With often lyrical sentences and great descriptions, it took me two days to read this book which is mostly about the Blue Door Band. You may ask if thWith often lyrical sentences and great descriptions, it took me two days to read this book which is mostly about the Blue Door Band. You may ask if that is some music group but no, its the name of a particular group of bighorn sheep that live in Utah. The book carries you not only through the wild spaces where the author has traveled to see these sheep but also through an entire year. And its not only sheep information in here but little fun tidbits on a wide variety of things; from tumbleweeds to the fact that cattails predate the dinosaurs! Who would have known??
So I do enjoy reading books that allow me to spend time out in the wilds without actually going there. This book does that. In here I got to visit canyons in Utah and New Mexico, visit California briefly and even stopped by a Hopi village (not to mention a very restricted military base that has those carved wall art).
I felt I learned a lot about these bighorn sheep from this book too as before I knew practically nothing. They seem to be very fussy where they live and that our modern livestock can be a great threat to them due to the diseases they carry. They also have a memory of the areas they know and are wary of new areas. Big cats and roads can be a threat.
The book is somewhat dense. Its not exactly a page turner. I did feel sometimes the description of things made it a longer read. But at the same time the author puts you right there with her as she watches the various sheep as they do sheep things: rut, eat, play, jump, climb, run, hide, fight, rub against rocks, etc. There are ewes and lambs and rams.
For some unknown reason I liked that chocolate / charcoal ram.
I found some of the desert things in here just fascinating. Things I have never seen or in some cases never even heard of before. Like tumbleweeds. She mentions those in one chapter and I had to go google what they truly are - Russian thistle - although I have seen them in movies. And then there is the boojums that she loves. I never heard of a boojum! But there is a drawing of them on page 100. What a unique plant! I had to google that too to see photos of real ones. But there are rivers and cliffs and sitting in the sun with a book, binoculars by your side in hopes of seeing a "living rock with legs"... Because these sheep have a gift for disappearing into the background so you cannot see them...
There are also a detailed history in here, including other naturalists who had studied various animals especially sheep..
But as humans spread out to claim more land there is less land for wild animals. The book is in part about that, on trying to save these small groups and to keep them safe. And as the title suggests its also about imagination. What did the ancient people see when they made those carvings on the rock? Why did they draw so many bighorn sheep? The answer is kind of surprising.
The book doesn't really focus on any one particular sheep individual but a few are mentioned more than once.
There is a scene in here I didn't like. You may not like it either. Its near the end of the book and I feel it made the author uneasy as well.
But if you want a clear picture of how these bighorn sheep live than this is the perfect book! ...more
So this is the second book in the series and its packed full of horse action. plus I finally found out that this series Lots of Horse Drama and Action
So this is the second book in the series and its packed full of horse action. plus I finally found out that this series takes place in Australia. I was sort of thinking that when I had read the first book the other month but wasn't sure. But if you want all sorts of horse drama than this might be the right one.
This story is a very fast read. And there is never a dull moment as all sorts of stuff is always going on. There are many highs and lows... But the story in a way is realistic as with horses you just never know. One moment they are fine and performing their best but the next day they are sick. And of course there are accidents too. Because they are horses.
The story also includes Pony Club and going to gymkhanas. If you are lucky you can win ribbons. The events seem to have different names like Bounce Pony. Most of the events are briefly described so you have an idea of what they are. That was a nice touch.
There was another new thing in here called pig-rooting. I never heard of that before so I had to go Google it. Apparently its when the horse or pony kicks the back legs without actually bucking with a head toss? Another definition said the horse kicks the legs sideways? Whatever it is, it clearly is dangerous! I do wonder why her pony suddenly has such troubles?
I did have a few problems with this story. They include a scene of "arson" near the beginning. I do not approve of that due to the material used. The other thing - which is much lesser - is it was not mentioned how the trailer loading problem was fixed.
But yes, I was shocked about what they had used in the pasture in regards to that "arson". That stuff is very toxic. Why would you pour that in a horse pasture where the grass is going to get eaten? No wonder their pony later gets those issues.
