Review: The Catcher in the Rye

Salinger, J.D.  (1945).  The Catcher in the Rye.  Boston:  Little, Brown and Company.


Appetizer: 16-year-old Holden Caulfield is about to be kicked out of his prep school.  Rather than waiting for the letter to reach his parents' house in the dorm, he decides to take the train to New York City to spend several days in the city before arriving home to face his family's disappointment.

His trip is far from a lighthearted skip through town, rather he feels lonely and depressed as he contemplates his boardings school acquaintances, the girls he's almost slept with, and his siblings.  He seeks out people from his past, has a run-in with a young prostitute and her pimp, and seeks out his little sister, Phoebe.  His few days in New York won't quite be the vacation he'd been hoping to enjoy.

This is my third time reading The Catcher in the Rye (once as a high school sophomore or junior at my father's recommendation, once as required reading when I was in my MFA program, and now, for the first time, as a teacher.  I have joined The Catcher Cult!)  I absolutely hated this book both the first and second times that I read it.  This time around...I can't believe I'm typing this, but I enjoyed it more.  It's still a book that as I read, I quietly wonder when a plot will develop, and contemplate what exactly is Holden's damage.  But this time, his voice did feel honest as I read it.  So many contemporary YA novels try so hard to capture an angsty, quirky, YA voice.  The Catcher in the Rye just *is* that voice, with Holden's unwillingness to shy away from the darker aspects of his character.

During this reading, I was struck by all of the subtle ways Holden desires to help others maintain their innocence.

I was still far from crazy about the way all of the female characters were depicted.

But now I'm left to ponder if it's my ever advancing age that has changed my mind about The Catcher in the Rye.  All of my students, who range in age from about 19 to somewhere in their 40s, gave the book mixed reviews.  There was one person each at the extremes of loving and hating the book and a scattering of everyone else along the spectrum.

Also, just this past weekend NPR's Weekend Edition just reported on a new biography of Salinger.  Part of the broadcast focused on the creation of and the reception of The Catcher in the Rye.  It's a good listen.  I'd planned to show it to my students, along with John Green's comments about the book, to get the conversation going.  But, when it came time for my class to meet, it was the absolute *perfect* weather to have class outside.  So, we went "old school" and technology free to have an intense discussion of the book in the shade of a tree that sits beside a pond on campus.

Dinner Conversation:

"If you really want to hear about it, the first thing you'll probably want to now is where I was born, and what my lousy childhood was like, and how my parents were occupied and all before they had me, and all that David Copperfield kind of crap, but I don't feel like going into it, if you want to know the truth." (p 1)

"I forgot to tell you about that.  They kicked me out.  I wasn't supposed to come back after Christmas vacation, on account of I was flunking four subjects and not applying myself and all.  They gave me frequent warning[s] to start applying myself--especially around midterms, when my parents came up for a conference with old Thurmer--but I didn't do it.  So I got the ax.  They gave guys the ax quite frequently at Pencey.  It has a very good academic rating, Pencey.  It really does." (p. 4)

"All of a sudden, I decided what I'd really do, I'd get the hell out of Pencey--right that same night and all.  I mean not wait till Wednesday or anything.  I just didn't want to hang around any more.  It made me too sad and lonesome.  So what I decided to do, I decided I'd take a room in a hotel in New York--some very inexpensive hotel and all--and just take it easy till Wednesday.  Then, on Wednesday, I'd go home all rested up and feeling swell.  I figured my parents probably wouldn't get old Thurmer's letter saying I'd been given the ax till maybe Tuesday or Wednesday.  I didn't want to go home or anything till they got it and thoroughly digested it and all.  I didn't want to be around when they first got it  My mother gets very hysterical.  She's not too bad after she gets something thoroughly digested, though.  Besides, I sort of needed a a little vacation  My nerves were shot.  They really were." (p. 51)


Tasty Rating:  !!!

REVIEW: The Phantom Tollbooth

Juster, N.  (1961).  The Phantom Tollbooth.  New York:  Dell Yearling.

256 pages.


If you would have asked me a couple of months ago, I would have sworn that I never read The Phantom Tollbooth.  Ever.  When I finally listened to the audio book and then picked up a paperback copy, I started to realize a few of the characters Milo meets seemed...familiar.


