Pleasant frontier-days chapter book
932723
"Mr. Mysterious & Company"
by Sid Fleishmann
(Little Brown, 1962)
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A nice, lighthearted story about a family theater troupe crossing the frontier on their way to California during the 19th Century. The covered wagon days are evoked with nostalgia and humor -- the chapters are episodic, but also come together as a nicely shaped narrative.  Hard to say what many 21st-Century kids would make of this book - I found it lively, though my kid was a little distracted while we read it... Certainly if your family has enjoyed the Laura Ingalls Wilder books, you might want to check this out as well... It has magic tricks and bandits, too, although overall the tone is pretty light and uplifting.  (Joe Sixpack, ReadThatAgain childrens' book reviews)
3002430
These drawings are themed with adventure scenes however the drawings are simplistic though pleasant.  There are lots of nature with few people and the people are small and in the background.  The paper is thick and of fine quality.  Because of the wonderful quality of the paper you could use paints or almost any other medium.  Each page is perforated which makes them easy to take out and frame.
4660336
Well written and easy to read.  The story was fun and insightful.  A good choice for chapter book readers or for families that read together.
1603734
This is a sweet little book. I bought it because we received the Year of the Ox as a handed down gift. I prefer the illustrations in the Year of the Ox. They seem more child-friendly and engaging. But, overall, the book is nice and will be a keepsake for my daughter, who is a Sheep.
4910289
I love these new branches books from Scholastic.  The are a great transition book for developing readers.  The text is a little big and the chapters aren't too long.  They are still full of illustrations which is a nice for kids who are trying to transition into reading chapter books but want or need illustrations to help with the story.  What I liked most is that this book is a good one for BOYS. I have lots of books for girls about owls and kittys, horses and fairies, and this one too can be read and enjoyed by girls,  but there seem so few options for boys in the Branches series yet.  Hope this is the start of something.  The two dogs are fun and playful and pretend to be pirates on an adventure. There is word play in the story a young reader may or may not get but over all a fun book to read.
819055
A beautifully illustrated book about a child on the Cheerokee Trail of Tears. Easy to read for younger grade students. I am happy to give the book to my grandchildren for knowledge about the first native Americans.
2331532
We purchased this book while on a trip to Joshua Tree National Park for our newest great-grandson who is now one year old. We look at the pictures together frequently and I have read it to him. He appears interested especially in the jack rabbit and the birds. It is a sturdy book that is holding up well under his rather rough and tumble behavior at times. I like these board books. I think it is a good book for a little person and was a great souvenir from our trip to visit our big grandson at 29 Palms before he deployed. The illustrations are really nice as is the wording. I recommend board books highly for little folks and this one is very interesting to the old grandpa and grandma as well. We were pleased with this purchase.
3490715
I liked this book a lot. It was really fun reading this book. I would recommend this book to a third grader who likes chapter books.
337890
Good imagery, suspense, interesting characters, occasional pictures, and a surprise ending all make this an enjoyable book especially recommended to read to children and an even better book for young readers who want a chapter book that's not too long.
2832379
A good addition to my life on the plains history  library, which is growing every day!  I got it for the pictures, which are wonderful, and was not looking for special text, but I was pleased with the format and the story lines, too.  As someone who has practically memorized the Little House books, and as someone who has everything written by or about Laura Ingalls Wilder, I find that I am looking for a more adult view of what life was really like on the Plains.  This book is a fine companion reader, and the pictures by fine artists add something special to  this history.  (While I am at it, may I recommend another book that cleared up many of my own questions?  You might want to try LITTLE HEATHENS, Hard Times and High Spirits on an Iowa Farm During the Great Depression, by Mildred Armstrong Kalish.)
695258
This slender book is an easy read for elementary children, with its 8-year-old heroine who becomes the little lady of a rustic household, short sentence and many full-page illustrations in brown tones.  Sarah accompanies her father on a long journey from the Massachusetts colony down to the Connecticut frontier, to the site of a future town, New Milford, by the Great River.  The middle child of a large family she offers to cook and keep house for Mr. Noble, who must build a log cabin so that the rest of his family can join them before winter.

 Once Sarah has set up shop in a renovated cave her father and Tall John, a kind Indian, work on their future home.  Meanwhile Sarah meets several Indian children and gradually becomes comfortable with them. This Connecticut tribe proves amicable toward the white settlers, but where will Sarah stay when Father returns to Massachusetts for the rest of the family?  Besides their horse, Thomas, is needed to transport the younger children.  Sarah will be the only Noble in residence for a while, but where will she stay in safety?  Through these months of discovery Sarah constantly reminds herself to keep up her courage--since her mother is not there to do so.  She never wants to be parted from her red cloak--a source of comfort for her small body and tremulous heart. Sarah learns to look within for strength and comfort before her mother arrives. Excellent read for girls under 12.
1933823
This is a fun book, filled with adventures.  The illustrations are particularly nice...very well done.
1303581
This is a "chapter book", not a "picture book" like the other Noisy Village book that we have. It's a trade paperback with poor quality paper and I suspect the binding won't last too long. That said, the Noisy Village stories are very sweet and the depiction of daily life in Sweden a generation or two ago is quite nice.

