wedded to him and then they move to Holland. There Mary gradually learns about the man she has married. His love of beauty, his greatness begins to endear him to her.

This historical novel continues to speak of Mary and William's happy marriage, the unsuccessful rebellion of Mary's cousin Monmouth, and how Mary and William become King and Queen of England. Princess of Orange is a captivating story and recommended for ages eleven and up.

Book Review of Kidnapped by Robert Louis Stevenson

Kidnapped

written by Robert Louis Stevenson
288 pages
originally published in 1886

When the story begins, it finds a young man in Scotland, who is named David Balfour. He is seventeen years old, and he has lost both his parents. David is told to journey to the House of Shaws'this was his late father's wish. The House of Shaws in famous for its wealth. David, who comes from a somewhat poor family, cannot fathom the reason of why he must visit this mansion.

Once he sets foot on his way, he is met by shady strangers, and he never knows which ones to trust. David gets a ride that he didn't expect, and it ends in devastating tragedy. He is caught in a trap of secrets that he doesn't even understand himself, but he must (at all costs) keep quiet about what he knows. Otherwise, his life and his friend Alan Breck's life are at stake. These two new comrades, even when not in agreeable moods, must stick together if they are going to survive their trek through the lowlands and highlands of Scotland.

I'd recommend "Kidnapped" to all ages over 13. During certain parts of the the story, it seemed to be harder to read because of the old English language being used. My copy of the book handily had a word glossary in the back. (and I used it frequently!!)

From the very first page, the story had me locked into it. Set sail with David Balfour, and be prepared for adventure, intrigue, and a surprise or two along the way.

The Books Of Old Reading Challenge: Post Four

The site I was using for the link of The Books Of Old Reading Challenge deleted the link because it began making you pay for it, and I did not. I have a new link up, and if you would like to relink to your book list, here is the link to the list : book list link up .

Book Review of Make Way for Ducklings

Make Way For Ducklings

written and illustrated by Robert McCloskey

first published in 1941

winner of the 1942 Caldecott Medal

Instead of being a movie or novel, like we normally post reviews of on this blog, Make Way For Ducklings is a picture book. But it is such a lovely book that I couldn't help writingn my review here.

This is the story of Mr. and Mrs. Mallard, and the trouble they had finding a place to raise their ducklings. It is written in a fresh, delightful style with a slight vintage feel to it. What really makes the story come alive, however, are the brown charcoal drawings on every page. They really give you a feel for the place and the characters. Even the ducklings, who don't have much in the story individually, are given in the story different attitudes and characters. To make these beautiful differences Robert McCloskey, who was an artist, brought six little ducklings into his studio to watch them and use them as models.

This little book is a classic. Mum read it out loud to me when I was little and I love it even more now. The wonderful thing about it is that it can be enjoyed by people of all ages.

Book Reivew: The Hound of the Baskervilles

The Hound of the Baskervilles, by Sir Aurthur C. Doyle.

This is my favourite Sherlock Holmes adventure so far.  There's a mysterious legend about a wild hound that haunts Baskerville Manor, but no one really believes in it...until Sir Charles is killed, with giant paw prints beside his body.  Young Henry is the heir to Baskerville Manor, but Dr. Mortimer fears for his life and asks Sherlock Holmes and his friend Dr. Watson to help out.   What follows is a chilling adventure on the wild moors of England as Sherlock tries to find this hound and unravel the mystery...without getting killed in the process.

One of the best Sherlock Holmes stories, Doyle has woven a gothic mystery that will leave you guessing until the end.

Recommended for ages 13 and up. 

~Hannah Grace
Ps: I realize I was supposed to post on Friday, but it was very...hectic.  So here it is now.

Book Review of "The Wide, Wide World"

The Wide,Wide World is a story about a little girl named Ellen Montgomery. When her mother becomes ill, Ellen is sent far away to live with her unkind aunt in the country. Ellen soon learns to love her new home and her new friends. Life is often very hard for her, but she comes to know that God will always love and take care of her - no matter what happens or where she is in the world.



This is truly a remarkable book. It's so beautifully written, it has such marvelous characters, and it teaches such wonderful truths. I love this book so much, I never wanted it to end (although it is a rather lengthy book - it's separated into two good size volumes!). I think anyone - young or old - would enjoy reading this book.




A bit of history about the book and author:

Susan Warner wrote this book way back in 1850 under the pseudonym Elizabeth Wetherell. After it was published it became a much-loved bestseller and is sometimes known as "America's first best-seller". Another interesting thing is that it's mentioned in many of my favorite books (that's what got me interested in it) like Little Women, Elsie's Girlhood (from the Elsie Dinsmore series), and What Katy Did.




~Hannah~

Review of Behind Rebel Lines by Seymour Reit

When I first had this book assigned for school reading, I was wary of what it would be like. Considering it was a story about the Civil War, I wondered if the author would use it as an excuse to preach what they believed about the war, but Behind Rebel Lines is far from a political rant.

It is the true story of a young woman, Emma Edmonds, who wants to do her part in supporting the Northern cause, but is dissatisfied with knitting socks, or even serving as a nurse in a hospital. She wishes to be on the front lines, giving soldiers aid when they need it the most. But there is a problem. Only male nurses can serve in fighting lines, and Emma is a woman. So she enlists in disguise as a man named Franklin Thomson.

