Old Yeller, by Fred Gipson

Old Yeller, by Fred Gipson, takes place in the 1860's in the state of Texas. Travis and his family live in the country in a log cabin. "Yeller" the dog shows up one day and becomes part of the family when he saves Travis' little brother from a bear. Travis and Yeller becomes insepererable. The dog helps him hunt and mark hogs. He saves the lives of the family and is a hero.

I really enjoyed reading this book. It is something that not many people have to go through and it's really sad when it does happen. Though as times goes by, you can feel good again. We can easily empathize with Travis. Family is important and we never want to lose them. It's very good to appreciate your loved ones, even if they are an animal, too. If you really love animals, you will enjoy reading this American classic.

Reviewed by Anonymous, Grade 12

Glendale Central Library

The Phantom Tollbooth, by Norton Juster

The main character of this book is Milo, who is a 10 year old that is very bored all of the time. One day, he comes home and there is a large tollbooth in his room. He brings along a dog named Tock. together, they go on many journeys, meeting many strange characters along the way. they eventually visit a kingdom, where they get to rescue two princesses. Milo is certainly cured of his boredom by the end of the book.

The Annotated Phantom Tollbooth, by Norton Juster, was average. It had a pleasant, whimsical feeling about it. The wordplay was very clever and amusing. However, the plot was simple and the vocabulary was simple as well. Each of the characters lasted a short time. If they were developed further, the story might be a lot greater. There were a lot of themes associated with the book, which can either be good or bad depending on who you are. The book had good points, but they were equalized by its bad points.

Reviewed by Anonymous, Grade 8

Grandview Library