I purchased this to read to my four year old, and I'll be setting this one aside for a few years. There are several instances where the children call each other "stupid" or use disrespectful language, which probably isn't is a bit much for a very impressionable young child. There's also a story in this book where one of the children states a belief that being an only child is a terrible fate, so if you happen to have just one child, you might want to be aware of that. Overall, though, a very sweet book with a focus on seasonal activities and families.
2430628
My son enjoyed this book. It is one of the first chapter books he read on his own. It was fitting for us because we just went on vacation to the ocean. The story is very well written and great little pictures in the book.
4666553
This is a nice chapter book at a 3rd gade reading level. It is very high-enterest for even a 10 to 12 year old boy, who becomes overwhelmed with too high a reading level.

I read this with my 10 year old son and he found it very interesting.  This is not a book for the iight at heart, who wants a book that is always happy.  There are a couple dramatic scenes in the book, After all it does involve a black panther. The book is great for a nature loving boy, who loves to read about the wilderness and exploring.

Okay: here is my SPOILER: So stop reading if you don't want to now some of the main moments in the book. (this is for parents trying to decide if they want to purchase this book)

There is a 2 to 3 page fight scene in this book, when the main character happens across another boy who lives across the ridge. The fight scene discribes in detail(3rd grade reading level) the punches and falling, ect... then the boys get up and plan on meeting the next day and become friends.

The boys get in trouble and go places they are not allowed to , the one boy knows of a hidden pool in the mountain and they go swimming and have a great time, But they get in trouble and are grounded.

The boy has to save his grandfather, While his sister is sick in the hospital, And during a snow storm, the boy and grandfather are left in charge of the milking, A cow kicks the grandfather and breaks his hip. The boy has to go for help on his very pregnant horse, who ofcourse gives birth along the way, The panther comes to get the freshly born foal and the boy barely survives before shooting the panther.

Earlier in the book a cow is lost and they finally find her killed along with the calf she just had,

there are search parties formed to kill the Panther.

In all honesty, this really wouldn't be something I would read with a 2nd or 3rd grader, unless your child is really used to survival type stories. It is perfect for a 5th or 6th grader needing an easier read.
4191490
Those Happy Golden Years

Laura has been hired as a teacher for the Brewster settlement which is 12 miles south of her home, a long journey. Pa tells Laura that she's never failed at anything she tried to do. Laura must board with the Brewsters. Mrs. Brewster is unhappy, and would like to go back East. Almanzo Wilder comes to bring Laura home for the weekend. His home-made cutter is smaller and lighter than boughten ones. Laura has some problems with her students, but learns to manage them. One day it is so cold that school is closed for the day. Another cold day makes study in school difficult; everyone must wear a coat. The sleigh ride back home was very, very cold. They stop often so Almanzo could clear ice from the horse's nostrils! When school ended, the students thanked Laura and gave her gifts. Laura returned to her school, and found she had kept up. Her composition on "Ambition" (p. 98) was judged the best. Laura can work at sewing on Saturdays. Laura realized how much she appreciated home after she had lived away (Chapter 12).

April brings melting show and springtime. Uncle Tom from the Big Woods of Wisconsin visits (Chapter 13). He tells of his trip to the Black Hills. They built a stockade to ward off attack by the Indians who besieged them. The US Army came to escort them out; they had no right to live on Indian territory. Their cabins, wagons, and furs were burned, their oxen killed. Laura would stay with Mrs. McKee and her daughter on their claim while Mr. McKee would work in town. But Laura returned home when Mary came home from Iowa to visit. People come and go; some sell out and go West, other don't like it there and move back East (p. 135). Laura worked at sewing in town, Pa as a carpenter. Almanzo takes Laura for a ride every Sunday afternoon. Laura takes the test, and is now Teacher Second Grade. She will teach at the Perry School close to the claim and earn a lot of money. New settlers are seen (p. 168). Laura continues to go riding with Almanzo on Sundays.

Almanzo arrives with two new horses that he is breaking in. He explains why he sold the matched pair (p. 189). The new pair need breaking in and taming; they were a bargain (p 193). One night Laura is wakened so they can all seek shelter from the storm. After the singing school Laura gets a chance to drive the buggy. One autumn drive Almanzo asks Laura about an engagement ring. The next Sunday he slipped a ring on her finger. Next year Almanzo will build a little house on the tree claim. Almanzo and his brother will go to Minnesota for the winter, and the Ingalls will stay at their improved claim house and rent their town building. A surprise visitor shows up for Christmas: Almanzo returned with a present for Laura (Chapter 25). Laura takes the teacher test and gets a second-grade certificate. Ma said that a body makes his own luck, good or bad (p. 235). So Laura's school days end. She will teach school, and then be married.

One Sunday afternoon they went for a ride in the oppressive heat. Black storm clouds rose, so they returned to home. Pa and Almanzo drove out to see if anyone needed help. One farmer had a splendid wheat crop that would repay his debts; the storm carried it all away, even wagons, stables, and home (p. 256). Another family came out of their cyclone cellar to find all was gone. Mary and Laura talk about the good times they had when they were young. Laura wonders if the coming times will be even better (p. 264). Neither Almanzo or Laura want a big expensive wedding. They were married by the Reverend Brown in private ceremony. And so they lived happily ever after.
3372862
A gift to one of my grandsons and I was very pleased with the way the book was bound and looked in general.  I have read both of the books when I was younger and enjoyed the adventures.  Sharing with my grandson I hope to encourage them to read more.