Besides this is a book for kids. Do you want to tell kids how to do that??? ...more
I was amazed at how quickly I got swept up into this story. Right from the very beginning I was just pulled right in and itA Perfect Adventure Story!!
I was amazed at how quickly I got swept up into this story. Right from the very beginning I was just pulled right in and it is kind of rare for a book to do that so well. But for unknown reasons this one did. And it was certainly great fun to go on this crazy adventure across the burning sands searching for the ancient temple of the Queen of Sheba.
So there were a few things in here I liked besides the great adventure part (and more on that later). The main male character in here is Rick. And he is a bit of a wild card or a goofball if you will. He is the kind of guy who is sent to the store to buy very practical things but instead he comes home with a giant stuffed polar bear. And yes, it's real. And who the neck is going to buy a polar bear, especially since its 1938 and the Great Depression is in full blast. Rick does spur of the moment stuff and he takes risks. Luckily he is incredibly lucky.
His wife Rose is more sensible. And she certainly doesn't like the stuff he does but it's a tad too late to complain about money spent and now you are the proud owners of a giant stuffed polar bear!
But then they hear about the treasure. Out in Yemen, very far away from where they live in Georgia. But the two decide to go on an exciting treasure hunt. And it is certainly a dangerous trip with thieves, camels, traps, old tombs and even nasty things that may try to eat you! In many ways this is similar to Indiana Jones - but they are doing it all rather by the seat of their pants. The story moves at a very good pace and there was always stuff happening. Never dull at all.
So I am not the target audience for this book as I am an adult but I am horse crazy too (and I ride as well). I realizA Good Story but a tad Confusing
So I am not the target audience for this book as I am an adult but I am horse crazy too (and I ride as well). I realized this book was very short which is A-OK but I can't help but notice some inconsistencies. For one, the horse shown on the cover of the book is not Sparkle who is a palomino. So shouldn't Sparkle be on the cover as the book is mainly about Abbie and Sparkle? Why is there another horse on the cover?
I was also very surprised to see there were many color photos in this book as I was not expecting this at all. It was a treat to see pictures of the car horses from the story.... But the pictures lead to more confusion as well. Because the cover image shows that Annie is A blonde and then later in the other pictures towards that end of the book she has black hair... If this confused me it is sure to confuse any kids who read it. So which girl is Abbie?
And unless I missed it no setting was named. But apparently they are going swimming in December in a pool. Hmm... Makes me think this must be in the southern hemisphere? And there is a brother who goes surfing too? Plus a tea break at school? It would be good if the author put a country or state \ province in the story. Because these details definitely add up to be a big mystery.
So the story itself is kind of simple. A young girl gets her first pony named Sparkle. And then her neighbors also have or get ponies. And they have some adventures and misadventures. Many things are mentioned to add excitement to the story, as in the ponies running away as they escape the paddocks or someone leaves the gate open...
And that is another thing that confused me: a visitor leaving the gate open so the pony could escape. Why was the visitor going into the paddock?? The paddock should have its own gates. So if this detail confused me it should also confuse kids who actually ride. I presume they mean some main gate around the whole property that was left open? And some horses know how to open gates.
The feeding was done weird too. That is not the best way to do it with horses, what is described in here... That is why they have problems. Perhaps they will get smarter in the next book.
The story kind of ends on a cliffhanger.
I really didn't feel I got to know any of the characters while reading this......more
When I started reading this I had no idea the book would be filled of mental health ideas, advice on why we thinFull of Wisdom and Lots of Horse Sense
When I started reading this I had no idea the book would be filled of mental health ideas, advice on why we think the way we do and what to do about it. I also had no idea that a cowboy throwing ropes on steers could be a psychologist either - I only discovered that at the very end! But suddenly all the stuff in here made sense, as to why it was in here. But even after reading this I have no idea why they catch steers. I guess they just like the challenge? Or is there a more practical reason it? While I do ride I certainly have never gone near that kind of rope or seen anyone rope anything nether less a steer...
