This week we are going to take a big jump considering that everyone is getting the reading done quickly and are anxious to read on. If you are having any problems in getting this week's reading done, let me know.
Week's Reading: Chapters 7-12 by Jan 31
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Seth is driving me nuts! I think I would have locked him up in the attic by now. That was crazy what happened to the fairy he caught. I knew something unpleasant was going to happen. I kept hoping he would let her out of the jar before he went to bed. It seems like he never learns anything. I thought it sort of served him right being attacked by the fairies. Someone should have taken a photo of him as the walrus-thingy and put it on a wall as a reminder to him what happens when curiousity gets the best of him. I am a little worried about the last knot left for the witch to untie now. Stinky! I am pretty sure it will be untied by the end of the book - especially with Seth around.
ReplyDeleteI thought Hugo was a lot of fun. Who wouldn't want a huge dirt clod robot to do all your heavy labor!?!?
Midsummers Eve was a nightmare! I am so glad I don't have to experience anything like that!! Scary! I just knew Seth was going to open the window or door. Have I mentioned how crazy Seth is making me?!? :) I can't imagine experiencing something like that and having no adult to protect you or console you. It reminded me of listening to one of Dad's scary stories as a kid and my mind running wild with what might be waiting outside the window for me. Unfortunately for them they had to really live it. I wanted to scream at them not to open the window! Why do they always do the stupid thing in movies and books?!? I am glad Seth saved the chicken. I think there was a significance there. I feel bad for Seth now the adults are missing. I hope he is learning from his mistakes finally!
I don't know if I would have the courage to look for Grandpa and Lena especially after a night like that. I am a chicken. I would have been like Lena - worried I would make the salt turn into paste and scared to death of what I might run into. I thought it was funny how the satyrs decided to quickly call things even when they realized the kids wanted help finding Lena and Grandpa.
I thought the huge cow was cool. Finally glad to know what is in the barn. I am glad I didn't have to milk it though. I am glad Seth and Kendra have each other right now. Wouldn't want to have to go through all this craziness alone! I often think what us sisters would do if we were in the same situation.
Loving the book. Very adventurous and creepy!
Yes, Seth frustrates me so much too! You would think that he would finally learn his lesson after the fairies attacked him, but no...he had to look out the window and break his grandpa's rules again (even though it has been proven to him several times that his grandfather's advice is wise to follow).
ReplyDeleteI also felt so sorry for the fairy- to be so beautiful and then become this ugly creature.
I liked the giant cow scene. I was wondering what was in the barn making all the milk. I thought it was going to be some kind of weird magical creature that can produce the special milk--but not a cow. Seth and Kendra thought it was gross (and probably was) but it sounds kinda fun to me. I remember milking a cow when I was younger. I can't imagine squeezing a giant teat with my entire body and sliding down it.
I am alittle behind in blogging but not in reading. I have never read fantasy and I am enjoying it. This story is full of suprises. there is some I have guessed such as the woods being magical, but not in the evil sense as grandfather states. I have to agree with those that found Lena getting Seth try the milk first was funny. Like the T.V. commercial Life cereal get "Mickey try it". I find the park inside the reserve almost a mystery. An enticing place to go but dangerous in the other sense. Almost a good an evil scenerio.
ReplyDeleteYes Rosena I like the values issues that are address. I find it refreshing that childrens books are giving this to the children because alot of media and books are not.
Isn't Seth a "pill". I think he is going to get himself in real trouble real soon.
Mary, I didn't know you were reading the book! I am glad you are enjoying it!
ReplyDeleteYes, Seth is driving me crazy too! I felt sorry for the fairy. Can you imagine how auful it would be to know you would change ito something like that? I think Seth is the reason they had so many problems Midsummers Eve. First he had all the fairies mad at him so they didn't show up to light the pumpkins. Then he looked out the window so the few that were guarding the nursery saw him and left. Once they left there was a week spot in the security. It would have been hard to ignore the baby crying and children pleading especially when they made it sound like they were attacked when Seth and Kenra didn't respond. I would have probably been stupid and fallen for the Grandpa plea at the door. I was impressed that they were smart enough for that one. I would have been a basket care by morning.
ReplyDeleteI was impressed with Seth's saving the hen. I think Emily would have done the same for her chickens at that age. Now it would only be to protect Joseph. If Emily is right about the hen they will be glad they were able to save her.
Seth is something else. Nothing stops him. Maby he is so intent on finding Grandpa because he feels so responsible. If we feel responsible we seem to have more determination to put things right.
Anyone who has had a baby knows what it feels like to be engorged. I am so glad they found a way to milk the cow. I was really feeling sorry for her. Kudos to Kendra. She was very cleaver. I am not surprised that they didn't save the milk but would have thought they would have found a way to keep some to drink. Do you think they will find a way to have Hugo do the milking? I bet he could handle it.
I am amazed that they went into the woods again at all now that they know a little more about what it out there. I am worrying that they will set the witch free trying to get grandpa back. Has Seth learned anything at all???? Incidentally I am really impressed at how skilled Seth is with that compass. Me I would only look for North. He really uses it to know where he is and how to get back! You got to admit he is smart - stupid but smart.
Elisa, it was fun that you mentioned taking Seth's picture as a walrus and putting it on the wall so he would be reminded of his stupidity. I am going to have to go back and look but wasn't he wishing that they had a camera so he could have seen what he looked like. I think it would take more than that to deter Seth. Anyone else yes but not him. I am glad you girls weren't that much of a handful. I have gray hair as it is.
While I’ve been reading I’ve been paying attention to how Kendra and Seth handle the situations that arise. Like I mentioned before, I figure that Grandpa is trying to find an heir.
