summer 'beries

We are off to the library where I will inevitably pick up some fresh Newberies (I took a break for a month or so, but I'm ready to jump back in.) So, in the mean time, some reviews:

Out of the Dust by Karen Hesse (1998)

A gut-wrenching story of 14-year-old Billy Jo growing up in the middle of the Oklahoma dust bowl. As if that weren't hard enough, Billy Jo, her mother, and unborn brother suffer through a terrible, maiming, guilt-riddled accident that permanently alters the course of our heroine's life. Told through a series of free verse poetry, the book never dips into sentimentality, but simply and elegantly crafts the standard tale of hope triumphing when it seems that all hope is lost. But this time there is nothing standard about it. I would love to read more by this author.

A Single Shard by Linda Sue Park (2002)


The first Newberry winner about Korea! Woot woot! Sadly, not a super awesome one but still pretty solid. Just like a kimchified version of Young Fu of the Upper Yangtze but not quite as funny, despite it's more recent publication date. A young orphan becomes an apprentice to a grumpy vase maker and hopes to one day get the chance to design his own masterpiece. Kind of bugged that the author used names like "Crane Man" and "Tree Ear" for her characters instead of their traditional Korean names. Smacks of orientalism, which is weird since the author is herself Korean. We do have one of her picture books, however - Bee-Bim Bop! - and it rules the school.

Criss Cross by Lynn Rae Perkins (2006)


I had a love/hate relationship with this book. I loved the characters - they were quirky and funny and were an achingly sweet reminder of early adoloscence. I loved the dreamy, contemplative tone of the book - it really seemed to capture the essence of the self-absorbed, universe-expanding ruminations of a thirteen-year-old. Now that I think about it, I really did like this book quite a bit so maybe "hate" is a strong word to voice my objections. I just really have a thing about gimmicky literary techniques and this book is FULL of them. A whole chapter written in haiku, another written in a question-answer format; cutsie little hand-drawn illustrations scrawled in the margins. Seemed a little try-hard and little late to the post-modern party. But now that I think about it, this is exactly the kind of thing a tweenie reader would get a kick out of. And while it is geared toward an older audience - the main characters are 14 - it is honest, thought-provoking, and beautifully written. With the wealth of trashy tween books out there that hightlight cliques and crushes and vampires, Criss Cross stands out as an example of what these kids could be reading instead.




Summer of the Swans by Betsy Byars (1971)

I don't particularly care for this brand of 70s book. Seriously, did you see the cover? Don't these kinds of books give you the creeps like they do me? Maybe it's just because I have such a Pavlovian response to The Bridge to Terabithia, and this book is cut from the same cloth. I just hate the descriptions of the hair, the clothes, the sneakers, the cars, the TV shows... I can almost see it with the same grainy sepia quality that all movies from the 70s are steeped in. This book just felt like a made-for-TV movie or after school special. Teen Sara is the middle child between a gorgeous older sister (of course) and a mentally handicapped younger brother (okay, I didn't see that one coming, but I applaud Byars' taking it to the next level!) She hates her gawky body (no!), doesn't know how to talk to boys (suprise!), she resents her parents' divorce (shocker), and lives with her surly aunt? grandma? Whatever. The book covers one day in Sara's life - a day that her little brother wanders off to find the swans nesting on the lake for the summer and doesn't return. By the end of the book, the brother is found and Sara learns to care about someone other than herself. The book ends as she departs for a party at a boy's house. Mission accomplished!




Smoky, the Cowhorse by Will James (1927)

While the title of the book provided plenty of laughs, the book itself did not so much. At first, I was astonished at how boring it was. And then I was astonished at how depressing it was. Though the book does gain some significant street cred when you learn that Will James was an actual real-life cowboy in his youth. And then it loses some when you learn that his real name is Earnest DuFault and that he is Canadian. Oh well. Easy come, easy go!

single mom and some newberies

I don't usually broadcast this information on my blog, but my self-pity is overwhelming. Jared is out of town for some work training. We didn't really believe he was going to end up going thanks to the goings-on in DC last week, but when the shutdown was narrowly avoided he packed his bags and took off. When Jared is out of town, I usually console myself by making the kids PBJs for dinner, not cleaning the house, watching girl movies, and starting an enormous home improvement project that Jared would stop me from doing if he were here. This time, however, I have been up with a sick Sammy every night and am now sick myself with a raging fever and sore throat. Not so fun. Painting all the doors in the house, like I had originally planned, sounds a lot more fun. (I did one! Only eight more to go...) So please feel sorry for me. That's all I ask. *sniff, sniff* Because I am unable to do more than lay on the couch in my jammies while Sam watches "Bob the Builder," I thought I could at least add some more Newbery reviews:

Carry On, Mr. Bowditch

by Jean Lee Latham (1956) I could not for the life of me figure out why so many people were dying in this darn book! Our poor main character loses mother, grandmother, beloved sisters, brother, brothers-in-law, and finally a wife. So much for one fictional character to bear! Then I realized Nathaniel Bowditch is not a fictional character but was an early American mathematician from Salem who revolutionized ocean navigation and did indeed lose a lot of family members. Aside from all the dead relatives, Bowditch is an odd choice as a topic for a children's book. All children love to read about innovative mathematicians, right? A ho-hum little book, it combines historical fiction with ocean adventures but not a whole lot else. Though I am fascinated by anyone who can teach himself Calculus. A runner-up this year was Men, Microscopes, and Living Things. Must have been a brainy year for Newbery!

Ginger Pye by Eleanor Estes (1952)

Jerry Pye scrimps and saves to earn a dollar to buy a puppy. After he brings home Ginger, Jerry and sister Rachel are overjoyed and the book promises to unfold into a delightful little tale of two children and their dog. And then Ginger runs away (or, as we find out later, is kidnapped) and doesn't return to the book until nearly the last page. So why is this book called Ginger Pye? He is pretty incidental to the book. It should be called Two Kids Have Some Picnics and Express Mild Concern Over Their Missing Dog For A Year. Yes, a year. The dog is missing for a year. The whole time Ginger is hidden in a neighbor's backyard being trained to be a circus dog. Now that sounds like an interesting book!

