Book 21: The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe

The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe by C. S. Lewis is perhaps the most beloved and well-known book in his Chronicles of Narnia series.  Peter, Edmund, Susan, and Lucy are sent to the country to stay at the house of a professor during the summer in order to escape the London air raids.  While in the house, Lucy steps into a wardrobe and suddenly finds herself in a wintry wood standing near a lamp post.  She makes the acquaintance of a faun named Tumnus and has tea with him before returning home.  Later Edmund and Lucy both arrive in Narnia.  Edmund is discovered by the White Witch, who holds the land under her wintry spell, and unsuspecting eats the magical food that he offers her.  She then bids him to return home and bring his brother and two sisters back to her castle so that she can meet them.  When all four children reach Narnia a few days later, they make the acquaintance of Mr. and Mrs. Beaver.  Then while Edmund sets out to the witch's castle alone, the other children travel with the Beavers to meet the King of Narnia, Aslan, for help in saving both Mr. Tumnus and their brother Edmund from the White Witch.  The remaining story unfolds in a vivid, unforgettable series of events that having captivated both adults and children for decades.

Definitely a must read book for all.  I think they could easily be enjoyed by children as young as five.  The entire series has been my 9yo DS's favorite books on CD for nearly four years now. 

Book 20: The Hound of the Baskervilles

Doyle's The Hound of the Baskervilles is the Sherlock Holmes' novel that I read back in high school.  Dr. Mortimer comes to Holmes for advice after the death of his good friend Sir Charles.  The Baskerville family have a legend of an especially wicked ancestor in their line who was killed out on the moor by a hound of Hell while pursuing a young maiden that had escaped from his clutches as well as a history of deaths in the family.  The body of the late Sir Charles had been discovered out on the grounds.  Mortimer related that the man had apparently stood waiting at the gate, then run in terror down a hedgerow before dying of a heart attack.  Several feet away from the body, Mortimer observed the paw print of a very large dog.  The doctor is concerned for the safety of the Sir Henry Baskerville, who is arriving shortly, and is uncertain that he should take the young man out to the hall given the strange nature of the previous occupant's death.  The next day, the doctor returns with Sir Henry, who has a strange letter warning him not to come to the hall.  After the men leave, Holmes spots a man following them but is unable to apprehend him.  It is decided that Watson will accompany Sir Henry home, find out about nearby neighbors, and report his observations to Holmes.  The story continues with his observations until Holmes appears, and in typical Holmes fashion wraps up the case.

Another book I highly recommend and thoroughly enjoy.  I'd put the age at 13 and up.  If you have a Kindle, check Amazon.  I found a complete a compilation called The Complete Sherlock Holmes for free and am looking forward to enjoying the other titles in the coming weeks.

Book 19: The Sea of Monsters

The Sea of Monsters by Riordan is the second book in the Percy Jackson series.  On his last day of school, Percy suddenly finds himself surrounded by monsters again in gym class.  With the help of his new friend Tyson, they escape, meet up with Annabeth, and head to Camp Half Blood.  Even at camp things are not as they should be.  The camp is no longer safe from monsters because Thalia's tree has been poison.  Chiron has been removed from the camp, and Percy keeps having dreams from his other friend Grover asking him for help.  When Percy suggests a quest to find the golden fleece to save the tree and the camp (and rescue Grover in the process), the quest is given to Clarisse, the stubborn daughter of Aries.  As Percy ponders on whether to disobey orders and go search for Grover, Hermes appears offering him some useful presents and asking that while on his quest he also try to reason with Luke, Hermes' son, who has aligned himself with Kronos to take down the Olympian gods.  Percy, Annabeth, and Tyson set out for the Bermuda Triangle to rescue Tyson and bring back the golden fleece, but they will have to reach their prize before Luke and forge an uneasy alliance with Clarisse to have a chance to succeed.

I was pretty hard on the first book of this series.  I still maintain that the story would have been much better had it not been told in the first person with Percy as the narrator.  There were a couple of sections of plot that were again fairly predictable, but the overall plot had a few surprises as well.  I did enjoy this book more than the first one and recommend it as a light read for someone that enjoys Greek mythology or a basic good versus evil action packed style of tale. 

Book 18: The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde

Stevenson's The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde is another classic science fiction tale that I hadn't read in several years.  Dr. Jekyll recognizing both the good and the evil within himself sets out to attempt to divide the two natures so that he can be either completely good or completely bad.  He manages to create a completely bad persona, which he calls Mr. Hyde that looks completely different from himself and through whom he can indulge in all the sordid adventures that he wishes without the restraint of his conscience.  His lawyer Mr. Utterson becomes concerned about the presence of the dubious character in the home of his good friend and the fact that Dr. Jekyll's will leaves his entire estate to Mr. Hyde.  When Mr. Hyde murders a distinguished gentleman on the street, the doctor claims that he is done with Mr. Hyde for good and that he is gone.  Then the doctor becomes ill and locks himself away in his laboratory.  When the servants become alarmed, they call Mr. Utterson for assistance.  Together they break into the laboratory to confront Mr. Hyde and search for Dr. Jekyll.  Inside they find the body of Hyde and a letter from the doctor, which reveals the nature of his experiment and the unforeseen problems that he encountered in the end.

A classic tale of science fiction The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde is definitely a must read.  I enjoyed reading it again and having a corresponding discussion with my 14yo on Stevenson worldview and his view of the nature of man.  I'd recommend it for 14 and up.