Books like Heidi Grows Up

3.5 stars. We loved first few chapters of this book and expected this to be a 5 star read. The description of Heidi's start at school, her strict teachers and room mate who announced she didn't want to share a room with a peasant were very engaging. The description of her visit home to the mountains and her friendship with Jamy and her relationship with Grandfather were wonderful, we enjoyed the way Heidi slipped back into the life she loved and we enjoyed discovering the goats personality quirks. The book then fast forwarded to Heidi finishing school and coming back to the village to teach. The storyline about Chel went on a bit and took up most of the second half of the book. I felt the message that although Chel was guilty off one thing, doesn't mean he's done another was told in a very heavy handed way, although perhaps at the time this was a new idea and not as obvious as it seems to a reader today. We appreciated the fact that Peter, on learning one of the male goats he looks after is to be sent to the butcher, uses his hard earned money to rescue him to keep as a companion. We did enjoy this but the first half of the book was much stronger than the second.