Amos Fortune, Free Man by Elizabeth Yates (1951)

Is this weird or what? All the Newbery runners-up for 1951 were biographies: Lincoln, Gandhi, Johnny Appleseed, and - the ultimate winner - Amos Fortune. If you can look past some of the condescending racial conventions of it's day, this really is an inspiring true story of a man taken from Africa at the age of fifteen to live the life of a slave in Salem in the 1700s. Fortune is finally able to purchase his freedom at the age of sixty and begins a new life as a tanner in Jaffrey, New Hampshire. He marries, has a family, and becomes a prominent member of the community of Jaffrey, where you can still visit his grave stone and see a monument to him. I know the story is very sugar-coated, but it is hard not to be moved by the underlying fact of a man beginning his life at the age of sixty and spending his remaining years doing so much good. While this book itself is not terribly intriguing, Amos Fortune the person is. There was a short film produced in 1997, Amos Fortune Road, about trying to find orginal records to preserve his story.

Call It Courage by Armstrong Sperry (1941)

A basic coming-of-age story, Mafatu wants to prove to his tribe and his father (the Chief, of course) that he is not afraid of the sea. Launching from his island home with only his spear, some food, and his dog, Mafatu is on a quest to find his courage and come home a hero. He lands on a deserted island and manages to survive just fine until he discovers the island is really the home to a tribe of cannibals. I hate when that happens! A quick and predictable read, but who doesn't love a good survival book? Also, the author's illustrations are stunning. And is that his real name? Too good to be true!

One of Sperry's woodcut illustrations

newberies: father/son edition

It finally happened, the day I have been dreading since committing to this project. My random number generator turned up no. 56. The Bridge to Terabithia. My most hated childhood book. I am headed to the library to pick it up in a little bit, so wish me luck. Better now than ending on it, right? Wouldn't it have been a cruel twist of fate if 56 had been the last number drawn? Bleh.

So a few more reviews. I apologize that this is really all my blog has consisted of lately. I need to tell my kids to be more funny/cute so I have things to blog about again.

I had a rash of father/son books on my list lately, all from the emerging emotional awareness of the 50s and 60s. Two from the same author, even! (Yes, it is safe to say that Joseph Krumgold has daddy issues.) And some were definitely better than others.

Onion John by Joseph Krumgold (1960)

Joseph Krumgold won two Newberies - for Onion John in 1960 and also for ...And Now Miguel in 1954. (Too bad they weren't handing out Cheesiest Title Awards in 1954 because I am just sure he would have won!) One was pretty good and the other was pretty not so good. I just didn't really care all that much for Onion John. Generic suburban boy - Andy - in generic suburban town befriends the homeless guy who the town has dubbed Onion John and kindly permits to live in the local dump and rifle through their trash for food. Could this possibly be a social commentary about accepting those who are different (Onion John is from an unnamed Easter European country and no one can understand a word he says)? Or about waking up a suburban town to the realities of indigence and poverty? No. Not so much. It's about Andy trying to thwart the plans of his oddly jealous and controlling father who wants nothing more than for Andy to go to MIT and become an astronaut (can you tel this was written in the 60s? An astronaut!) Long story short, after the town ruins Onion John's life by building him a little suburban house (in the dump) and helping him to abandon his medieval ways (growing onions in his bathtub), the little house goes up in flame (Onion John doesn't really understand electricity and starts a fire.) Andy decides they should run away together. Andy's dad intervenes and stops their plans, Onion John leaves the little town he has lived in for 50 years because a little twerp messed up his life and his house burned down, and Andy goes back to bed. The end. The book was condescending and I didn't really get the odd Industry! Technology! theme that was probably much more relevant in 1960. And the relationship between Andy and his dad was creepy. Heck, the relationship between Andy and Onion John was creepy! Not really a book that would resonate with today's kids.

...And Now Miguel by Joseph Krumgold (1954)

I really dreaded reading this book, not only because of the title, but because I really didn't want to read another book by Joseph "I Hate My Father" Krumgold. But this book was surprisingly and happily a lot different from Onion John. Miguel is twelve and a middle child on a sheep ranch in New Mexico. The burning desire of Miguel's heart is to prove to his father that he is old enough to go with him and his older brothers on their annual three month trip to the mountains to let the sheep graze on the lush mountain grass. Miguel is a guileless and believable narrator as he describes the angst and humor of being twelve and not always taken seriously. The desert scenery is lovely and evocative. And Miguel's family is warm, loving, and waaaay more functional than Andy's repressed family. There is an odd bit at the end where Miguel and his older brother Gabriel have an existential discussion about God, fate, and the meaning of the universe. But even that was funny, too. The last few pages, where Miguel finally ascends the mountain with all the men of his family , was genuinely moving. Stick to this one and pass on Onion John.

It's Like This, Cat by Emily Neville (1964)

This book rules the school! From it's crazy cool 1960's title to it's very teen narrator, 14-year old Dave Mitchell, it's a little slice of sixties awesomeness. The underlying theme is how Dave works out his troubles with his uptight, prone-to-lecturing attorney father... a little cliche, I know. But I love the setting, the language, the characters. It seems that most American kids' books in the preceding decades were set in little suburban towns or even the country. This seems to be one of the first to write about a kid who doesn't go hunting for arrowheads or swim in Farmer Brown's pond, but who walks down 42nd St to buy a Coke and who hops a subway to go to the zoo in Brooklyn. I love that Dave says stuff like, "My Pop's going to blow his stack!" and his dad says stuff like "Don't get fresh!" And they talk about Harry Belafonte records and the new show called West Side Story. It would seem so trite if the book was written as a nostalgia piece but instead it's the real thing. And enjoy the cool soundtrack that will inevitably play in your head while you read!

going medieval, newbery-style

I told myself I couldn't check out anymore Newberies until I was all caught up on my reviews. And then I checked out three more today! So much for my resolve. I thought I'd throw a few more reviews on here while I had a minute.



Maybe the Middle Ages are a hot setting for Newberries or maybe it was just the luck of the draw in the last batch I read. Whatever it was, things were very medieval around here. I learned a lot about"flagons" and "mead."

