Book Report: Caddie Woodlawn

I finally finished a book in my Summer of Reading Juvenile Literature. Good grief. I thought I'd be whipping through a book every three days or so and instead it has taken me 3 1/2 weeks to get through Caddie Freaking Woodlawn. This doesn't bode well for my list of at least 100 books this summer. I might have to extend the Summer of Reading Juvenile Literature to become the Decade of Reading Juvenile Literature at this rate.

Basically, I found that I'd hop into bed each night, get myself all propped up on my pillows, water cup at the ready, settled in comfortably in my jammies. . .and then I'd read about three sentences before falling asleep with the book usually falling forward and whacking me on the bridge of my nose. I don't know how people sit down and read giant books in one sitting. A) I'd never stay awake, or B) The small residents of this house wouldn't allow giant chunks of time whereby a Long Reading could actually take place.

But I'm finished with a book, and that's the important thing.

And here is my best attempt at a book report as I recall writing them in elementary school.

Title: Caddie Woodlawn
Author: Carol Ryrie Brink
Illustrated by: Trina Schart Hyman
Awards: John Newberry medal in 1936

Set in the 1860s, Caddie Woodlawn is the story of an 11-year-old girl (who is quite a tomboy)--Caroline "Caddie" Woodlawn. Caddie lives with her family in Wisconsin. The book talks about her rural life with her family, including interactions with the local Indian tribe. It's a sweet book and I really enjoyed it. I really like all of that pioneer stuff. The author was Caddie's granddaughter who wrote down the stories as her grandmother recited them to her growing up.

Of course, I couldn't help comparing this book with the Little House series. They were written about the same time, although the Little House books begin a decade or so after Caddie's story.

Brink's writing style is very different from Laura Ingalls Wilder's writing style. Brink uses more dialogue where Wilder's is more of a narrative (at least that's what I remember. I might be pulling that out of my. . .hair. Heck, I don't even know what a narrative style is. I just made that up. And supposedly I'm a writer. I'm just trying to say Laura Ingalls Wilder writes without a lot of dialogue. Doesn't she? Maybe I'm hallucinating.)

Bottom line: I liked Caddie Woodlawn. Wikipedia says there's a sequel, but I think I'll wait to read it until the Second Summer of Reading Juvenile Literature. I estimate that will take place when I'm 83 at this rate.

Next book: Nancy Drew--The Secret of the Old Clock. And Cinda, you'll be happy to know that after Nancy Drew, I have Anne of Green Gables all ready to go.