Caddie Woodlawn has the unfortunate distinction of coming across as a Laura Ingalls Wilder wannabe, sort of Laura-without-the-lyricism, but award-winning regardless. The books, written by Woodlawn's granddaughter, are okay and fill a readalike need...but I can't believe even in the 40s someone thought it would be innocuous to name a book "Magical Melons." The copy from my middle school library hadn't gone out in more than 10 years, not least because the off-focus, off-color permabound cover depicted a young girl holding a hat flat over her chest. Whoever designed that paperback had a sense of humor for sure.Here's where I get fiesty about the "reading level" obsession of current educators. This book is fine fine fine for middle elementary kids, say 2nd-6th grade. However, the reading level would likely be deemed too high for those younger kids, so the book ended up in my middle school library at some point. Of course the content (and the embarassing title/cover art!) isn't of interest to any but a historically-interested middle schooler. Where I work, kids are being discouraged from reading what used to be children's classics because the language is deemed too difficult. I read Treasure Island, Heidi, Anne of Green Gables ravenously in the fourth grade. I cannot get a fourth grader to pick them up, not because they're not interested, but because they are too Hard, have too high a Lexile/AR Level/etc., or their teacher won't give them credit for them because they are "out of their range." They are not to read things that they won't comprehend sufficiently for a test/report/project. Never mind the extent to which our previous knowledge informs our reading comprehension, or that one can enjoy a story without understanding all the author meant with it. Never mind that people can learn to read from the King James Version of the Bible. We must all progress neatly from reading level to reading level because the goal of reading is, of course, to get good at reading, not to enjoy literature or learn philosophy or psychology or anything else. ARGH. Rant off.
This book is sheer fun! It straddles the first book, 'Caddie Woodlawn', and provides extra views of the bouncy red-head and her family and friends. You hear more about the appealing Robert Ireton, the Irish farm hand who not only can work the farm, play the banjo, sing, and tell stories, but can also get aboard a log and...well, you'd better read it.There are additional stories featuring the shy and sweet Katie(Tom's little sweetheart), and what lengths Tom will go to in impressing her with his grandness when he wears Father's...well, you'd better read it.Then you get more chuckles at the adorably boyish Warren, who as usual can't seem to quite achieve his goals when it comes to literature, not even when it admonishes him to "Go, my son, into the forest; shoot for us..." well, you'd better read it!You get an even better glimpse of Hetty(the newspaper on two feet) and the smallest sister Minnie; in fact, they manage to make unlikely friends who change Christmas for the whole family when the little girls decide to make...well, you'd better read it.And of course through it all you will find Caddie - active, compassionate, interesting Caddie as always; and as usual she manages to nearly spoil Independence Day when she ruins yet another...Oh, dear! You'd better go and read it right away!!!
What do You think about Caddie Woodlawn's Family (1990)?
Caddy Woodlawn's Family, a.k.a. Magical Melons, is a loosely connected book of short stories, Woodlawn mini-adventures. Not all the stories are about Caddie; the most beautiful and moving story in the collection is "The Christmas Costume, " a lovely tale starring Hetty, Caddie's tattle-taling younger sister (I shed a few tears over this one; it's incredibly moving). "Nero Plays Cupid" about the shy older sister Clara and her budding romance with a neighbor boy is also a good snapshot of 1840's pioneer life. "The Willow Basket," "Caddie Gets a Bargain," and "Go, My Son, Into the Forest" are all quite good as well.
—Shawn Thrasher
I almost think I liked this more than the first book, although this one has less of a cohesive plot and is more just a collection of stories. There is an old-fashioned reminiscent feel to these stories, and they are very sweet (if a little predictable at times). Themes such as neighborliness, caring for animals, Caddie proving herself to be just as capable as the boys, helping others, etc. are all touched upon in a way that isn't too didactic. Due to the simple nature of the style and plots, I think this would probably be a book best geared toward early elementary kids, or as a read-aloud for younger ages. The washing the sheep scene in this reminded me of a similar one in Farmer Boy. I was surprised that Caddie was left alone to wander that town while her father conducted his business. Times certainly have changed!
—Audrey
Caddie Woodlawn was one of my favorite childhood books, and I still own it in hardcover. However, I didn't know about this "sequel" until recently. This isn't really a novel with a a single storyline; it's just more stories about the Woodlawn children and their adventures as a pioneer family in rural Wisconsin. There's stories about Caddie, but there's also stories about Tom and Warren and even Hetty and Minnie. It was just as enjoyable as Caddie Woodlawn, and I would definitely recommend this sequel to anyone who liked that book.
—Jessica
