Last of the Really Great Whangdoodle

Author: Julie Edwards
Rating:
Reading Level: 3rd – 5th

is a re-read. I loved this book upon first reading — more than 10 years ago. This second reading surprised me. I don’t remember ANY of the details, and I am usually really good at recalling details. Every scene and character was brand new to me — and not in a good way at all. I detest the didactic tone and the transparent “messages” of all the benefits of the imagination! (I don’t detest imagination, of course, just the way its worth is being handled in the book — and hey, whose idea is it that adults lose their imagination? I have a lot more imagination than some of the youngsters I know!)

Over all, I couldn’t believe that I once LOVED this book, as an adult, although I can see why so many children still love it — for its vivid descriptions of the very rich and imaginative details and the adventures the children embark on.