Adam of the Road by Elizabeth Janet Gray (1943)

A mild, non-threatening story about 11-year old Adam traveling with his minstrel father and loyal dog in 13th century England. When the beloved spaniel is stolen, Adam ventures off on his own to find him, meeting many adventures along the way. I have read several of the older Newberies lately and have a huge list of complaints about many of them (blech, Roller Skates!) but this one isn't one of them. True, it wouldn't challenge today's young readers to look at anything in a new way and it doesn't pack any emotional punch, but it is vaguely educational and tells a sweet story. And maybe that's just fine! The book entertained me and put a smile on my face - that's a perfectly acceptable way of standing the tests of time. I also loved the illustrations by Robert Lawson (Newbery winning author of Rabbit Hill.)

Crispin, the Cross of Lead by Avi (2003)

Young boy, alone on the road, in the company of a minstrel....what, is this sounding familiar? This is the Adam of the Road reboot! More grit and more edge for today's kids! Accused of a crime he didn't commit and desperate to learn more about his mysterious heritage, Crispin flees his village and meets up with a minstrel who opens his eyes about the injustic of the feudal system and gives Crispin the courage to fight it. Really well-written (this is Avi's 50th book, after all) and packed full of suspense, this is a fast-paced read that would definitely speak to male readers. Two sequels follow.

The Trumpter of Krakow by Eric P. Kelly (1929)

Hey, how many Poles does it take to read this book? Two - one to read the book, the other to prop his eyelids open while he reads! Ha, ha! Get it? Get my subtle reference to how boring the book was? Okay, so really it was kind of boring. The story of a family fleeing their home with a secret they can only reveal to the King of Poland, there is some element of drama and a fair amount of history in this lengthy read. Based loosely on an old Polish legend about a brave young trumpeter during a Tarter seige of the city in the 13th century. The author was a professor of medieval Polish history so, between interesting plot-driven segments, a lot of the book reads like a text book. The most interesting and poignant part of the book was the author's forward which references Poland's war-torn history and prays that it will now find peace in a new century. The foreward was written in 1926. *sigh*

The Whipping Boy by Sid Flesichman (1987)

Short, playful story of a bratty prince who runs away with his whipping boy, gets into a series of adventures, and returns home humbled, generous, and kind. Run-ins with hilarious characters such as Hold-Your-Nose Billy and Besty and her dancing bear, Petunia. The book took me only 30 minutes to read and is one of the few Newberies I've read that will work for a really young audience. Interestingly, Sid Fleischman is the father of Paul Fleishchman who won the Newbery two years later. Like father, like son!

I know I still have a few medieval Newberies still left on my list - The High King and The Door in the Wall, just to name a few off the top of my head - but I hope my random number generator spares me for a while. Please, no more "flagons"! At least, not for a while.

misty water-colored Newberies

While Eleanor industriously addresses Valentine's next to me, I thought I should put my time to good use and finally begin updating my Newberies. (Though licking envelopes for her while eating Valentine candy wasn't a shabby way to spend the afternoon.)

I have put this off forever because I am really behind. I think I have read a billion Newberies since the last time I posted! Give or take a few. So hopefully I can retrieve more than a vague memory so I can give an honest review. Luckily, the really terrible ones are still giving off enough of a stink in my head that I think I will remember them (Hi, Roller Skates!)

I have decided not to punish you and do all fourteen in one post. Because I would alienate the two readers I have left. I'll just do a few at a time until I'm caught up. Unfortunately, more Newberies get added to the "to review" list every week, so I had better hustle!

Missing May by Cynthia Rylant (1993)

I really like Cynthia Rylant. She writes the Tabby and Mr. Putter series that my kids have loved for years. She does charming and whimsical and kind of philosophical really well. Missing May tries to get there... but I think I'll stick to Mr. Putter. Summer is an orphan who has spent her childhood passed from relative to relative, until her kindly great aunt and uncle take her in. Many happy years ensue! The book begins with the death of May, Summer's great aunt, and the rest of this short-for-a-Newbery book is spent exploring Summer's grief, her uncle's grief, and how they come to terms with their new life. I remember the ending resolving everything, but it was a little vague and mystical how they got there. And I remember being surprised at how little emotional connection I felt with the book. I cry at anything and this book didn't really tug at me. A short read so you won't feel like it's a huge time investment, but if you are looking for a book that explores adolescent grief, I would recommend the lovely Walk Two Moons.

Shadow of a Bull by Maja Wojciechowska (1965)

The story of Manolo, son of a famous - and dead - Spanish bullfighter, facing both his cowardice and his courage in a town where he has very little choice but to follow in his father's footsteps. I really liked this book and read it mostly in one sitting on our 7 hour drive to Seattle over Thanksgiving. I love books where the moral is about having courage to be different, courage to have integrity and to be yourself - something I would love my children to know. It's well-written and the characters are genuine. And, best of all, it comes with a handy glossary of Spanish bullfighting vocabulary. I now know the difference between a matador and a torero! I know all about aficion! And how Manolo sure doesn't have it.

Roller Skates by Ruth Sawyer (1937)

Gah! So glad this book is behind me. The worst kind of pretentious old-timey kids' book. While her family goes to France for a year, Lucinda stays behind in 1890s New York City, lives with her school teacher, and has many adventures on her roller skates. Okay, so maybe being left behind while your parents and 4 little brothers go to Europe would turn anyone into a brat, but I just wanted to throttle Lucinda! Not only is she selfish and obnoxious, she is completely unrelatable for any child. Unless you think most 9 year children quote Shakespeare and put on their own hand-puppet productions of The Tempest. Aside from the standard old-timey plot devices - picnics in the park, magical Christmases, etc - this book is just plain bizarre. In a weird and maudlin turn of events, Lucinda's impoverished and ill little friend dies and another friend is violently - and inexplicably - stabbed to death. And like most 9 year olds, Lucinda isn't traumatized in the least (she's the one who finds the body) but roller skates on home! There are many 4-star reviews for this book on amazon, but don't be fooled! They are all written by oldsters - I can tell this because they use words like "gallant Lucinda" and "Old New York." Maybe it's just me, but I would rather put a fork in my eye than read this book again.

