Phyllis Reynolds Naylor is one of my favorite children's authors, so I decided to read Emily's Fortune, which was published last year. The book features a quiet 8-year-old named Emily Wiggins, who at the beginning of the story finds herself suddenly orphaned when her mother is killed in a carriage accident. Emily's Uncle Victor is her closest blood relation, but she does not want to live with him because she knows he is unkind. Emily's Aunt Hildy offers to become her guardian, so Emily boards a stagecoach to travel to Aunt Hildy's home. It is during this journey that Emily's adventures ensue. Despite its tragic beginning, the book is really very funny. For example, Emily's neighbors are named Mrs. Ready, Mrs. Aim, and Mrs. Fire. Emily's fellow passengers on the stagecoach are a riot. I especially enjoyed Petunia and Marigold's shameless flirting with Uncle Victor, and Jock's tendency to get the names of things wrong.
At 146 pages, with plenty of illustrations and large type, this is a short, easy-to-read story that would be a good one to recommend to middle grade students looking for a quick read for a book report due tomorrow.
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