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Heidi
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A lot or a little?
The parents' guide to what's in this book.
What parents need to know
Parents need to know that this classic story is beautifully written, but not to every modern child's taste.
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User Reviews
- Parents say
- Kids say
Heidi Johanna Sypri-must read for anyone 8 years and up!
heidi a careing child
What's the story?
Orphaned Heidi is taken to live with her grandfather, a grumpy hermit. But the bond of love that grows between them is disrupted when Heidi is taken to live in the city as a companion to an invalid girl. This classic story has lost none of its joy and power, but its slow pace and old-fashioned ethos is not for everyone.
Is it any good?
Heidi's life on the mountain is vivid and joyous, told with such resonance that kids who have the temperament and experience to listen to a story of this length and pacing dream of such a life.
Many wonderful books have been done in by bad movie versions, and Shirley Temple did a lot to give HEIDI a bad name. But there's a reason this book has stayed in print for well over a century.
Her misery in the city, the middle third of the book, is vivid as well, and readers long with Heidi to get back to the healthy, sun-filled mountains. The final portion, with the healing of Clara, is, despite its predictability, exciting and moving. The rock-solid values the author espouses may seem simple and old-fashioned today, but you may find yourself longing for them again -- and immersing your child in them can only be healthy. This theme of the healing power of nature and optimism was a favorite in an earlier age.
Talk to your kids about ...
Families can talk about learning from experience. What does Heidi learn when she first goes up the mountain? How does she respond to the city, and how is she different when she returns to the mountains?
Book details
- Author: Johanna Spyri
- Genre: Literary Fiction
- Book type: Fiction
- Publisher: Simon & Schuster
- Publication date: January 1, 1880
- Publisher's recommended age(s): 9 - 12
- Number of pages: 285
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