2014 Reading Challenges

I've been working on my personal challenge of reading the Newbery Award Winners for two years now. I've done so much in those two years that it is rather frightening really! But I'm not getting to share the other brilliant books I'm reading so I've decided to add a couple of other challenges to this blog.

2014 TBR Pile Reading Challenge
Here is a Challenge that was made for me! I have an embarrassingly large TBR (to be read) pile, I'm the person who buys three new books and then goes home and REREADS something. I'm hopeless, so this challenge might keep me on top of that massive TBR pile, or at least help me crawl out from underneath the pile.

2014 Prequel and Sequel Challenge
Conveniently overlapping in the TBR Challenge is this challenge, I have picked up so many prequels and sequels fully intending to read them but, alas, I have not.

But don't fret! I'll continue with the Newbery Challenge I issued myself and always keep that as my priority!

A Note on Re-Reading...

I re-read. I know some of you do too, raise your hands. Now bear with me... I don't choose literature because 'it's popular' nor do I hate it for that reason. But Harry Potter, oh Harry... One cannot re-read Harry Potter and try to have an earnest in-depth look at it without some bit of scorn from the literature snobs about cultural mobs or what-not. But at a certain point you've visited the stories so much that you begin to pick at the details. And when you pick details expect to find scads of questions. Or, as often as not while I've been revisiting Sorcerer's Stone - witty remarks. You really begin to know the characters as friends and can comment on everything they've done. I believe that everyone has read and loved a series should read it at least twice. Unless someone out there can truly tell me that you were just as invested in Harry in The Boy Who Lived as you were in the epilogue.
It is like having a best friend and trying to pinpoint that moment... the beginning, usually there is a vague idea of what happened, where you met, what interests brought you together... But in literature we have the gift of being able to go back and reconstruct the first moments, but with a fuller view. One that, I believe only gets more developed each re-read.

The Twenty-One Balloons, Newbery Winner 1948

This book seemed one that I would not enjoy, I put it of again and again. But finding myself in a very motivated mood I picked it up and... Oh my goodness! This book is so good! I found it to be a charming tale with ingenious inventions. Professor Sherman Williams finds himself on the island of Krakatoa in 1883 after a failed attempt at living in a balloon house for a year.

For those of you unfamiliar with history let me show you an artist's interpretation of Krakatoa's claim to fame.

BOOM!

Alright, maybe the explosion wasn't THAT big. But it was enormous. Pompei? Child's play. Mount Saint Helens? Puh-leze. This was a volcanic explosion everyone knew about, mostly because you could hear it 1,930 miles away. That is like Old Faithful exploding and people in New York City hearing it - plus another 40 miles into the ocean!

So you can see that this story has an exciting climax, am-I-right? 

Oh, there is also a diamond mine filled to overflowing, lots of gourmet food, a system of government unlike anything you've ever seen, and (do I even need to mention it?) lots of balloons.

The Graveyard Book, Newbery Winner 2009

I'm not a big fan of horror, or horror-lite even. I am put off by most dark humor. But I do love The Jungle Book, and this book is heavily inspired by Rudyard Kipling's classic tale. I knew that going into the work and was able to draw several comparisons myself. As for which I prefer The Jungle Book will always win, though this isn't a bad send up.
There are several things that I wish were more fleshed out. The Jacks of All Trade for Instance. I don't quite understand what that was all about even now. I don't think that the sleer was ever properly fleshed out either.... Okay so there were a few plot holes, but they didn't detract enough from the story to keep me going. If I was really going to nitpick this story I would say that the problem was that the chapters were long. At a certain point, 10:45 PM, I wasn't quite ready to go to sleep so I started another chapter. I am among the most stubborn people ever and hate stopping in the middle of a chapter... Chapter 7 was around 90 pages long.

Seriously, Neil Gaiman, was that really necessary?

By the point I finished that chapter it was super late but there were only a few pages left. So I finished the book. But ultimately a great read and one that I plan to read with one of my tutoring students after we finish Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.

Fourth Round-Up

In one of the longest breaks between round-ups so much has happened! I graduated college and got a job! What followed was the long, arduous task of packing for my move to Alaska! Now that I have settled into my job as a preschool teacher/ reading intervention specialist (oooh big title), I have a little time to read again. And so, without further ado, is the fourth round-up, containing both the newest and oldest of my titles reviewed so far.