But if you deal with negative things in your life, if you have C-PTSD than I think you should read this. And the first thing the book will tell you is to avoid the negative people in your life: the people who tell you that you cannot do a thing or that you are rotten at it or that you won't amount to anything. Because these people put that idea deep into your head and then you believe it, especially if you were told that since you were a young child. The author, however, doesn't really address the fact that many children are raised by people who tell them this. How does a kid get away from negative parents? A five year old cannot run away. And then you are left a mess....
But the author IS right. Our thoughts do make our reality, when we remember... If only we can believe and remember.
A lot of this book is about improving yourself. As by doing that you can be a better person and thus a better equestrian. And sometimes the answer to why your horse does crazy stuff is right in front of your nose too - if only you can see it. There is definitely some Zen type ideas in here. Mind bending stuff. Like this one: a person can be riding horses for years yet they don't know how to ride. Now isn't that crazy.... I found these ideas both intriguing and very fascinating.
Joe Ben may be the subject of this book but lots of it is also about Shine and Blue his other two horses. Shine was abused so he came to the owner with a damaged mind. It kind of sounds like me. The author in one part of the book (page 133) sounded familiar too. He was scared to ask people for help and when he did work up the courage to do so he only expected negative replies. That sure sounds like complex PTSD to me... It creates lots of fear and you expect things to go wrong. And through some horse stories in here he shows how he slowly changed that around.
One especially grand piece of advice in here is that true masters never criticize you. They may not praise you but they never criticize. The so called experts will criticize you. They will do so happily all day. And then later you ponder why you cannot do the thing you are trying so hard to learn! Get rid of those experts.
Now one passage in here did confuse me. It stated that a person can learn to do a thing without ever being taught. Hmmn... That one is very challenging for me. I am unsure how a person, for example, can teach a horse to increase the speed - say from a walk to a trot - if no one ever told them how you do that. How are they supposed to know? I have also seen some videos on dressage on YouTube and they often talk about very confusing stuff like getting the horse to get his rear legs more under him. Well if you only know how to ride a walk how are you supposed to know these things?
And at the same time he says to ask the experts for advice. But shouldn't we ask the masters? Since the experts only criticize?
I should add in here the various horses talk. Blue has this really weird accent. And when he is talking all the words are spelled funny. I really didn't like that at all.
But I did greatly enjoyed reading the author's experience with horses and how he trained Joe Ben from a newborn. And he listened to his own heart so he raised that horse with love. And he tried to be patient when Joe didn't do something he wanted him to do. Because it was the human's fault and not the horse. Because it's always the humans fault. And just because something was done this way forever doesn't mean its the best way to do a thing.
Will this book teach you to rope? I truly can't say. I never seen anyone rope. And I have no idea why you can lose a finger doing that either. And why are they always going left when they come out of the box?
But this book has lots of insights. And I do think more people need to read this. And no matter which career you are after it probably can help. As it can help fix how you think and view yourself. Because if you believe you are worthless than you won't ever get anywhere and everything you try will be a failure... And that is the true value in this book.
To give you self confidence and hopefully help you with your horse (if you are lucky enough to know one). ...more
I am often trying to learn more about horses and this book about a blind horse certainly gave me new things to think about - and I was thinking about I am often trying to learn more about horses and this book about a blind horse certainly gave me new things to think about - and I was thinking about them today while I was at the ranch to see my horses. I know in the past I have read a fictional story about a blind horse (that horse had been kidnapped and his faithful seeing eye dog had gone with him, to help get him back home) but this is the first nonfiction book about a blind horse I have encountered. If there is a pond in the pasture, how would the horse know it's there? Joey didn't have any ponds in his pasture but the ranch I go to have several ponds. So this certainly has given me new things to consider.
