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Heidi

ebook
1 of 1 copy available
1 of 1 copy available

When an aunt drops five-year-old Heidi off to live with her grandfather in the Alps—the two of them alone in a small hut on a hill—she's initially very lonely. Soon, however, she comes to appreciate her new, simple life; she loves walking through the pastures with her friend Peter the goatherd and spending quiet time with her grandfather. Three years later, Heidi's aunt returns to take her to the town to become a companion for Clara, a sick little girl of a wealthy family. But even though Heidi bonds with Clara and brings new life to the household, she becomes more and more homesick and wants desperately to return to her grandfather.
Since its original publication in Switzerland in 1880, Johanna Spyri's classic story has delighted generations of children. The book has been translated into more than fifty languages and has sold over fifty million copies. Simple writing, a lovely, relatable plot, and a recognition of the importance of family and nature make Heidi a great book for families to read aloud. Now with charming full-color photographs of the scenery around which Heidi would have grown up, this is a fantastic gift for children at any time of year.

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  • Reviews

    • Publisher's Weekly

      September 2, 1996
      This truncated retelling of orphan Heidi's simple life in the Swiss Alps and her sojourn in the big city seems almost as indebted to the Shirley Temple film as to Johanna Spyri's 1880 novel. Krupinski's (A New England Scrapbook) heroine mimics Temple, curls, button nose and all, though she lacks the actress's expressive smile and gestures. Similarly blank-faced characters contrast with Krupinski's serene, lushly idealized landscape paintings: the people seem like wax dolls, but the glowing blankets of flowers make the Alps heaven on earth. The text emphasizes the sensual joys of fresh goat's milk, fir trees "with their piney scent," Heidi's sweet-smelling bed in her grandfather's hay loft, etc., but that is its only demonstrable strength. Both Heidi's relationship with her grandfather and the idealized subplot about wheelchair-bound Klara's learning to walk are woodenly described; little space is given to dialogue and even less to Heidi's emotions. The plot, too, is severely condensed: "Many more good things happened after that day." The book succeeds as a portrayal of the joys of mountain life, but otherwise fails to do justice to Spyri's story of a girl's courage and persistence. Ages 5-9.

    • Publisher's Weekly

      October 13, 2003
      Spyri's classic tale of an orphaned girl sent to live with her gruff, hermit-like grandfather in the Swiss Alps gets some spring in its step via British actress Gallagher's bright interpretation. Sweet, inquisitive Heidi doesn't take long to begin chipping away at her grandfather's grumpy exterior and melting his heart. She also makes fast friends with Peter the goatherd and his family, all of which helps her adjust—and grow to adore—her new rural life. But an unexpected summons back to the city she left behind threatens to ruin everything. Fans already know the happy ending, which never seems to grow stale. Like so many of the best audiobook narrators, Gallagher excels at distinguishing her roster of character voices, young, old, male, female. Classical music selections sprinkled in and around the track changes and breaks in the text include "Scandinavian Festival" by Grieg, "Slavonic Dances" by Dvorak and a selection of Norwegian violin pieces—all helping to set a bucolic scene. Ages 8-up.

Formats

  • OverDrive Read
  • EPUB ebook

Languages

  • English

Levels

  • Lexile® Measure:1000
  • Text Difficulty:5-7

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