Emma Freire #2: Thursday's Child Has Far to Go
What the Freire family read
Thanks for reading my substack! Here’s a few of the books I recently read aloud to my older children Cecilia, 9, and David, 7.
Carving our pumpkin last night.
We liked:
Thursday’s Child by Noel Streatfeild
Spunky orphan Margaret Thursday – who gets her last name from the day she was found – is determined to escape a cruel orphanage and make her way in the world. This is the rare children’s book that has a strong plot. Margaret and her friends face various twists and turns which all come together in the end. Streatfeild is better known for her “Shoes” books, but I think this is actually her best work.
The Good Master by Kate Seredy
Published in 1935, this is the story of Jancsi and his cousin Kate who grow up on a farm in Hungary. The chapters are like a series of vignettes that illustrate Hungarian culture – for example, Kate has to wear 18 skirts to church on Easter.
Homesick: My Own Story by Jean Fritz
Fritz describes her childhood as the daughter of American missionaries in China in the 1920s. I have some hesitation about recommending this book. Sadly, Fritz clearly rejected her Christian upbringing as she writes very negatively about her church experiences. Also, the book has some heavy material – like the death of Fritz’s baby sister – that will be hard for sensitive children. But overall, I think this book is worth recommending due its evocative writing. Fritz not only transports you back to a society that no longer exists, she draws you vividly into the emotional life of a young girl.
We did not like:
Far to Go by Noel Streatfeild
Sadly, Streatfeild couldn’t leave well alone with Thursday’s Child. She had to write a sequel and, like most sequels, it’s a weak imitation of a superior predecessor. Skip it.
A Place to Hang the Moon by Kate Albus
Three annoying, rude children are evacuated from London during the Blitz in WWII. They meet a lot of other annoying, rude people along the way. There’s plenty of children’s books centering around this episode of British history. Read one of those instead.
Bonus item:
Cecilia is learning to play piano with this online course. I didn’t believe you could learn an instrument remotely. But Hoffman Academy proved me wrong. Great for adults too.
Decorating fall cookies. So much chaos, so much joy.