This book also made me cry. There are definitely sad, sad moments in here. These rescue horses didn't have good lives before they were bought by Hope Reins to be therapy horses. And their past trauma affected their lives. Many had medical issues. So if you plan to read this and you love animals / horses better be ready with some tissue. I just hadn't expected that to happen (about mid-book) so it had hit me kind of hard.
But the book tells a wonderful story about a blind rescue horse named Joey. Soon Joey is sharing a pasture with another rescue horse named Speckles. Both are spotted horses but one is black and the other brown... The people who work at Hope Reins face many difficulties in learning how to deal with a blind horse. There are certain things you take for granted, like a horse can see where the water is or the hay feeder or the fences. But if you are blind... They come up with unique solutions.
They also face money problems, especially since they charge the children's families nothing for the horse therapy sessions. And they touch many lives; help many children. One little girl talked for the first time while riding Joey.
I also enjoyed reading about the various horse training techniques in here. It was interesting. If you work with horses its something you have to figure out: how to get the horse to do what you want him to do.
And finding the right pasture mate for a blind horse was quite the trial and error!!
The boot-stepping incident was something I could relate to. But her boot had gotten destroyed while my boot had survived. Of course George was only on the very edge of my boot so luckily his weight was not actually on my foot. But I still could not move. And just like the horse in this book, George had no idea he was standing on my foot! You really have to watch your feet in relation to their hooves. Got to be mindful. Only takes a moment of inattention for a grazing horse to step onto your foot. And then you are trapped. But you put your hands on his body and push him away. Unfortunately the lady in this book hadn't known to do that. I hadn't either at the time but this is how you learn.
The horses in here are very vocal. Unusually vocal. Joey used sounds to make up for his lack of vision.
This is well written, easy to read and it also gives one a good idea of what horse therapy is like. And what it can accomplish. It also gives the ups and downs of working with horses. ...more
What an exciting story! The end was full of tension as the tale raced to a very uncertain climax. I truly didn't know what would happen. When I had piWhat an exciting story! The end was full of tension as the tale raced to a very uncertain climax. I truly didn't know what would happen. When I had picked up this book this morning to read on the way to / from the horse ranch I certainly never expected such an adventurous action packed story as it had seemed to be just a girl shopping for a new horse.
So this book caught my attention for a few reasons. I will list them each individually.
1. One of Heather's horses in here is sick and the symptoms were mysterious enough that I was totally intrigued. This last year or so I have been learning about various equine diseases so I know just enough that this made me curious. But nothing I knew exactly fit what the book describes...so...hmmm.... But the mystery definitely had me reading more so I could find out what it was. I am uncertain how much this would compel the general reader (??) but it certainly caught my attention - but then realize I am learning about stuff like thrush, Cushing's (which poor Oliver has), equine diabetes, etc.
2. The horse training in here was fascinating too. Heather definitely faces some major obstacles with her new horse Frosty. They require creativity. Luckily she knows how to look at things differently and has an open mind. Not every horse is going to be suited for the same thing.
3. The adventure! This is definitely an adventure story, especially towards the end of the book. I mean serious life and death here. Heather makes some major careless mistakes and she has to deal with that later. It makes for a very thrilling read. I never expected such a page turner at the end of this book but there it was!
And then the very end states it is based on true events that had really happened. Wow.
And I just LOVE the black and white drawings in here too!! ...more
One reason I had chosen to read this is the hint that this might be humorous. And it indeed was. TherEntertaining Animal Stories! Plus Other Mishaps!
One reason I had chosen to read this is the hint that this might be humorous. And it indeed was. There are some truly crazy situations in here that poor Constable Rhea has to deal with. These almost read like "true stories" the way they are written. Makes me wonder if any of these are based on real events?? Or does the author just have a really great imagination? Anyway no matter which it was these are certainly entertaining and many actually had me laughing out loud ( which is rare for me).
