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oddandbookish
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Pickpick

The story is reminiscent of Alice in Wonderland. Both stories revolve around a girl who is lost in a fantasy world and meets all kinds of interesting folks along the way. It‘s a simple plot line that works so well.

The cast of characters really made this an enjoyable read. The Scarecrow, Tin Woodman, and Cowardly Lion were all so lovable!

Full review: https://oddandbookish.wordpress.com/2025/01/07/review-the-wizard-of-oz/

TierraWilliams243 What a lovely review! I completely agree—The Wizard of Oz has such a timeless charm, and the characters truly make the story unforgettable. It‘s great to hear how much you enjoyed them, especially the Scarecrow, Tin Woodman, and Cowardly Lion. Thanks for sharing your thoughts; it makes me want to revisit this classic too!
2w
Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks Beautiful edition 💛 2w
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oddandbookish @TierraWilliams243 Thank you! It‘s definitely worth a revisit. It‘s so whimsy and magical. 2w
oddandbookish @Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks I love the Canterbury Classics Word Cloud editions! They‘re all so pretty. 2w
TierraWilliams243 If am not gonna trouble you can we talk about your book? 2w
TierraWilliams243 Are you not an author? 1w
oddandbookish @TierraWilliams243 I am not an author. I‘m a book influencer. 1w
TierraWilliams243 ohh okay 1w
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julieclair
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#12Booksof2024 Day 5

My favorite book of May was Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm, which I read with #KindredSpiritsBuddyRead and #ChildrensClassicRead2024 .

@Andrew65 @BarbaraJean @TheBookHippie

Andrew65 A good choice. 3w
Bookwormjillk I like how you have two very different Rebeccas in a row. 3w
Ruthiella @Bookwormjillk True that! 😂 3w
TheBookHippie ♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️ 3w
julieclair @Bookwormjillk @Ruthiella Isn‘t that a hoot? Seems like all a book needs to become a favorite of mine is to have Rebecca in the title. 😂 3w
34 likes5 comments
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Teresereading
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A favourite when I was a child. I think only read it as a Readers Digest edition though.
Spotted at the lovely Hollyhock House LA.

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Blueberry
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Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks Perfect 🤩 6mo
Eggs Excellent 👌🏼 6mo
52 likes2 comments
review
nicolesxaxbooked
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Pickpick

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5

I love Peter Pan so of course I had to buy another book . I want all the books

review
TheAromaofBooks
Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm | Kate Douglas Wiggin
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Mehso-so

The first half of this book was a pick. The second half really fell off and felt like Wiggin couldn't really decide where she wanted to take the story so it didn't go much of anywhere. However, I was glad to finally read this classic and enjoyed discussing its influence on Anne of Green Gables with the #KindredSpirits Is it plagiarism if you write it a million times better than the original? 😂

@TheBookHippie @BarbaraJean

TheBookHippie 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣💚💚💚💚💚 I do so agree!!! 8mo
BarbaraJean Hahaha—improvement is not plagiarism! I love that copy of this!! 😍 8mo
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review
BarbaraJean
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Pickpick

A soft pick for Rebecca! With all the #KindredSpiritsBuddyRead and #ChildrensClassicRead2024 discussion, I don‘t have a whole lot more to add. 😊 This is charming and sweet, and Rebecca as a character is delightful. However, the second half of the book was underdeveloped, and the ending felt rushed. Even so, I‘m glad I finally read this classic—it brought me joy (and it was fun to discover and goggle at all the Anne of Green Gables similarities!)

TheBookHippie I agree 💯. 8mo
tpixie Great cover! I agree with your review!! 8mo
40 likes2 comments
quote
BarbaraJean
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“In the actual—this painful kingdom of time and chance—are Care, Canker, and Sorrow; with thought, with the ideal, is immortal hilarity—the Rose of Joy; round it all the Muses sing.”

I remember LMM quoting and discussing this Emerson quote somewhere, maybe in a letter to MacMillan? Now I need to track it down! It‘s interesting to see it referenced here, in a children‘s book that LMM almost certainly read. #KindredSpiritsBuddyRead #LMMAdjacent

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BarbaraJean
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How did you feel about how the story wrapped up: with “Mr. Aladdin,” with Rebecca‘s aunts, and with Rebecca‘s family at Sunnybrook?

Would you want to read sequels to Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm, or a series about Rebecca?

