LOL

I've talked a little bit before about how interesting it is to see what people remember about books.  The little details that stick out and stay with you however different they may be from the main message of the book.  I had read Avi's Crispin the Cross of Lead once before when I was in college.  It was one of those books that I just tore through as a stress reliever after a fight with my roommates during finals week.  So though I remember enjoying it at the time I didn't remember much else about it so I decided to read it again.

Even though the book is young Crispin's quest to find his identity and a place to belong, the lines that stuck out to me were not the ones where Crispin kept going, despite fear of discovery, despite hunger, despite being lost and alone he kept going-even though this is what makes the book such a grand tale and delight to read.  What stuck out to me was this scene.  During his travels Crispin meets up with a traveling juggler named Bear.  Bear says to Crispin, "Don't you ever smile, boy" he demanded, "If you can't laugh and smile life is worthless."  How true that is.  I read somewhere that if you are feeling down but force yourself to smile you will start to feel better just by smiling.  Try that next time you feel glum and see if it works for you.

This book is set in fourteenth century medieval England.  The setting is beautifully described and most of the time I was immersed in the story seeing things as Crispin saw them.  Except for when he was in peril and trying desperately to warn Bear of the impending danger.  But Bear has gone to meet with some mysterious people and Crispin is supposed to stay in hiding.  As Crispin is sneaking out to find Bear I kept thinking, "just send a text."  What problems could have been solved in this tale through the marvels of modern technology.  But then it wouldn't really have been that fun to read now would it? Bear walked alway, Crispin saw the danger so he sent Bear a text and Bear came home safe.  Yeah, not that exciting. 

Not giving up and completing your quest no matter what the danger-but always remembering to laugh...that's kids stuff. 

Thank You

No books today.  Just a big, heartfelt thank you to all of the men and women who selflessly serve our country.  They make our freedoms possible and I for one am extremely grateful. I encourage you to take some time today to reflect on everything those in the military have done for us.  

Also a personal thank you to my brother.  He is a contracted Marine ROTC Cadet and is currently completing OCS.  Thanks bro!

In Remembrance

Since it is Memorial day weekend I thought it appropriate to feature a book about remembering.  Cynthia Rylant's Missing May is the story of a young girl named Summer.  After Summer's parents died she was passed round from relative to relative until ending up with old Uncle Ob and Aunt May.  When May dies tragically Ob and Summer have to figure out how to keep going.  What is their new normal?

Even though this is a book about loss and remembrance it is not sad.  Instead it is told from Summer's point of view and is much more ponderous than sorrowful.  There are also humorous moments woven throughout.  When one of Summer's classmates, Cletus, comes over, Summer finds him weird but Ob finds him fascinating.  "Thing was, though, Ob really liked him...I found out Cletus's parents were pretty old...Maybe that's why Cletus and Ob had such an easy time of getting to be friends.  Cletus was used to older people.  And Ob appreciated anybody crazier than him."  Isn't it funny what brings people together?

When at Cletus's house, surrounded by pictures of Cletus and his happy adoring family, Summer (who has never known that kind of stability) reflects, "It made me think about the differences between Cletus and me.  About the way he could trust things to be all right. The way I worried about losing everything." But you can't worry forever.  Summer learns this in her own way and her own time.  There's a great image of casting out fears and worries at the end of the book-but you have to read the whole thing to appreciate it so I'll let you find that out for yourself.

And so as we take this weekend to reflect on those who have served our country and to remember their sacrifice I encourage you to take time to remember.  And for those who have loved ones currently serving I hope you can learn from Summer.  Sometimes you have to let go of your fears-you can't be worried about losing everything. The reality is that some people do lose everything and to those brave men and women I give my most sincere thanks.  I think Summer's journey through grieving is one many have to make, but it is stories like these that bring hope and in some small way make that journey easier.

Taking time to remember, and surrendering your fears...that's kids stuff. 

For the love of a dog

From the second Marty Preston saw the beagle shivering in the woods he knew he would do whatever it took to get that dog.  Phyllis Reynolds Naylor's Shiloh is the story of 11 year old Marty's quest to own a beagle.  The only problem is that this is not some stray Marty saw in the woods, this beagle is meant to be a hunting dog, this beagle has an owner, and the owner does not like to give stuff away.  Marty knows all of this but he keeps trying anyways.  Why?  Because he loves that dog.

"Jesus" I [Marty] whisper finally, "which you want be to do? Be one hundred percent honest and carry that dog back to Judd so that one of your creatures can be kicked and starved all over again, or keep him here and fatten him up to glorify your creatiIon?" Marty is desperate for this dog, he knows the honest thing to do is to return it-but is the honest thing the right thing? As Marty says, "A lie don't seem a lie anymore when it's meant to save a dog, and right and wrong's all mixed up in my head."

