beverly cleary – Cannonball Read 17

“I felt sad and a whole lot better at the same time:” Truly a Timeless Classic!

Dear Mr. Henshaw by Beverly Cleary

July 11, 2022 by GentleRain Leave a Comment

I was really going wild at the bookstore over epistolary novels last week and picked up Dear Mr. Henshaw, a book I hadn’t read in a super long time (maybe 20 years?). Happy to say that it holds up and is just as wonderful as I remember! It’s always weird reading a book you read a lot as a kid and seeing it through the eyes of an adult. I was struck by how big the print is, which I didn’t remember at all, and it […]

Dear Mr. Pretend Henshaw:

Dear Mr. Henshaw by Beverly Cleary

April 18, 2019 by vel veeter 1 Comment

This book has always been one of my favorites, and it’s probably been 20 years or so since I last read it. It holds up in some pretty spectacular ways. It’s a series of letters and diary entries by a boy in elementary school writing to an author he admires. The first couple of letters are directly in response to being assigned to read a book by the author and then send the letter. He ends up biting off more than he can chew because […]

“Turning into a mean-eyed lunch-kicker won’t help anything!”

October 27, 2017 by Halbs 3 Comments

In addition to reading for fun and to fight cancer, I’m also doing a book challenge with some work friends. The books we have to read are: a book published this year a book published year you were born a book you’ve been meaning to read a book recommended by you librarian/bookseller/others doing the challenge a book you should have read in school a book chosen for you by a spouse/partner/sibling/child/BFF/others doing the challenge a book published before you were born a book that was banned […]

Two Quick Kids Books

June 24, 2017 by vel veeter 1 Comment

How to Train your Dragon Something about this novel doesn’t work for me. I think it has to do with the fact that movies absolutely moves me to tears every single time I see it. I find it incredibly touching and incredibly heartfelt and loving and wonderful. This book is fine and all, but it just doesn’t have that same heart to it. Not even a little bit in comparison. I think part of the problem is that the movie does such a good job […]

Zirza on A Gothic Classic for a ReasonIt's one of those wish-you-could-read-it-again-for-the-first-time books. I loved it.
Emmalita on “It came to something when you found yourself hoping that the footsteps you heard were ghosts.”I loved the ending! I don’t think it’s been out long enough to talk about why though.
Dixie on Track Her Down by Melinda LeighI am just starting Track Her Down and I have read them all in order till now and thought I...
Roland of Gilead on How can you give us the gift of a crazy character named Rando Thoughtful and then just as suddenly take that gift away? We need to talk, Uncle Stevie.I came across this randomly years after it was written because I was searching "Random Thoughtful. But I have the...
Emmalita on “Only you, Em, would refer to heartbreak as a distraction. I think I would have a more sympathetic response if I asked to marry a bookcase.”Oh my goodness, Gallifrey was beautiful. I’m sure her mittens were gloriously murdery.

Help Our Mission