Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm

By Kate Douglas Wiggin

Copyright 1903

This copy published 1910

On Christmas Day in 1922, Lucille Kaufman received this book from Florence.  Ninety-five years later, I read it and thoroughly enjoyed it.  I hope Lucille did too!  It looks well-read, yet in good shape for its age, so I’m thinking she loved this book enough to read it over and over and took very good care of it.

I hadn’t read Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm before, and was surprised at how it instantly reminded me of Anne of Green Gables, which was written just a few years after this.  

Rebecca Randall is sent at the age of 11 to live with her two spinster aunts.  Her family is quite poor and she is one of seven children, so she is sent to where she can be fed, clothed, and educated properly.  One aunt is strictly no-nonsense and the other is softer and more affected by Rebecca’s spunk and imagination.  But as the years go by, neither of the aunts nor anyone else in town is left unaffected by Rebecca.  Plain of face, yet full of charm and imagination, Rebecca brings joy to all she meets.  

Reading this book provided a pleasant escape and a fresh perspective.  Rebecca was poor and plain and she knew it.  Yet those facts didn’t negatively affect her outlook on life one bit.  The lack of outward beauty and riches didn’t stop her from achieving love, success, or admiration.  Spunk and imagination are much more admirable and worthwhile than wealth or beauty ever will be!

The Settlement Cook Book

By Mrs. Simon Kander

1936 edition

As I write this, I am quite grateful to Mrs. Simon Kander, although I really wish I could think of her by her own name, not just her husband’s!  I am enjoying a slice of peanut butter bread, taken from page 65 of her very comprehensive cook book.  

Notice the title on the cover, “The Settlement Cook Book – the way to a man’s heart”.  I looked up some information about this book online and was relieved to see “the way to a man’s heart” phrase removed from more recent editions because this is a really great cook book – for women or men alike, whether cooking for themselves, to steal someone’s heart, or to feed a crowd. 

To be sure, the nutritional guide at the front of the book is outdated.  It is no longer suggested that “Every infant should receive cod liver oil from the second month on…Beginning with a few drops at a time, the dose is increased until the baby receives ½ to 1 teaspoonful of cod liver oil twice daily.”

What I love most about this particular copy is noticing the obvious favorites of the cook it belonged to.  This cook baked a lot of small cakes and cookies!  Sugar cookies appear to have been a favorite.  Besides the taped pages, I can still see remnants of flour and other food stains on its pages. 

Thanks to Michelle who thought of me when she saw this book and to the book’s finders for passing it on and not throwing it away!

The Berenstain Bears in the Bears’ Almanac

By Stan and Jan Berenstain

Copyright 1973

What makes a year?  Four Seasons – Twelve months

The Berenstain Family walks us through an entire year, telling us what to expect in each season.

“How will you know it’s Winter?  Your knees shiver.  You see ice on the river.  Your breath shows.  You’ve got a runny nose…

The red in the thermometer starts to fall.  Sometimes there’s hardly any red at all.”

This Winter, at least in the Chicago area, their “actual facts” would have to be considered “alternative facts”.  We just finished a week that was ridiculously warm for February.  We went outside without jackets, the birds were singing, the parks were full of children playing, and green shoots popped up from the ground.  

Unusual weather aside, this almanac does do a great job explaining the typical weather patterns, popular activities, and holidays of each season.  There is a comfort in the cycle of seasons and activities.  I, for one, have a deeper appreciation for Spring because of the cold Winter that has past.  And I enjoy the hot sun of Summer and the bounty of the garden while at the same time waiting anxiously for the beauty of Fall.  And children, just after collecting loads of Halloween candy, have the excitement of Christmas to look forward to.  

So today, just days after a sunny 70 degree day, the snow and the wind is blowing again.  This past week teased us, but never fear - real Spring is coming soon!  

The Horse in Harry’s Room

An Early I Can Read Book

By Syd Hoff

Copyright 1970

Syd Hoff wrote a number of Early Reader books that, unlike many books for beginning readers, tell engaging stories.  It turns out you can tell a meaningful tale in a small space with a limited number of words!

This book here tells the story of a boy named Harry who has an imaginary horse living in his bedroom.  Harry is thrilled with his horse that he could ride in circles without knocking over the furniture and jump over the bed without hitting his head on the ceiling.  Other children laughed at Harry when he talked about his horse because of course nobody else could see it.  His teacher wisely noted, “Sometimes thinking about a thing is the same as having it.”

Harry’s parents decided he could use a trip to the country to see real horses.  He saw the real horses running and jumping freely and Harry became concerned about his own horse being confined to four walls.  As soon as they returned from the country, Harry ran to his room and told his horse he was free to go.  Fortunately, Harry’s horse decided to stay right where he was, happily living with Harry in his bedroom.  

This story shows that we should decide for ourselves what makes us happy.  Harry didn’t need to possess something to gain pleasure from it.  Others did not understand and thought Harry was missing out on the fun.  But Harry knew better.  And Harry needn’t worry about his horse.  The other horses may want to run and play outside, but Harry’s is perfectly happy inside.  What makes one horse miserable may be the perfect thing for another.   And while we may not understand another person’s pleasures, who are we to say what is best for them?