It turns out I *did* read the classic novel sometime around the fourth or fifth grade.  It just didn't leave much of an impression.  In fact, I'm pretty sure I thought it was boring with an image or two capturing my interest every now and then (like Alec, who always had the same point of view and so walked on air waiting to "grow down" and reach his full height, or like Milo leading an orchestra in the sunrise).


As an adult though, my impression has changed.  (Although, Alec the boy who walks in the air and conducting an orchestra in colors are still two of my favorite moments.)



Appetizer:  Milo is one out of sorts little boy.  He just doesn't know what to do with himself.  He's not interested in anything.  One day, he arrives home to find someone has delivered a small car, a map and the phantom tollbooth.  After going through the tollbooth, Milo finds himself in a fantastic land, where cities named Dictionopolis and Digitopolis are always at odds.  The only hope for the entire country is to bring back the princesses Rhyme and Reason to the country.  Milo, along with some of the friends he makes along the way, may have the best chance at restoring rhyme and reason to the land.

With lots of play with language and filled with observations about culture, I wouldn't call The Phantom Tollbooth a plot driven novel by any means.  (At that could have been part of my problem as a fourth or fifth grader.)  Instead of tension, the novel is more episodic revealing witty observations and critiques of culture and language.  I think it is a book that, when used with kids, an adult should help mediate the experience, to help the kids know what it is they should be taking away from the story.

For my students, the aspect of the novel that seemed to strike them the most was the conflict and companionship between language and mathematics.  By chance, I wound up with a lot of students who plan to be math teachers someday.  Generally, a lot of future math teachers are unhappy that they are required to take my course, which inherently favors language arts and social studies.  So, it seemed to be an inspiring and powerful message that our first book explored this supposed battle between math and language (through the conflict between Digitopolis and Dictionopolis).  I even got the best-est email ever from a student saying they couldn't wait to incorporate The Phantom Tollbooth and other literature into his math classroom.  (YAY)

My students are now in the exact right place for me to show them my favorite picturebook series about math EVER:

Don't you just see this book and want to read it?

If I'd had a teacher who'd shown me this series's mix of fantasy, history and math when I was younger maybe I would have enjoyed math a little more.

Despite all of the wonderful and witty explorations of idioms and discussions of math and how they go hand-in-hand, my students still came to the conclusion that language was favored throughout The Phantom Tollbooth since more chapters were set in Dictionopolis than in Digitopolis.  But we did discuss how we loved the fact that a pencil is described as a "magic staff" capable of great power and magic.  That is such a powerful metaphor.  I love it!

Sidenote--I originally listened to the audio book of this novel and it caused me to declare it to be THE MOST BORING BOOK EVER.  Reading it myself made it much more enjoyable for some reason or another.  Something for you readers of the world to be aware of.


Dinner Conversation:

"There was once a boy named Milo who didn't know what to do with himself--not just sometimes, but always.
When he was in school he longed to be out, and when he was out he longed to be in.  On the way he thought about coming home, and coming home he thought about going.  Wherever he was he wished he were somewhere else, and when he got there he wondered why he'd bothered.  Nothing really interested him--least of all the things that should have" (p. 9).

"Suddenly he found himself speeding along an unfamiliar country highway, and as he looked back over his shoulder neither the tollbooth nor his room nor even the house was anywhere in sight.  What had started as make-believe was nor very real" (p. 16).

"Well, then," said Milo, not understanding why each one said the same thing in a slightly different way, "wouldn't it be simpler to use just one?  It would certainly make more sense."
"Nonsense."
"Ridiculous."
"Fantastic."
"Absurd."
"Bosh," they chorused again, and continued.
"We're not interested in making sense; it's not our job," scolded the first."  (p. 40)

"And so they were taking from the palace and sent far away to the Castle in the Air, and they have not been seen since.  This is why today, in all this land, there is neither Rhyme nor Reason."
"And what happened to the two rulers?" asked Milo.
"Banishing the two princesses was the last thing they ever agreed upon, and they soon fell to warring with each other.  Despite this, their own kingdoms have continued to prosper, but the old city of Wisdom has fallen into great disrepair, and there is no one to set things right."  (p. 77)


Tasty Rating:  !!!!

