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

gross parenting moments: tootsie roll edition

If you're not into this sort of thing, avert your tender eyes.

Sam is pretty sick. He was up last night coughing his little snotty guts out, poor guy. He couldn't even manage a nap today, he was coughing so hard.

I had just gotten him out of his bed this afternoon and set his sweaty, boogery, cough-racked little self on the kitchen counter when he gagged. And threw up all over the kitchen floor. Repeat three times. Each time followed by Sam screaming, "AHHHHH! IT'S ON MY HAND!" Not a veteran vomitter yet.

Eve stood by watching, mildly concerned. Inspecting one of the puddles, she says, "What is that?! A Tootsie Roll?...(long pause)... Can I have one?"

Ew.

red tape factories rejoice!

Sitting on my sunny porch, watching Sam shovel his trucks through the wood chips while my just-barely-blooming tulips nod in the breeze, it's hard to remember that I am supposed to be stressed about something. But I am:

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20110408/ap_on_bi_ge/us_spending_showdown

It's never a good sign when you type "government" into Google and it immediately - and helpfully - adds "shutdown" for you. I was very much peeved by the following quote from a Fox News article: (I should know better than to click a Fox News link, but I couldn't help myself!)

Should Congress fail to reach a budget and non-essential federal workers are forced to stay home as a much ballyhooed federal government shutdown goes into effect at midnight Saturday -- don't tell the Obama administration, which apparently sees nearly everyone as essential.

Yes, museums and national parks will shutter. Yes, about 800,000 people will be on the standby list, unable to use government-provided BlackBerries and cell phones.

Really? Jared has a government-issued Blackberry? And he works for a museum?! I hardly know that man anymore, I tell you! What will really happen is thousands of decent, non-tax-wasting federal employees will be forced to stay at home while their work emails get clogged, their desks pile up with unfinished projects, and their bank accounts deplete.

But do not fear, American public! Your Congress person will not be forced to suffer such indignities. Their paychecks will continue to be cut. I have a few choice words about which federal employees I consider essential: the ones who are currently at their desks frantically trying to finish as much work as they can before midnight tonight or the ones munching on government-provided sandwiches and effectively stymieing the democratic process? Hmmmmmm...such a hard choice.

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!

before I was sleeping

Before I spent the week enjoying colorful fever-dreams, we had some good times around here.






Valentine's Day. Ah, I love it when these girls get all lovey and sisterly with each other! So much better than hair-pulling.








We had two days of heavy snow alerts that promised to cancel school and shut the city down. Not a single flake stuck. *sigh* What I would do for a snow day! I need a good excuse to keep my kids home, wear PJs, and eat pancakes until noon. I'm thinking "Saturday" might be a great reason.


I am using my "convalescence" as an excuse for all kinds of laziness. I did mop my floors but I think that makes me exempt from any more work today, like cooking dinner. And standing up. Which is why I am snuggled up with my girls - and laptop - on the couch while they watch "The Secret of NIMH" and Sammy takes a nap. What a weird movie. Too bad "standing up" is not included in the rest of today's agenda.

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.

nora turns 6

Last week was a great week! Or, at least the two days of it that I can remember. I don't think I've been that sick since... well, ever. It was pretty terrible. Luckily, I happen to be married to The Husband of the Year who took time off work to watch kids, cook meals, and make sure I didn't damage myself in my flu-induced deleriums. Crazy alchemists! (Thanks, latest Newbery.) Crazy home renovations! (Thanks, friend I visited the day I got sick.) Crazy Pentagon investigators! (Thanks, movie that happened to be on TV. Note to self: do not watch movies with excessive gunfire when you have an icepick jammed in your temples.)

Needless to say, I'm glad not to be wearing PJs anymore. And very glad it all hit the day after Eleanor's birthday! Who else would have made her insanely specific Cheetah cake?! It was a pretty great day - donuts for breakfast, getting the special birthday crown at school, wearing her pinkest, poofiest skirt, playdate with friends, burgers for dinner, and - of course - presents and cake.



Nora is famous for her hard-to-please, "almost perfect but not quite" mentality, so I had some trepidation about how it all would go over with Her Highness. But it was perfect. She was cheerful and gracious and shareful and sweet to the very end. In other words, she is growing up. I may like this new 6-year-old Eleanor quite a bit.

Cheetah figurines, courtesy of Eve.

She really wanted an umbrella...


...and her own tape measure. This is a girl who knows what she likes! I promise we gave her fun stuff, too. Like toys.

Nora loves to pretend to be a doctor, so we put together a little kit with a real stethoscope, knee hammer, and pen light. Our bishop, a foot surgeon, showed up on our doorstep that afternoon with a gallon ziplock full of surgical gloves, masks, and caps to add to the kit. It was so perfect! And it's been a total hit.

Not a work of art, but it was exactly what Eleanor wanted: a Cheetah cake.

Happy birthday, sweet Nora! We love you!


These two kids are pretty great, too.