Time to get Eve to swim lessons, so that's it for today. After swimming, we race home, shovel dinner, and then me and the kids head to the church to set up for tonight's youth activity: glow-in-the-dark Capture the Flag. Jared has a meeting that will end at who-knows-when, so I may be stumbling around a dark gym with three small children and 20 teenagers wearing glowsticks. Lucky me! I need to look on the bright side here - at least I won't be reading Roller Skates.

PS. Tai! I remember your request to label all my Newbery posts! I just haven't done it yet because I'm lame. I'll do it soon.

oh, the newberies!

While I was MIA last month, I read voraciously. Along the way, I consumed several Newberies - so many, in fact, that I can't remember them all and have to read through my ALA list just to make sure that I don't leave any out. So please beware - this post will be long and not for the faint of heart!

• The Voyages of Doctor Dolittle by Hugh Lofting (1923) - One of the first in the very prolific Dr. Dolittle series. Old-timey and full of racial stereotypes about "natives" (hey, it was 1923, after all - not nearly as disgraceful as Daniel Boone,) the story is whimsical and playful and a surprisingly quick read. One of Jared's favorite series as a little boy.
  
  
  



• Young Fu of the Upper Yangtze by Elizabeth Lewis (1933) - I really enjoyed this book at the time and I wish I had written this review earlier so it would all still be fresh in my mind. A teenage boy and his mother move to the big city after the death of his father, where the boy becomes an apprentice to a master potter. While the book itself is old and the setting foriegn, the experiences are universal and still feel very contemporary, even 80 years later - making and losing friends, figuring out how to stand on your own feet, discovering what you really care about. A fun read with a heart-warming ending, this book really surprised me. I was expecting a reprise of the same Orientalism found in Shen of the Sea a mere seven years previous, but it couldn't have been more different.

• Invincible Louisa: The Story of the Author of Little Women by Cornelia Meigs (1934) - I read this book as a girl and I think I remember liking it, but not so much this time around. I suppose it is all because I read a real biography of Alcott last year (why can't I remember which one?!) so this old, child's version seemed to ring very untrue. Of course you wouldn't want to paint the real pain and instability of Alcott's life in stark colors to a young reader, but maybe we could be honest? Maybe I was just bugged because the author portrays Alcott's father - transcendentalist Bronson Alcott - as a lovable dreamer who put his family first. In reality, his passionate and nearly insane pursuit of his philosophy selfishly dominated his family's life, leaving them to live completely unsupported in poverty and instability. The Alcotts moved 30 times before Louisa was 20 years old! The real Marmee - Aba Alcott - was a brave, loyal and long-suffering woman. You can see why Jo's father is a rather vague and absent character in Little Woman. At any rate, skip this one and read the newest biography: Louisa May Alcott: The Woman Behind Little Women instead.
  
  


• Miracles on Maple Hill by Virginia Sorensen (1957) - an uncomplicated little story about a father's return from WWII and his family's attempts to heal his wounded spirit by moving to a farm in upstate New York. Kind of charming and heart-warming in all the expected ways, except that I couldn't stand the main character, 9 year old Marley. I think she was supposed to come across as spontaneous and full of joy, but really she was just obnoxious. Hello, Marley! Maybe that's why your Dad is always so crabby! On a side note, I found out that Sorensen is LDS. I wonder if BYU English professor Peter Sorensen is any relation.

• Rifles for Waitie by Harold Keith (1958) - Now this book was a big surprise. Thick, with small print, and a spine that looked like it hadn't been cracked open in all the 50 years it had been collecting dust on the library shelves, it did not look like a winner. But I was quickly drawn in to the story of 16 year old Jeff Bussey, who leaves his Kansas farm and family to join the Union fight in Oklahoma Territory. Thrilling adventures, a heroic main character, and a different angle on the Civil War all make this book a fun and fascinating read. Author Harold Keith, a Civil War buff, meticulously researched for years before beginning to write - and it totally shows! So interesting learning about Cherokee Nation settlements in the 1860s and the extent of their involvement on both sides of the war. Some weird quirks show Keith is not a novelist by trade - a disturbing (or funny!) typo where a much-beloved but also dead character appears nonchalantly in a later scene and a random title (really, neither rifles nor General Stand Waitie are big players in the book.) But still fun - I love being happily surprised.

• The Witch of Blackbird Pond by Elizabeth George Speare (1959) - Wow, now this one was so long ago I thought I had already reported it. A solid and still widely-read book even now, this one doesn't really need my endorsement. Teenage Kit leaves her home in the Barbados to move in with her Puritan aunt and uncle. Antics ensue! Free-spirited Kit is reluctant to embrace her new community's close-mindedness and suspicions quickly begin to fly. Great little book - and Eve loved it, too.

• Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH by Robert O'Brien (1972) - Just finished reading this outloud to both girls last night and it was a major hit. Just forget everything you remember from the movie - there is no "sparkly, " no magic amulet, no Nicodemus getting squished. Dismiss them as the usual trappings of a Don Bluth cartoon! (Bleh, Land Before Time, An American Tale - I am a definitely a Disney girl.) The book is fascinating, especially the chapters about the rats' transformation in the lab at NIMH. Not a whole lot of gripping conflict, but both girls were panting to read it every night, so that's a pretty encouraging recommendation.
  
  

• Joyful Noise: Poems for Two Voices by Paul Fleischman (1989) - a very short and very adorable book of poems written about insects. Some are lovely, some are hilarious, but all of them have two parts and are meant to be read by two people simultaneously (hence the title.) Jared read a few with me, so I could get the jist of it and it was tricky to get the rhythms right. But a pretty cool idea. Interestingly, the author is the son of Sid Fleischman who won the award a few years previous for The Whipping Boy.
  

• Maniac Magee by Jerry Spinelli (1991) - I loved this book. Reading it was a like a big cozy hug. The Publisher's Weekly blurb on amazon says "Winner of the Newbery Medal, this humorous yet poignant tall tale concerns a super-athletic teenager who bridges his town's racial gap." No offense, Publisher's Weekly, but you've got it all wrong. It is written like a tall-tale, a folk story, but Maniac isn't "super-athletic" - the point is that he is magic, that he can do anything! He can run fast and hit baseballs, but he also knocks on the door of the scariest man in town, he unties the biggest knot, he loves people who need to be loved. While there is a black side of town and a white side of town, this is not a book about racism, but a book about loving people who are different.
  

