Linda the Librarian

The Horse and His Boy by C. S. Lewis I love Narnia!  Have I mentioned that I love Narnia?  After listening to The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe I needed to continue the series posthaste!   This is a story of what happens to the Pevensie children during their reign over Narnia.  At the end of book two they are no longer children in Narnia, but all grown up.  The Horse and His Boy tells a little about Narnia's relationship with some of the surrounding kingdoms and how they handled a particularly sticky relationship. King Edmond and Queen Susan are visiting Calormen, Prince Rabadash has proposed to Queen Susan and is waiting impatiently for her answer.  When King Edmond discovers a bit of treachery, he and Queen Susan and their trusted advisers need to figure out a way to get home to Narnia.  After they escape, a young boy, Shasta, must carry important news to the friends of Narnia to rescue them all from Prince Rabadash's wrath....

The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe by C. S. Lewis I was talking to a friend and patron at the library about this series.  I told her the other day that I want so much to be Lucy, but I think I may be Susan (a little too cynical and slow to believe).  I love re-reading these books.  I cry in the same places and rejoice in the same places every single time.   This is the first adventure of Peter, Susan, Edmond, and Lucy Pevensie in Narnia.  They enter Narnia through a magical wardrobe in fulfillment of an old Narnian prophecy - that all will be made right when Aslan returns and two sons of Adam and two daughters of Eve sit on the thrones of Cair Paravel.   I'll just share my favorite scene from the whole book: "You'll understand when you see him." "But shall we see him?" asked Susan. "Why, Daughter of Eve, that's what I brought you here for.  I'm to lead you where you shall meet him," said Mr. Beaver. ...

The Magician's Nephew by C. S. Lewis We watched the 2005 version of The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe while our girls were home for Christmas.  I realized once again how much I love all things Narnia so I decided to read (actually listen to) the stories once again.  I'm listening to them in Narnian chronological order rather than in the order of publication. The Magician's Nephew is the story of Digory and his friend Polly who are tricked by Digory's Uncle Andrew into taking a trip to other worlds.  They meet  evil Queen Jadis from the rapidly dying world of Charn.  When they realize just how evil she is they try to leave Charn without her, but end up bringing her back to our world.  They try to lose her again, but accidentally take her to Narnia at the time when Aslan is first creating Narnia.  Aslan tells the children that Jadis will be kept in check for a time, but then she will do harm to Narnia. I love C. S. Lewis.  I lov...

Sometimes when I'm making a cart of children's books up for the page to put away, a book will catch my eye.  I have no little ones at home anymore and I don't have grandchildren yet, so I get to or have to read a book like this on my own.  For this one I should have had a tissue or two at the ready. If your family has recently lost a pet, this was a lovely, peaceful book.  The illustrations inside the book are just as beautiful as the cover.  I found it comforting for myself and I think it would be a great way to help your child to talk about his or her feelings after the loss of a beloved animal.  My favorite part was when the angels call out to your pet they know his name.  When your pet hears the angel's voice it isn't a new voice, it sounds just like yours.  Yes, I'm tearing up writing this!  And now I recommend this book to you. Until next time...

When I was working at the library the other day, a patron returned this book.  It perfectly described my mood for that day.  All I wanted was to put my jammies on, have a big cup of tea, and curl up with a good book.  In short, my attitude was, leave. me. alone.  When has a book described your feelings?

Ordinary, Extraordinary Jane Austen by Deborah Hopkinson, illustrated by Qin Leng.  I love Jane Austen.  I've read her novels and I've watched multiple movie adaptations of her novels.  Every February I join those who firmly believe that Colin Firth IS Mr. Darcy for the annual watching of Pride and Prejudice while drinking tea by the gallon.  I've established my daughters as confirmed lovers of all things Austen.  I follow a Facebook page dedicated to the author, so it really shouldn't surprise anyone that I picked up this book from our library's children's section. This is a newer title published in early 2018.  It follows the life of the author from her girlhood until her death at the age of 41.  Each page spread has one or two facts about a time period in Ms. Austen's life and then at the end of the book there is a two page spread that lists each of her six novels with a paragraph plot synopsis and a second two page spread that gives the tim...