Aug 09
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The Curse of the Viking Grave | Farley Mowat

The Curse of the Viking Grave © 1966 (reprint:  1980) McClelland and Stewart 243 pages It’s an old story. An author produces a singular work of genius that receives rave reviews and awards, only to follow it up with a weaker sequel. The Curse of the Viking Grave is not a horrible book. It’s just [...]

Author: Stephen Barkley
Jul 26
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Lost in the Barrens | Farley Mowat

Lost in the Barrens © 1956 M&S Paperback (McClelland & Stewart) © 1989 244 pages This is juvenile fiction at its finest. Mowat used his experience of life in the Barrens of Northern Canada (see: People of the Deer & The Desperate People) to tell an adventure story about a white city-boy and a young [...]

Author: Stephen Barkley
Oct 21
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The Tallest of Smalls | Max Lucado

The Tallest of Smalls © 2009 Thomas Nelson 28 pages I snagged this book for my two-year old son. He’s addicted to books—seriously addicted. The Tallest of Smalls is a brief story about a neglected boy who got to play with the cool kids for a while before falling (literally) back into his own insignificance. [...]

Author: Stephen Barkley
Oct 19
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The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar and Six More | Roald Dahl

The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar and Six More ©1977 Bantam (1983) 215 pages They say that you can never go home. The memories of your childhood always pale in comparison to reality. That’s true in a lot of cases, but not with Roald Dahl. He is as fascinating a story teller as you remember—and [...]

Author: Stephen Barkley
Jan 12
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Ranald Bannerman’s Boyhood | George MacDonald

Ranald Bannerman’s Boyhood © 1871 Johannesen 335 pages What an innocent book. This book tells the tale of Ranald Bannerman from his earliest memories to the moment his boyhood ended. It was so captivating, I read it through in three sittings. There were a number of highlights for me: Realizing how intelligent children’s literature was [...]

Author: Stephen Barkley