• Kira-Kira by Cynthia Kadohata (2005) - Just finished this yesterday and am still digesting. From the very first sentences I knew I would like the book and that it would make me sad: "My sister Lynn taught me my first word: kira kira...Kira kira means "glittering" in Japanese." You can see where this is going, right? The story is about a Japanese-American family who moves to Georgia in the 1960s (though that isn't the central focus of the book) and struggle to make ends meet while their oldest daughter grows increasingly ill. I loved the very authentic bossy protective big sister/adoring little sister relationship - reminded me very much of two little girls I live with (From the book: "Do you agree with me all the time just because I say so or because you really, truly agree with me?" I didn't see the difference between the two things, so I just said I didn't know.) Also, being a bossy protective big sister myself to an adorable Asian sister (Hey, Miranda! You know you are Asian, right? I'm not being racist) made the story close to my heart. Also, these very familiar sisters have a darling little brother named Sammy that they both adore. And, because in a weird way, I consider Korea to be a large portion of my cultural identity, the whole book felt very near. It is brilliantly written and the narrator's voice is startlingly authentic and touching. Filed in the YA books at my library, not the kids' section because of some mature themes.

Is anybody still there? If you are, you deserve a medal! Or a piece of the trick-or-treat candy sitting temptingly in front of me. (I keep reminding my kids it's for the trick-or-treaters while sneaking pieces for myself.) Have a happy and Newbery-y Halloween!

newbery extravaganza!

So this is my last "catch up" post and I have saved the most boring exciting post for last! Newberies! Hooray! Were you afraid that I had given up on my thrilling goal while sunshine beckoned so beguilingly outside, while swimming pools sparkled and the siren call of the ice cream truck wove it's magic spell? Never fear, loyal reader! I have spent many a summer afternoon diligently reading and am now ready to make my full report.


The number generator was not very kind to me this last go around and I was stuck in the 1930s for several books. But what's done is done and I have learned alot. So are you ready to begin? Sitting in a comfy chair? Sipping a cool beverage? All right, then - let's start:

• Shen of the Sea by Arthur Bowie Chrisman (1926) - a collection of "just-so" style Chinese folk tales. As far as I can tell (with my extensive Wikipedia searching,) the author never actually went to China but just hung around Chinatown in San Fransisco and decided to write a book of Chinese folktales. You could apparently do this in the 20s. Hence, the stories are a little too "ah-so-confucious-say" but some were still pretty charming.
  


• Strawberry Girl by Lois Lenski (1946) - heartwarming little story about a pioneer family in Florida (that's something new!) trying to fit in with their grouchy neighbors and start their strawberry crop. Just the same sweet innocuous book I remembered reading in 3rd grade. The most interesting thing I learned this time, however, is that Ms. Lenski - a very prolific children's writer - wrote a series of 16 regional books about children all over the country when an illness forced her to travel from her native Connecticut. While Strawberry Girl is her most famous, some of the other titles include Blue Ridge Billy, Bayou Suzette, and Texas Tomboy. The titles may seem a little quaint now but were probably fascinating to children in an era where travel and knowledge of other parts of our nation were rare.
  


• Walk Two Moons by Sharon Creech (1995) - the story of a young girl's road trip with her grandparents, retracing her mother's steps before she vanished from Sal's life. An adult reader will probably figure out the "surprise" ending in the first chapter, but I child reader will weep and hope right along with our heroine. The story deftly and sweetly handles grief and death and loss of various kinds; reads a little more like YA fiction and would possible be over the heads of younger readers. I was really touched by this book, though I did bridle at the number of parents in the book who did selfish things while telling their children "it's not about you, it's about me." One of my favorite books this summer. A real surprise find.
  


• Good Masters! Sweet Ladies! Voices from a Medieval Village by Laura Amy Schlitz (2009) - So I totally made fun of this book before I read it because... well, look at the title! Wouldn't you? But it really surprised me. It was The Spoon River Anthology set in medieval England, a series of poems and songs about the various inhabitants of the town, from the lord's son down to the lowly beggar. A librarian in Maryland (I think) whipped this up when the 7th graders at her school needed a reader's theater exercise for the unit on the Middle Ages. Funny and quick and well-written. Eve snatched this out of the library bag before I read it and she really enjoyed it. The frank poem about childbirth did bring up a lot of questions, though, so be prepared!
  


• Dobry by Monica Shannon (1935) - story of a boy's coming of age in his remote Bulgarian village. There is no real conflict in this story until somewhere in the middle when Dobry must convince his family he is destined to be a sculptor, not a farmer. Even more interesting: Bulgarian villagers grow their tomatoes in the winter, so the snow will keep them cold and preserved. Crazy Bulgarians!
  


• Daniel Boone by James Daugherty (1940) - how is this book still in print? How did it managed to get reprinted as recently as the 60s? If you like really inaccurate poorly researched "biographies", then this is the book for you! Also, violently offensive. Pretty much Daniel Boone is a hero because he burned down Indian villages just for fun. And, according to quotes from his journal, thought they were "lazy" and "shiftless" and "ignorant" and many other choice words. I didn't know many of the runners up in 1940, but By the Shores of Silver Lake by Laura Ingalls Wilder - an author who handled the frontier and Native Americans with a much gentler pen - was one of them. Need I say more?
  


• The Dark Frigate by Charles Hawes (1934) - dark and thrilling tale about a boy who runs away to sea only to find himself in league with a surly group of pirates. And I mean surly. Even Long John Silver would be terrified! Many graphic and brutal scenes of violence (well, graphic for a children's book from the 30s.) One pirate complains of his knife scraping along his victim's ribs as he stabs a man in the back. Yikes! Great characters, especially the lonesome and noble heart of our hero, Philip Marsham.
  


• A Visit to William Blake's Inn: Poems for Innocent and Experienced Travelers by Nancy Willard (1982) - a very short book of whimsical poems about a boy who imagines he stays for a visit at an inn run by famous poet William Blake. Yes, an odd and not-so-relevant choice for 1982, but there you have it. Ramona Quimby, Age 8 was a runner up this year, a book which would probably resonate more with the child of 1982. That said, however, Eve did read through it and the illustrations were very enchanting.

