Thimble Summer

After reading so many war books, I needed something light and fun. Thimble Summer by Elizabeth Enright was my book of choice. All I really knew about the book is that it was about a girl in Wisconsin in the early 1900's and all the things that happen to her one summer. This book was delightful. I like to describe it as a happy Charlotte's Web. I know everyone loves Charlotte's Web, but I personally find it depressing. Thimble Summer is not about a pig or a spider, but it does have a pig in it who wins a ribbon at the county fair. It also includes other classic farm-life stories such as swimming in the water hole, going to town and getting an ice cream cone, "running away" for the day, helping with the haying, and my favorite - getting locked inside the library after closing time. I loved that while I was reading this book, I could remember back to our summers in Wisconsin and imagine the sounds and smells that were described in the book. I loved the feelings of family unity that included not just immediate family, but neighbors and friends as well. Mostly, I loved that this book had a happy ending and that nobody died. How refreshing to know that somewhere in the world is a children's book where a girl or boy could be a hero in their own tale without having to lose their parents or anyone else they loved. What a gem!