Book Review: Little Blog on the Prairie by Cathleen Davitt Bell

Hello again,

Today, I am reviewing Little Blog on the Prairie by Cathleen Davitt Bell. Here's the summary:

Camp Frontier promises families that "thrill" of living 1890s pioneers. Gen will be thrilled if she survives the summer stuck in cabin with her family and no modern amenities. But ever the savvy teen, Gen sneaks in a phone and starts texting about camp life. Turns out, there are some good points-like the cute boy who lives in the next clearing . But when her texts go viral as a blog and a TV crew arrives, Gen realizes she may have just ruined the best vacation she's ever had.

I know, not quite a winter book. But don't discount it just because it doesn't match in season! I actually found the cute story rather light and refreshing in comparison to other books I usually read.

The narrator, Gen, is only 13 years old (and is portrayed as thirteen, kudos to Bell on making her character act her age), but she has a strong and strong and realistic voice so her age fits for story. Speaking of characters, all the supporting characters were well done  and aided rather than detracted from the story. There was an interesting mixture of independent and unique characters. I felt like each one had his or her own personality and life; no one blended into the crowd unless it was on purpose.

I also enjoyed the various relationships, especially concerning family, as well as the lessons involved. The story, for all its cuteness, was actually kind of insightful in a few ways (but I can't tell you how because SPOILERS!!). It discussed the common thoughts on our dependency on technology. The book also, in my opinion, does a good job at the historical aspects of what living in the late 1800s as a pioneer would be like. I think that the chores and all the other jobs that would have kept the pioneer camps running were shown to be challenging and difficult but not impossible or just plain stupid. I think Bell demonstrates a real appreciation and attention to history to make this camp seem more realistic and interesting that just your regular old summer camp style lodgings. The book brings up various historical facts, too, that I hadn't known and were pretty cool.

This book is a definite top recommendation for any Laura Ingalls Wilder's fan or someone looking for a cute, light story.

Happy reading! I hope you have a fabulous day.
Victoria