Old-Fashioned

As you, hopefully, have noticed I am blogging about all of the Newbery Medal books.  I am now getting into some of the older books and it is fascinating to see the differences between books then and now.  Of course, they are all quality, wonderful books but the most striking difference is the language.  I just finished a truly delightful story, Hitty: Her First Hundred Years by Rachel Field.  It was the story of Hitty, a doll, and all of the adventures that she encounters in, obviously, her first hundred years. 

Even though it was a charming story the language was, to my modern tastes, very formal.  But what surprised me was that I really liked it.  Listen to the way Field describes this laugh, "He laughed a great deal.  Whenever he did so it seemed as if the sound began at the toes of his enormous sea boots and went rumbling up and up until it came bursting out of his mouth in great ho-ho's."  What an amazing description.  And the whole book is like that!  

This book has so many adventures, cultures, rich characters, and sweet touching sentimentality.  There are so many little stories embedded in Hitty's memoir that I feel like I can't even begin to start a summary.  So you'll just have to read it. You might think that because it's about a doll that there can't be real adventures.  If you think that you are very mistaken.  This doll has lead a more exciting life than most humans-and she managed to remember everything after 100 years and write it all down. 

Having adventures and writing them all down...that's kids stuff.