When You Reach Me - Part of the joy that a reader can glean from this text definitely stems from reading A Wrinkle in Time first. It was a cleverly written book that, while solidly founded in what we know as the 'real world' wasn't afraid to let mysterious fantasy and science fiction ooze in. For kids who might wonder more about physics than dragons this is the perfect book. Realistic, with just a dash of time travel.

The Door in the Wall - A lovely little tale with characters that I truly cared about. It is perhaps not the most accurate of the medieval England books that have been awarded, but it is among the most human. I loved Robin and felt his struggles, a struggle that provided a rich lesson many children will be able to appreciate.

Holes - A reread that held up well over the years. One note is that if you have seen the movie, you are never getting that out of your head because Sachar wrote the screenplay making it one of the most faithful adaptations you can hope to encounter. Probably tops the list of award winners I would recommend to boys that are reluctant readers.

The Giver - I'm generally not into dystopian fiction. But this book turns it around by making it seem utopian at first. You enter the society feeling like it is a model of good community and you grow gradually wary alongside the protagonist. There are sequels, but a part of me likes the maddening ending as it is.

The One and Only Ivan - A book that I expected to be okay and instead turned out to be really good. One of the most unique narrators to be found amongst the award winners, with a unique style to match.

The Midwife's Apprentice - A book that can be appreciated for placing a common occurrence (childbirth) into a historical framework and examining the process around it. Although the story is arguably about Alyce's growth, I think the true gift of this book is in it's honest portrayal of midwifery.

Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH - Perhaps I was spoiled by the cartoon but this book was nothing like I expected. It is however, a great book that makes you ask big questions about intelligence and compassion.

Tales from Silver Lands - This was a great read due to the location. But it definitely shows its age and not every story was totally readable.  But most of the book was an interesting look into the folk lore of South America.

Strawberry Girl - I liked the fact that this book delved into one of the many cultures found across our large and varied country. I also like pioneer fiction, though this is the one I'd feel least inclined to return to if faced with Little House, Caddie Woodlawn, and Strawberry Girl.

It's Like This, Cat - Hands down the worst of the batch. I simply didn't care for much of the book, and when the author finally mustered up some interest the story was over.

1. Number the Stars
2. Crispin: Cross of Lead
3. Island of the Blue Dolphins
4. Julie of the Wolves
5. Maniac Magee 
6. Bud, Not Buddy
7. King of the Wind
8. Out of the Dust
9. When You Reach Me
10. The Tale of Despereaux
11. The Door in the Wall
12. Holes
13. Caddie Woodlawn
14. Kira-Kira
15. Sounder
16. Good Masters! Sweet Ladies!: Voices from a Medieval Village
17. The Giver
18. The Westing Game
19. Bridge to Terabithia
20. The View from Saturday
21. Sarah, Plain and Tall
22. Joyful Noise: Poems for Two Voices
23. Call It Courage
24. The Cat Who Went to Heaven
25. The One and Only Ivan
26. The Midwife's Apprentice
27. Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH
28. Onion John
29. Dear Mr. Henshaw
30. Missing May
31. Tales from Silver Lands
32. A Gathering of Days
33. The Whipping Boy
34. Rabbit Hill
35. Strawberry Girl
36. The Matchlock Gun
37. A Visit to William Blake's Inn
38. It's Like This, Cat
39. Johnny Tremain
40. Dobry
41. Daniel Boone

The Midwife's Apprentice, Newbery Winner 1996

Another day, another book. Here is yet another Newbery set in medieval England. As for that subcategory it rates about the middle of the pack in enjoyability and the top in historical accuracy. I thought that this book was fascinating simply for it's place in history, although I would have liked to see the story fleshed out more, the book is just over 100 pages. I also appreciate that the author decided to focus on Alyce's growth in skill rather than, as she notes in the author's section, the fact that midwife's were sometimes considered witches; the book would have taken a much different tone if that had been the case. All in all a very enjoyable read.

Holes, Newbery Winner 1999

I'm retreading familiar territory once again with Louis Sachar's Holes. This book is still just as fascinating as the first time I read it. Speaking of the first time... this book has the distinction of being the only Newbery published during the time I was in the suggested age group for Newberys, that I read when I was that age! Yes, Holes was only a couple of years old the first time I read it, there was no movie from which to draw my imagery, I hadn't heard the plot twists from classmates, and I didn't even really know what a Newbery was. My most vivid memory is taking this book to camp and reading it in the waning daylight.
Funny because this last round, I was on an airplane, trying to read just a little more as the light faded away. (The aircraft I was in had passenger lighting but it didn't turn on.) But even though I know the story, I found the way that Sachar together the past and the present to be wonderful in every way. Another thing I noticed is that, more so really than any of the other Newberys I'd read so far, this one struck me as feeling more like a boys' book. That is, a book hoping to appeal to boys, although girls are welcome to come along.

