Review: "The Hunky-Dory Dairy"

The Hunky-Dory Dairy by Anne Lindbergh
5 out of 5 stars

I woke up last Saturday (a week ago) with a sore throat. I thought it was just allergies (or me snoring too much lol) but by that evening I had a fever of 102. Eep! Turned out I had strep throat and let me tell you, if you have never had it, you do NOT want it! I've always gotten sore throats when I get sick, but never strep, and it was not fun. At all. I spent the next 3 days mostly sleeping and moving from my bed to my comfy chair with my cat following me. The worst part about being sick was having no energy to even read! That was awful! By Tuesday though, I was able to concentrate a little so I decided to pick up my favorite "feeling bad or down" go-to book...The Hunky-Dory Dairy. :)

When I was a kid, I would check this book out at the library like every other visit. I didn't get my own copy until a few years ago when I found a hardbound, library copy on Amazon and knew I had to have it. I'm not sure what it is about this book that I love so much...it's a simple quick read with a plot that's been done before and probably better. But, I don't know...I just adore it.

It starts off with eleven year old Zannah McFee going out to buy milk and a newspaper for her mom's birthday. The book is set in the mid-1980s, which is pretty funny in itself. But then, Zannah hitches a ride in a milk truck (don't ask me why, I have no idea) and ends up on this dairy farm in the middle of Washington Park. She saves a little boy from drowning in the pond and meets the family that lives there, but there is something very odd about them. It seems the 7 people living on the farm have been transplanted from the 1880s by an evil man called Rudge.

The milkman, Peter, is the only one who has ever been able to see them, until Zannah and then her mother Patty. Zannah and the young girl on the farm, Utopia, become fast friends and are soon teaching each other all about their respective lives. Zannah introduces Utopia to bubble gum (which she hates), blue jeans (loves), and a mini handheld transistor radio (run by little devils lol). Utopia shows Zannah how to make real butter and applesauce, they go sledding down a snow-covered hill and spend tons of time outdoors.

This book would be great for kids ages 8-12ish or anyone interested in time-travel, fantasy, dairy farms. ;) I am constantly looking for copies of this along with The People of Pineapple Place (another classic in my eyes) whenever I go to Half Price to save for giveaways or gifts. It's just a great little book. Okay I'm done waxing poetic lol...I hope to have some "real" reviews up this week too so stay tuned!