Posted in Book Reviews

William Simonds wrote seven books in a series called The Aimwell Stories, so called for the reason that he wrote the series under the psudonym of Walter Aimwell. Plus, (at least in Ella  ) the main character "aims well" to do something. In this case, Ella is trying to (and succeeds, I might add.  )Turn a New Leaf.

Ella, or Turning a New Leaf is the third in the series, nearly 300 pages, and was written in 1855. Though I have not as of yet read the first two (Oscar, or The Boy Who Had His Own Way and Clinton, or Boy Life in the Country) or any other in the series, I found that Ella was very easily a stand-alone book.

The author did a very good job of filling you in with what led up to this book, without making it seem like it. The story is of how a girl who teases her brothers, is lazy in housework, dislikes writting composition, and other things "turns a new leaf.

Some events in this book include Ella's mother and older sister going to a relative's for a visit, while her aunt comes in their place. Her aunt helps her with her compositions, tells her brother and herself stories - about a selfish man who meets fairies, and other ones. Her family also has a party with some of their friends, with a picture of a maze and instuctions for a game or two that they play in the book.

There are many subjects covered in this book. For instance, everything is told from a Biblical perspective. Ella couldn't have been able to succeed in her effort to turn a new leaf without God's help. Writing is also covered, with the author giving a critique of a couple compositions which, in the story, Ella and her brother Ralph write as a contest that their Aunt Fanny gives. The prize was this picture, which was one of the many illustrations in the book.

When Aunt Fanny finds George "torturing" flies by feeding them to a spider, she tells Ella and him about flies and spiders - how flies can land on ceilings, how spiders spin webs, and a few other facts.

I could easily go more in depth about this book, but what would be the fun in you reading it then?

So, 'til next time,

Heather