The One and Only Ivan, Newbery Winner 2013

I finished off this book in one sitting... I should have gone to bed, but books like this with their deliciously short chapters always get me. They're so small and it only takes a minute at most to read any one chapter that I stayed up and finished the book.
There were a few other reviewers out there who thought the book was too 'cute'. That it wasn't what kids would read, it's what adults thought kids would read. I disagree, there were far too many instances of abuse and suffering for me to describe the book as cute. Never-the-less I think that it is a story kids would read. The premise is interesting, hearing Ivan's point of view in short, simple descriptions. Humans, Ivan says, have too many words. And the writing accurately captures the mindset of someone who never uses a $20 word when the dollar word will work just fine. The book is almost how you would imagine a gorilla keeping a diary, not every single is recorded, just the stuff that matters.
The story is the driving force of the book, certainly not setting (four different ones and two of them are strictly flashbacks) and not really the characters (though they are enjoyable).
Perhaps the most compelling part of the story is that there is a grain of truth in it. Ivan is based off of an actual gorilla that spent two decades in a store display. While reading you can't help but think how implausible the entire thing is, animal rights being what they are today. But, in the not-so-distant past, exotic animals were held captive for display by organizations other than zoos, and this book highlights the experiences the many animals went through because the resources to care for them were inadequate.

Lights... Camera... Action!

When it comes to movies many are based off books especially children and young adult works. So it shouldn't be too surprising that some of the Newbery Award Winners have been filmed. The book I'm currently (re)reading is Holes, famous for its movie adaptation that, due to the author writing the screenplay, was incredibly faithful. Read the book, then catch the movie (it's long but good)!

For another adaptation we go back to Disney for the maybe less faithful even booed by the author, Wrinkle in Time. It was enjoyable the first time I watched it - before the book. After reading the book the movie uh- pales in comparison.

Long ago I read Call It Courage, I believe it was like a million degrees working the desk that day, and I recommended that book. Now I have finally gotten my grubby little fingers on the Disney movie and will watch it tonight! I hope that the adaptation is a good one!

But Disney isn't the only one adapting books into movies, King of the Wind was an excellent movie that I highly recommend (just like the book). Get A Clue is based on The Westing Game, and, while a fun movie, is definitely not as faithful as it could have been. Then, I almost forgot, is The Tale of Desperaux, which was such a poor adaptation that I am glad it was on Netflix and no additional money was spent.

I know there are others but I don't think I've seen them! Which one is your favorite?

Strawberry Girl, Newbery Winner 1946

Many people comment on two things concerning this book - dialect and the ending. I'm usually conflicted with dialect - I know it exists, I love listening to it, but I hate reading it most of the time. Since dialect is really something meant to be heard it really loses something when it is written. However, I felt that this dialect read fairly naturally (I admit that there were some places I had to use my context clues to figure it out.). The ending was a little bit too neat but not really to the detriment of the rest of the book in my opinion.
Now for my other thoughts. I really did enjoy this book. It is yet another pioneer story that I am drawn towards. Birdie Boyer could really be compared with Caddie Woodlawn and Laura Ingalls. There are so many similarities in these three texts (the young female protagonist for instance) that if a young person loves one, I'm sure they'll at least like the others. Strawberry Girl, despite having the girliest title, is the work that I think would most appeal to boys, because man-o-man they're a feuding!

Tales from Silver Lands, Newbery Winner 1925

This is the third out-of-print Newbery that I've read. Am I surprised that it's out-of-print? No. Am I sad? A little, I found this to be a fun collection of fairy tales. I have loved Latin American culture for many years, and was delighted to find that I had never heard any of these stories. For the most part the Newbery Awards have been given to books set in either the U.S. or Europe. Some of these stories are scary, like most fairy tales were originally intended to be, and I could see why some parents found it off-putting. 

