Revell Blog Tour: Scent of Lilacs

Author: Ann H. Gabhart

Genre: Life, childhood, kids, family, growing up

Series: Heart of Hollyhill

Number in series: 1^st

My rating on a 1-10 scale: 8.5

Type: Fiction

Number of pages: 346

Time period: 1960s

Publisher and price: Revell, $14.99

Passage about the book: It’s 1964 in small-town Kentucky, and Jocie Brooke is curious.  As she digs up answers to her questions about her family, the results will impact Jocie’s life forever. 

My overall opinion: I enjoyed this one even more than I’d hoped to! The first half was easy reading, smooth, and overall a gentle, expectable story. Very well-written, the whole book was. But the second half! Wow, the pace really picked up as the story whipped through unexpected twists and turns, with even more unexpected stories and storms thrown into the mix. I couldn’t put it down during that second half! So glad it was a Sunday afternoon, when I had time to finish it. :) I absolutely flew through reading like mad. I grew to really like and empathize with the characters, especially in that second half. I am so looking forward to the next book now! The end was complete enough to finish, but left the end open enough to allow for a sequel (or several). God has a prominent part in this story, but it doesn’t feel forced, either into the story or onto you, the reader. I would definitely recommend this book! I’d wanted to read a Gabhart for a while, ever since I saw and loved the cover of Words Spoken True. Therefore, when this book came up for review I snatched it up – and I’m so glad I did! Great book. 

Available March 2013 at your favorite bookseller from Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group.

**Revell supplied me with this book in exchange for my honest review. I was not required to post a positive review, nor was I paid in any way other than the book.**

Walls Within Walls

Author: Maureen Sherry

Genre: Childhood, mystery

Series: I think there’s supposed to be a sequel, but I don’t know what

My rating on a 1-10 scale: 8 (I give it an 8 for the story, not the writing…I was unimpressed by the writing probably at least in part because of reading Tolkien at the same time)

Type: Fiction

Number of pages: 349

Time period: Present

My overall opinion: A fun kids’ story. I didn’t love it, but it was clean and an enjoyable read. A good mystery and interesting plot!

Movie: Parent Trap

 

My rating on a 1-10 scale: 8

Genre: Family, adventure, childhood

Primary actor: Hayley Mills

Length: Just over two hours

Time period: 1950’s, I suppose

Year it came out: 1961

My overall opinion: A funnish movie, that I didn’t love but did enjoy. Got several good laughs out of it, but there were a few inappropriate things…not bad, though. IMDB has a list. Not a new favorite, but good for a one-time watch! Oh, and by the way...some interesting doubles too! Post coming later.

Pictures of Hollis Woods

Author: Patricia Reilly Giff

Genre: Childhood

My rating on a 1-10 scale: 7.5

Type: Fiction

Number of pages: About 160

Time period: Present

My overall opinion: Didn’t love it, didn’t hate it. That about sums it up. It’s about a foster child, and a few of the homes that she lives in.

A Shadow in the Dark

Author: Ronica Stromberg

Genre: Growing up, life

Series: It has a sequel called Living It Up to Live It Down, but I don’t know of the series name.

My rating on a 1-10 scale: 8

Type: Fiction

Number of pages: 154

Time period: Present

My overall opinion: I enjoyed this story! It’s about a young girl named Kirsten whose parents are divorced. She goes to live out in the country with her mom, struggles with her parents’ divorce, and meets a new friend. Kirsten and her friend suspect that an unkind older lady living near them is keeping a girl about their age against her will! This book has a fun dose of mystery and adventure too. It will keep you reading ‘til the end! It’s aimed at pre-teen/early-teen girls, but as an older teen, I enjoyed it too. In the end, Kirsten learns to trust God as her very best friend. A good book!

Movie: Toby Tyler

My rating on a 1-10 scale: 7.5

Genre: Childhood, kids, life

Primary actors: Kevin Corcoran

Length: About two hours

Time period: Early 1900’s, I would guess

Year it came out: 1960

My overall opinion: It was a cute kids’ movie. Nothing really wrong with it. Some of it was hilarious. It’s an old Disney film. Definitely a kids’ movie, and my siblings enjoyed it. Happy ending and all! J It’s a sweet one. Overall, not super outstanding, but fun, especially for kids, and enjoyable for older people.

Roller Skates

Author: Ruth Sawyer

Genre: Childhood

My rating on a 1-10 scale: 8

Type: Fiction, children’s story

Number of pages: 186

Time period: 1800’s

My overall opinion: It’s a sweet old-fashioned childhood story. J The adventures of a young and active girl over a year. Fun story, good for grade-schoolers. Completely clean.

Meet the Austins

Author: Madeline L’Engle

Genre: Childhood

My rating on a 1-10 scale: 8.5

Type: Fiction

Number of pages: 192

Time period: 1950’s, maybe?

My overall opinion: It was really good! I read L’Engle’s “Wind in the Door” series, and thought they were fine...but this one was better, IMHO! Fun story.

Magic for Marigold

Author: L. M. Montgomery

Genre: Childhood, life

Series: I don’t think there’s a sequel…but I wish there was. J

My rating on a 1-10 scale: 9

Type: Fiction

Number of pages: 274

Time period: 1800’s

My overall opinion: Another very fun Montgomery! This one’s about a young girl, and her varying adventures. Some are funny, others sweet. She has a variety of interesting friends, and a ton of different things happen to her. Montgomery – oh, I wish she was alive today so I could interview her! Anyway, this one was amazing, and I recommend it if you enjoy sweet children stories. I’m glad I bought this one. Definitely worth the money.  

