Poppy and Ereth by Avi

Poppy and Ereth Reviews

• 
  Gabriella

  Such a cute and heartwarming story!
• 
  Janeen-san

  Poppy and Ereth, the last book in the Poppy Stories, begins with a tragic death (I won't tell you who's!) and from there onward, Grandma Poppy embarks on a fantastic adventure that goes sky-high, making enemies and many unexpected friends and allies.
  Meanwhile, Ereth the grumpy porcupine wonders if he has indeed lost his only friend forever. He himself learns lots of new things on an adventure of his own. Like how to smile :)
  
  This book was a very satisfying conclusion to the Poppy books! I wouldn't have discovered it if I hadn't a Goodreads account :)
  I savored every fresh word, delighted in the surprises they gave me as, one by one, they formed the last book in the Poppy Stories. I loved reading it!
  
  
  
• 
  Susan

  Love me some grumpy old Ereth, the porcupine! What a wonderful childrens series!
• 
  Irene

  This is the last book of the Tales of Dimwood Forest series.
  
  In the introduction, the author specifically states that he "worked hard to join many of the characters, events, and memories of the previous five books." With that kind of set-up, I was especially disappointed that Mephitis, Nimble, Tumble, and Flip did not appear in this book. A passing mention was made of the three foxes, but I would have liked to have seen them interact with Ereth again. At the very least, it would have been nice to find out if they ever did visit Ereth. Moreover, Mephitis's complete absence was particularly troublesome because the previous book led us to believe that he and Ereth would be living together, like a family. So, what happened to him!?
  
  Ereth, one of my favorite characters throughout the series, also left me feeling disappointed. Yes, he was grumpy and short-tempered, but he loved Poppy, and he was not self-centered. His bizarre speech and behavior at Poppy's "funeral" seemed to be out of character for him.
  
  I think a forest fire as a central plot element was good, but was it really necessary to burn the whole forest down? Destroying all of Dimwood Forest seemed too final, as if the end of our time with Poppy should be equivalent to the end of Dimwood Forest, period. I would have preferred to say goodbye to Poppy and Ereth while also preserving the knowledge that future generations of wildlife would make their homes and find their own adventures within the same forest. Yes, this book left us with one small sign of hope... but it just wasn't enough for me. What would happen to all the wildlife in the meantime?
  
  Also, I just didn't like the idea of Ragweed's earring being the cause of the fire. Rather than the fire simply being an act of nature, it's almost as if Ragweed and Poppy (with her decision to put the earring in the tree) were direct causes of the mass destruction. That just seemed wrong.
  
  Still, after all that, this book managed a 3-star rating from me. I liked the way Junior had matured. I liked Spruce, Luci, and the whole bat colony. I even lamented the fact that Rye never saw the beauty of a bat cave. I liked the way Poppy and Bounder formed an alliance in the face of a common threat, similar to the way the animals were united against the threat of man in Ereth's Birthday. And, I like that neither Poppy nor Ereth died.
• 
  Karen

  3.5 <3
• 
  MCPLD Youth Department

  Very funny and fun. Great for animal-lovers.
• 
  Wendy

  Cute story for the whole family.
• 
  Jackie

  It is always so interesting to see, that Goodreads immediately shows this book as #5 in a series. If I had read the back of the CD case, I would also have known this.
  I should and would have enjoyed this book more if the animal thinking was consistent: Ereth sees Poppy fly in the air, going up and up. He immediately thinks that she, after she disappears from sight, that she is at her home. He goes there, and is disappointed that she is not there. Ereth then thinks that she is dead, and when another animal goes into Poppy's home to look for her, Ereth is impatient, since he knows for sure that Poppy is not among the living.
  Ugh.
• 
  Katherine

  The kids and I have loved this series and found it to be a fitting conclusion (though we do still have to go back and read some of the previous books we missed). We loved the humor and enjoyed the easy way Avi introduced us to nature, animal habitats, etc. I also appreciated the tender but very real way Avi incorporated death, grief, and loss into these books. I worried it might be too much for my kids, but it wasn't. The kids re-listen to the audio versions and have included characters and plot points into every day conversation - these characters have become family. We will definitely read them again.
• 
  Lynn

  This is #6 in the Perma-Bound edition I read.
  I was wondering how Avi would bring these adventures to a close - series have a tendency to lag as they drag on. This did not disappoint!
  I can't decide which episode is my favorite, but I'm leaning to this one. Avi cleverly reminds the reader of all the past adventures, tragedies, and mishaps; and leaves us with the feeling that there is always another adventure just around the corner.
  If bats, foxes, porcupines and mice can be friends, can us humans do any less?? So much in this series to discuss with young readers!
• 
  Marcie Sextro

  Poppy and Ereth is part of a larger series and I have read a few of them. I keep going back to the series because of the characters. The brave and adventurous Poppy's life is full of what all of our lives have, joy, pain, and family. Her best friend, Ereth the grumpy porcupine is front and center in this edition of the series and as always brings such realism to the story. For me, creating a world of animals and their stories has always been a fascinating world and I enjoy entering into that world for a time.
• 
  Sierra The Book Addict

  A sassy book of how age is just a number, how friends will always care for you, and how friends can be made anywhere. Poppy grieves for her late husband Rye goes on a brilliant adventure to a bat colony due to a misidentification from a young bat. Ereath believes Poppy’s dead and plans her funeral. So fun!
• 
  Kristina Wise

  This is not a good book to read when you've recently lost someone. There is tragedy after tragedy and a heightened sense of fear throughout the whole book. Of course everything turns out okay in the end, but there wasn't much humor or lightheartedness like in some of the other books in this series.
• 
  Dana

  We will miss Ereth! What a great series!
• 
  Cheryl

  This series is a favorite read for my 9 year old daughter. She especially enjoyed the porcupine, Ereth, and his grumpy attitude.
• 
  Rebecca

  What a fabulous series! We are so sad to have come to the end of the Dimwood Forest series!
• 
  Jen Traub

  Perfect end to the Poppy saga.
  
  Still love Ereth! He reminds me of my grandpa.
• 
  Cassie

  A very sweet end to a very sweet series.
• 
  Megan

  Ereth is one of my favorite characters ever.
• 
  Allison Gaspar

  Loved this series. The boys were sad when it ended.
• 
  PottWab Regional Library

  SM
• 
  Indi Guckert

  one of the best
• 
  Ammie

  A nice ending to the series. I recommend Poppy, Ereth's Birthday and this one. The other three could be skipped without losing any of the story.
• 
  R

  Great end to a great series!! My son and I loved reading these.
• 
  Susanna

  Really liked this series as a child. I was glad to come back and read this one.