So... Animals! I do love reading tales about animals and there are a good collection of them in here. The book comes in chapters and while the individual stories are grouped together, the animal tales are scattered throughout the book. In most cases these animals were indeed being very naughty and that made the story even more funny.. There are dogs, donkeys, horses, a pony, birds, a zebra, timber wolves, elephants and a bunch of others. No reptiles or amphibians... Oh and there are cattle too. Wild rabbits and greyhounds.
I think one of my favorites was about the tiny little dog with the ribbon in her hair and the donkey. Now that was very funny! That owner sure was confused all right! Or the clever pony who knew how to unlock gates and doors... Or that dog that was going after rubbish bins and the man hooked a big car battery unto it... Poor rubbish man got it. Oops!!
One thing that makes Rhea so funny in here is how serious he is about these rules.. The trouble is that often these situations are not covered in his rule book. So what do you do then? What do you do with a lost donkey that someone brings in to the station? You have a "dog pound" for dogs, freshly built. But it's for dogs. And this is a donkey. Are you allowed to put a donkey into the dog pound? So he definitely has to make hard decisions in here. Most of the situations he faces in here are of this nature. There are no serious crimes or murder or lost children in the woods.
He does have people problems though, often to his embarrassment. Like that haircut from the cobbler. Or the lady who makes up stories. His clever solution only got him into more trouble with his higher up bosses! Oops! And can a big aviary full of birds be livestock? There was also the question about live rabbit races by greyhounds. Could you have bookies at those? Truthfully before reading this I never even understood how a dog race chasing live rabbits would even work but the author explains it very well. And he reassured that he never saw a rabbit killed by the dogs.
These stories definitely read very much like a memoir or nonfiction. They have that style. Very easy reading.
And as for the era, it's supposed to be the 1960s. Rhea has a motor bike, personal radio sets (but most of the time he still relies on the police boxes that are at specific locations and he has to be at that location at specific times too) and they have greatly "improved facilities" - that means potted flowers growing happily in the woman's jail cell. Neither of the jail cells are actually used for criminals. The towns are small enough that after awhile he knows most of the people. Living in a big city I cannot imagine that. But the weirdest thing in here was the fact the post office sold non postal related items!
I do love that cover. Look at the cute sheep!
But reading this is like stepping back to a small English town in days long gone. ...more
So this is apparently the third book in the series about Fury the horse. I have not read the previous ones but this works very well as a stand alone nSo this is apparently the third book in the series about Fury the horse. I have not read the previous ones but this works very well as a stand alone novel. The only real detail that seems to be missing is what state this takes place in. Due to events named at the end of the book - Operation Haylift which was a real event - the year is 1948. I will have to try and find the previous two books.
This is the story of a young boy named Joey who lives with his father Jim Newton and the foreman Pete Wilkie on a ranch. Its the type of ranch where they catch wild horses and then teach them to accept a saddle. Well young Joey has a very special black horse named Fury. And Fury is one of those rare horses where only one person can ride. But lately Fury has been escaping from his paddock and running wild up into the ridges and woods because he wants a girlfriend: a beautiful white mare.
Joey rides off to get Fury back and then he sees something that is illegal. And so he gets threatened by lumberman Mr Mark Yancey. This is not a plot secret as its written on the back of the paperback. Mr Yancey will kill Fury if anyone learns of his illegal activities.
There are certainly some dramatic moments in here, life and death situations. And yes, there are more than one. Other parts read like a family drama with arguments over various things as characters clash due to personality. Things get heated. And often characters make bad choices which lead to more problems.
And Joey does something very stupid in here that basically shocked me. How could he do that? I don't know. But I found it a tad hard to believe. I guess its due to his young age. The book never actually states his age either but I think he's in grade school. And yes he actually rides Fury up and back to school! I find that alone quite astonishing. Where does he put Fury once he arrives at school??? Does the school have a fenced pasture or a barn?
There are many characters in here including a traveling sales man who sells medicines of a very questionable nature. If you ever need a book with a conman peddler this would work well. And there is Aunt Maggie who's arrival turns the whole Broken Wheel ranch upside-down.
I found Mr Yancey to be very horrible. Its easy to hate him. And he is serious about that threat.
