The 21 Balloons 1948 Medal Winner ****

The 21 Balloons is a story of a man who decided to travel around the world in a hot air balloon. But one seagull changed all that, and his trip took a very different turn. Stranded on Krakatoa island just before the famous 1883 explosion, he meets 20 families who live quite comfortably in a society based on cuisine and eating out. He is later found alone, ill and traumatized. The whole world is anxious to hear his story, but he'll only tell it in San Francisco to his explorers club.

This is a fun book for children. The author states that he mixed truth with fiction with no attempt to separate the two. The book has several suspenseful moments which would make it fun as a read aloud in a classroom. I have to admit I'm now wanting to research Krakatoa and try to find exactly what did happen.

Rabbit Hill1945 Medal Winner **

Rabbit Hill is the story of a family of rabbits and their neighbors hoping that the New Folks moving into the empty home will plant a garden so that they'll have food to eat. The story focuses on their son Little Georgie and his adventures. The animals are shocked to discover that not only do the New Folks plant a garden, but believe in being kind to animals as well.

I tried to give this story the benefit of being 60+ plus years old when reading it, but it was still not very good. The other books written in this decade that I have read are much more compelling. I just couldn't seem to get past the fact that these rabbits are able to build a home, can food, make soup, sew clothes, write letters, but unable to grow a garden? This fact might have been overlooked by children six decades ago, but I think kids today wouldn't willingly suspend their belief that these animals can't feed themselves. It's a harmless story and children who enjoy animals might like it.