Miss Hickory, Newbery Winner 1947

I've read four books this year: the fun adventure/ thriller Escape to Witch Mountain, the emotional and beautiful The Book Thief, an excellent novelization of one of my favorite movies The Labyrinth, and... this. Now this little book is fine and I read it in one sitting, so not too time consuming, but.... Holy moly is it ever weird.

This probably is in the running for the weirdest Newbery book. Weirder than a social system built entirely on types of food, weirder than being raised by ghosts, weirder than a massage giving bear, and weirder than bug poetry. It had a certain charm, brought on by the similarities in prose to...

If you knew this was coming, you've been reading my blog too long.

The were definitely similarities to Rabbit Hill you know, talking woodland creatures old-timey atmosphere, all that. And there were lots of similarities to Thimble Summer  seeing as every chapter was a brand new episode unto itself... often with little 'resolution'. 

The writing is clearly the selling point here. The author can make simple, yet wonderful descriptions, and very enjoyable, natural dialogue. My favorite bit is when Miss Hickory is telling off the barn cat Mr. T. Willard-Brown:

It's all your fault, Mr. T. They had to leave to get away from you, scratching on doors and purring in the kitchen for milk. You are only a cat with a cat's ways. I shall tell all Hillsborough what your given name is, Tippy, because you have a white tip to your tail. Willard is for the barn where you were born. Brown is pretense. The hyphen is putting on airs. You are sly, Tippy. I always suspected it." 

And this is where you should stop, if you don't want any spoilers. However, if you don't much care I'm going to outline the weirdness.

• Main character is made from a hickory nut and apple branch but is very much alive.
• Neighbors with a squirrel - who cannot plan ahead to save his life in the long winter ahead.
• She teaches the hen-pheasants to sew (honestly the one plot point that returned often enough.
• The fawn (after his mother is killed) following a red something back to his home, we are never-ever told what the red-thing was.
• A weird Christmas fable type thing (I'm a religious person but it still struck me as feeling a bit odd.) all the animals come to the barn to see the impression of a child in the stables... ALL the animals, living and dead. Plus somehow, giraffes, elephants, and lions end up in New Hampshire...
• A character who is introduced solely for the purpose of eating his old skin.
• And, of course, the fact that Miss Hickory's head gets EATEN after Squirrel nearly starves to death. Her body then climbs up the tree and grafts itself in, thereby giving a little umph to make the tree start flowering again.

What I Checked Out at the Library... and the Impressions They Give Me

I checked out a swath of books from the library this week, mostly Newbery Winners, but also one honor book and one... other book.

As I sit here trying to decide which to read next I must grapple with all my emotions concerning each - gathered primarily by, you guessed it, judging books by their covers!

First off the title - I'm put off by it, you see I don't like romances very much and this title is totally suggesting that to me. But the author has written another book that I enjoy (Bridge to Terbithia). So maybe it won't be a total wash. Speaking of wash, did that girl bathe in liquid gold? Why is she so shiny? Is she a ghost? Is that Nancy Drew? Maybe this book is a mystery... hmm, that trumps romance. Also - something about music. Perusing the copyright page I see mention of twins. Those two don't look like cousins, let alone sisters. (Unless of course goldilocks is dead.)

Oooooh the Caribbean! That looks like fun! flips book over New Hampshire? Soooooo, no Caribbean. I think I've heard this one is sorta dull. But it is also pretty short, one sitting - no problem. Inside pictures are cute and full of whimsey. 

No description on book. I'm immediately reminded of Dobry (not a good thing). Pictures by Maurice Sendak... but must be one of his earlier commissions, puts me in mind of a book he illustrated with a rabbit in it. Also, look a bird! Pelican?

I've read this one before. It is abridged or edited whatever you want to call it, due to some unfortunate racial issues. I agree since it's meant for kids and a complex historical discussion is not likely to accompany this fantasy. BUT - I personally want that fact stated at the beginning of the book, not the end.

I've also read this one, and must say that I really enjoy it. I kept putting it off so that I had something to look forward to when I reached the dregs. Thinking about acquiring one of the movie adaptations and doing a follow-up post on my previous Lights... Camera... Action!

An Honor book that I'm reading now because the sequel won the Award a few years later. How far from Chicago? Why are they in that little plane? Must be the 1920s.