Due to the out-of-print nature of this book it was harder to locate than many of the other books. I managed to buy a copy from a library book sale, and found a copy in circulation at another library, but those were my only sightings in the time that I've been interested in Newberys. I began reading my copy just before heading to Alaska and was more than halfway through. I then left the book in my mother's car at the airport, how foolish! I lamented that it would be some time before I would be able to finish. Then I traveled from my village to Barrow in order to attend an in-service, during some free time I found myself in the lounge where they had piles of free books, there, waiting for me, I found another copy. It seemed too good to be true! My third sighting came at precisely the right time. This is far from my favorite Newbery, but the story of my reading it is one of my favorites!

Diary of a Young Girl

Well, I finally did it! I read Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank. It was a very compelling read but I must say that there were times at the beginning when I found Anne’s teen attitude to be grating. I know that most people go through this period in their life but that didn’t make many of her criticisms any less grating. But as I read I found myself liking Anne more and identifying some of myself in her. I must say that towards the end I got more and more upset, knowing what eventually happened to the people in the annex made me feel worse about how hopeful they were about the invasion. Reading the afterword and seeing just how close they came to getting through the occupation made it that much worse. I’m glad I read it, and glad for the insights it gave me.

I have never read that much in relation to World War II, in fact only a handful of fiction books come to mind (Number the Stars, Escape from Krakow, A Boy No More, and.... those are really all that come to mind.) But I have several in my legion of to-read books so some day I'll round it out a bit more.

Too Many Books?

I am one month away from the big move! I am almost finished packing. However in the process of picking things to go to Alaska I realized I may have too many books.

I'm kidding of course. The real problem is that I don't have enough bookshelves.

 

Yes, those are a few of my shelves. Almost all of my books have been relegated to horizontal status. And a few shelves are stacked two deep. I have four freestanding bookcases, four built in shelves, a steamer trunk filled with books, and several books in boxes to go to Alaska. If I ever have a spare room that sucker will be filled with books! The funny thing about passion is that I know these books and can tell you all about them. I love knowledge in that way. (Just don't ask me to remember those clothes in the washer.)
My point is that I am a bibliophile of the top degree. I enjoy that fact, because I am investing in knowledge.

 

The Door in the Wall, Newbery Winner 1950

This was such a wonderful book! I found it to be immensely enjoyable and favorable in its depictions of all characters. I particularly loved Brother Luke, though perhaps simply because I have met several brothers and always find them good company.
This book is likely by many to be compared to The Whipping Boy, a book I mentioned that I felt perhaps wasn't of great literary value. Indeed this work is scarcely 20 pages longer, covers the same general time, and is richly illustrated. But the story is so much stronger in my opinion. I cared about the characters and was genuinely sorry for their hardships. I was also worried for their safety, joyous in their celebration, and intrigued by their work.
The moral is much stronger in this story as well, and repeated many times to be sure that you have not missed it. What begins as a devastating blow to Robin ends up being his opportunity to save everyone. Though he is upset by his ailment in the beginning, he soon grows to find himself interested in finding new skills, which is a truly honorable attitude.

By the Decade...

In order to gauge my progress I looked at which decades I've read the most from... some interesting results.

1920s - 0, these books are by far the hardest for me to find, and though I had checked some out for reading I simply got too busy.

1930s - 3 reviewed: The Cat Who Went to Heaven, Caddie Woodlawn, and Dobry. Two of these books I liked and Dobry was boring. The others I simply haven't gotten around to yet.

1940s - 6 reviewed: Daniel Boone, Call It Courage, The Matchlock Gun, Johnny Tremain, Rabbit Hill, and King of the Wind. This is surprising, I didn't realize I was more than half done with the decade! The 40's have been a mixed bag, I loved Call It Courage and King of the Wind, but Daniel Boone and Johnny Tremain I could have lived without.

1950s - 0, that is also surprising, I didn't realize I hadn't read anything from the 50s.

1960s - 3 reviewed, Onion John, Island of the Blue Dolphins, and It's Like This, Cat.I thoroughly expected this number to be larger. Another mixed bag.

1970s - 5 reviewed: Sounder, Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH, Julie of the Wolves, Bridge to Terebithia, and The Westing Game. I really enjoyed all of the books from this decade.

1980s - 6 reviewed: A Gathering of Days; A Visit to William Blake's Inn; Dear Mr. Henshaw; Sarah, Plain and Tall; Whipping Boy; Joyful Noise. An interesting assortment, I see a trend here that short is good. Brevity must have been a thing in the 80s. Also two poetry books, two journal books, and a father - son double win.