#KindredSpiritsBuddyRead #LMMAdjacent #ChildrensClassicRead2024

TheAromaofBooks Just as an aside, this graphic is the same as the last one, so not everyone may realize that you actually asked a different question haha

I actually would be interested in reading sequels to Rebecca. I think the whole book would have been better if it had been two separate books and we could have devoted more time to her at school. I would totally read another book about her teaching adventures (if she has some). Apparently, Wiggin's nephew ⬇
8mo
BarbaraJean @TheAromaofBooks Hahahaha—thank you!! Changing the graphic now!! 8mo
TheAromaofBooks (cont'd) or someone rewrote the book/added stuff/created a sequel, although the GR reviews seem to agree it's terrible 😂 So I'll probably take a pass. 8mo
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lauraisntwilder I would not want to read a sequel. In the absence of literally any other options, I have a feeling Rebecca would end up marrying Mr. Aladdin and I'm not interested in that. 8mo
lauraisntwilder Oh, and I thought the ending, especially the actual last lines, was a letdown. It felt very much like the book didn't go anywhere. "There once was a family with too many kids, but then a aunt died and left them a house and they were all fine. Also, one of the kids went to school, but I'm not telling you about it." 8mo
lauraisntwilder *aN aunt. 🙄 8mo
rubyslippersreads I‘m actually reading the next book in the series, but I wouldn‘t call it a sequel. So far, it‘s just more stories set in the same time frame as the original. 8mo
rubyslippersreads @TheAromaofBooks I think I saw those. They seem to be retellings of the book with an emphasis on religion. I‘ll pass too. 8mo
rubyslippersreads @lauraisntwilder I agree about Dean Priest, oops, I meant Mr. Aladdin. 🤣 8mo
TheAromaofBooks @rubyslippersreads - It's weird because while this book felt as religious as most books of that era (that is to say, the characters go to church, believe in God, and try to live up to “Christian morals“) it didn't feel like Rebecca was an especially church-focused character. So that seemed like an odd direction to go since it seems like you would have to kind of rewrite her character?? 8mo
tpixie I knew Rebecca would end up with ‘ Mr Aladdin‘ , but it felt kind of creepy to me… 8mo
tpixie I loved the evolution of Aunt Miranda- and the story of her crush dating and marrying her sister- how sad and brave she was to help her get ready for the dance. 8mo
BarbaraJean @TheAromaofBooks I agree that if the second half had been fleshed out more, I would have liked the book better. So much of this needed more depth & development! But I'm not interested in the “sequels“ that do exist! @lauraisntwilder Yeah, the book made every indication she would end up with Adam. But I'd read the heck out of a sequel where Adam realizes he should be with Miss Maxwell and Rebecca goes on to have a brilliant teaching career. 8mo
BarbaraJean @tpixie Yes, I loved being able to see a glimpse of Aunt Miranda's past and a little of what had made her who she was. It just felt like too little, and tacked on at the end instead of real character development through the novel. Honestly, all of the threads of the ending felt rushed and tacked-on! 8mo
tpixie @BarbaraJean I totally agree with that rushed feeling of the ending. 8mo
26 likes15 comments
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BarbaraJean
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Any further thoughts on parallels between Rebecca and LMM‘s Anne and Emily books?

And because I‘m super interested in everyone‘s thoughts: how does Adam Ladd compare/contrast with Dean Priest in the Emily books?