Soon the general wishes to use "Frank" as a spy. It is fascinating to learn about Emma's various disguises: Cuff, a black slave, Bridget O'Shea, a middle-aged Irish peddler, Charles Mayberry, a well-to-do Southern gentleman. The details about her missions are captivating.

Another point that I highly appreciate is that when Emma is on furlough, she divides her time between caring for wounded Union soldiers and wounded Confederates. I am a loyal Southerner, and I love to find a Civil War story that isn't so slanted, doesn't paint the Union as perfect, and doesn't paint the Confederacy as purely evil. For example, when Emma is disguise as Bridget the Irish peddler, she stumbles upon a young Confederate lieutenant who is dying of typhoid fever. She sits with him for hours, caring for him even though it is too late to save his life. She stays with him until he dies, and fulfills his dying wish to give his golden pocketwatch to his general.

Behind Rebel Lines is an amazing story, told in a compelling style, and made all the more fascinating in that everything that Emma does actually happened. I recommend it for girls of any age.

Book Review of Crushed Yet Conquering by Deborah Alcock

For my review this week I am doing a book my Mum received to review.

Crushed Yet Conquering is the story of a young man, part French, part English, of the middle ages, Hubert Bohun, who at the start of the book is a clerk going to Constance, Germany, with his employer, the chancellor of Paris. The chancellor, whom the orphaned Hubert loved as a father, had come to be part of a church council which would, among other things, judge and condemn heretics. When Hubert is there, they were trying an early Bohemian (present day Czech Republic) reformer named John Huss. He witnesses his trial, his condemnation, and finally comes to believe that Huss was not a heretic after all, but a sincere Christian. He ends up leaving the chancellor, who had condemned Huss and going to Bohemia as a squire to Huss's dear friend Chlum. After that it is a story of the early reformed church in Bohemia. About the giving of the cup of the Lord's Supper to more people than just priests, and the persecution they recieved. It is also a story of other characters; the beautiful, high spirited Zedenka, the tragic romance of Aninka and Frantisek, the happier one of Hubert's brother Armand and Jocelyne, and the courageous boyhood of Chlum's young son.

This book doesn't have the problem of being too short, like most of my favorite novels, because it is quite thick and made up of two parts, one a story of Constance and the other of Bohemia. For a while it seems like a book and a sequel, but they stick together wonderfully as one novel. Another thing I love is that the author loved poetry and it shows in her writing, which is beautiful and often quotes poetry. It is unfortunate that John Huss was not a complete reformer and still believed in transubstantiation and perhaps on purgatory, but other than this, I cannot recommend Crushed Yet Conquering too highly. The plot is very intricate, with many fascinating characters and subplots and all together it makes a beautiful story filled with faith, love, friendship, and pathos. I highly recommend this for all 11 and older.

Movie review of: Pendragon Sword of his father.

My review:
I'm an adventurous girl and I love watching and reading about suspense, adventure, and daring things. When I watched this movie it was all of these things and much more. We haven't let my little siblings see it yet, due to many sword fights and fire scenes, I recommend it for 12 +. Nevertheless it is something you must see. But be ready to laugh, cry, get mad at certain characters, and sit on the edge of your seat :)

Movie review:
As barbarians sleets descend along the cost of Britain. They are determined to get the island from the British but as events happen can young Artose keep the vision of his father and drive the barbarians back into the sea?
As Artose fights to keep the vision alive he must also face his enemies within his own camp...put off by two homeschooling families, it won the best family made movie award, not rated, family dove approved.

Book Review of "Survival in the Storm" (Dear America)

Survival in the Storm

written by Katelan Janke

190 pages
published in 2002

This diary about living in the Texas’ Dust Bowl was a wonderful read. What I find fascinating about it, is that when I was about halfway through the book, I discovered that it was written by a fifteen-year-old girl. I was impressed by this! I hadn’t detected anything in the writing style that seemed unusual. The book seemed just as accomplished as if an adult wrote it. Katelan Janke was in the 6th grade when she entered Scholastic’s Dear America writing contest. It was only a 5 page entry that eased her into winning the contest. Two years later, after much research in her hometown of Dalhart, Texas, her full-length book was published into the Dear America series. I found Katelan’s story pretty astonishing.

Click Here to Read a short bio of the author, Katelan Janke.

You'll want to know more about this book than just the author though. A little info about the storyline... A fictional girl named Grace Edwards kept this diary, called "Survival in the Storm". Her story is about how life was in 1935 during the Dust Bowl in Texas. It drove a lot of people West, to California. Many gave up on Texas during the long drought, but Grace’s family stayed strong, and wouldn’t budge from their home. Would that choice turn out right in the end?

Ladies Library

The Ladies Library has not had many posts on it since the new year has started. I do hope to have a post for Friday, and hopefully more posts will follow it next week.

Some more reading challenges

Here are some more reading challenges I've found!



The Jane Austen Reading Challenge



The Reading the Classics Challenge



L.M.Montgomery Reading Challenge



And don't forget the Books of Old Reading Challenge hosted here at the Ladies Library.