Why does he do it?  Because he loves that dog.  And, "Nobody else loves you as much as a dog.  Except your ma, maybe."  People go above and beyond for love.  I identify with Marty.  Last week my boyfriend and I were dogsitting.  I feel in love with that dog instantaneously-dogs can do that, loving people takes time.  One night we let her out before bed and she ran through her electric fence.  We spent the next two hours searching for her in the pouring rain.  Why?  Because we loved that dog.  Sure you can say we had a responsibility to the owners, and we didn't want to get in trouble...but I think what it really comes down to was we loved that dog and we wanted her safe with us.  Don't worry the dog came back the next morning (after a sleepless night).

I remember how relieved I was when I saw that dog on the porch first thing in the morning.  I wanted to throw a party.  When Marty's family found out that they could keep Shiloh they did have a party."  I get home that evening and Ma's baked a chocolate layer cake to celebrate-a real cake too, not no Betty Crocker."

Loving a dog...that's kids stuff. 

For the love of a dog

From the second Marty Preston saw the beagle shivering in the woods he knew he would do whatever it took to get that dog.  Phyllis Reynolds Naylor's Shiloh is the story of 11 year old Marty's quest to own a beagle.  The only problem is that this is not some stray Marty saw in the woods, this beagle is meant to be a hunting dog, this beagle has an owner, and the owner does not like to give stuff away.  Marty knows all of this but he keeps trying anyways.  Why?  Because he loves that dog.

"Jesus" I [Marty] whisper finally, "which you want be to do? Be one hundred percent honest and carry that dog back to Judd so that one of your creatures can be kicked and starved all over again, or keep him here and fatten him up to glorify your creatiIon?" Marty is desperate for this dog, he knows the honest thing to do is to return it-but is the honest thing the right thing? As Marty says, "A lie don't seem a lie anymore when it's meant to save a dog, and right and wrong's all mixed up in my head."

Why does he do it?  Because he loves that dog.  And, "Nobody else loves you as much as a dog.  Except your ma, maybe."  People go above and beyond for love.  I identify with Marty.  Last week my boyfriend and I were dogsitting.  I feel in love with that dog instantaneously-dogs can do that, loving people takes time.  One night we let her out before bed and she ran through her electric fence.  We spent the next two hours searching for her in the pouring rain.  Why?  Because we loved that dog.  Sure you can say we had a responsibility to the owners, and we didn't want to get in trouble...but I think what it really comes down to was we loved that dog and we wanted her safe with us.  Don't worry the dog came back the next morning (after a sleepless night).

I remember how relieved I was when I saw that dog on the porch first thing in the morning.  I wanted to throw a party.  When Marty's family found out that they could keep Shiloh they did have a party."  I get home that evening and Ma's baked a chocolate layer cake to celebrate-a real cake too, not no Betty Crocker."

Loving a dog...that's kids stuff. 

Dragons

I LOVED THIS BOOK!  After a week of dogsitting in an actual nice house (with a beautiful deck and this great thing called air conditioning) I am back in my house in State College.  The house is good enough for what I need (especially since my roommates are gone for the summer!) but theres no air conditioning and its hot.  So yesterday I packed up my laptop and went to Barnes and Noble for breakfast and blogging.  I decided to stay a little longer (they have those super comfy armchairs-how are you ever supposed to leave?) and start the book for today.  Four hours later I finished this book.

It was one of those things where you forget where you are and what time it is and how long you've been there because you were so absorbed in the story.  I love that.  Confession: I pretty much love fantasy.  Before I started this project I was devouring any book that had anything to do with wizards or quests or magic or anything like that.  So Robin McKinley's The Hero and the Crown was a much needed fantasy fix.

Shy Aerin happens to be the kings daughter.  She also happens to be more powerful than anyone else in her family (magic runs in their blood) but you would never know it-well at least not until the end (come on that's not a spoiler its a children's fantasy book our shy heroin is going to triumph its how she gets there that matters). My favorite parts of this book were the ones where Aerin stands up for herself.  For example her cousin Perlith embarrasses her at court.  After his less than sincere apology Aerin says, "I know perfectly well what you were about this evening. I accept your apology for precisely what it is worth." ZING!  If only I had read this back in the days when my mom would force my brother and I to apologize to each other (say it like you mean it).

Aerin leaves the castle without permission and slays her first dragon-a very public act.  Her father then gives her this advice, "Another lesson for you my dear.  Royalty isn't allowed to hide-at least not once it has declared itself." Is that why people are so afraid of greatness?  Because once we do something great, that's it, we're out.  No more hiding.  Thankfully our heroin was up to the challenge and she no longer needed to hide (even though she sometimes wanted to).