• Gay Neck, the Story of a Pigeon by Dhan Gopal Mukerji (1928) - aside from the fact that I felt like a 12 year old boy every time I said the title (Hey, Gay Neck!), this book was perfectly tolerable. The title pretty much says it all. Gay Neck escapes hawks, Gay Neck escapes eagles, Gay Neck escapes cats. Gay Neck, Gay Neck, Gay Neck!

Aaaaaaand.... I think that's it! I still have The Witch of Blackbird Pond to read before I pick up my next batch from the library, but I am sure I will breeze through that one and love it. Thanks for sticking with me to the end of this post. I don't want to give anything away, but this next batch of books actually has one written in the 90s! I can't wait!

in wich I put you to sleep talking about Newberies

I have been absent from my blog for over three weeks now. That's a long time! I'm sure both my loyal readers (hi, Mom!) have been pining away for news but I have been too hot and lazy to post. It's my summer vacation, too! I have trip pictures to post (remember that trip? It was three weeks ago), a gazillion Newberies to report on, two birthdays, swim lessons, and a dozen anecdotes about how awesome/awful it is to have my kids home for the summer, depending on the day.

I think I will start with Newberies. Mostly because I can't access my pictures at the moment. And because you are dying to know what obsolete children's books I've been reading!

I read six Newberies over the course of our trip to Colorado and haven't read any since, mostly because our swim lesson schedule kept us from getting to our library during it's pathetically limited hours of operation. (I took a break to read Percy Jackson and the Sorcerer's Stone. I mean, Harry Potter and the Lightening Thief. I forget which. My 10 year old neighbor made me.) The six I read were:

• Hitty, Her First Hundred Years by Rachel Field (1930) The story of a wooden doll as she passes through numerous owners and eras of history. For one of the older Newberies, this book holds up really well. I liked it as a kid, liked it again rereading it, and Eve even picked it up and really liked it. If you are weird like me and have a fascination with the stories behind old inanimate objects (really? She was buried in a hayloft for thirty years?), then this is the book for you.

• A Year Down Yonder by Richard Peck (2001) I didn't know books like this were still being written. A heart-string-tugging vignette style story about a girl spending a year with her crusty grandmother in rural Illinois during the Depression. (Spoilers: crusty grandma really has a heart of gold!) I laughed out loud several times. Turns out this is the sequel to A Long Way From Chicago, a Newbery honor book that I now have on hold at the library.

• From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler by E. L. Konigsburg (1968) Everyone knows and loves this book. And if you don't, you should join the rest of us! It's a great book. At 9, I found it a fascinating adventure about hiding in a museum. A few decades later, I found it a poignant story about trying to discover your real self on the cusp between childhood and adolesence. Maybe it's because I have a quirky nearly eight year old daughter with the same searching, impatient attitude toward life as Claudia. I hope she doesn't run away to a museum. Because there aren't any in Medford.

• Caddie Woodlawn by Carol Ryrie Brink (1936) One of my favorite books as a girl. Like Laura Ingalls, but with more testosterone! The author tells the story of her very tomboy grandmother growing up in the wilds of Wisconsin.

• Dear Mr. Henshaw by Beverly Clearly (1984) I really didn't care for this book all that much as a kid. It seemed so dreary and depressing compared to all her other books! Instead of the adorable antics of Ramona, this book follows the fan letters of Leigh to his favorite author as he deals with a move and his parent's divorce. I really liked it this time around but when Eve saw me reading it, she told me her teacher had read it to them and she hadn't like it because it was too sad. Hmmm...

• Johnny Tremain by Esther Forbes (1944) I know I read this as a kid but I had no memory of it. Well, besides the part where Johnny pours molten silver on his hand. Spoilers! ("This book should be called Johnny Deformed!") I happened to read this the week of July 4th, of all happy coincidences, so I enjoyed it. Had it been a different time of year, I would have had a hard time over looking the fact that Johnny is kind of an arrogant prick. You'd think melting a hand off would change a guy, but no!

That's all for now. I managed to swing by the library and pick up a new batch of randomly generated books (a little heavy on the oldies), so I should have more to report on soon. If I don't get loaned more Harry Jackson... I mean, Percy Potter.

And The Story of Mankind? Want to hear how that saga ended? Turns out I forgot to renew it before we left town and I racked up $6 in late fees. No, not a terrible amount, but more than that book of all books should have cost me! So I skimmed the next... oh, 500 pages and returned it. I am considering it read. If you would like to dispute that, feel free to send me a letter explaining your reasons. Don't forget to include $6.

newbery update

I am in the middle of pretrip craziness right now! After the stress and hectic schedule of last week, I did no cleaning or laundry, so today I am faced with 6 loads of laundry, floor mopping, bathroom cleaning, and all the usual pretrip odds and ends (stopping mail service, asking the nice neighbor boy to water our garden, etc.) I want to bang out all this today so tomorrow I can focus on grocery shopping and packing.

In all the bustle, however, I realized I haven't posted a Newbery update in a while. So in case you were worried the The Giver put me off of my Newbery challenge, I am still on track. Since The Giver, I have read

• I, Juan de Pareja (1966) A historical fiction about the life of the African slave who became the assistant to famous Spanish painter Diego Velazquez. The author freely admits that there is very little historical fact to substantiate some of her plot, but she puts together the bits and pieces nicely, creating a sweet story about friendship and loyalty and the passion for art. Pareja did learn to paint during this time and one of his pieces hangs in the Prado in Madrid. Here's Velazquez's portrait of Pareja:
  
  

• The White Stag (1938) A bizarre stylized account of Hungarian mythology, delving into the anguished origins of Attila the Hun. The coolest part about this book was the 1930's socialist-propaganda-style illustrations. An interesting, poetic book... but an odd choice, especially considering Laura Ingalls Wilder's On the Banks of Plum Creek was a Newbery Honor that year, a book I consider superior. I think it's a shame she never won.

Then I hit The Story of Mankind, the first Newbery winner from 1922. I have not made much progress since. This book is a doorstop and doesn't read much better than one (no offense, Hendrik Willem van Loon!) It has some witty asides that occasionally make me snort, but mostly it is a laborious and colonial take on history, beginning in 500, 000 BC. That said, I have learned quite a bit about the Phoenicians. And the Etruscans. Can you tell I haven't gotten very far? I'll still give it the old college try.

