Ages 9-12 Books

The Phantom Tollbooth

Norton Juster

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 552 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Editorial Review:

"It seems to me that almost everything is a waste of time," Milo laments. "[T]here's nothing for me to do, nowhere I'd care to go, and hardly anything worth seeing." This bored, bored young protagonist who can't see the point to anything is knocked out of his glum humdrum by the sudden and curious appearance of a tollbooth in his bedroom. Since Milo has absolutely nothing better to do, he dusts off his toy car, pays the toll, and drives through. What ensues is a journey of mythic proportions, during which Milo encounters countless odd characters who are anything but dull.

Norton Juster received (and continues to receive) enormous praise for this original, witty, and oftentimes hilarious novel, first published in 1961. In an introductory "Appreciation" written by Maurice Sendak for the 35th anniversary edition, he states, "The Phantom Tollbooth leaps, soars, and abounds in right notes all over the place, as any proper masterpiece must." Indeed.

As Milo heads toward Dictionopolis he meets with the Whether Man ("for after all it's more important to know whether there will be weather than what the weather will be"), passes through The Doldrums (populated by Lethargarians), and picks up a watchdog named Tock (who has a giant alarm clock for a body). The brilliant satire and double entendre intensifies in the Word Market, where after a brief scuffle with Officer Short Shrift, Milo and Tock set off toward the Mountains of Ignorance to rescue the twin Princesses, Rhyme and Reason. Anyone with an appreciation for language, irony, or Alice in Wonderland-style adventure will adore this book for years on end. (Ages 8 and up)

The Last of the Really Great Whangdoodles 30th Anniversary Edition

Julie Andrews Edwards

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Total reviews: 262 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

Editorial Review:

What on earth is a Whangdoodle? A "fanciful creature of undefined nature," it was also once the wisest, kindest, most fun-loving living thing in the world--until people stopped believing in it. When that lack of faith became widespread, the last of the really great Whangdoodles created a special land full of extraordinary creatures: furry Flukes, the sly High-Behind Splintercat, and the wonderful Whiffle Bird. But when an open-minded professor--the one adult who still believes in the Whangdoodle--joins forces with three children with active imaginations, they become an unstoppable team on a fantastic and sometimes terrifying journey to Whangdoodleland.

Readers who have explored Narnia, Oz, or Willy Wonka's chocolate factory will be thrilled at this new destination--a marvelous land that will inspire and stimulate creative and scientific minds. And who better to expose young readers to new ways of seeing, smelling, and hearing than Julie (Andrews) Edwards of Mary Poppins and The Sound of Music fame? Her lively and clever style pulls readers along effortlessly; she, like the professor, is one grownup who can teach children never to close their minds to possibility. (Ages 9 to 12)

Sarah, Plain and Tall

Patricia MacLachlan

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 170 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

Not for fourth graders... 3 out of 5 stars.
1 of 4 people found this review helpful.

I read this in fourth grade and I don't think I was mature enough to read it. As soon as I found out that Sarah was not beautiful for some reason or another I thought that she was not worth paying attention to, so therefore I got zilch from this book. It wasn't even that I was an immature fourth grader, I was already reading adult books that were 400 pages long. So I just thought I'd put my two cents in...

8 year old kids's review of Sarah, Plain and Tall 5 out of 5 stars.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful.

The story of Sarah, Plain and Tall by Patricia MacLaclan is a pioneer fiction about a family who needs a mother and a wife, and a lady who needs a home. It is sad, funny, happy, scary, exciting, and keeps me guessing.
Jacob Witting needs a helpful, hardworking wife and a mother for his young children Anna and Caleb. He puts an ad for a wife in the newspaper. He receives a response from Sarah Elisabeth Wheaton of Maine. In the early spring, Jacob goes to the train station to bring Sarah home. He dresses up and makes his hair very slick and shiny.
Sarah Wheaton makes herself at home with the Wittings. She helps clean the house. She goes and picks wild flowers with Caleb. They gather paintbrush, clover, prairie violets, roses, and bride's bonnet. She cuts Caleb's and Jacob's hair, then she braids Anna's long hair. She teaches Caleb and Anna how to float in the cow pond and they have fun. At night, all of them go to the barn to slide down the tall hay pile, just like the dunes in Maine.
Caleb and Anna love Sarah and hope she will stay. Caleb is six and really loves Sarah. Caleb cried when Sarah comes back from driving the wagon because he thinks she was leaving them. Anna is ten and helps with most of the housework. She is also worried that Sarah will leave.
Sarah misses Maine but she is happy with the Wittings. She says she will always miss her old home but she will miss the Wittings more if she leaves. She talks about wanting to drive the wagon. The neighbors come to help with the plowing and meet Sarah. Later Sarah and Jacob get married.
The book Sarah, Plain and Tall makes me joyful when Jacob finds a wife to marry. I like when Sarah, Caleb, Anna, and Jacob slide down the hay pile. Do you like fictional story about family life during the Pioneer times? If so, you will like this book.