I do feel the story is a tad dated but it is an easy read. It gives you an idea of what life was like back then, especially with how the weather affected the people.
Living in the US I really don't know much about hedgehogs. I certainly never seen one. I do know they are quite common in the UK (the weather is much Living in the US I really don't know much about hedgehogs. I certainly never seen one. I do know they are quite common in the UK (the weather is much gentler I believe) where they live in people's gardens and wonder around looking cute (and apparently scaring many too by the sounds they make - nothing worse than being scared by something making sounds in the shrubs). And I had no idea that an innocent looking little hedgehog could scare anyone. Who would have thought? But then I never knew they had "skirts" either...
So after reading this I feel I know a lot about hedgehogs now. Like that they eat insects. Never knew that. In fact I had no idea what they ate. I had heard online before about the hedgehog hospitals and how people take the poor hogs they find there. But people in the UK don't keep hedgehogs for pets. There is no reason to I guess. They just go outside and see them. Or hear them. But the US has no native hedgehogs so I think that has a lot to do with why some people keep them.
A good chunk of this book is set in North Ronaldsay (Scotland). There is a war of sorts going on there between birds and the hedgehogs. Many birds are in decline and some blame it on the hedgehogs. I found this part of the book intriguing. But I do think the author (who ran several studies on hedgehogs and wrote about them in this book - they are actual published studies) may have stumbled across the answer too. But the book shows how stubborn people get over an issue and they dig their heels in. What is really killing the birds on those islands? Is it a few hedgehogs who eat a few eggs? Or is it something else? At one point the author mentioned loud wind turbines. Don't those kill birds ?? But that is the dilemma the poor hedgehogs are in...
Another is their reduced numbers in the UK. Less and less hedgehogs are being picked up to go to the hospital. Clearly that is a bad sign too.
In here he talks to many different people and he tells about many different studies.
He also visited a few hedgehog events in the US and there is a short trip to China. The US event included an obstacle course. Weird, huh?
The Rainbow Bridge poem made me cry.
So some parts of the book I found interesting and other parts my attention was lagging. I really had no interest in the China stuff or some of the other dryer areas. I am not obsessed with hedgehogs so maybe that is why some of the more dry scientific stuff just didn't suite me well. I liked the personal stories more. But there is more in here than just personal stories.
And some of it was a tad disturbing. Or even gross. Like the person who said they eat roadkill. Ummm...how do you know that roadkill is fresh? And how do you know that its actually roadkill and it didn't die from something it ate or a disease?? Then there was the woman who spent her whole check on hedgehogs. That is definitely worrisome.
This is not a "happy" book. Its not sweet cute stories about a cute little animal. Instead it shows how these little guys are in danger, probably from all the junk in the environment. They eat insects and the insects are getting sprayed with who knows what. People get addicted to them in some cases, having hundreds of them. Or they spend crazy amounts to just buy one rare one.
I think in many ways this book actually showcases how crazy some people act. They go to extremes. They are willing to pay huge amounts of money for what they want (either a particular animal or else to get rid of the animals). Having autism I do not understand why people do these things. But the fact that birds and the hedgehogs are in decline is very disturbing. ...more
So many emotions while reading this nonfiction book! It made me cry and it made me laugh too. Often the very real situations in here were so zany and So many emotions while reading this nonfiction book! It made me cry and it made me laugh too. Often the very real situations in here were so zany and out there but it's what happens when your life gets taken over by a bunch of greater sandhill cranes. You certainly cannot live life the way you used to. Nope. These giant birds take over and before you know it the cops are pulling you over one day and you have to explain those 3 massive squawking creatures that are pushing their way into the front seat while trying to bite the officer. And then you go to a drive-thru and everyone is staring at you. And that is just an example of what's in here.
The most funniest one in my opinion was the crane who was raised SO super carefully by the author. He made sure this bird didn't see him. So the bird would not imprint onto a human. Because he wanted the sandhill crane to know it was a sandhill crane. And when it got old enough to be let out of the enclosure (which was for safety) where did it go? It went loudly squawking right over by his horses! It thought it was a horse!!