1990s - 6 reviewed: Number the Stars, Maniac Magee, Missing May, The Giver, The View from Saturday, and Out of the Dust. Here are the ones from my childhood, and also many of the ones I enjoyed the most thus far.

2000s - 5 reviewed: Bud, Not Buddy; Crispin; The Tale of Despereaux; Kira-Kira; and Good Masters! Sweet Ladies! Here we have a batch that is truly beginning to show just how diverse children's literature can be. Far from being out of touch, I think that the Newbery Award is more in touch than ever before!

2010s -  1 reviewed: When You Reach Me. I'm excited to see how this decade works out!

It's Like This, Cat, Newbery Winner 1964

Three thoughts while reading this book:
1. No one I have ever met drags their cat around with them like a dog.
2. Wow, this book is dated by how much things cost.
3. Ah, it's finally fallen into a groove, time for it to... wait, what? This is the last page?

This book was fair, and a lot less boring than I thought at the beginning. It took me several days to want to go back to reading it, and even then I sort of plowed ahead with the intent of just ffinishing it quickly so I could choose something else. Then I finally found a story emerging, a plot at long last! Unfortunately this happened within the last 20 or so pages. Not much there to enjoy, especially considering that the book just ends. It feels like there should be a lot more tying up the story but instead you are left feeling that perhaps your book is missing several chapters. It does this throughout the book though, fight with best friend... never heard from again, gets girls number... what happens we'll never know, woman inherits fortune... well you get the idea. Overall, I didn't feel this was a particularly strong work especially compared to the books that won just a few years previously.

Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH, Newbery Winner 1972

Going into this book I thought I knew very well what would happen to everyone throughout the story... I was incorrect. But that is because I was familiar with with the movie adaptation, which it turns out is a very loose adaptation.

There are about seven things on the poster alone that are inconsistent with the book.

 

First, if you've only seen the movie there is an underlying tone of mysticism and magic, something that certainly doesn't exist in the book. (Don't get me wrong though it is an excellent movie.)  The story in the book is very heavily founded in nature and science. The best part of the book is likely the descriptions of the experiments at NIMH, there is even a control group!

There is something about fictitious rodents that is endearing. Isn't it odd how so many people fear mice and rats, yet they so often appear in literature and film? It is almost as though we recognize that they possess some sort of intelligence and capacity for learning.

There is so much to admire in the book. The characterizations of Mrs. Frisby and the rats, the questions it raises about intelligence in both human and animals, and questions about how we should act towards our neighbors. I love it when a book makes you ask questions, that means that it is teaching you not what to think, but how.

 

*Fun fact, NIMH is the National Institute of Mental Health, a real place. I was very intrigued to learn this several years ago... I wonder how they feel about the book and movie. ;)

When You Reach Me, Newbery Winner 2010

This was my first book for the summer, and it was such an enjoyable read! Let me start off by letting everyone know that this summer I won't have nearly as many opportunities to read all day. Last year I had two desk jobs and this year I'm delightfully unemployed. I've graduated college and am preparing my transition into teaching. (One thing for certain though is that I will not be using these books in the classroom yet, I've gotten a job working with preschoolers!)
If anyone is considering reading this book I highly recommend reading A Wrinkle in Time first. Why? Well, first off, this book contains some major spoilers for that book and second, you might never grasp the total genius of this book without that one first.
All of the characters were so fully developed and wonderful, and they all tied together in a fashion that had to be carefully examined. The relationships that the characters had in this novel were authentic, with friendships fading and growing the same as they do in real life. Perhaps the best part of the book was how it could seamlessly be in so many genres at once, certainly 'contemporary' realistic fiction, but also mystery and science fiction. This is another novel I highly recommend, especially for readers that love to figure out how all the details fit together.

Favorite Fictional Mothers

Last year I wrote the hugely popular Favorite Fictional Fathers post for Father's Day, so it is only natural that I would write the companion article for Mother's Day.
Moms are awesome; in fact I come from a long line of mothers... But I'll admit that this lists was hard to make because it can be a little boring to watch/ read about someone being all nurturing. Which is what the really great mothers tend to do. And it is really hard to rank that in a top ten list. So I made the rule that mom cannot have died prior to or during the first half of the work in question (Goodbye Lily Potter), simply for the sake of my sanity. And because fairness should play some role here the mom should play a significant role in raising her child (Goodbye Amy Pond).

