The Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame

205 pages

"THEY'RE JUST STRANGE LITTLE GUYS
Shy Mole, who dreams of an exciting new life by the endless River. Ratty, a friendly, unflappable, altogether civilized chap. Gruff Badger, who hates absolutely everyone--except all his friends. And Toad, Ohh, Toad--glorious, crazy, doomed Toad: Toad the pampered braggart, Toad the desperate thief, Toad the hunted fugitive and hero of his own silly dreams.
WHO HAVE WONDERFUL ADVENTURES
From buzzing summer days to winter's killing cold, from gentle picnics to deeds of mighty daring, from wild escapes to a meeting with a god...
Everyone should have a life like this--
And friends like these." -Back Cover

I'm pretty sure I've seen the cartoon movie of this book but I wasn't sure I'd ever read the book. What convinced me to read it now was the foreword's description of how this book came about. "Grahame started it as a series of episodes for his partially blind four-year-old son, Alastair, nicknamed 'Mouse.' Storytelling to Alastair at bedtimes had been a long, established custom in the Grahame house." Alastair went on a trip without his dad. His dad promised to send him a story each day so he wouldn't miss them. The Wind in the Willows are those stories. My husband tells our kids stories almost every night at dinner and we always talk about writing those down one day.

Apparently Kenneth Grahame didn't have the happiest life, or at least not the one he dreamed of. He was not able to attend the university he wanted to and worked for years in a job he didn't love. His real passion was writing and he dreamt of living a quiet life along the river, much like Rat.

I wouldn't necessarily consider this a children's story. I think it's better suited for young adults and adults to be fully appreciated, but everyone can relate to its idea of being a good friend. Rat instantly accepts Mole when he first meets him and treats him as if they've been best friends forever. Rat is maybe my favorite character. He's kind to everyone and always thinks of others. Badger has a reputation for being cranky but he also cares about his friends. (I think the cranky thing is just an act.) He can be gruff though if he needs to be; he's the one who stages an intervention for Toad. These three characters are very good-natured.

Toad is crazy but in a really lovable way. I love the part where he sees a motor car and just has to drive it. That compulsion is what leads to so much trouble. Toad is the comic part of the story--the jailbreak, the fat lady on the barge, running all over the country in a washerwoman's outfit--it's all great fun. He gets himself into all kinds of trouble and then when he gets out of it--sometimes by luck and sometimes through the help of others--he thinks it's because he's so great and he takes the credit. He rarely thinks of others, but in the end shows that he's capable of change.

There are a couple of fantasy elements to this story (aside from the whole talking animal thing) that seemed a little whimsical and maybe a bit out of place. Mole and Rat meet Pan when they're out looking for Otter's son. I liked how Pan was watching over the little otter. Grahame obviously felt a love of nature and that nature takes care of its own. Rat also encounters an older, well-traveled rat whose story-telling of life on the road puts Rat in a trance and almost causes him to leave his home.

These little animals are completely endearing. Grahame told his illustrator, Ernest H. Shepard, "I love these little people, be kind to them." They do seem like people. It took me a second glance at one chapter to realize that there are also humans in this book, too. I'm not sure if that helps or hurt the story. Overall though, this is a great story of friendship, adventure, and home. It was a fun read.

Between Shades of Gray by Ruta Sepetys

338 pages

*Not to be confused with that other book (although apparently it often has been) which also contains the phrase "shades of gray" in its title and is shrink-wrapped at the bookstore! That would be a rude awakening either way I'm sure. (I won't be reading that other book.)

"Have you ever wondered what a human life is worth? That morning, my brother's life was worth a pocket watch.

In 1941, fifteen-year-old Lina is preparing for art school, first dates, and all that summer has to offer. But one night, the Soviet secret police barge into her home, deporting her along with her mother and younger brother. They are being sent to Siberia. Lina's father has been separated from the family and sentenced to death in a prison camp. All is lost.

