Thursday, April 30, 2009

Friendly Gables


We went to the South St. Paul library the other day, and I got about 11 books! Here are details one of my very favorites:

Friendly Gables
This book is by one of my favorite authors, Hilda van Stockum. I hadn't read this before but I had read one of the previous books in the series, the Mitchells. They're a great series about a big family!
(From side flap) "Fifteen-year-old Joan was the only one of the Mitchell children to be allowed free access to Mother's room after twin brothers were (above: Hilda Van Stockum and her children) born that winter in Montreal. She made friends with the stiffly starched nurse, straight-laced Miss Thorpe. Altogether there were now four boys and four girls in the family and Miss Thorpe thought that was altogether too many! "It wasn't surprising that Timmy, Angela, Patsy, and Peter, feeling somewhat resentful of Joan, excluded her from the wonderful hideaway they had made for themselves to escape the vigilant eye of Miss Thorpe. (Three-year-old Catherine was already completely dominated and besides was too young to b trusted not to tell. mother discovered their secret and promised to keep it-even from Daddy-so their privacy was assured.)
"It was a real haven, but gradually the friendly children began asking a chosen guest or two to share it-until even Miss Thorpe, well thawed, was invited!
"This is the same irrepressible American family, transplanted to Canada, and a little more older and more numerous, that charmed the readers of 'The Mitchells' and 'Canadian Summer'. Here again they go their light-hearted way, gathering in friends both old and new, helping one another in trouble and joy, and more fun than ever now that there are ten of them."

More reports coming soon!

1 comment:

Fauna said...

Hey Sonja, I love Hilda Van Stockum's books too! I have read every one of her books although it's been a long time. They are such amusing and well-written stories! Say, have you read the "All of a Kind Family" series? If you like Van Stockum's work, I think you would love this series as well. I happen to own all of the books if you ever want to borrow them. :) -Fauna