Today’s post features two books, one classic and one not, one fiction and the other non-fiction, one familiar and the other not-yet. Both are young reader (late elementary and middle grade) books but can and will easily be enjoyed by adult readers too. I did! So go ahead and explore our wondrous world, and (re)discover Avonlea.

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The Books:

Anne of Green Gables

Anne of Green Gables is a book that is a pleasure to read anytime, anyday. Yesterday, I wrote about a list of things that make me(and most people too, I would guess) happy no matter how they are feeling. And my list is not complete yet.

Reading definitely is one thing that makes me happy, and reading old favorites brings that warm cozy remembered happiness. Anne of Green Gables is one of them.

Book Info:

Anne of Green Gables
by L. M. Montgomery
Sweet Cherry Publishing
Children’s Fiction , Literary Fiction
Pub Date 06 Sep 2018

Description

Her name isn’t Cordelia, her hair isn’t black, and she has no parents. These are the tragical facts of Anne Shirley’s life until she comes to Green Gables and faces another: she’s a girl. 

Marilla and Matthew Cuthbert wanted a boy to help with the farm work but of all the things Anne can imagine, leaving Green Gables isn’t one of them. She’ll do anything to stay – talk less, pay more attention, control her temper. At least she’ll try to.

Part of the Anne of Green Gables Complete Collection by L. M. Montgomery. A tale of literature’s most famous redhead and her colourful imagination. An excellent introduction to classic literature and perfect for readers aged 9+.

My Thoughts:

Anne is hot-headed, brave, loyal, and with a limitless imagination. She is a friend I would love to have, and someone whose qualities I aspire to have (especially her courage and her imagination!)
The book is one of those that stands the test of time, and the characters are all endearing, real, and ones you could find in any Avonlea of today!

While this is a reprint of the classic version, the publishers do have the complete collection available as well. And really complete one at that! So you can check it out to gift to a young reader (or an adult too) who will enjoy reading about Anne and Avonlea.

You can read a previous ‘Anne’ related post on my blog here. And I promise, you will enjoy it too.

In Summary:

Read it, if you have not already. Reread it, otherwise. And get a copy to gift to that reader you know will love it.

Atlas of Adventures: Wonders of the World

Atlas of Adventures: Wonders of the World
by Ben Handicott
Quarto Publishing Group
Wide Eyed Editions
Children’s Nonfiction
Pub Date 02 Oct 2018

Description:

From the team behind the best-selling Atlas of Adventures comes this awe-inspiring journey of discovery. Travel around the world to scale the Eiffel Tower, trek the Great Wall of China, and raft through the Yosemite Valley. Showcasing the globe’s most impressive landscapes, iconic buildings and evocative antiquities from both the modern and ancient worlds, this is the most wonderful Atlas adventure yet!

My Thoughts:

While I love traveling, it is not always possible. That is why I love books that let us travel the world from the comfort of our homes for all those times we cannot travel.

This book opens the eyes of the reader to the wonder that is our world, by introducing us to its many wonders! It is organized by continents, including Antarctica.

Each continental chapter(!) begins with a map of the continent showing the countries and many natural and man-made wonders of the continent. This is followed by a few two-page spreads that go into detail about some of the key wonders pictured on the map.

Each two-page spread includes a brief description of the featured wonder and an astounding detailed illustration. You can find interesting bits and pieces of information scattered around the spread, like clues on a treasure hunt!

And there is a treasure hunt included! The very end of the book (before the index) is a ‘Can You Find?’ two-page spread with thumb-nail images of various wonders shown earlier in the book. So, off you go!

I loved that it includes everything from the very familiar and popular, like the Taj Mahal and the Eiffel Tower to the not-so-familiar (at least to me) but equally amazing Hagia Sophia. We can travel from the very depths with a visit to the Mariana Trench to the top of the wondrous Ngorongoro crater.

In Summary:

This book is a wonder, indeed. A beautiful introduction to our amazing world, and one that will inspire readers, young and old, to travel, to learn more about these fascinating places, to get interested in history and geography.

An Aside:

The book reminded me of another wonderful book I read and reviewed a while back – Rivers – A Visual History from River to Sea. And like ‘Rivers’ this book is coffee-table worthy and a bigger book than usual – 11.5*15 inches, which is good because of all those detailed beautiful illustrations it has.

Rating: A
Reading Level: 8 years and above
Reread Level: 5/5

Disclaimer: Thanks to NetGalley and each publisher for the digital review copy of the books above. All opinions are my own. I was not compensated in any other way by the publishers or others for this review.

You can check out my previous posts for the month and for Ultimate Blog Challenge below. Yes, I know a couple of days are missing. This is day 12’s post. This will also go towards IMWAYR on 1/14 (It’s Monday, What Are You Reading?) hosted over at Teacher Mentor Texts

Day 1 Day 2 Day 3 Day 4 Day 5 Day 6 Day 7 Day 9
Day 10 Day 11