For our trip, I checked out a few more Newberys and the number generator kindly gave me quite a few that I have been looking forward to (Caddie Woodlawn, Basil E. Frankweiler). So those will give me a nice break from the Phoenicians, I think.

My mopping awaits. And the last three loads of laundry. Wish me luck!

more thoughts on the giver

Thanks to everyone for all your comments to my last post. So glad that my Newbery experiment isn't boring everyone to tears! I really liked hearing everyone's thoughts, so please keep them coming. I'm sure not all books (ahem...The White Stag...yawn!) will generate the same response, but The Giver was definitely a book that evokes a strong response from everyone who reads it.

So after I posted last, I immediately went to amazon to check out some of the reader reviews. The Giver has a staggering 3200 reviews! That's a lot. I read through many of them and was relieved to see that my response of horror and tears was really common (I was kind of worrying I was losing my grip there!) But for a lot of readers, that is where it stopped and they gave the book one or two stars.

But I think I've decided I really like it. I really like the ambiguous ending. I can imagine a young reader, used to an ending that wraps everything up in a neat little package, finding this ending challenging, something that really makes them think. That's a valuable asset in a book for young readers. The author, Lois Lowry, even talked about this in her Newbery acceptance speech in 1994:

Those of you who hoped that I would stand here tonight and reveal the “true” ending, the “right” interpretation of the ending, will be disappointed. There isn’t one. There’s a right one for each of us, and it depends on our own beliefs, our own hopes.

Let me tell you a few endings which are the “right” endings for a few children out of the many who have written to me.

From a sixth grader: “I think that when they were traveling they were traveling in a circle. When they came to “Elsewhere” it was their old
community, but they had accepted the memories and all the feelings that go
along with it…”

From another: “…Jonas was kind of like Jesus because he took the pain for everyone else in the community so they wouldn’t have to suffer. And, at the very end of the book, when Jonas and Gabe reached the place that they knew as Elsewhere, you described Elsewhere as if it were heaven.”

And one more: “A lot of people I know would hate that ending, but not me. I loved it. Mainly because I got to make the book happy. I decided they made it. They made it to the past. I decided the past was our world, and the future was their world. It was parallel worlds.”

Finally, from one seventh grade boy: “I was really surprised that they just died at the end. That was a bummer. You could of made them stay alive, I thought.”

Those are some great thoughts. And I love that they came from her child readers. Please note, though, they are all 6th or 7th graders. I would not unleash this book on a much younger reader, definitely not without reading it first. And not just because of its heavy duty content. I just think it would be a wasted opportunity because so much of it would be over their heads. This is what Lowry had to say concerning the age appropriateness of The Giver when asked if it was suitable for a 5th grade class:

Based on what I've heard from hundreds of teachers over the years since The Giver's publication, it is most effectively used with kids 12-15 years old. With that age group it seems to provoke vigorous discussion, debate, and a good deal of thought about the issues raised in the book. 10-year-olds can certainly follow the plot, and read it for the "story" but they are for the most part too young to fully appreciate the underlying concepts. Some readers that young will read the book and love it; I know because I often hear from them! But as a class read, I think 10 is a little too young.

So, in summary, I really liked it. One of the best I've read so far, after Neil Gaiman's The Graveyard Book.

Now I think I'm done talking about The Giver. Um... the end.

In case you think I'm a nerd who reads Newberys all day long, not so! I can be shallow, too! My whole day has been bathed in a rosy glow because I bought two new dresses at Target for a total of $20. Bliss! Here's one:

I can't find the other, but it makes me feel like I should be working in the secretary pool at Sterling Cooper. Happy day! Pretty dresses!

in which I am traumatized by a children's book

I had a big Newbery week this week. I read two of the Big Guns: Jacob Have I Loved (1981) and The Giver (1994). Both books are known for being provocative and emotionally intense. Whatever. I'm an adult - I'm pretty sure I can handle whatever Newbery throws at me.

Not so much.

Jacob Have I Loved was not really the traumatic one, but it was fairly emotionally ravaging. I've been dreading it because of my much publicized dislike for Katherine Paterson (author of Bridge to Terabithia) and I was expecting a manipulative, emotional bloodbath. Which it kind of was. But it was exquisitely written and the story is beautifully told.

(On a side note, I remember a bunch of girls checking it out from the library in 2nd grade because they thought with a title like that, it must be a steamy romance. It isn't. The title is a scriptural reference to Isaac's twins, Jacob and Esau, and the book tells the story of two twins on a remote island in the Chesapeake Bay during WWII.)

While I wasn't really fond of the characters (I'm not sure we're supposed to be), I loved how the rocky, windswept setting is almost a character itself, it's such a crucial part of the book. I cringed and winced at every terrible turn our heroine's life takes, but was satisfied and uplifted at the unexpectedly sweet ending. It was, I am reluctant to say, a near masterpiece.

That said, this book is not so much for the kids. 12+ at least.

But enough about Jacob Have I Loved. Next I read The Giver. Really, this is a very good book. But again, I think I just can't see it through a child's eyes and therefore it rapidly went from provocative and troubling to utterly horrifying in the last three chapters.

I really loved almost all the book. It's like Our Town meets A Brave New World meets The Hunger Games. It's the kind of book that would have blown my mind and got me thinking in a whole new way if I had read it as a child. Our hero lives in a tightly controlled Community where all choices have been eradicted. We watch him gradually question the rules that have shaped his life until

***SPOILER ALERT****

he discovers that all elderly, less-than-perfect infants, and rule breakers are not Released from the Community, as he has been raised to believe, but are really being euthanized. In one horrific scene, we watch in grim and painful detail as our hero's father kills a newly born infant. Seriously, I thought I was going to throw up.

The book rapidly concludes in the next few chapters as our hero escapes the Community with his toddler brother who was to be "Released" the next morning for insufficient development.

The next few chapters are agonizing as the two boys begin to slowly die of starvation and exposure before they are able to find help. Which they do, I think? The book wraps up so suddenly in the last paragraph, that it actually left me wondering if they found help or if it was just a metaphor for their deaths. Very unsettling. Or thought provoking, I guess you could say.