Lina fights for her life, fearless, vowing that if she survives she will honor her family, and the thousands like hers, by documenting their experience in art and writing. She risks everything to use her art as messages, hoping they will make their way to her father's prison camp to let him know they are still alive.

It is a long and harrowing journey, and it is only their incredible strength, love, and hope that pull Lina and her family through each day. But will love be enough to keep them alive?" -Dust Jacket

I have several books in my library that I haven't read yet because it just doesn't feel like the right time. That was the case with this one for several months. Being about WWII, I was afraid that it would be incredibly sad and I wasn't ready for a good cry yet. Then it snowed and got really cold and all of a sudden it felt like the right time. At times it was incredibly sad, but with so many books like this, it was also incredibly uplifting. I think more books are written about the treatment of the Jews during WWII than about what Stalin did to millions of people and although this is a fictional story it is based on real events.

I have wondered before if I would stay true to myself if put in circumstances as horrific as these. Would I be the one to complain that all is lost and feel hopeless? Would I become selfish and lose my humanity in order to stay alive? Would I give up and want to die? Or would I try to help and lift those around me? Would I grasp on to the smallest rays of hope to keep me going? I don't know. I hope it would be the latter. Lina's mother is an example of the latter. She maintains her dignity and continues to look after those around her. She saves her family and gives them the courage to survive.

In this book there is love, laughter, horror, misery, more misery, death and hope. Between the shades of gray there are rays of light. There are characters that you become attached to and those you feel sorry for, the NKVD officer Kretzsky in particular. Christmas and Lina's birthday are particularly sweet. You can be grateful even when you have nothing. It's incredible to think that this fictional family suffered all they did for more than a decade and at the end of it they weren't allowed to talk about what happened to them because they were viewed as criminals. Despite being released, they lived with the fear of being imprisoned, or worse, if they said what really happened. Lina's art stands as the only witness to what she went through.

This is a moving, well-written story. I'd definitely recommend it.





{SPOILER ALERT}

There is one loose end in this story that isn't tied up and I wish it would have been, although I don't think that would have been as realistic.

You never find out if Lina's father was really killed or not. Lina and her mother are told that he was but it is never confirmed. I know that so many people who were sent to prison camps during the war never found their loved ones again or knew what really happened to them. I would hope that if Lina's father had survived that they would have found each other. I rather doubt that that part of the story had a happily ever after.

I'm so glad that Lina and Andrius found each other! That loose end would have driven me crazy. I've always said I'm a sucker for love and I'm glad that theirs survived. Andrius was a favorite.

The Sisters Grimm: The Fairy-Tale Detectives by Michael Buckley

284 pages

"For Sabrina and Daphne Grimm, life hasn't been a fairy tale. After the mysterious disappearance of their parents, the sisters are sent to live with their grandmother--a woman they believed was dead! Granny Relda reveals that the girls have two famous ancestors, the Brothers Grimm, whose classic book of fairy tales is actually a history book that documents magical mischief. Now the girls must take on the family responsibility of being fairy-tale detectives. Their first case? A roller-coaster ride of an adventure to stop a giant from destroying their new hometown." -Back Cover

I found this series when I was googling fairy tale books for my 5th grader's book report. I decided to read it because there are more in the series and I wanted to see if they were worth buying. This book is 284 pages long but it's a small book and a quick read. It's definitely entertaining, especially because my family's new obsession is ABC's Once Upon a Time. Just like the show, this book puts the classic fairy tale characters all together in one town, but unlike the show, they all know who they are. They have taken on human forms to get jobs in Ferrytown and Granny Relda keeps everyone in line. She investigates strange occurrences and her house contains many magical artifacts, guarded by the Magic Mirror. Prince Charming is the mayor. In this first book the two girls meet Puck, the Big Bad Wolf, the Three (not so) Little Pigs, Ichabod Crane, Jack, and the Giant.

I like when classic fairy tales are reinvented--which is why I love Once Upon a Time, especially the Mad Hatter episode--but I know some people don't. I think it's important to know the classic version first and then have fun with these others. This is a great book for middle-grade readers.