Although I picked up this novel only to discover that I had in fact read it as a child, I'd still like to count The Phantom Tollbooth in the "Wish I'd Read That" Challenge, since if I hadn't picked it up to read, I would not have discovered that I was actually re-reading it.

REVIEW: Matilda

Dahl, R.  (1988).  Matilda.  New York:  Puffin Books.

240 pages.


Appetizer:  Ooh, sweet, sweet enjoyment and childhood memories.  I remember absolutely loooving this book when I was a second-third-fourth-no-definitely-second-or-third grade-ish age.

I remember that this book kept me up late, reading into the night and that I fell asleep with my cheek on the page.  I felt insanely jealous of Matilda because she was younger than me and a genius.  I wanted her ability to move objects with her eyes and would practice, hoping to feel the hands extend from my eyes too.

*Sigh.*  Memories....

So, having all these lovey-dovey feelings for this book made it hard to reread as an adult and look at the book critically (but was still a great experience, since I recommend my students do such an exercise if they are interested).  Now it turns out, Matilda stands up to the test of time (one of the greatest tests out there).  But it was strange, because I still found things to be critical of (like having more of a hint that magical powers were possible earlier in the story...but then, there are already many other aspects of the book that involve suspension of disbelief.  Plus, a sudden turn to fantasy is kind of Dahl's thing.)  The British vocabulary could throw some young American readers for a loop.  I don't remember having a problem with it when I was a kid.  But when I discussed the book with some of my undergrads, they said they had trouble with the language difference.

For those of you who missed this novel, five-year-old Matilda doesn't really fit in with the rest of her family.  Her father, a used-car salesman, mother, a bingo player, and brother all love to watch TV, and Matilda--who taught herself to read and do math--prefers spending her afternoons in the library, where she has already gone through all of the children's books.  When Matilda finally gets to start school, it becomes clear to her wonderful new teacher, the aptly named Miss Honey, that Matilda is special, put the Headmistress, Miss Trunchbull, won't let Matilda learn at her own level.  In fact, Miss Trunchbull is unjust toward many of the students.  As with her family, Matilda takes it upon herself to get back at those who wrong her and the people she cares about.

Part of what makes Matilda so fun is how horrible the villains of the book are to her.  They're so vile toward the seemingly-powerless children, that as young readers (or child-like adults, in my particular case) you immediately empathize with Matilda.  I had the same reaction to the Dursleys in the first Harry Potter book.  These young protagonists' families are just so mean to them that as a reader I feel so super frustrated by their situations that I'm completely drawn into the story.  And so, it's that much more satisfying when the kids gain the upper-hand and take back power from the horrible, evil, vile adults.

I assigned Matilda as the first reading assignment to my undergrads.  While I usually go more old school with Grimm tales and Aesop's fables, I thought Matilda opens up the discussion on literacy, love of reading, perception of teachers, feeling powerless, gender in children's literature, etc.  My students seemed to like the story (aside from the pesky British spellings).  When I turned the discussion to the way gender was presented, they acknowledged that the way femininity was presented wasn't exactly ideal.  And while the guys in the class admitted to liking the story, they also admitted that if they were still in grade school, there would have been no way they would have picked up the edition of the book with the pink cover.  No way.


Dinner Conversation:

"It's a funny thing about mothers and fathers.  Even when their own child is the most disgusting little blister you could ever imagine, they still think that he or she is wonderful.
Some parents go further.  They become so blinded by adoration they manage to convince themselves their child has qualities of genius.
Well, there is nothing very wrong with all this.  It's the way of the world.  It is only when parents begin telling us about the brilliance of their own revolting offspring, that we start shouting, "Bring us a basin!  We're going to be sick!" (p. 7).

"It was pleasant to take a hot drink up to her room and have it beside her as she sat in her silent room reading in the empty house in the afternoons.  The books transported her into new worlds and introduced her to amazing people who lived exciting lives.  She went on olden-day sailing ships with Joseph Conrad.  She went to Africa with Ernest Hemingway and to India and Rudyard Kipling.  She travelled all over the world while sitting in her little room in an English village."  (p. 21)

"She resented being told constantly that she was ignorant and stupid when she knew she wasn't.  The anger inside her went on boiling and boiling, and as she lay in bed that night she made a decision.  She decided that every time her father or her mother was beastly to her, she would get her own back in some way or another.  A small victory or two would help her to tolerate their idiocies and would stop her from going crazy.  You might remember that she was still hardly five years old and it is not easy for somebody as small as that to score points against an all-powerful grown-up.  Even so, she was determined to have a go.  Her father, after what had happened in front of the telly that evening, was first on her list."  (p. 29).

