Review: A Good Group of Short Stories
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 05 14, 2014
Herein is a group of short stories about the adventures that take eight-year-old Earle, ten-year-old Alan, and twelve-year-old Bob to different spots around Australia. Having never been to Australia before I enjoyed the views. The stories take place, as far as I can make out, after World War II. These are heartfelt tales that harken back to another age when children could roam and create imaginary worlds.Earle is the youngest and the story-teller.Better editing would have improved upon some of the stories. There were only minor flaws that I noticed: a missing 's' or odd gaps in wording. But here's an example of where a few sentences could have been made better:"When I look out to sea from the top of the cliff, I can't see the horizon because of the mist, but I can hope a pirate's galleon with skull and crossbones flying from the mast, will suddenly burst through the mist."An editor could make this shine. I would have changed the word "mist" the second time it is used to another word.In the story "A Place of Many Birds" which is about the family's many moves. Each section of this story speaks about the way the different birds would wake them up, or fly up from trees. There is a section about the discovery of the abandoned house. All around them the countryside is parched with drought. The abandoned house is dusty and empty of everything, but then the boys find the cellar."At the top of the steep flight of stairs we wait to see who will take the first step into the darkness. This time Alan goes first, followed by Bob, and I am last. I expect the cellar to be dry and dusty, but the walls are damp and as we descend the stairs, Alan calls out again."It's full of water."Shafts of light drift down from an air vent high in the wall and when my eyes adjust to the dark, I see water lapping around the lower stairs."The boys find that the cellar is not only full of water but of stores of jars and boxes that they can't get to because of the water.This discovery is like this novel, you read story after story and find yourself enjoying them but then you come upon a real "find".I like that.