And at this point, it looks like I just hate red-heads.

The bar was set really high on this one... So high in fact that after weeks of deliberating only seven characters made the final cut - turns out that it was much easier to find engaging father figures in fiction than mothers. Obviously we have a problem here that needs to be rectified.

7. Muthr (The Secret of WondLa)
Technically Muthr was a robot that had been programmed to care for Eva Nine. But she went beyond her programming to do things for Eva and even went against her programming on occasion. Eva Nine and Muthr share genuine emotion for each other and often make sacrifices for the well being of the other.

6. Perdita/ Missus (101 Dalmatians)
I love both the Disney film and the original books. One thing to note in the popular Disney movie the character of Perdita combines characteristics from the two characters of Perdita and Missus in the book. No matter which one you focus on though you find a mother entirely devoted to her puppies.

 

5. Miss Clavel (Madeline)
Alright she is not technically a mother (we had the same issue on the fathers' list too) but she acts as a mother in addition to teacher to Madeline. I'm of course referring to the 1998 film in which Madeline is written as an orphan. In the books Madeline's parents are alive and well.

 

I love her so much.

4.  Kala (Tarzan)
I've never read Tarzan. I've never seen the classic films. But I have seen the Disney movie and let me be honest, I didn't really like it until this year. I've recently gotten into the habit of listening to Disney songs in Spanish, and, for kicks, I decided to watch the whole movie in Spanish. Let me be clear - I only know a polite amount of Spanish, by no means enough to even begin to hope I would understand what was being said. But what I really noticed was the amazing amounts of emotion put into this movie, and the character that especially drew me in was Kala.

However, if I could I would also use Tarzan's birth mother, but she breaks my rules by not even making it through the first song.

 

Oh look, another red-head that I kicked off the list.

3. Ma Ingalls (Little House on the Prairie)
Caroline Ingalls was right there alongside her husband leading her family into the unfamiliar frontier. She was always the foundation of the home, bringing comfort and faith to her family no matter where they lived.

2. Molly Weasley (Harry Potter Series)
Molly Weasley was one of the best characters in the Harry Potter series. She had seven children of her own plus Harry to watch after. She was written with all the warmth of a real mother, and she can even be just as embarrassing as a real mother at times.

Ha! Red-head!

1. Clair Huxtable (The Cosby Show)
Working hard and raising her kids, Clair Huxtable beautifully balanced being a full time lawyer with being a full time mom. She is always able to dispense wisdom to her children concerning life and love. Honestly, with her hard work, sass, and sense of fun, she probably is the one most similar to my own mother... which may explain why she steals the number one spot.

 

 

 

So there you have it. My favorite fictional mothers, astute readers will notice that I mentioned ten moms anyway.

The Giver, Newbery Winner 1994

So this is one of those books that I'd never read simply because I was always reading something else. I'm so grateful to have finally gotten the chance to read it, although it was pretty depressing at times. This book is set in a completely ordered, seemingly idyllic future. A future vividly imagined by Lowry and endowed with just enough familiarity to be easily identified with. However, all is not right.
I loved how this book forces its readers to think, asks them to examine themselves and society and make judgements. I'm not the world's biggest fan of dystopian literature, only a handful of titles have ever held my attention. (Exempting short stories.)
The characters were heart-breakingly realistic. I pained for Jonas throughout the book as I tried to imagine what he was going through. Could any one person really be expected to take on so much for the community?
Though I was able to detect many of the plot-twists before their arrival I can only imagine a young person reading this the first time. I highly recommend this book to the mature child with an adult willing to guide them! But, even with my knowledge of the basic plots, I felt that the ending was pleasantly ambiguous. I can't decide how the novel ended, but I'm sure that I'll change my mind anyway in the future!

Third Round-Up

Wow. It has taken so long to get to this point. Ah well, I'm still enjoying this little challenge (though I'll be straight up honest there are three book so far that I've started and been unable to finish).

Anyway, the newcomers!

Island of the Blue Dolphins - This is such a wonderful and beautiful book. Sadly I look at reviews and it seems that there are a great many people who don't like it. It is, apparently, too boring. I am always amazed at how the times have changed, some, in fact most, modern books I love, but I also love classic literature. It doesn't seem that many of my peers or those younger than myself find classic literature to be worth the time of day, which is sad because they miss books like this.