"The village school for younger children was a bleak brick building called Crunchem Hall Primary School.  It had about two hundred and fifty pupils aged from five to just under twelve years old.  The head teacher, the boss, the supreme commander of this establishment was a formidable middle-aged lady whose name was Miss Trunchbull.
Naturally Matilda was put in the bottom class, where there were eighteen other small boys and girls about the same age as her.  Their teacher was called Miss Honey, and she could not have been more than twenty-three or twenty-four."  (p. 66).


Tasty Rating:  !!!!!

REVIEW: The Best Christmas Pageant Ever--Will you be in attendance?

Robinson, B.  (1972).  The Best Christmas Pageant Ever.  New York: HarperTrophy.

80 pages.


Appetizer:  The Herdmans are the worst kids in town.  They smoke cigars, cause trouble in their classes, lie steal and they burned down Mr. Shoemaker's toolhouse (which really worked for them, since they got to steal the police's doughnuts).


It's all Charlie's fault that they wound up involved in the Christmas Pageant though.  The six Herdman children attend church, for the first time ever, looking for extra snacks because of what Charlie said and they wound up auditioning for the pageant because they love movies.  The Herdmans intemidate (or take unwanted roles) and end up with all of the leads in the play.

The pageant may never be the same.


Yet another classic book I never managed to pick up when I was a kid.  (I also don't think I ever watched the made for TV movie.  Is that something I should try to hunt down on Netflix, FBDR?)  I actually don't think I'd ever heard of The Best Christmas Pageant Ever.  But one of my students reviewed it last quarter and it seemed fun enough that I wanted to pick it up for myself.  Little do my students know, I steal book ideas from them aaaaaall the time.  (Except I tell them that.  I'm horrible at keeping secrets.)

The Best Christmas Pageant Ever is very fun.  It made me laugh several times and put me in the holiday spirit (which is what I was going for.  YAY!).  It's a fast read and would probably make a good pre-Christmas read aloud, for both kids who haven't heard the nativity story before and for those who are so familiar with it they have it memorized, zzzzzzzzzzzzz.

I did have trouble turning off my teacher eyes as I was reading though.  The Herdmans' father abandoned them.  Their mother works two jobs (but turned down some welfare money because she'd rather work than spend time with her children).  The kids only pass their classes because the teachers don't want to deal with them for a second year (in which case, they'd also have a younger Herdman brother or sister to also deal with).  Reading all of that made me want to be the siblings' teacher (but possibly not all at once) and, I don't know, intimidate the shiz out of them or something.  No, probably a teacher would have to go a more mothering route...and be super vigilant so he or she wouldn't end up with a surprise clump of worms in his/her pockets or hair.  I'd try a number of different tactics....

You see what I mean!  I couldn't turn off the teacher perspective and just enjoy the book.  But it all ended up being okay, because those kids were super-curious about the story of Jesus, and helped their classmates and town to see the story in a new light.

As I was reading, there was some dated language and some dated gender roles, but I was very interested in the narrator.  Robinson uses an unnamed narrator to tell the story.  It reminded me of The Great Gatsby, in that both have a secondary character sharing the story.

Also, it was particularly fun reading this after having read about this experience with the nativity play over at Hyperbole and a Half.  Enjoy!



Dinner Conversation:

"The Herdmans were absolutely the worst kids in the history of the world.  They lied and stole and smoked cigars (even the girls) and talked dirty and hit little kids and cussed their teachers and took the name of the Lord in vain and set fire to Fred Shoemaker's old broken-down toohouse.
The toolhouse burned right down to the ground, and I think that surprised the Herdmans.  They set fire to things all the time, but that was the first time they managed to burn down a whole building" (p. 1).

