Mary Ingalls on Her Own: Short Review

Two weeks ago, I bought Mary Ingalls on Her Own and finished it in less than two hours. I could have written an extremely long review as I did with Nellie Oleson Meets Laura Ingalls, but I have been really busy.

In short, it met my expectations and I enjoyed it. I was a bit bothered by the fact that Mattie was a fictional character. However, the biggest problem was that it was too short! I thoroughly enjoyed Mary's character and would have been interested in more details about her life at the blind school. Harper Collins could have made a series about Mary. Of course, I do not hold Harper Collins in high esteem after they did to the rest of the Little House series.

When I went to buy the book at Powell's, I saw the abridged versions of the Little House books. They were only a hundred or so pages long and had those horrible photographic covers! I have treasured those books for years and looked forward to each new book that has come out. It was sacrilege to see them in a lesser form.

Related Posts:
Browse Inside Mary Ingalls on Her Own
So Maybe it is Called...
A Strange Place to Find Mary
He He... A sneak peak
One Thing I Overlooked...
More About Mary
Mary Leaves Little House Cover
Nellie Excerpt
More About Mary and Nellie
New Little House Books!!!

Browse Inside Mary Ingalls On Her Own

I wandered over to the Harper Collins site yesterday and saw that they had added the "Browse Inside" feature to Mary Ingalls On Her Own. This shows the cover, title pages, copyright page, table of contents, and first three pages of almost every chapter. I had to stop reading the excerpts because I didn't want to spoil the book for myself. I didn't mind reading the first excerpt:

Mary Ingalls stepped carefully from the train onto the bustling platform in Vinton, Iowa. She stood straight and quiet, her hands clasping the handle of her small suitcase. Her pale blue eyes shone with a mix of anxiety and excitement. Mary took a deep breath as the cool November breeze fanned her flushed cheeks and carried the hot smell of engine steam past her nose.

From what I've read, I think that I will enjoy this book. There is a "Browse Inside" link in my sidebar.

Related Posts:
So Maybe it is Called...
A Strange Place to Find Mary
He He... A sneak peak
One Thing I Overlooked...
More About Mary
Mary Leaves Little House Cover
Nellie Excerpt
More About Mary and Nellie
New Little House Books!!!

The Review: Nellie Oleson Meets Laura Ingalls

And now, after all the speculation and guessing on my part, here is my review of Nellie Oleson Meets Laura Ingalls by Tui Sutherland:

Let me begin by saying that I questioned the quality of this book beforehand. I wondered how the events from On the Banks of Plum Creek could be made fresh and interesting.

From the start of the book, Nellie came of as a spoiled brat with no sense of reality. Her voice was annoying:

"Nellie Oleson did not like the prairie. She did not like the dust. She did not like the big open sky. She did not like how there was nothing to see in any direction for miles and miles and miles. She did not like the mushy, hot, itchy smell of horses tied up along Main Street, or the wind that whistled all night and blew dirt in her face all day long." (1)

The background story before Laura showed up was interesting. It gave me a better perspective on Nellie's life, not just Nellie's actions as in On the Banks of Plum Creek. As I read on, I gradually began to feel more sympathy toward Nellie.

When Laura Ingalls was introduced, I felt that some of Nellie's thoughts were irrational, but I understood that Nellie felt ostracized from the other girls. While the Town Party and the Country Partly followed Wilder's description, Nellie's thoughts were insightful to her character.

Before I read this book, I had always felt that Laura's mean trick at the Country Party was justified. However, Laura's trick seemed cruel in Nellie Oleson Meets Laura Ingalls because Nellie is starting to accept Laura. This trick turns Nellie against Laura even more.

The end of the book did not show complete redemption. There was no "sorry" from Nellie or forgiveness on Laura's part. Nellie's struggle was more of an internal one. It was about Nellie feeling better. It showed growth in her character.

This book did exceed my initial expectations. The message was good and it fit well with On Banks of Plum Creek. I would not say that it was an exceptional book, though I did think that it was probably the best that could be done with the material. The language of the book was simple and redundant at times. This may have been done to get the effect of being inside Nellie's head. Also, the book was written for younger children. Overall, I would say it was well done.

I would be interested to know how much of the new plot information was factual.

Related Posts:
Nellie Excerpt
More About Mary and Nellie
New Little House Books!!!

Story Girl and Golden Road

I recently read The Story Girl by Lucy Maud Montgomery and its sequel, The Golden Road. I have always enjoyed L. M. Montgomery's novels. My only complaint is that they are too descriptive sometimes. The descriptions are beautiful and worded well. I love all of the escapades that the children get into. The Story Girl's tales are interesting and well placed in the novels.

The books follow Beverly (the narrator), Felix, Sara Stanley (the Story Girl), Dan, Felicity, Cecily, Peter, and Sara Ray over a year's time. Beverly and Felix come to live with their Uncle Alec and Aunt Janet in Carlisle. Sara Stanley, their cousin lives with Aunt Olivia and Uncle Roger (and later with Uncle Alec and Aunt Janet) while her father travels the world. Dan, Felicity, and Cecily are Alec and Janet's children. Peter Craig is the hired boy for Aunt Olivia and Uncle Roger. Sara Ray is the teary-eyed companion who suffers under her mother's strict rules. All of the children and adults are charmed by the Story Girl's stories.

One of my favorite characters is Cecily. She is such a gentle spirit. Sara Ray is my least favorite character of course. Her behavior is always irksome. The Story Girl herself is quite charming, but Beverly's point of view certainly influences the reader's perception. In The Golden Road, my favorite chapter, Great-Aunt Eliza's Visit, is hilarious.