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It's just slightly more challenging than Frog and Toad Are Friends. The story is about a kid walking over a snowy hill and hoping that he won't see any bears. This book is made to be read aloud. I got a kick out of Helen Selwell's illustrations and Dalgliesh's use of music and rhythm. I feel like the publishing industry doesn't put the same thought and care into early chapter books that they used to. Jones and the Stupid Smelly Bus. This is what those mid to late-range phonics books should be like.

The Bears on Hemlock Mountain by Alice Dalgliesh – Hope Is the Word

A great story that is repetitive in its language and rhythm and rhyme and feels more like a traditonal tale than one that has been cobbled together to hit high frequency words. This is an American tale which has been built on an old Pennsylvainian folk tale. It tells the story of a young boy who is sent over a hill Hemlock Mountain to fetch a great iron cooking pot from his aunt. He is worried throughout that the bears of the m This is what those mid to late-range phonics books should be like.

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He is worried throughout that the bears of the mountain will wake from their slumber and get him but because of his kind nature with the animals on the hill, his fate turns out far better than it could have. This is an excellent read-aloud story with plenty of repetition that children would enjoy joining in with. I also think the story lends itself incredibly well to drama and I like that, throughout the text, there are stylistic choices which would be exciting and new to a newly confident reader.

Nov 21, Wendy rated it liked it Shelves: I'm reading all the Newbery Honor books from the year Charlotte's Web got an Honor instead of winning, to see if any of them are any good. I could not be more puzzled by this book's Newbery Honor. The Newbery is awarded for the "most distinguished work"; presumably the Honors are given for "distinguished work"; and distinguished is the last word I'd use to describe this ordinary easy-reader.

It isn't particularly funny, or poetic, or exciting; it doesn't present a moral in a profound way. They I'm reading all the Newbery Honor books from the year Charlotte's Web got an Honor instead of winning, to see if any of them are any good. They might as well have picked any book from the easy-reader shelf.

The author received an Honor for a previous very different book, or I might think that's exactly what the committee did, but committees love those previous honorees. I would seriously love to read a transcript of this particular committee's meetings, because I can't understand what went on.

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I'm thinking of writing a Da Vinci Code-style novel about it. Jun 14, Christy rated it really liked it. This doesn't have great reviews, but I thought it was great and Asher really enjoyed it too. I admit I have a penchant for old-fashioned kids' books that I'm attempting to pass down to my kids. Maybe that's why we liked it, but it was also a simple, sweet story with just the right amount of scary for early readers or listeners, in our case.

Jul 24, Cynthia Egbert rated it liked it Shelves: As I continue to cross off a variety of lists that have been on my to-read list for a long time. This one is a Newbery Award that I thought I had not yet read. I was wrong, I actually remember reading it as a child and loving it. Being a mountain gal, I laugh at the description of Hemlock "Mountain" but it sets the stage well for a cute story. Apr 27, Kalaam Juarez rated it really liked it. I liked how descriptive this book was.

It was a nice short story. Nov 09, Shanna Gonzalez rated it really liked it Shelves: Jonathan and his family live at the foot of the big hill that is called Hemlock Mountain. One spring, expecting many relatives for a feast, his mother sends him over Hemlock Mountain to fetch a large iron pot from his aunt.

All of the adults except his Uncle James, who has taught him how to observe wildlife believe that there are no bears on Hemlock Mountain, but Jonathan isn't so sure. Still, he makes it across without meeting any. At his aunt's house he eats too many cookies and falls asleep Jonathan and his family live at the foot of the big hill that is called Hemlock Mountain. At his aunt's house he eats too many cookies and falls asleep, starting home just as the sun begins to set.

There he sees some bears, and hides under the pot. His father and uncles come to rescue him just in time, and he proudly presents the pot to his mother. This brief book is masterfully crafted, and through Dalgiesh's easy-to-read prose the young reader gets a picture of Jonathan's close-knit, loyal, and sometimes overwhelming colonial family. In one day Jonathan experiences the pleasures of the outdoors, the comforts of the hearth, and the terror of a small child alone at night.

The story is really about dealing with fear, and the characters try to deal with the possibility of bears through denial. Sensitive children might be troubled by the scene in which Jonathan meets the bears, but his quick rescue provides a comforting end to this suspenseful story. This is a great early chapter book, either for young listeners or young readers. The newest edition of this book has a cover that seems more scary than the story actually merits, so I recommend an earlier edition. The end felt so out of character with the rest of the book. Most of the book is spent with Jonathan, the 8 year old boy who makes his first trip over the mountain.

He brings snacks for different kinds of wildlife he might meet and on the way back He hides under the large iron kettle he is bringing back and the bears run off when the boy's father and u 3. He hides under the large iron kettle he is bringing back and the bears run off when the boy's father and uncles approach. Jonathan has to convince them that he really did see a bear by pointing out the tracks. The boy and his father head for home and his uncles head off with their rifles and shoot the bears. This is suggested anyways in the book when the boy hears the shot fired and the father states that they will probably be eating bear steaks that night.

I'm not anti-hunting and hunting themes have not bothered me in other stories.

It just feels so weird in this book. Sep 21, Emily added it Shelves: So did the parents just not want to admit to themselves that there were bears that could possibly eat their son? And all because Mom needed a giant stew pot. I just risked my 8 year old life for it. Really adds to the story. This review also appears on my blog, Read-at-Home Mom. When he stays too long at his aunt's house and ventures home in the dark, however, it becomes clear that there are bears on Hemlock Mountain - and Jonathan must outsmart them if he's to make it home safe and sound!