ReplyDeleteI am impressed how much love and remorse Kendra has for the fairy that turned into an imp. Even while she was worried for her brother (not sure if he would be able to be transformed back to his proper form) she was trying to figure out how they could also help the fairy. She shows compassion for the mystical creatures, unlike Seth.
Grandpa’s statement to Seth about if he “grows from his mistake then at least some good comes from it” is great. Making a mistake doesn’t put us out of the running, but if and how it changes our course is greater evidence of our character. Dale also told Seth “smart people learn from their mistakes, but the real sharp ones learn from the mistakes of others.” After Midsummer’s night, he obviously isn’t sharp YET. Perhaps now because of the severity of the consequences, he will learn to trust the wisdom of others and to be “sharp” as Dale puts it. I think Seth is growing. He is owning up to his mistake and is taking responsibility for it.
I think it is amusing that, after Grandpa told the kids that he is looking for an heir, Kendra assumed that it would be her since Seth would just mess everything up. What is so amusing is that she voices our thoughts as the readers. I think she is overlooking Seth’s qualifications, though. She may be more responsible and obedient, but she doesn’t have Seth’s courage, and isn’t a go-getter like him. I think it is easy to look at Seth and get irritated by him, but I think it might be because we are all female and can’t relate to his type of personality and thinking. I wonder if Grandpa was like Seth when he was younger. Some personalities are harder to control or influence when they are young, but if steered straight, they become a good, strong leader. Seth may be young and immature, but he is very protective, likes to know what he is up against, and isn’t afraid to do what needs to be done. Seth mistake on Midsummer’s night was making light of Grandpa’s warning to not look out the window. He only opened it because of his protective reflex to save the baby. Even Kendra admitted that if he hadn’t she probably would have. I thought it was sweet that Kendra tired to comfort Seth about it not being his fault if something happened to Grandpa, Lena, and Dale. I think she realizes that Seth has more feelings and is harder on himself than he lets on.
It scared me that Seth wanted to track down Grandpa in the woods after what they had experienced the night before as naive as they are, but I really admire Seth for doing so, and Kendra—it isn’t as easy for her to be so brave.
As of now, I think that both Seth and Kendra should be joint heirs. One has what the other lacks. They make a good team.
I think Emily is right. Goldilocks IS grandma! Did you notice that goldilocks tried to stop Seth from opening the window by “clucking wildly” just before he opened it. She also seemed to know that on the bed within the circle of salt was the safe place. These are things Grandma would know—not a chicken.
I have always been a bit nervous around big animals; I have milked a cow before and was afraid of getting kicked. I couldn’t stop thinking how unnerving it would be to milk a GIANT cow. And it is just a cow—not a mythical creature! However, I too would have liked trying to milk the giant cow. What an experience!
Doesn't any of the mystical creatures care about Stan their caretaker. He is there to protect them. Obviuosly the evil ones are happy he is taken, but what about the ones that are not evil? Could they gather up an army of good creatures that are willing to fight to get their caretaker back, or do they just not care? Maybe they all have simular attitudes to the fairies or Satyrs.
ReplyDeleteLana, interesting question. It seems that all the creatures they talk about don't share the human trait of caring and doing for others. Not the fairies, Naiads, Satrys, and remember the Brownies.Any repair they do is because that is what they do and not to help. Maybe the author is saying that compassion is strickly a human trait, what makes us human. The caretaker has protections in place and most creatures are not allowed in the yard. Sounds like the caretaker of a wildlife reserve. Cares for the creatures but the creatures don't take care of you.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Rosena. The creatures that we have met seem to be selfish or self obsorbed in their beauty (fairies), ability (brownies), motives or gains(Satrys), and immortality (Naiads); expect for Hugo, but he doesn't have a mind of his own.
ReplyDeleteIt is only the humans, as Rosena pointed out, that actually demonstrate concern or compassion for others. This difference may be why Lena said she would choose becoming a human again if she was given the choice.
I thought it was interesting when Lena talked about her feelings about getting older and that even though she must experience pain and sorrow, mortal life is much more fulfilling. It reminded me of Adam and Eve. She had to decided if having a mortal life and experiencing pain was worth it.
ReplyDeleteLena said that when we are young we try so hard to learn, and to become strong and capable. And yet as we age we regress, and become unable to do what we once taught ourselves to do. "As your wisdom and experience are peaking, your traitorous body becomes a prison." This goes to show that it is best to value and put most of our effort into those things that are lasting so that by the end off our life it feels full rather than empty. This brings us back to Emily's comment about Perhaps why Lena chose to become a human. If caring is a human quality, then that would give a feeling of fullness to her life. Whereas the vain and selfish lifestyles of the mythological creatures would leave you empty-- An immortal or ETERNAL life of emptiness. No wonder she would rather feel pain and sorrow, get old, and eventually die.
Oh wow, So much going on in those last few chapters!! I'm sorry for my dleay in responding, my internet seems to have decided it doesn't like us!
ReplyDeleteI agree with all of you. Seth is just a little troublemaker, the typical little brother. But I do have to wonder. What would Kendra do without Seth?? Would she have ever tried the milk? Would she have started looking for her grandfather?? I agree that he's trouble, but I also agree that he has his strengths.
You all have such wonderful comments, I can't think of anything else to add. The chicken definantly seems to be different than a normal chicken (though I don't know really ^^'). I wonder what happened to Lena. Would she be with grandpa?
The cow. Oh my, I've never milked a cow before, to milk a large cow like that! I think I'd make a trophy for Seth for that job!