Thanksgiving on Thursday (Magic Tree House Series #27)
Author: Mary Pope Osborn
The Magic Tree House whisks Jack and Annie back to the eve of the first Thanksgiving. There they meet the Pilgrims as well as Squanto, a Native American who helped them. The story offers an age-appropriate, in-depth picture of what life was really like for early settlers, as well as the usual Magic Tree House adventure and excitement.
Debbie West - Children's Literature
Eight-year-old Jack and his seven-year-old sister, Annie, have a magical tree house in their woods. Once inside the tree house, they can travel anywhere through the books that fill it. In this title, Book 27 of the "Magic Tree House" series, they find a note from famous magical librarian of Camelot Morgan le Fay. Immediately, they are transported back to the year 1621 and Plymouth, Massachusetts. They try to observe the Pilgrims quietly, but Jack becomes caught in a snare. Soon the Pilgrims are swarming them, asking questions. Squanto, the Wampanoag Indian, pretends to recognize them, thus including the two children in the festivities of the day. They meet the famous Priscilla, who takes them home with her and shows them how to prepare a Thanksgiving turkey, Pilgrim style. Jack's twentieth-century phrases have the Pilgrims shaking their heads in confusion, but he and Annie are still treated as if they belonged there. Priscilla sends the two children to the stream to catch some fish, but Jack and Annie soon realize they know nothing about fishing or hunting the old fashioned way. Discouraged by their lack of skills, they are afraid to return to camp. But Priscilla soon finds them and returns them to the festivities. The meal begins with mountainous plates of food brought out to the many set up benches. Squanto and the Wamponoag Indians feast with the Pilgrims on that momentous day, and Jack and Annie are delighted to be part of the ceremony. When the feast ends, they realize it is time for them to return home. Squanto leads them into the forest. From him, they learn a valuable lesson—how to be kind to those who are different. Children will relive a special moment in American historythrough this captivating story. 2002, Random House Children's Books, Ages 8 to 14.
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Interesting textbook: The Big Fix or Cambridge Handbook of Psychology Health and Medicine
Fantastic Mr. Fox
Author: Roald Dahl
Fantastic Mr. Fox is on the run! The three meanest farmers around are out to get him. Fat Boggis, squat Bunce, and skinny Bean have joined forces, and they have Mr. Fox and his family surrounded. What they don’t know is that they’re not dealing with just any fox–Mr. Fox would never surrender. But only the most fantastic plan ever can save him now.
Michael Chabin - Children's Literature
"My lucky thing," Roald Dahl once said, "is that I laugh at the same things children laugh at." And children do laugh at the things he writes. In this case, fat Mr. Boggis who eats three chickens at every meal, potbellied Mr. Bunce who lives on doughnuts stuffed with goose liver paste, and pencil-thin Mr. Bean who drinks hard cider all day long, have decided to do away with Mr. Fox and his fine family. So determined are these maniacal three, that their efforts to eliminate the Fox family threatens the lives of every digging creature in the forest. Does Mr. Fox save the day? Of course he does! How? That you'll have to find out for yourself in this beautifully bound and superbly illustrated volume. Roald Dahl is the author of James and the Giant Peach and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. He died in 1990 after more than forty years of making children laugh. Parents note: the farmers have guns, the cider is hard, and there is an occasional graceless belch. 2002, Alfred A Knopf,
Children's Literature
In this story, a gentleman fox outwits three crass and vindictive farmers in order to protect his family from extinction. The beginning chapters describe the characters, the following sixteen present a constant stream of adventures as the bitter confrontation ensues between Mr. Fox and Boggis, Bunce and Bean. Chapter titles announce the direction the story is taking. Clever use of language gives an aura of refinement to the fox family, while one of villainy surrounds the farmers. When Bean announces that "I want that fox! I'm going to get that fox! I'm not giving in till I've strung him up over my front porch, dead as a dumpling!" the reader immediately aligns with Mr. Fox despite the fact that he is stealing chickens! The line drawings, with washes of gray are spontaneous and lively. Not a page goes by without a detailed drawing reinforcing the mood of the story. Seeing Bean's ears filled with "all kinds of muck and wax and bits of chewing gum and dead flies and stuff like that" only strengthens the reader's dislike of the character. This illustrated reinterpretation highlights the vibrant qualities of this story. 1998 (orig.
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