It is surprising to me how many reviewers on Goodrea This review also appears on my blog, Read-at-Home Mom. It is surprising to me how many reviewers on Goodreads are critical of the Newbery committee which awarded this book an Honor in Perhaps it is the simplicity of the story - which is most appropriate for beginning readers - that turns them off, but as I write this review weeks after finishing the book, I am struck by how many details and images have stuck with me. The writing may be spare and straightforward, but the author has a real talent for bringing scenes to life using very few words.

When I worked in the library, kids would often ask for easy-to-read adventure books and there were really very few that suited their interests. This story, with its strong sense of suspense and surprising climax is exactly the kind of book that would have satisfied those readers. Not only would they relate to Jonathan, who is very much an ordinary kid, they would also enjoy imagining how they would act in his place, and how it might feel to be on an independent journey so late at night.

This book is every bit as wonderful as The Courage of Sarah Noble and it covers the same concept - of bravery - from the male point of view. Both books are great for beginning readers to tackle on their own or for families to read aloud together. I pick books up like these because they are considered award winning or nominated literature and because I think it important to explore the reading world, even the parts that might not initially interest me. Peeking through a window to see the past of what is claimed as good examples of ordinary families back in their time, I thought this one was lacking in principle.

Call me modern, but without a defining moral to make this story stand out to leave a strong, good impression, it was just abou I pick books up like these because they are considered award winning or nominated literature and because I think it important to explore the reading world, even the parts that might not initially interest me. The story is short, with blue, black, and white pictures decorating nearly every page, however, the pictures do little to help inspire.

I would recommend the other one and you can read this one if someone hands it to you for free. Apr 16, Josiah rated it it was ok. I would probably give this book one and a half stars. It has a nice regional Pennsylvania feel to it, something that means a lot to me personally due to my family's close connections in the rural section of the state. The Bears on Hemlock Mountain is not typical of what usually received Newbery Honor nods, but it is written in the same Alice Dalgliesh style that garnered her two additional Newbery Honor citations.

May 07, Svalora rated it liked it. Listened to this book -- truly a timeless tale of courage -- although I'm not sure that many children of today could relate! I do plan to share it with my granddaughter when she's old enough to understand, but probably won't be recommending it in the library anytime soon! Aug 29, Lilac Mohr rated it it was amazing Shelves: The story is a lot of fun and the kids were engaged the whole time.

I especially love the references to nature. By the end of the book, we were all chanting "There are no bears on Hemlock Mountain. No bears at all! Dec 22, Ms. An early chapter book for young readers about an eight-year-old boy who travels over a mountain to borrow a huge iron kettle from his aunt. Sep 08, Kate Schwarz rated it it was amazing Shelves: Cute story of a young boy doing a grown-up errand: The suspense around the question: May 24, SamZ rated it liked it. Cute, but nothing special. I liked the easy-to-read format and this would be a great beginning reader for kids interested in westerns or pioneer stories.

As the boy went through the woods, it grew more and more interesting. Jul 29, Kat Capocasale rated it it was amazing.

Bears on Hemlock Mountain

This was the first book I ever read by myself! Nov 14, Sue rated it really liked it. This is a classic and a fun to read book that I remembered form my childhoood. The repetitive phrase- There are no Bears on Hemlock Mountain-is throughout this short book. You venture up a mountain with a young boy who is sent to get a large cooking pot for a large family get together. The boy loves small animals and brings them tidbits to enjoy as he realizes the winter weather makes foraging difficualt for the rabbits, squirrels and others.

He delays at the home of his aunt as he sits and eats This is a classic and a fun to read book that I remembered form my childhoood. His mom tells him to make sure that he is home before dark. What does he find out? With 10 short chapters this can be read aloud in one sitting or enjoyed over a longer period of time. Our kids had to know how it ended so I had to keep reading! For children reading this themselves there are plenty of illustrations to accompany the short chapters. Jonathan is a boy of eight years old, living on a farm with his parents.

He loves to watch nature with his young Uncle James. Life was much simpler then so sending a child over the hill for a big pot was normal. The illustrations, although dated, still work. Meat has to be hunted to provide food for the family. I purchased this book in paperback. I was not required to write a review but chose to do so. I remember reading this as a child. I bought it for my son to encourage him to read chapter stories for himself, and he likes it too.

Most helpful customer reviews on Amazon. The Bears on Hemlock Mountain is a must-read book. It's about a boy who goes into the mountains to get a big iron pot from his aunt and he meets bear cubs on Hemlock Mountain. It's an adventure story with a good ending, but I won't spoil it for you. I'm 12 and I would recommend this book for any age even if you can't read yet. Maybe your mom or dad could read it to you if you can't read yet. This is an outstanding story for young readers. Jonathan was an eight-year-old boy who lived at the foot of Hemlock Mountain and wanted more than anything to see a bear.

He was told again and again that there were no bears on Hemlock Mountain, but when he was sent on an errand over the mountain and had to return after dark, he had an opportunity to find out whether that was true. My paperback has 59 unnumbered pages with a black and white illustration on almost every page.

The story is suspenseful but not unduly scary for young children, and without belaboring the point, it shows love in an extended family of parents, children, aunts, uncles, and cousins. I would recommend it for all children, and as an older adult and a retired teacher, I enjoyed it, too. This book is one of my favorite for emergent readers who are in that hazy zone between picture books and chapter books. The story is simple and wonderful.

My favorite part is the mother stamping out cookies as she worries. Alice Dalgliesh is masterful in her ability to think like a child. Simply wonderful and I am looking forward to sharing this with my boys as I did my girls. This book is so enjoyable. I can read it out loud to my little kids 5 and 3 in about a half an hour and it's a huge favorite at my house.

Great read-aloud story that is quick to pick up and put down. My 3yo and 8yo loved it. They still like to chant the theme "There are no bears on Hemlock Mountain No bears at all. Unlimited One-Day Delivery and more. There's a problem loading this menu at the moment.


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