Editorial Review:

Their mother died the day after Caleb was born. Their house on the prairie is quiet now, and Papa doesn't sing anymore. Then Papa puts an ad in the paper, asking for a wife, and he receives a letter from one Sarah Elisabeth Wheaton, of Maine. Papa, Anna, and Caleb write back. Caleb asks if she sings. Sarah decides to come for a month. She writes Papa: I will come by train. I will wear a yellow bonnet. I am plain and tall, and Tell them I sing. Anna and Caleb wait and wonder. Will Sarah be nice Will she like them Will she stay

Where the Red Fern Grows (A Bantam Starfire Book)

Wilson Rawls

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 1209 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

An Ozark Requiem - Where the Red Fern Grows 5 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

Being an avid reader my whole life, I don't know how I skipped over this book as a kid. Recently I decided to brush up on some classic literature, and I grabbed this off my bookshelf...wow. This has to be one of the most AMAZING American tales of all time...and it's definitely in my top five books ever.

Warning: it has a little flavor of Bridge to Terebithia in it because of it's terribly bittersweet ending...but it is well worth it.

The writing style is so easy to read and so engrossing, it's like the author is actually sitting across from you telling you the story.

This is a slice of Americana that all kids should read...it captures the Ozarks and the heart of a little boy who loves his dogs so well! The fact that the main character had to work so hard for what he wanted is such a wonderful message to kids today.

Where the Red Fern Grows is a little piece of the American dream, and it is a must read for everyone. No questions asked.

Editorial Review:

A young boy living in the Ozarks achieves his heart's desire when he becomes the owner of two redbone hounds and teaches them to be champion hunters. Glory and victory were coming to them, but sadness waited too. Paperback.

The Secret Garden (HarperClassics)

Frances Hodgson Burnett

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 269 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

An Absolute Treasure! 5 out of 5 stars.
6 of 6 people found this review helpful.

I can't believe I missed reading this growing up. My daughter and I just read this together. It was wonderful, and we both loved it. She likes to read books over and over, and I think she will appreciate reading this even more when she gets a little older. She loved the idea of secrets, twins, and the transformation of Mary. Having not had similar experiences to the characters in the books, such as losing close family members, she didn't quite understand the concept of a person having to learn to love and cry.

I loved the symbolism of the young girl blossoming with the garden, the relationship she develops with her cousin, the flower imagery, and the many little details like the birds nesting in the chairs in the run-down part of the manor. The mystery of this story is also wonderful and very suspenseful.

I think many adults who missed reading this growing up would enjoy this book. And I think all children, both boys and girls, should read this at least once. It is an absolute treasure.

Editorial Review:

When orphaned Mary Lennox, lonely and sad, comes to liveat her uncle's great house on the Yorkshire moors, she finds it full of secrets. At night, she hears the sound of crying down one of the long corridors. Outside, she meets Dickon, a magical boy who can charm and talk to animals. Then, one day, with the help of a friendly robin, Mary discovers the most mysterious wonder of all--a secret garden, walled and locked, which has been completely forgotten for years and years. Is everything in the graden dead, or can Mary bring it back to life

Charlotte's Web

E. B. White

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 425 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Very Good Book 4 out of 5 stars.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful.

This is the story about the famous pig Wilbur, who was born tiny, but was saved by a little girl, Fern, and later saved by a spider named Charlotte.

Fern convinces her dad to let her take care of the tiny baby pig until he is big enough to go back into the barn. After he goes back into the barn, he still needs to be saved from being made into ham and bacon and sausage.

I loved the cozy barn life and the animals, and the relationship of Wilbur, Charlotte, Fern, Templeton, the sheep, and the geese.

I also loved the fair. I love fairs, so naturally, I loved this part of the book.

The first time I read this book was when I was thirteen. Back then, I really loved the book so much, and felt it was perfect and flawless. Since then, I saw bits and pieces of the movie when it came on tv (I'm not a tv or movie watcher).

I always knew I would eventually read the book again. I finally did. However, this time, I did not find it perfect and flawless. Although the storyline was still perfect and sweet, there were gross things in this book that did not bother me when I was thirteen. The older I get, the more sensitive I get. It's hard to believe I grew up in a farm/ranch situation and around "gross" things, but they didn't bother me back then; now I know I could never live on a farm again. That's why one star is missing; while I was reading this book, I couldn't eat or even think about eating - I'm that sensitive to "gross" things.

Editorial Review:

E.B. White's classic tale about a girl, a spider and a pig. Unusual blue and cream cover with silver and black printing.