"They were just so all-around awful you could hardly believe they were real:  Ralph, Imogene, Leroy, Claude, Ollie, and Gladys--six skinny, stringy-haired kids all alike except for being different sizes and having different black-and-blue places where they had clonked each other.
They lived over a garage at the bottom of Sproul Hill.  Nobody used the garage anymore, but the Herdmans used to bang the door up and down just as fast as they could and try to squash one another--that was their idea of a game.  Where other people had grass in their front yard, the Herdmans had rocks.  And where other people had hydrangea bushes, the Herdmans had poison ivy" (p. 4).

"Mother didn't expect to have anything to do with the Christmas pageant except to make me and my little brother Charlie be in it (we didn't want to) and to make my father go and see it (he didn't want to).
Every year he said the same thing--"I've seen the Christmas pageant."
"You haven't seen this year's Christmas pageant," Mother would tell him.  "Charlie is a shepherd this year."
"Charlie was a shepherd last year.  No...you go on and go.  I'm just going to put on my bathrobe and sit by the fire and relax.  There's never anything different about the Christmas pageant."
"There's something different this year," Mother said.
"What?"
"Charlie is wearing your bathrobe" (pp. 15-16).


Tasty Rating:  !!!


Just in case you were wondering, I totally scheduled this post in advance.  In the real world, I'm probably playing with new toys.  Or maybe still unwrapping gifties.  Or possibly still asleep.  Any of the three would be good.

REVIEW: From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler

Kinigsburg, E.L.  (1967).  From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler.  New York:  Aladdin Paperbacks.

162 pages.


As a child, I always meant to read The Mixed-Up Files.  I just never got around to it.  The same was true when I was an adult.

It took my students choosing it as a class read to finally getting around to reading it.

And as I started the book, I wished I'd gotten around to it much sooner.  From the first page I as entertained by Claudia's characterization.


Appetizer:  Claudia Kincaid, the oldest of four children, has decided to run away.  But the detail-oriented girl refuses to do it in the ordinary way.  She plots and plans, saves money and chooses one of her little brothers--who compliments her well--to join her in escaping to the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

Her and Jamie work as a team to mange how to get food, find a place to sleep and do laundry.
When a new exhibit of a small angel statue is put on display, Claudia can't help but be drawn in by the mystery of the sculpture and wants her and Jamie to to solve the mystery of whether or not Michelangelo sculpted it.

I like how practical the book is.  Konigsburg makes a point of dealing with all of the issues about how the Claudia and Jamie spent their money (got more money), remained hidden from the museum security and spent their time.

(Of course, including these practical issues also dates the text since the value of a dollar has inflated so much.  It's hard to imagine a train ticket, a meal, etc. ever being as cheap as they are in the book.  Plus, the siblings don't have to contend with any high-tech security systems that a runaway of today might face...not that I've given this thought and am considering running away to a museum.  Not at all.)

Hello, Columbus Museum of Art....

 
You are a nice museum, aren't you?

No.  No plans to run away to the museum.  None at all.

I mean, who would feed my cats while I was gone?

While the four students who chose to read the book (alas, this is the problem between having students pick between reading a novel and a picturebook, almost all of them chose the picturebook) enjoyed it, as a group we failed to address one of the biggest potential problems of the text.  The fact that the main characters run away and the messages that sends (while Claudia and Jamie do feel a little homesick, the reader is almost entirely denied seeing the grief that their family experienced at their disappearance).

The easiest argument is to say that the book provides the reader with a sense of escape and that no reader will actually be inspired to run away based on reading the book.  And I don't really have any thoughts to add to that argument since there aren't any statistics on children who were inspired by 1960s children's literature to leave home and camp-out at a national museum.


Dinner Conversation:

"You never knew that I could write this well, did you?  Of course, you don't actually know yet, but you soon will.  I've spent a lot of time on this file.  I listened.  I investigated, and I fitted all the pieces together like a jigsaw puzzle.  It leaves no doubts.  Well, Saxonberg, read and discover" (p. 3).

"Claudia knew that she could never pull off the old-fashioned kind of running away.  That is, running away in the heat of anger with a knapsack on her back.  She didn't like discomfort; even picnics were untidy and inconvenient:  all those insect and the sun melting the icing on the cupcakes.  Therefore, she decided that her leaving home would not be just running from somewhere but would be running to somewhere.  To a large place, a comfortable place.  And that's why she decided upon the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City" (p. 5).