Maniac Magee - Ahhhhh!!!! I enjoyed reading this again, it was just as fun as I remembered. I fell in love with these characters for the first time more than ten years ago. It was also the book that introduced me to that magical reading time that occurs far after a sane person would have fallen asleep.

The Tale of Despereaux - This was such a fun book! I read it very quickly and discussed it with some friends over lunch. One mentioned that she had heard the book ended differently than the film. Being a fair-minded individual I pulled it up on Netflix.

See what being fair has gotten me?

She was right the ending was different, but to be fair, so was the beginning and middle, and character traits (both physical and personality). If you have only ever seen this movie, please don't assume the book is a similar by any means. I would also go so far as to guess that it would be the most popular book with today's audience that I have on this list.

The Westing Game - I don't often get a chance to indulge in a full length mystery novel. I also think that children need to be engaged in a good mystery every once and a while, it can only sharpen their brains further.

The View from Saturday - I'm still not a fan of Mrs. Olinski but I got to relive so many memories just reading this book that it's hard for me to hold a grudge against it. It was a great read set in contemporary times which was enjoyable, while a lot of these works are 'contemporary' it is obvious that they are on the tottering edge of becoming historical.

The Cat Who Went to Heaven - I often find myself reflecting on the beautiful story in this book. Then again I'm a cat lover... not that I exclude dogs mind you, I just really love cats and feel they are more prone to take flack from society.

Dear Mr. Henshaw - Just days past reading this one I can say that it mimicked life quite nicely. However it isn't necessarily a book I would rush back to again and again. I might use it for a unit on journal writing, at any rate it will certainly be an available read in my future classroom.

A Gathering of Days - Another book that I enjoyed but have no strong desire to read again. It mirrored life excellently, but for the most part life is boring unless it is happening strictly to you. I felt that some of the more interesting things that happened were glossed over so quickly and too much time was spent on the 'everyday' things.

Rabbit Hill - A simple, enjoyable read. One that I might break out as a bedtime story for any future children I might have, but I doubt I'd ever use in the classroom.

The Matchlock Gun - Well, someone had to occupy the bottom slot on this list. I liked this book, I really did. But only a few months out and I don't find myself thinking about it very often, nor have I recommended it to anyone. Like The Whipping Boy, I simply can't justify comparing this to some of the other works on this list.

All right then, "From the top!"

1. Number the Stars
2. Crispin: Cross of Lead
3. Island of the Blue Dolphins
4. Julie of the Wolves
5. Maniac Magee
6. Bud, Not Buddy
7. King of the Wind
8. Out of the Dust
9. The Tale of Despereaux
10. Caddie Woodlawn
11. Kira-Kira
12. Sounder
13. Good Masters! Sweet Ladies!: Voices from a Medieval Village
14. The Westing Game
15. Bridge to Terabithia
16. The View from Saturday
17. Sarah, Plain and Tall
18. Joyful Noise: Poems for Two Voices
19. Call It Courage
20. The Cat Who Went to Heaven
21. Onion John
22. Dear Mr. Henshaw
23. Missing May
24. A Gathering of Days
25. The Whipping Boy
26. Rabbit Hill
27. The Matchlock Gun
28. A Visit to William Blake's Inn
29. Johnny Tremain
30. Dobry
31. Daniel Boone

The Westing Game, Newbery Winner 1979

Oooooh boy. I hadn't expected a mystery, that seems to be the genre least likely to be a winner. In fact, though there had been  mystery elements in some of the other books this is the only one to have been written strictly as a puzzle to be solved. I love a good puzzle and come from a long line of literary sleuths.
I found that the clues were easy enough to decipher and think they're appropriate for school aged children. I also like the relationships that develop between characters, Chris makes a great point in the story. Speaking of characters, there are a ton of them! Their are sixteen heirs to the Westing estate, plus a few secondary characters. Some reviewers seem to think that there are too many characters... HA! I'm sorry but now-a-days you rarely find a series or stand-alone work without a large cast of characters, that's simply the way it is.
If you enjoy mysteries another series I recommend is The Mysterious Benedict Society. I think I've recommended them before but here goes again...

Read them all!

Overall if you are a fan of the mystery genre I think you'll enjoy The Westing Game, and before you write it of as just another kids' book I'll tell you that there are some good plot twists. Most I never saw coming (and one I'm ashamed to say I never saw coming).

