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15 of 16 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
THIS ROLE MODEL IS NO TAME LION . . ., March 9, 2007
This review is from: Listening for Lions (Paperback)
. . . and young readers will be eager to discover how a 13 year old was influenced by lions four generations ago. Rachel grew up in British East Africa (today's Kenya), daughter of missionaries. Her father made the bricks that formed his hospital, an under-funded mission where he also 'filled the pulpit' on Sundays. Her mother taught the Masai and Kikuyu natives, and they all learned from each other. The Africa in which Rachel Sheridan was born was filled with light and the wild beauty of the grasslands. The lessons of life she absorbed were starkly different from those learned today. During the post WW I year of 1919, the scourge of influenza still circled the Earth, and millions of people became victims. Rachel was orphaned, and became the prey of a British couple whose daughter had died. They swiftly schemed to turn Rachel into Valerie Pritchard who could then be sent back to England to work her way into the grandfather's good graces. Mr. & Mrs. P. lost no time in making that happen, leaving Rachel no time to grieve. Rachel, now Valerie, leaves behind the only home she has known and the faithful, sensitive family servant, Kanoro. She will remember the lessons of the lions: gathering strength for the time it will be needed, patience and perseverance. Author Gloria Whelan paints landscapes to entice young readers: the exotic animals of East Africa, the abundant flora and birds there & in England. Whalen draws from Gilbert White's Natural History of Selborne, the 1789 classic revered by all nature lovers, and from a contemporary source about birds of Kenya. The birds have their own colorful place in this story so greatly enriched by the author's research. This is no tame story. It is sort of a "Sara Crewe" look-alike, but shows Rachel-Valerie in widely diverse situations. Growing into adulthood she answers the challenge of Kanoro to return to the "brightness" of Africa. This is an old-fashioned story with its components of exotic settings, secrets, and a rich grandparent. But it isn't tame; courage is demonstrated in different ways, and values emerge as positive elements of the tale. Don't miss Paula Jolin's review (teenreads) for an important perspective on changes from colonialism to now, and her warm appreciation of the elderly Pritchard's relationship with 'his granddaughter' as it is developed by the author. Gloria Whalen must also be saluted as someone who champions women's rights and the reading of good literature. Reviewer mcHaiku feels those moments contribute a memorable "brightness" to "Listening for Lions." Wouldn't this be a cool novel to read aloud to 4th and/or 5th graders?
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13 of 14 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Another excellent book from a consistently excellent author, August 19, 2005
I read LISTENING FOR LIONS, Gloria Whelan's 38th book, as a read-aloud to my fourth graders from the newly released galley of the book (I wrote this review on April 8, but Amazon wasn't taking reviews for it at that point). While I am not usually wild about books without much "action," my students and I were really hooked into this book, due to Whelan's character development and interplay. The book was (as many of Whelan's books are) great at illustrating for students the use of symbolism in writing (see also Whelan's HOMELESS BIRD and MIRANDA'S LAST STAND, among others, for examples of symbolism that students can grasp). At the end of the book, my students even broke into spontaneous applause! While some of Whelan's recent books (i.e., CHU JU'S HOUSE and ST. PETERSBURG #3 / BURYING THE SUN) were starting to sound the same, LISTENING FOR LIONS seemed much fresher in comparison. Nevertheless, many of the same story elements are here as in Whelan's other recent novels: A strong heroine in an international setting loses her loving family and goes on a long, harrowing journey. At some point, she falls under the control of a villainous character (or duo) who tries to make her believe they are looking out for her best interests (out of pity) while they are actually taking advantage of her and her situation for their own gain while they belittle her and keep her down. Eventually she breaks free of their domination, stands on her own, and makes new bonds with new friends / family who truly care about her, and gains the means to provide for herself with a bright future. There is some variation of this story arc in her recent books, but while all of Whelan's books are great if taken on their own, readers of several of her recent works (most of her longer books since HOMELESS BIRD) may feel they are reading a slight rehash of others. For this reason, I can only give the book a 4 instead of a 5 - if I was a new reader of Whelan's books, this would be a definite 5. While I have enjoyed all of Whelan's children's books (I still haven't read the three adult books - they're finally getting close to the top of my reading shelves), my favorite Whelan books would be HOMELESS BIRD (National Book Award winner), FRUITLANDS, THE WANIGAN, GOODBYE VIETNAM, MIRANDA'S LAST STAND, HANNAH, the "Mackinac Island Trilogy," LISTENING FOR LIONS, and the rare but wonderful picture book BRINGING THE FARMHOUSE HOME. Whelan says she has several more upcoming books in the works - THE TURNING (the 4th and final St. Petersburg book, due in January '06), THE SUMMER OF THE WAR (due in summer of '06), and (in '07) two more picture books for Sleeping Bear Press, one for the 50th anniversary of the Mackinac Bridge and the other set in Mali, West Africa. Whelan also pointed out to me that the jacket illustrator of Listening for Lions is the same illustrator who did the Lemony Snicket books - who would've guessed? Anyway, for "contemplative" students who don't need a huge amount of action in their reading, it's hard to go wrong with Whelan's books - her excellent quality is consistent. Dwight Blubaugh Northwestern Elem. Eaton Rapids, MI
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11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Another wonderful historical novel from Gloria Whelan., June 6, 2005
Rachel Sheridan was born and raised in British East Africa, the daughter of British missionary parents who ran a hospital there. Africa is the only home Rachel has ever known, and she loves it. But everything changes in 1919, when Rachel is thirteen. An influenza epidemic arrives and takes the lives of her parents. Because her parents were orphans, Rachel has no family to turn to, and is caught up in the devious plans of their wealthy neighbors, the Pritchards. The Pritchards lost their daughter Valerie, who was Rachel's age, in the epidemic. Valerie was about to leave to visit her grandfather in England, and the Pritchards force Rachel to impersonate Valerie and take her place. They hope Rachel will win the grandfather's heart and persuade him to leave his estate and money to the Pritchards. Rachel is devastated to leave her beloved Africa and travel to cold, lonely England. She finds herself coming to care for her "Grandfather," but hates living a lie, and fears the Pritchards will someday follow her to England. At the same time, she is determined to find a way to return to Africa and reopen her parents' hospital. Listening for Lions is another excellent historical novel by Gloria Whelan, who is one of my favorite authors. Rachel was a very likable and determined character, and I loved the unique storyline and historical setting -- the author brought the African and British settings to life. I recommend this book to all readers who enjoyed previous books by Gloria Whelan or who love historical fiction.
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