The boys and I finished our read aloud,
Abel's Island, last night. Paul, age 7, always has commentary on the endings of our novels; if they don't leave him with a certain level of satisfaction, his mood immediately sours.
After our ending last night, he quipped, "That's it?! Usually there would be a few more pages!"
Despite the less-than-satisfying ending, I loved the book. The vocabulary was so rich, even I learned some new words! Superb writing!
Next up for us is Elizabeth George Speare's
The Bronze Bow, set in first century Judaea and winner of the 1962 Newberry Medal. Leveled at 5.0, it's about a young Jewish lad, Daniel,18, who develops a hatred of the Romans and Roman rule after his father's crucifixion for failing to pay taxes. Daniel spends time living in the mountains as a brutal rebel before learning from Jesus of Nazareth that love, not hatred and unforgiveness, is the answer.
The book is usually read by junior high students, and I think considering the content, the 5.0 level seems somewhat low. Once we're halfway through the reading, maybe I'll see why it was given such a low level. Several factors are considered in the leveling of books; not all the various methods utilized end in agreement.
Author's biography, from goodreads.com:
born
November 21, 1908 in Melrose, Massachusetts, The United States
died
November 15, 1994
gender
female
about this author
I was born in Melrose, Massachusetts, on November 21, 1908. I have lived all my life in New England, and though I love to travel I can't imagine ever calling any other place on earth home. Since I can't remember a time when I didn't intend to write, it is hard to explain why I took so long getting around to it in earnest. But the years seemed to go by very quickly. In 1936 I married Alden Speare and came to Connecticut. Not till both children were in junior high did I find time at last to sit down quietly with a pencil and paper. I turned naturally to the things which had filled my days and thoughts and began to write magazine articles about family living. Then one day I stumbled on a true story from New England history with a character who seemed to me an ideal heroine. Though I had my first historical novel almost by accident it soon proved to be an absorbing hobby." Elizabeth George Speare (1908-1994) won the 1959 Newbery Medal for THE WITCH OF BLACKBIRD POND, and the 1962 Newbery Medal for THE BRONZE BOW. She also received a Newbery Honor Award in 1983, and in 1989 she was presented with the Laura Ingalls Wilder Award for her substantial and enduring contribution to children’s literature.
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