Dear Mr. Henshaw, Newbery Winner 1984

Another quick read. I spent an hour or so reading this one... And now it is super late at night but I'm on spring break sooooo... who cares!
This work is by the prolific Beverly Cleary, famous for her books about 'real kids'. If I'm being honest with myself I can't say that I'm a big fan of her work. I don't think I've ever re-read anything she wrote. That's a huge deal for me, re-reads make up more than half of my pleasure reading.
That being said, it's a good book. However, I found myself wishing that something amusing would happen. The book is a little gloomy, much like poor Leigh. But not every book can be written for the humor, still most books make me smile at least once. Ah well.

Another thing I noticed was that Leigh was in sixth grade. Jiminy Crickets, why is it always sixth grade when things go down? I actually feel that this is probably supported by life - my least favorite year ever was the year I was in sixth grade.

This book is a combination of letters and diary entries that track how Leigh begins to feel better simply by writing through all his problems. It is books like this that make me wish I had kept a journal. The para in the classroom I'm student-teaching has boxes of journals that she started keeping when she was around nine years old. I'm actually quite jealous of her. Anyway, this book works a little different than most, in that we actually have no ending to speak of, the little boy just keeps on doing what he has been doing.

As long as I'm here I might as well share with you the book I've been reading to the third graders:

This book is hilarious. I've been taking it from the classroom at lunchtime just so I can keep reading! I do wish there was time to read everyday though... That might re motivate the students. They were going to reproduce the contest in the book - a boys vs. girls no talking challenge. It might be interesting to see because we have quite the chatty batch.

Since it is spring break I hope I'll be able to post once more this week... we shall see.

The Tale of Despereaux, Newbery Winner 2004

 

I loved this book! Fantasy is perhaps my favorite genre, The Tale of Despereaux did not disappoint in this regard. In fact I could have finished this in one day quite easily if it hadn’t been for Mario…

At some moment you realize that one level took far longer than it ever should have...

 

The style for the writing is very interesting and reminds me of a modern Rudyard Kipling and a less dark Lemony Snicket, two authors I read a lot. The reader is often addressed and the story seems to be written expressly for the reader. However, don’t assume that just because the story is less dark that it is a completely happy fairy tale. There were plenty of dark parts, mostly concerning the rats. The heroes and villains both had wonderful development showing that no one was completely good or bad. I felt horribly bad for the two villains and was very pleased with the resolution. The message that this book is giving to children is wholesome and, I believe, necessary in today’s world.

And now, two of my favorite quotes on the subject:

"A children's story that can only be enjoyed by children is not a good children's story in the slightest." ~ C.S. Lewis

"If you want your children to be intelligent, read them fairy tales. If you want them to be more intelligent, read them more fairy tales." ~ Albert Einstein

 

So onward into the week! I am getting familiar with standardized testing this week... very, very familiar.

The View From Saturday, Newbery Winner 1997

I just finished this book after having started it earlier this afternoon. While I was reading it I wasn't entirely sure what to make of it. However, I am completely compelled to read it again. Perhaps I was confused about how to respond to it; so many of the characters related to my own life in some fashion...
There were few activities I enjoyed in middle and high school more than Knowledge Bowl. In middle school our team was outstanding but an almost unknown entity to our classmates. But in high school while we never ranked quite as highly, we were one of the school's recognized teams. For most of my four years in high school I was the only girl who regularly participated. It was this part of my own past which drew me to Nadia even though she initially annoyed me.
Like Julian I was often a loner in middle school, I instantly adored his character with all of the quirks that made him so wonderfully real; the fact that he set forth clues in classic literature only endured me to him all the more. Noah, though he could be brash has a head for knowledge. He shares my ability to remember large quantities of mostly useless information with absolutely no bearing on interest or use. Also he does calligraphy. How awesome is that? I don't believe I've ever seen another work in which modern adolescents use calligraphy. Then there is Ethan, I understand his point of view almost better than any of the others, for you see Ethan is a listener. In this day and age people, especially my peers it seems, don't understand the value of listening. In a world that is constantly about saying what is on your mind I like to sit and listen, sometimes I just listen to an entire conversation between my friends without ever interjecting.
However I was never really felt a particularly strong attachment to Mrs. Olinski. This was sad for me, I had hoped that since I am student teaching now I would begin to feel more connected to the teachers in literature.
Oh well, still a really strong work by an author that I enjoy and would definitely read again.