A Wrinkle in Time

Madeleine L'Engle

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Total reviews: 963 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Editorial Review:

Everyone in town thinks Meg Murry is volatile and dull-witted, and that her younger brother, Charles Wallace, is dumb. People are also saying that their physicist father has run off and left their brilliant scientist mother. Spurred on by these rumors and an unearthly stranger, the tesseract-touting Mrs Whatsit, Meg and Charles Wallace and their new friend Calvin O'Keefe embark on a perilous quest through space to find their father. In doing so, they must travel behind the shadow of an evil power that is darkening the cosmos, one planet at a time. This is no superhero tale, nor is it science fiction, although it shares elements of both. The travelers must rely on their individual and collective strengths, delving deep within themselves to find answers.

A well-loved classic and 1963 Newbery Medal winner, Madeleine L'Engle's A Wrinkle in Time is sophisticated in concept yet warm in tone, with mystery and love coursing through its pages. Meg's shattering, yet ultimately freeing, discovery that her father is not omnipotent provides a satisfying coming-of-age element. Readers will feel a sense of power as they travel with these three children, challenging concepts of time, space, and the triumph of good over evil. The companion books in the Time quartet, continuing the adventures of the Murry family, are A Wind in the Door; A Swiftly Tilting Planet, which won the American Book Award; and Many Waters. Every young reader should experience L'Engle's captivating, occasionally life-changing contributions to children's literature. (Ages 9 and older) --Emilie Coulter

Little Women (Illustrated Junior Library)

Louisa May Alcott

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 269 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Little Women 5 out of 5 stars.
3 of 3 people found this review helpful.

This is a classic we wanted our grand daughter to read. The illustrations are professional and wonderful

It's Only the First Half of the Book 1 out of 5 stars.
2 of 2 people found this review helpful.

I bought this book as a gift to impress the receiver. To my shock, the receiver told me the book was very nice indeed but it contained only the first half of the book. I did not see anywhere where we are told about this being only half of the book unless you include the Library Journal description.

It's not so good as my imagine 1 out of 5 stars.
1 of 6 people found this review helpful.

The words are so crowded. So I won't suggest this one.

This is my favorite book! 5 out of 5 stars.
0 of 1 people found this review helpful.

I have loved this book ever since I was in grade school! I bought this copy because I wanted a nice, hardbound version and I liked the illustrations.

Little Women -- Centennial Edition 5 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

CENTENNIAL EDITION LITTLE WOMEN OR MEG, JO, BETH, AND AMY A wonderful book I remember from my childhood and plan to read again. The illustrations by Jessie Smith are outstanding. Also, the story is set in a period of our history which is so fascinating.

Editorial Review:

Chronicles the humorous and sentimental fortunes of the four March sisters as they grow into young ladies in nineteenth-century New England. First published in 1869.

Stuart Little

E. B. White

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 131 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

Editorial Review:

How terribly surprised the Little family must have been when their second child turned out to be a small mouse. Apparently familiar with the axiom that "when in New York City, anything can happen," the Littles accept young Stuart into their family unquestioningly--with the exception of Snowbell the cat who is unable to overcome his instinctive dislike for the little mouse. They build him a bed from a matchbox, and supply him with all of the accoutrements a young mouse could need. Mrs. Little even fashions him a suit, because baby clothes would obviously be unsuitable for such a sophisticated mouse. In return, Stuart helps his tall family with errant Ping-Pong balls that roll outside of their reach.

E. B. White takes Stuart on a hero's quest across the American countryside, introducing the mouse--and the reader--to a myriad of delightful characters. Little finds himself embroiled in one adventure after another from the excitement of racing sailboats to the unseen horrors of substitute teaching. This is a story of leaving home for the first time, of growing up, and ultimately of discovering oneself. At times, doesn't everyone feel like the sole mouse in a family--and a world--of extremely tall people? (Ages 9 to 12)

From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler

E. L. Konigsburg

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 312 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

A proper mystery! 5 out of 5 stars.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful.

I think you have to be a kid or a kid at heart to properly understand the magic of this book. What kid did not dream of running away? Here is a girl, a very practical girl, who makes that dream come true. She and her younger brother create an elaborate plan to run away and hide in the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Remember, this was written before huge advancements in security. As they live an awesome life in a museum, they allow themselves to become part of a possible mystery.

This is an exciting and smartly-written book that manages to laugh at itself and his characters while still making you love everyone connected to this clever story.

Editorial Review:

After reading this book, I guarantee that you will never visit the Metropolitan Museum of Art (or any wonderful, old cavern of a museum) without sneaking into the bathrooms to look for Claudia and her brother Jamie. They're standing on the toilets, still, hiding until the museum closes and their adventure begins. Such is the impact of timeless novels . . . they never leave us. E. L. Konigsburg won the 1967 Newbery Medal for this tale of how Claudia and her brother run away to the museum in order to teach their parents a lesson. Little do they know that mystery awaits!