Customer Reviews

Heidi (Kingfisher Classics)

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

"To God confide thy cares,
On Him thy burden cast,
He heareth all thy prayers
And sends relief at last.

His never-failing love,
His wisdom sure and true,
Bring comfort from above
And all thy hopes renew."

This poem is from the book Heidi. This book has wonder and I love books that have wonder in them. The theme of this book is friendship, a real home, and making discoveries as you grow up. There is also (near the ending) a little theme of God. Heidi finds out God's love for all of us and she tries to love him back.
Heidi, an orphan, is left to a servant of a wealthy family, Deiti. Deiti returns Heidi to her grandfather, Uncle Alp. Uncle Alp lives on a mountain isolating himself from the townspeople in Dorfli, but he takes great joy in taking care of Heidi. Grandfather takes care of Heidi for about two to three years. Deiti takes Heidi back to Frankfurt and Heidi stays there for two years. There, Heidi meets Clara. Clara is a nice twelve year old girl, but she's in a wheelchair and she needs a playmate which Heidi becomes. Heidi experiences some adventures in Frankfurt and goes back home to the mountains again with her grandfather after Heidi wasn't feeling well. Clara, the doctor (who took care of Clara and Heidi), Mr. Sessamen (the kind father of Clara), and Mrs. Sessamen (the grandmother of Clara who teaches Heidi about God) come to visit Heidi. On the mountains a miracle happens and it surprises everyone. Uncle Alp is well known in the town of Dorfli. A lot of people say he's a bad man for not going to church with them or living up on the mountain, but Heidi needs to go to school in the winter. Will Uncle Alp make the sacrifice and move into town for Heidi to get into school?
I love this book because it is so charming and a lot of unexpected things happen to Heidi (especially in Frankfurt!) This is a funny and fantastic story to read. As an adult or teen this book explains some facts about God that us adults/teens might have never known or imagined. "I'll always say my prayers after this, as Grandmamma told me to, and if God doesn't answer them at once I shall know it's because He's planning something better for me, just like He did in Frankfurt," says Heidi at one point in the book. As I was reading the book it made me think of my life and how I put God into my life in my actions and in my words. This story is a wonder and I highly recommend it to anybody.

"Hedi" is a book that most all young girls will enjoy reading. My 11 yr. old grandaughter enjoyed it very much. I'm glad I was able to add this book to her library.

I agree, this book deserves many, many stars. I read it aloud to my seventh-graders. The old-fashioned language was sometimes a bit difficult for them, but they really enjoyed the story and its theme of learning to trust in God. Heidi's sweet loving nature is like a breath of fresh mountain air, and her innocent scrapes, longing for her loved ones, and enthusiasm for life make this an all-time favorite book, one I could read every year.
NOTE-- the author review should be written about Johanna Spyri, not Beverly Cleary.

Beautiful story and lovely dustcover. This story should be read to/and by children everywhere. It's a wonderful story of love and compassion, loyalty and love of outdoors. To be given to 8 yr old grandaughter.

This is truly a classic, and the spiritually uplifting theme is accessible to our non-Christian household. I was pleased to see that this edition was the unabridged classic, as written by Johanna Spyri. However, the pictures are terrible. They are realistic drawings printed in black and white pointilism, and it looks like a 1990 home printer laid them on the page. I wish I had known to buy from a different publisher, so I could have this beautiful story with beautiful pictures.

Another outstanding piece of classic
children's literature, belongs on the
same shelf an any North American or
Western Civilization child's library.
In same vain of classics as Anne of
Green Gables or Anne of Avonlea realm!