I know I'm a big... well, baby when it comes to babies. It does not help that Sam is the same age and matches exactly the physical description and temperment of this child. Also, he has the same name as my dear friend's little boy, a child I am very attached to. Pretty much, I closed the book and burst into tears. And cried for a long time. You can ask Jared - I was totally pathetic! It was so embarassing. I have read a lot of books and consider myself a fairly objective reader, but I have never done that before.

I am starting to wonder if I am at a disadvantage reading these books as an adult. They are not the same books to the twelve year old reader as they are to me. Am I even reading the book as the author intended it to be read or do my experiences and adult emotions inform my reading so strongly that my interpretationsare way off base? I wonder.

Luckily, not all the books are like these two. And, having had twelve hours to digest my feelings for The Giver, I can say it is a powerful book and I'm glad I read it. I think it fully deserves the award and would be interested to hear from anyone who did read it when they were younger or whose children did.

I am currently reading The White Stag (1938) which should be delightfully dull in comparision. Now on hold at the library: The Story of Mankind (1922) - the very first winner -, I, Juan de Pareja (1966), and Hitty, Her First Hundred Years (1930).

Thank goodness the random number generator didn't give me Bridge to Terabithia for next week.

newbery update

Happy belated Mother's Day to all you mommies! Hope you enjoyed your day of napping and pampering as much as I did.

I realized I have read several Newberys (Newberies?) recently and haven't reported much on them. I never really intended to give indepth reviews of every single book, but I thought I would remark on a few that I have read recently.

On the drive to/from Seattle I listened to three books: Bud, Not Buddy, Sounder, and Island of the Blue Dolphins. Some of these I loved, some I did not so much. But I'm kind of wondering if I was just influenced by the reader. If the reader was really dynamic and engaged (see Bud, Not Buddy), I seemed to like the book. If the reader sounded like he was conducting a funeral (ahem, Sounder), that seemed to influence me negatively. It would be interesting to go back and read them and see if they are any better/worse when read in my own voice, but - luckily - I will never read Sounder again. I'm not that hard up for books!

I know these reviews are just skimming the surface, but better than nothing:

Bud, Not Buddy: A black orphan looking for his biological father in Depression era Chicago. Antics ensue as he tries to track down the famous jazz musician he is convinced is his dad. Laugh-out-loud hilarious at times, poignant and sniffly at others. Might be a little over the head of a younger reader, but a really good read.

Sounder: How the heck is this is a kid's book? No, not because it is inappropriate, but because I cannot imagine a single child who would be interested in it! It's not even one of those boy/dog stories. Pretty much a fable of grit and endurance, none of the characters even have names with the exception of the dog, Sounder, who is a symbol for quiet strength and resignation. The one thing I can say for it is that it is very short and the last paragraph is really moving. And, no, not just because it is about to end.

Island of the Blue Dolphins: This book is pretty great and exactly what I expected it to be - Castaway , but our heroine has a lot more know-how than Tom Hanks. Made me wonder why stranded-child surival stories are so popular among the Newbery winners and honors: Julie of the Wolves, Hatchet, My Side of the Mountain... I'm sure there are more.

I also read The Westing Game and Holes that weekend. Both were great. They didn't talk down to the reader, but read at a pretty adult level. Especially The Westing Game. That is one quirky awesome book. (It was the winner the year I was born, so I feel a particular pride in its awesomeness.) I think as a younger kid I would have been a little freaked out by it and would not have understood the irony of the mystery genre references. As an adult, they are pretty funny. (This book made me think of and miss my dear roommate, Taliatha - it just seems like a Tai kind of book!) Holes had a great little mystery angle, too, and it also hopped around between several different stories and points of view, which is an engaging challenge for a younger reader.

I just picked up the following from the library: Jacob Have I Loved (1981), The Giver (1994), and The White Stag (1938). Hmmmm...I'm wondering if I should throw in some adult books every now and then. Will I wake up one morning and discover I'm in the 5th grade again?

mmmm....newberies!

I really like reading kids books. And I really like lists. So I decided to combine two of my great loves and read my way through the list of Newbery Award medal winners, from 1922 until... well, hopefully until 2010. I bet I can do this in a year.

I am going to add a little feature to my sidebar to help me keep track. I have read a handful in the past year or so, so I will just go ahead and add those to the list. As good as The Graveyard Book is, I don't want to have to read it twice in 6 months.

I have to say, there are some books I'm really looking forward to reading for the first time: Holes, Island of the Blue Dolphins, The Westing Game, to name a few.

Some I read as a kid and absolutely detested, but will force myself to revisit and see if 20 years has changed my outlook at all. (I'm looking at you Bridge to Terabithia! Blech.)

Some of them I read as a kid and adored and can't wait to read again: Caddie Woodlawn, Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH, From the Mixed up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler.

And some of them I am just plain dreading, based solely on title alone. Because I'm shallow like that and will think a book is a total snoozefest based on it's name. The Story of Mankind (the first winner... I don't know if that's a good thing,) A Visit to William Blake's Inn: Poems for Innocent and Experienced Travelers, Lincoln: A Photobiography. I know, I'm totally shallow, but there it is.

And some just make me wonder if it was a real slow year in children's literature. Gay Neck, the Story of a Pigeon. Need I say more?

I have a little database and a random number generator, so that will spare me having to slog through all of the old-timey 20's and all of the touchy-feely 70's all at once. I wonder what my first one will be! So far I've just been reading my way through all the Newbery winners that we own, but I think I finished our last one last night.

I'm really hoping this little exercise will do more than give me a sense of accomplishment for having arbitrarily read my way through a list. I hope to get some sort of education in the evolution of kids's books in the past 70 years. I kind of wonder if the books that adults choose for children are not necessarily the books that children would choose for themselves. And I kind of wonder how I'll figure that out, being an adult myself, but I will try to keep an open mind.

Mostly I hope to uncover some gems that me and the kids can enjoy together. And some stinkers to steer them away from. Still looking at you Bridge to Terabithia.

Are you fond of any particular Newberies? What would you recommend? Or not recommend, as the case may be?