Timeless Classic!
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For me, this book is a "Gone With The Wind" with young adults in mind, but great for all ages. Like the "Little House ..." books, it describes the rural life of a family and village before industrialization changed everything. The quality of life these people had, despite the workload, is something to be admired. The book is a wonderful sequal to "The Good Master," another wonderful tale. While the first book is more of a typical chidren's book, this one is much more of an epic as the family deals with the ravages of war. The themes of tolerance and family values are well expressed without ever getting preachy. Kate and Jancsi are fantastic characters for children to identify with, and the adults make fine examples for them to look up to. The illustrations are wonderful. This book will make you laugh, cry and everything in between. It's one of the books I re-read every now and again, and it's stood the test of 30+ years worth of reading. I treasure it.
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lively and adventurous- unpredictable
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hello, my name is nina. i liked this book because it is educational yet adventurous. it was unpredictable, i never knew what would happen next. the reason i rated it a three was because some parts were not well explained and every now and then i would get lost and have to re-read some sections. otherwise this was a magnificent, adventurous tale and i would recommend it for older children and young adults.
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The Singing Tree
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I bought this & The Good Master for my daughter many years ago. These books have always had a special place in my heart because of their "readability". The stories are about growing up and being loved and all that after much disruption in a young life. There is a message of hope and love that is good and kind and there is also a clear and warm picture of what life could have been like in pre-World War 1 Hungary. The illustrations are as outstanding as the story. I love reading it to children, gives me an excuse for re-reading it myself. The second book is more serious as the children grow up and war intrudes but life is like that, isn't it.
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The "Tree" Still Sings...
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While this sequel to _The Good Master_ provides a welcome return visit with the original characters and setting, it is considerably more serious in tone, as it deals with the impact of World War I on a peace-loving family and small community. The farm of the "good master" has become a refuge for a widely- varied assortment of people ranging from small German orphans to Russian military POWs - and the "good master" himself is missing in action. The young adolescent Kate, her slightly older cousin Jancsi, and their friend Lily must grow up in a hurry. But the strength of their earlier upbringing,leavened with consistant parental examples of kindness, common sense and good humor, is sufficient to see them through this time of trial. This book makes very strong statements about the brotherhood of mankind and the cruel impact of war on the young and innocent - and those statements cannot be repeated often enough. The poignant episode which lends this book its title crystalizes the author's message of peace, tolerance, freedom, and community - a message reminiscent of Anne Frank's oft-quoted, "In spite of everything, I still believe that people are really good at heart". Those who read _The Singing Tree_ will agree. Highly recommended for independent readers 11 and up, and for reading and discussing in families and classrooms.
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A Timeless Classic
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I absolutely love Kate Seredy. It was such a treat to check in with the adult Kate and Janci. They complemented one another perfectly. Kate, the delightfully irrepressible moppet who brought many smiles to many faces in "The Good Master" does not fail to deliver in this book as well. Janci has grown into a thoughtful gentleman and the Hungarian backdrop is a very effective way of describing Eastern European culture. This is an excellent book and I certainly hope you will read it. It's great.
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