Foreword magazine called it “an enchanting story with significant emphasis on the values of friendship and family.” This book that’s brought tears and laughter to so many readers, is a novel that we tend to take for granted. It emphasizes friendship and family before all else. If you enjoyed reading the wonderful adventures of E.B. White’s Charlotte’s Web, then you will truly come to love George’s Pond. It’s become very popular among elementary school libraries and junior highs across the country. It handles the inevitability of the cycle of life with more skill and wisdom than any novel since E.B. White wrote Charlotte’s Web. This novel can be found at any on-line bookstore like Amazon.com or BarnesandNoble.com.
The full title is George’s Pond, Created in the Beloved Tradition of Charlotte’s Web, by author Scott C. Waring. In this187 page novel, a curious character sprouts up. His name is George and he is a fearless and entertaining little turtle.
The full title is George’s Pond, Created in the Beloved Tradition of Charlotte’s Web, by author Scott C. Waring. In this187 page novel, a curious character sprouts up. His name is George and he is a fearless and entertaining little turtle.
When the sun begins drying up his shallow puddle of water and the hungry crow’s overhead threatens George, his future seems bleak until a boy and his dog stumble upon the turtle in the nick of time. The ten-year old boy called West and his dog Friendly take the turtle home to an old two-story farmhouse. There the boy names the turtle after George Washington, his favorite president. Not long after this, the boy rescues a baby gray squirrel that he names Nadia.
The boy learns that all three animals can speak, and only he understands them. This brings them closer together during many great adventures of exploring the back yard. West shows the turtle his remote controlled helicopter, which is quickly commandeered by George and used in many of their travels in the back yard. Their bonds of friendship grow until they can no longer see each other’s differences, but instead look upon one another as family.
An eviction notice by the local bank informs the owners that either they pay up all past payments, or must leave the property within 30 days. The looming eviction causes West and his three friends to begin to wonder what will happen if they lose the house and property, but is far outweighed by the threat of losing each other forever.
George, Nadia and Friendly, decide to explore the attic. They discover an old map hanging on the wall. It’s a map of the back yard showing what it looked like before the house was built. Upon the map they found B.B.’s Gold Mine. They realized the significance of their find and began the hunt for the lost mine.
Time was not on their side; only a few days still remained before the bank took away their farm. They soon found B.B.’s Gold Mine. The mines entrance went downward into the ground where they found a vast maze of tunnels till they came upon a large room. Within the huge cave was a shallow pond that was forty meters in diameter. Thousands of tiny lighting bugs lit up the cave wall with their tiny bottoms glowing powerfully.
George swims along the shallow cave pond and attempts to explore its bottom for any gold nuggets that might still remain. Friendly and Nadia search the area around its edges. As the little turtle was swimming across the pond, he found a small island at its opposite end. Upon the island he discovered something greater than gold, his long lost grandfather. He teaches the little turtle the meaning of freedom, the history of his family and the importance of loyalty to those you love.
When the boy confronts the large turtle, he discovers that this aged turtle once, belonged to his Father, but had been set free because he loved his turtle and wanted it to be happy.
In the end, George the turtle, Friendly the farm dog and Nadia the silver squirrel manage to find a large gold nugget, thanks to the old turtle they meet on the island. Nadia gets legions of squirrels to make a walking carpet to carry the gold nugget upon. Upon this cute and furry carpet, the farm boy and his pets carry the gold down the street all the way through the small town until they reach the bank. There they deliver the gold to the bank manager, who was just three minutes from closing the bank for the day.
Overall, this book will enthrall both children and adults alike. Readers will defiantly find marvelous and useful life lessons within these pages, from being kind to those who are different, to helping those who are in need. George’s Pond is a fantastic story for all ages, and will make you both laugh and cry throughout this awe-inspiring tale.