#KindredSpiritsBuddyRead #LMMAdjacent

BarbaraJean I have been waiting until I finished Rebecca to listen to this 2-part episode of the Gibson Girl podcast, which discusses the similarities between Rebecca and Anne of Green Gables. Check it out if you‘re interested! https://www.gibsongirlreview.com/season-1-episode-10/ 8mo
lauraisntwilder Dean Priest and Adam Ladd both give me the creeps. Dean is definitely worse, Mr. Aladdin made me cringe every time he showed up in the second half. 8mo
TheAromaofBooks I definitely think that LMM was influenced by this book. There are too many scenes that overlap for it to be coincidental. However, I don't think she just rewrote this story. So much of Anne is unique, and while she and Rebecca have some similarities, I'm not convinced that LMM based her actual character on Rebecca as much as she borrowed some of Rebecca's circumstances and gave them to Anne. I saw a few GR reviews link to this article ⬇ 8mo
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TheAromaofBooks (cont'd) http://canadianicon.org/table-of-contents/mirror-images-anne-of-green-gables-and... and while I agreed with some of it, I also felt like some of their “mirrors“ were a bit of a stretch. For instance, yes Rebecca and Anne both “like nature“ but I never felt like that was an inherent and critical part of Rebecca, while it's hugely a part of Anne - which I think in turn is a reflection of LMM's own passion for trees⬇ 8mo
TheAromaofBooks (cont'd) and the outdoors. I also didn't actually think that Emma Jane and Diana are much alike, beyond a basic “secondary character“ vibe. Emma Jane literally just feels like Rebecca needs a friend, so here she is, while Diana, once again, is an important part of Anne herself and her character development. The same with Matilda and Marilla - both grumpy old women, I guess, but wildly different in their relationship with the main character and in⬇ 8mo
TheAromaofBooks (cont'd) the way they each develop (that is to say, Matilda doesn't). I definitely felt like the second half of the book is where Anne and Rebecca really diverge, with Anne having actual purpose, direction, development, and growth, while Rebecca continues to just be the same little girl she was all along - which is part of what adds to the creepiness of Adam Ladd tbh. There are parallels to Dean and Adam, although interestingly I actually found ⬇ 8mo
TheAromaofBooks (cont'd) myself comparing Adam more to “Daddy Long-Legs“ - a book I do love, but have always felt like Daddy pulled the strings in the background to put Judy into situations where she would be maneuvered into falling in love with him. Dean's grooming feels much more active, with a personal correspondence and regular visits/discussions/etc. Adam is more in the background creating scenarios where Rebecca will be obligated/grateful/admire him. 8mo
rubyslippersreads @TheAromaofBooks Diana is much more of a kindred spirit to Anne than Emma Jane is to Rebecca. 8mo
rubyslippersreads @lauraisntwilder I agree. Although when I first read these two books (probably at about age 10), any idea of possible “romance” with the older men went right over my head. (Thank goodness!) 8mo
TheAromaofBooks @rubyslippersreads - I agree! I don't feel like we ever see a real bond between Rebecca and Emma Jane beyond them being the same age and going to school at the same time, while Anne and Diana are genuinely involved and interested in each other's lives. And Anne definitely has a deep love for Diana that Rebecca never seems to show for Emma Jane. 8mo
TheAromaofBooks @rubyslippersreads @lauraisntwilder - I feel like if I had read this book at a younger age I wouldn't have thought of Adam as a love interest. The signs are there as an adult reader, but he seems much more subtle of a character than Dean. 8mo
rubyslippersreads @TheAromaofBooks @lauraisntwilder I think the times were much different then, too. A wealthy husband would probably have been thought an excellent “catch” for Rebecca. The age difference might have even been considered a plus, because Rebecca was so “flighty.” 😏 8mo
rubyslippersreads @TheAromaofBooks @lauraisntwilder Dean Priest isn‘t subtle at all, and he gets creepier as the story goes on. Aunt Nancy warned Emily, “Never marry a Priest.” 😂 8mo
lauraisntwilder @TheAromaofBooks @rubyslippersreads As a kid, I definitely wouldn't have picked up on Adam Ladd as a love interest, which makes it even creepier to me as an adult. Meanwhile, yes, bless Aunt Nancy, Dean was overtly interested in Emily. So gross. 8mo
BarbaraJean @TheAromaofBooks The influence of Rebecca on Anne is undeniable! But I agree, LMM didn‘t just rewrite it. I like the idea that LMM borrowed some of Rebecca‘s circumstances & gave them to Anne. That early drive with Mr. Cobb/Matthew has so many similarities, but Anne & Rebecca are still distinctly different personalities. The podcast I linked above talks about how Anne is more impulsive and acts out of emotion, while Rebecca tends to be more ⬇ 8mo
BarbaraJean (Cont'd) reflective & considers her responses. Anne‘s “scrapes” are not at all like Rebecca‘s—I think that‘s one of the reasons why. I saw that “Mirror Images” article, too! Definitely, Anne‘s feelings for nature are SO different from Rebecca‘s. Their sense of home & place is different, too. Anne literally mourns the loss of beloved places. Rebecca saying goodbye to Sunnybrook is a very casual farewell compared to how it would have felt for Anne! 8mo
BarbaraJean @TheAromaofBooks @rubyslippersreads I did see some parallels with Emma Jane and Diana in that they both kind of get dragged along into their main-character friend‘s escapades. They‘re not the instigator, they‘re not imaginative, but they‘re loyal to their more passionate, dynamic, front-and-center friend. But the emotional impact of Diana in Anne‘s life is FAR different. Partly because Anne actually grows and changes!! 8mo
BarbaraJean @TheAromaofBooks I like the Daddy Long-Legs comparison! Still ooky, but far different from the grooming and emotional manipulation we see with Dean. Adam is a LOT more subtle, but it's also that he seems more considerate of what‘s appropriate because of Rebecca‘s age. I appreciated how he always includes Emma Jean so he‘s not singling out Rebecca. That‘s FAR different than Dean‘s possessiveness. 8mo
BarbaraJean @TheAromaofBooks @rubyslippersreads @ lauraisntwilder Like all of you, I wouldn‘t have seen Adam as a love interest if I‘d read this as a kid. But it bothers me now!! I get that the times were different, but I just can‘t be OK with a 30-something man looking at a 10 or 12-year-old kid and thinking “heeeeeyyy, wife material.” 8mo
22 likes20 comments