A few posts ago I talked about how kids can handle more than we think they can.  There was a line in this book that made me question that.  Aerin falls in love with Luthe the mage who saves her life after she is injured by the black dragon.  Up to this point their romance has been very PG and then there is this exchange.  "My love [says Luthe], I feel it only fair to warn you that I am feeling quite alert and strong tonight, and if you choose to sleep with me again, it is not sleep you will be getting."  "Then I look forward to no sleep whatsoever," Aerin said.  Well...adults know exactly what that means.  I think most children would just breeze over it (I listened to the musical Les Miserables over and over as a child and had no idea there were songs about prostitutes-among other things) and I am in no way saying this book is inappropriate for children.  It just gave me pause.  Because sleeping with someone and not getting sleep is definitely not kids stuff.

Finding out who you are, realizing your potential and saving the day...that's kids stuff. 

Leigh Botts (boy)

Human beings, as social creatures, notice potential confusion in others and try to clarify anything that may be misleading.  Children are no different in their intent. They just think different things need clarification.  When Leigh Botts writes to his favorite author, Mr. Henshaw, he not only spells his name phonetically but also clarifies that he is a boy.  As Leigh says, "I don't like Leigh for a name because some people don't know how to say it or think it's a girl's name"


Beverly Cleary's Dear Mr. Henshaw is the tale of a ten year olds struggles at a new school, in a new house, with newly divorced parents as told through a series of letters he writes to his favorite author.  Even though we  never get to read Mr. Henshaw's responses they are sometimes hinted at in Leigh's next letter and from what I can gather Mr. Henshaw is part smart aleck, part busy writer rushing through his responses, and part wise mentor.  One solution Mr. Henshaw suggested was for Leigh to keep a diary instead of always writing to him.  So Leigh begins his diary entries, "Dear Pretend Mr. Henshaw."

Writing this blog I think a lot about books, I'm sure this is shocking  information for all of you, so one of the lines that stuck out to me in this books was Leigh's thoughts about books.  "I got to hiking and decided a book doesn't have to be funny to be good, although it often helps.  This book did not need to be funny."  As I reflected on the books I read thus far I think that it was easier for me to blog about books that were funny but the books that were less funny were no less good.  So that leaves the question, what makes a book good?

One of the questions Leigh asks Mr. Henshaw is, "Please give me some tips on how to write a book.  This is important to me.  I really want to know so I can get to be a famous author and write books exactly like yours." Mr. Henshaw responds with the following tips, "read, look, listen, think and write."  What excellent advice.

Reading, looking, listening, thinking and writing...that's kids stuff.  


PS This book was a little surprising because Leigh (boy) loved reading.  There have been several studies out recently about the gender gap in literacy.  Basically the claim is that literacy education is biased because we (teachers) teach reading almost exclusively through narrative, a genre more appealing to girls than boys.  They argue that boys would excel more at reading if there was more balance in the curriculum-specifically more non-fiction.  Even Leigh who loved Mr. Henshaw's books confessed to studying electrical books rather than writing a poem or story.  What do you think?  Are we biased?

Oops

We all have them...those oops moments-moments where we know immediately we messed up and it's bad.  Ugh, I hate those moments.  There's that sinking feeling in the pit of your stomach, helplessness knowing you can't change what just happened, and that fleeting (or if it's a big oops lingering) feeling of panic.  What will you do now?


Linda Sue Park's A Single Shard answers the question, "what will you do now?"  The orphaned Tree-Ear spends his time watching the potter Min work.  Eventually he is caught but through some clever talking Tree-Ear is allowed to become Min's assistant.  He works until his hands bleed-What will he do now?  He is challenged by a journey-what will he do now?  He has a big oops moment-What will he do now?

Some of my family members are potters by hobby.  I remember when I was younger I had a toy pottery wheel and I couldn't even make bowls out of that.  I would look at the pieces they had made and wonder how they had gotten them so perfect?  Then I remembered it took years and years of practice to train my hands to play piano beautifully; why should it not take years to learn how to make beautiful pottery? 

Even though the descriptions of the pottery in the book are splendidly done, I wanted to see if my mental picture matched the work itself.  Through the wonders of the internet I was able to find an example of the Korean inlaid pottery described in the book. 

Thousand Cranes Vase

                                                              
If I understand correctly the vase is formed from regular clay (it is the glaze that gives it that green color-read the book to find out more, the glaze is difficult to perfect) and then where you see the white is where the design has been hollowed out and colored slip has been inserted or inlaid to create the pattern.  Getting all of the pieces exactly right requires a master potter. 

Tree-Ear was a street urchin.  He lived under a bridge with his friend, informal guardian, and mentor Crane-man.  Crane-man gives Tree-ear this advice, "Scholars read the great words of the world.  But you and I must learn to read the world itself."  What a statement on childhood.  Learning all about the world, how it works, and what your role in it is...that's kids stuff.