Books for young readers

Listening for Lions by Gloria Whelan

April 23rd, 2008 at 8:56am |

Audience: 10 and up

Rating: B-

Synopsis:

Rachel Sheridan loves her life in Africa where her parents are missionaries and run a hospital and school. But when both of her parents die from influenza, Rachel is taken in by the scheming Pritchards, who involve her in their money-making schemes and send her away to England. Rachel longs for her old life on the African plains but will she ever see them again?

Chatter:

(Spoiler Alerts! ) I liked this book, but I didn’t love it. I’m searching for a book about Africa that I just LOVE, so if you find one please let me know. There were some interesting parts of this book and it kept me entertained throughout, but I also found it to be very predictable. Those were my main complaints about the book - that there wasn’t enough about Africa and the plot seemed predictable.

I found myself getting annoyed with Rachel. I didn’t think that the arguments the Pritchards used to trick her into going to London were strong enough. Anyone with basic common sense would see through the flimsy lies that Rachel would be responsible for Grandfather’s death if she didn’t go. I guess Rachel can be partially excused because she’s never known anything but a simple African village and her two missionary parents.