The Story Girl

Author: L. M. Montgomery

Genre: Childhood, life, children, adventures :)

Series: The Golden Road is it's sequel, but I don't believe they're technically a series

Number in series: 1st

My rating on a 1-10 scale: 9

Type: Fiction

Number of pages: 272 (but it's easy reading)

Time period: early 1900's

Main characters: The Story Girl, Bev, Felix, Dan, Felicity, Cecily, Sara Ray and more!

Exciting events: Tons of stories

My overall opinion: It's got life and stories. The Story Girl, as Sara Stanley is called, loves to tell stories, and many of them are in this book, written from Bev's perspective. However, the children also have a variety of adventures and escapades that will make awesome stories, as the Story Girl points out. :)

**P.S. My apologies about The Golden Road getting published first...it wasn't supposed to. :P Though I had the scheduled thing set...guess not. **

The Golden Road

Author: L. M. Montgomery

Genre: Childhood, life

Series: Sequel to The Story Girl

Number in series: So 2nd

My rating on a 1-10 scale: 9

Type: Fiction

Number of pages: 213

Time period: Early 1900's

Main characters: The same as in The Story Girl

Exciting events: Quite a few. :)

My overall opinion: Quite similar, just different stories! Again, a very fun book. A bittersweet ending, but it was worth it. :)

The Letter Writer

Author: Ann Rinaldi

Genre: Life, childhood

My rating on a 1-10 scale: 8

Type: Historical fiction

Number of pages: 216

Time period: 1800's

Main characters: Harriet, Nat, Violet

Exciting events: A huge slave revolt

Passage from book: He came to me when I was just eleven, Richard Whitehead did, and asked me to be his mother's letter writer.

My overall opinion: I enjoyed it! It was rather violent, I should mention. It's about one of the worst slave revolts of the 1800's. Nat Turner, specifically. But it was interesting!

Under the Lilacs

Author: Louisa May Alcott

Genre: Children's book, childhood, growing up, kids

My rating on a 1-10 scale: 8

Type: Fiction

Number of pages: 302

Time period: 1800's

Main characters: Betty, Bab, Ben, Miss Celia, Thorny, others

Exciting events: Things getting lost... :)

Passage from book: The elm-tree avenue was all overgrown, the great gate was never unlocked, and the old house had been shut up for several years. Yet voices were heard about the place, the lilacs nodded over the high wall as if they said, "We could tell fine secrets if we chose," and the mullein outside the gate made haste to reach the keyhole, that it might peep in and see what was going on.

My overall opinion: Isn't that quote (the opening lines) just classic Alcott? :) This was one of hers that I hadn't read before, but it's style is very similar to her other books in some ways. Anyway, this is a sweet children's book, that pre-teens will probably enjoy the most. I liked it. :)

Theater Shoes

Author: Noel Streatfeild

Genre: Childhood, life, kids

Series: It's a sequel/follow-up to Ballet Shoes (and Dancing Shoes might also be part of this). But not really a series. Interesting how many books are like that...

My rating on a 1-10 scale: 7

Type: Fiction, children's book

Number of pages: 281

Time period: 1940's

Main characters: Sorrel, Mark, Holly

Passage from book: It is very difficult to look as if you minded the death of a grandfather, who though you may have spent your holidays in his house, certainly seldom remembered that you did.

My overall opinion: There was nothing wrong with it. Good for pre-teens. :)

Movie: Eloise at the Plasa

My rating on a 1-10 scale:  8

Main characters: Eloise, Nanny, varioius others

Genre: Children's :)

Primary actors: Julie Andrews

Length: One and 1/2 hours

Based on: The Eloise books by Kay Thompson

Time period: Present

Exciting events: Many adventures. :)

Quote(s): "Think pink. A better way of life." "Eloise...being bored is not allowed." "I always say what's in my head. It makes everything so much easier."

Year it came out: 2003

My overall opinion: A fun kid's movie! It was quite hilarious in parts.

Pippi Longstocking

Author: Astrid Lindgren

Genre: Childhood, children's book, life

Series: Is Pippi Longstocking a series?

My rating on a 1-10 scale: 8.5

Type: Fiction, children's book

Number of pages: 116

Time period: 1800's, I guess. But really no idea.

Main characters: Pippi, Annika, Tommy

Exciting events: Vacation, picnics, birthdays, burglars, etc, etc,

Passage from book: Way out at the end of a tiny little town was an old overgrown garden, and in the garden was an old house, and in the house lived Pippi Longstocking. She was nine years old, and she lived there all alone. She had no mother and no father, and that was or course very nice because there was no one to tell her to go to bed just when she was having the most fun, and no one who could make her take cod liver oil when she much preferred caramel candy.

My overall opinion: Pippi is such a delightful character. :)

A Woman Named Damaris

Author: Janette Oke

Genre: Romance, childhood, life

Series: It's in the Women of the West set.

My rating on a 1-10 scale: 8

Type: Fiction.

Time period: 1800's.

Main characters: Damaris, Abbie, Gil, Miss Dover

Exciting events: Riding in a wagon train, leaving home, finding orphans

My overall opinion: This is a fun book! It's a unique Janette Oke.

Silas Marner

Author: George Eliot

Genre: Childhood (but not for children), life

My rating on a 1-10 scale: 6

Type: Fiction.

Time period: 1800's

Main characters: Silas, Eppie

Exciting events: Finding Eppie and more.

My overall opinion: I didn't really enjoy this book. It had several intersting sub-plots, though.

An Old-Fashioned Girl

Author: Louisa May Alcott

Genre: Family, childhood

My rating on a 1-10 scale: 8

Type: Fiction.

Time period: 1800's

Main characters: Polly, Tom, Fanny

My overall opinion: I enjoyed this a lot more than I had thought I would! I recommend reading it.