Baked beans for breakfast, Ruth Chew (0)

Ruth Chew
’’ Baked beans for breakfast ’’
Ruth Chew(1920-2010) was an American children ’s author and illustator of over 20 books . Ruth was born in Minneapolis, Minnesota on April 8, 1920. She graduated from Western High School in 1936 and studied at the Corcoran Art School for four years . In 1953, she moved into the row house in Brooklyn , which is the setting for many of her books. The books usually centered around magic . Most of these were published in the 1970s and 1980s. Ruth Chew passed away on May 13, 2010 at the age of 90.
The story takes place in the 1970s, mostly in Hawley and Brooklyn. The main characters are Joe and Kathleen Dennis. They are two adventurous children, a brother and sister . Kathleen is two years younger than his brother. Other important characters are: Mrs. McCafferty (babysitter), Miss Williams ( friendly old woman ), Hank and Jo-Ann and Charley (Joe’s and Kathleen’s new friends ), Arthur and Bill Garvey (two mean boys), Mr. Grenson (the Lake Warden).
The book talks about, how Joe and Kahtleen run away from their babysitter Mrs.McCafferty, who they don’t like at all. Their parents are in Europe . At the beginning of the book the children catch a bus to their family’s sumer vacation community, all at their own. When they arrive , they buy supplies and camp in the woods . During their trip they make new friends, but also get into fight with two mean boys, do some chores for an old lady (Miss Williams), get lost , build a cabin and go fishing , swimming and sailing . After Joe and Kathleen have done some chores for Miss Williams, they buy a boat and camp on an island in the middle of the lake. Soon a rainstorm starts, but luckily they get rescued by the Lake Warden before the island disappears under water. In the end the kids get permission to stay with Miss Williams for the rest of the summer and they do’t have to return to Mrs.McCafferty
I think the book was too predictable and a little bit boring for me, but younger readers will certainly enjoy it. For a children’s book, I think it’s great.
Some of the phrases and words I find interesting :
Porch – veranda
Leave someone stranded - kedagi hätte/kitsikusse jätma
Catch sight of something - midagi korraks nägema
Take a fancy to somebody - kedagi eelistama, kellegile meeldima hakama
Beat someone to the punch – midagi tegema enne, kui keegi teine seda teeb
Have one’s heart set on something – midagi väga lootma , ihkama, tahtma