Mmmmming along

James Vance Marshall's Walkabout (1971) is about two children lost in the Australian wilderness and befriended by an Aboriginal boy. I'm going to have to give this to one of my survival fiction fans to see if this still flies. Didn't do much for me, and it's been languishing on the shelf.

Sharon Bell Mathis' The Hundred Penny Box(1986) didn't appeal to me,(the style irked me) but many of my students will pick it up because it is short. I liked The Sidewalk Story(1971) Better, and will recommend it for students who want a short problem novel. (Family evicted for failure to pay rent.)

Evelyn Wilde Mayerson's The Cat Who Escaped From Steerage (1990) will be good for some of my lower level readers who don't like historical books. There is a lot of action in the story, and I think they will find the characters appealing. It will also be good for the students who like immigration stories.

Ardath Mayhar's Soul-Singer of Tyrnos (1981) has gone out 4 times in 25 years, and didn't appeal to me, either.

Anne Mazer's Moose Street (1992)reminded me of the Newbery winner Criss Cross-- there's not much of a story, just vignettes. My daughter read it and enjoyed it, though.

Harry Mazer's Cave Under the City was about children left to fend for themselves during the depression. I liked it for the adventure and the Boxcar Children- like success that the boys have in finding food and shelter for themselves.