Radical Reviews

Watership Down
By Richard Adams
Copyright 1972

Watership Down is about a society of rabbits. One of the rabbits, Fiver, can sense bad things before they happen. Fiver gets a strange feeling that sends prickles down his spine. He senses that something terrible is going to befall their warren. He confides in his brother ,Hazel, and together they lead a group of rabbits, who are willing to leave, away from their home. They face many dangers, while Fiver, speaking of a beautiful home far away, go away in his mind. The Rabbits are pushed to get to this place, and they only barely make it, as they are not used to traveling far. In their new home, they face many hardships and they go through many different adventures. This is a pretty difficult book, but all the time taken reading it is well spent. Watership Down is my all-time favorite book. It has thrilling action, but it is not only action. I think everyone should read this wonderful novel.

Radical Reviews

Wise Child
By Monica Furlong
Copywrite 1987
This book is set in a small village in Scotland.

Summary:
This book is about a girl called Wise Child. She lives in a small village with her grandmother, but little does she know, her life will change forever. It begins when her grandmother dies. No one in the village will take her in except for two people, Gretchen, a mother that beats her children, or a kind "witch" named Juniper. Wise Child, though afraid, chooses to go with Juniper. Wise Child learns many things from Juniper. She only went to the town on Sunday for church. Wise Child was very religous, even though Juniper wasn't. She soon discovers that Juniper is caring for Cormac, Priest Fillan's brother. Cormac has Leprosy. After living with Juniper for a long time, Fillan turns against Juniper. While Wise Child is caring for Cormac for Juniper, Fillan takes Juniper prisoner. When Wise Child gets back, they take her too. Fillan accuses them of witchcraft and ruining the fields. Wise Child realizes that Juniper will probably be put to death, so she sneaks out of her cell and helps Juniper. They walk for miles until they get to the coast. Suprisingly,Wise Child's Father's boat is out there. When they turn around, her father is there. I think this is a book good for ages over 8 as it has witchcraft in it. I have chosen this book for my Mother Daughter book club book. So far my menu is bread with Jam, Chamomile Tea with stevia, and apple slices with honey. My activity is a sachet with lavender and rosemary in it. I can't wait.

Radical Reviews

The Sign of the Sugared Plum
By Mary Hooper
Date read 7/08
This book is set in London, in the summer of 1665 during the plague.

Summary:
Hannah is a girl who had lived in the country all her life but always had hoped to go to the city. Things drastically change when she gets a letter from her sister to come to help her at her shop selling sweet meats. This is where the story begins. When Hannah arrives at the Sugared Plum (her sister’s store) she learns that the plague was in London. She learns that she was not supposed to come. Hannah stays at the shop hoping that the plague will die down. Within one month of Hannah’s arrival in London, there are 1,000 deaths in one week! The plague takes more people every week. In another month, the deaths have reached 6,000 deaths a week! There are not many people left in London. Hannah and her sister need something new to sell. They decide to make plague preventatives. To make preventatives, the sisters took herbs like rosemary, angelica, and chervil and candied them.

Hannah’s friend Abby is a maid for a rich woman. When the cook falls ill with the plague, everyone else in the household, except the baby, soon follows. As Abby is dying, she gives Hannah and her sister a letter from her mistress. The letter is asking them to take her baby and get out of London. Just one day later, Abby dies. Hannah and her sister act as Abby and her Mistress and take the baby. They have special passes out of London, so they use them. Hannah and her sister bring the baby to her aunt and are safe from the plague. This is where our story ends.

I think this book is wonderful, but should not be read by people under the age of ten, for it has some offensive and inappropriate words. Other then that that it is a very exciting book.

If you want more information on the Plague, click here: Plague Info RMD