But I really learned a lot about sandhill cranes while reading this. Before starting this book I knew absolutely nothing about them. And since the book is written in an easy to read conversation style it was a breeze to go through it. I just loved all the personal stories. Including other people's reactions when they saw these cranes.
But the book is not all laughs and crazy stories. The author worked hard trying to save these huge birds. He studied them. He tried to find out as much as he could. What kind of land do they need? What do they eat? They prefer marshy land. And the birds do not reproduce until they are 3 or 4 years old. Some birds never find a mate and some just vanish never to be seen again... He took rides in planes to see the country from above, trying to figure out how many cranes there were.
I have seen blue herons (which many people mistake for the greater sandhill cranes) but I don't think I have ever seen a sandhill crane. Hmmm.... I recall one year I did see some long legged bird that was very mysterious and it didn't want me to see it - every time I tried to glimpse it (to get a decent look as to what it was) it would fly away. While the blue heron I saw just stood there calmly and didn't care who looked at it. I wonder if that big nervous shy bird was a sandhill crane? It was in the river...
Have you ever seen a sandhill crane?
But if you enjoy reading first person accounts of animal related stories than try this one. ...more
I remember seeing a different copy of this book back when I was a kid, with a red and white cover. I don't recall where I had seen it but that dramatiI remember seeing a different copy of this book back when I was a kid, with a red and white cover. I don't recall where I had seen it but that dramatic cover with the black wolves certainly had gotten my attention. I wasn't able to read it back then but I certainly remembered that cover image. So finally, decades later, I was able to actually read it. Truthfully I don't know if I would have been able to appreciate or fully understand this as a kid. Would I have known what a governess is? Or how about a "wold" which is from the very first paragraph? If you look wold up, it says its a "moor" but as a kid that would have been another unknown word!
So I found this story dramatic and very captivating. Its about two young girls named Bonnie and Sylvia. They are cousins and Bonnie lives in a huge mansion on a moor with doting parents and servants. She has a huge collection of toys and she is very high spirited. Her cousin in many way is the opposite, very soft spoken, nervous about new situations and wants to do the proper thing but unfortunately often she is unsure what that is. Sylvia is leaving her elderly Aunt Jane to go live with Bonnie...she is to take the train. But its the dead of winter and hungry wolves are everywhere.
The main problem in here is the fact that the parents are going on a cruise and will be leaving the two girls with the new governess, someone who they had never met before... Of course I had guessed this would be the problem right away.
As an adult I could clearly see where the problem would be in this scenario. It was obvious, so it was no shock when Miss Slighcarp started to do totally outrageous stuff.
One thing in here that did shock me was the behavior of the wolves! Never did I think they would be so totally insane and slathering at the jaws to get people (anyone mind you). Some part of me finds it hard to believe that real wolves would act this way - but I believe it was common for people to believe that wolves did this stuff. In reality their diet is mostly rodents. So in my opinion their behavior is way out there but it makes a good exciting story.
As I was reading I did have a few different ideas of how this story would end. One of my ideas turned out to be correct with many others being wrong. After reading the end it does leave me with a few minor questions. But then I do tend to think about things. A good story makes you think.
There are countless turns, twists and surprises in here. Many of the characters are very clever and they do the most stunning things. Bonnie herself can be just totally out of control outrageous, including throwing liquid into the face of an adult. She knows injustice when she sees it and she is not willing to put up with stuff. Unfortunately its not that easy to fix. And how can she get her home back??
The main characters are just so heartwarming and the bad ones are true stinkers you want to hate. They just seem to ooze some horrid oily slime from their pores! In fact as soon as I met the one I just knew he couldn't be trusted and I was right!!
And I liked Simon and his geese too.
This story kept moving at a good pace. No boring scenes at all. There are secrets to discover too. Its a grand adventure story. ...more
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