The Readin Roos

This was a fun book to read to my 3 month old nephew. Since he doesn't know what words are yet, I'm not sure he got a lot out of it. On the other hand, I don't think that I can take his falling asleep halfway through as a major criticism.

The book has a cute "Little Old Lady Who Swallowed a Spider" effect as more and more people join Stella Louella in the search for her errant library book. It was also cute to read about how concerned Stella Louella was over the possibility of losing her library privileges if she couldn't locate the book.

I remembered reading this as a child, so I thought I'd give my childhood a quick rerun. As I was reading, I found a number of things I remembered and many I'd forgotten, including the ending, which was very satisfying.

On her way to school after lunch one day, fifth-grader Elizabeth chances upon Jennifer, a new classmate, sitting in a tree. She pushes Jennifer's falling-off shoe back onto her foot and a mysterious friendship is born. Jennifer, a self-proclaimed witch, holds a mystique for the very normal Elizabeth, who eagerly agrees to be Jennifer's apprentice witch.

Redwall Abbey is under siege. Cluny the Scourge and his evil horde have vowed to take the Abbey, and will show no mercy to its inhabitants. Redwall has become a haven for many residents of the surrounding countryside. An order of healers, the peaceful brothers of Redwall seem ill equipped to defend their beloved home.Young novice Matthias emerges as an early leader. Convinced that the lost sword of the Abbey's legendary hero Martin the Warrior is vital to their success, Matthias sets out on a quest that takes him to the far reaches of Mossflower Wood.