"I want you, Jamie, for the greatest adventure in our lives."
Jamie muttered, "Well, I wouldn't mind if you'd pick on someone else."
"Claudia looked out the window and didn't answer.  Jamie said, "As long as you've got me here, tell me" (p. 13).

"This was all Claudia needed.  Something that had been smoldering inside her since she first saw the statue, that had been fed by the Times article, now flared into an idea.
"Jamie, let's do it now.  Let's skip learning everything about everything in the museum.  Let's concentrate on the statue" (p. 62)


Tasty Rating:  !!!

REVIEW: The Outsiders

Hinton, S.E.  (1967).  The Outsiders.  New York:  Speak.

180 pages.

To start this post I need to tell you a secret, internetz.  I know most would say it is unwise to share a secret on the internetz, but I think in this case it will be okay.

*Looks around for people who might be eavesdropping*

I haven't read The Outsiders before now.

I know, I know.  That pretty much makes me a YA failure, but never fear.  I am no longer a failure.


Appetizer:  Ponyboy (yes that is his legal name) and his friends are outsiders.  They're from the wrong side of town, they wear their hair long and everyone judges them on sight.  They're the greasers and they are constantly at war against the privileged Socs who live on the other side of town.

When a gang rumble goes wrong, Ponyboy and his friend, Johnny, wind up on the run, with their futures uncertain.

Okay, so over the past couple of years, a handful of students have raved about this book, and I doubted I would share their love.  I'd seen the movie.  I could barely pay attention to it.  Despite the fact that there were a lot of famous actors in the cast, I could keep the boys straight and couldn't remember their names.  (Sidenote--In the introduction to the "platinum edition" of the book, Hinton writes that the actors were a "group of sweet, goofy, incredibly talented and at the same time incredibly normal teenage boys."  *snort*  What happened, Tom Cruise?)

When my students chose to read The Outsiders, I pretty much assumed I would have to suffer through reading it.

Surprisingly, that was not the case.

It took a little while, I initially had to laugh through some of the slang, the fact that Ponyboy described how he wished he looked like Paul Newman, etc. but then I got to the first scene with Cherry Valance (Oh, what a name!) and I somehow got into it.  It was easy to get into the book on an emotional level and feel the frustration of Ponyboy and the other greasers.  This book rings of truth.  I couldn't help but feel for Johnny.

Based on the movie and some of my students' assignments, I had a general memory of the plot, except for the fact that I didn't remember who died when (see the part about not being able to keep the character's names straight--and that was still a problem as I read.  I mean, Dally and Darry?  Come on!  I won't be able to tell those two apart without cues.)

I wouldn't say I thought the book was perfect.  There were some moments when I felt the book told me things instead of showed me.  Plus, with presenting it to younger readers, the danger of the book seeming dated is very real.  But I think if a teacher focuses on the emotional truths he or she can still manage to reach a lot of reluctant readers.


Dinner Conversation:

"When I stepped out into the bright sunlight from the darkness of the movie house, I had only two things on my mind:  Paul Newman and a ride home.  I was wishing I looked like Paul Newman--he looks tough and I don't--but I guess my own looks aren't so bad" (p. 1).

"So Dally, even though he could get into a good fight sometimes, had no specific thing to hate.  No rival gang.  Only Socs.  And you can't win against them no matter how hard you try, because they've got all the breaks and even whipping them isn't going to change that fact.  Maybe that was why Dallas was so bitter" (p. 11).

"Why did the Socs hate us so much?  We left them alone.  I nearly went to sleep over my homework trying to figure it out" (pp. 16-17).

"You take up for your buddies, no matter what they do.  When you're a gang, you stick up for the members.  If you don't stick up for them, stick together, make like brothers, it isn't a gang any more.  It's a pack.  A snarling, distrustful, bickering pack like the Socs in their social clubs or the street gangs in New York or the wolves in the timber" (p. 26).


Tasty Rating:  !!!!

REVIEW: Bunnicula

Howe, D., & Howe, J.  (1979).  Bunnicula:  A rabbit-tale of mystery.  New York:  Aladdin Paperbacks.


1416928170

98 Pages.


Appetizer:  Howard the dog and Chester the cat are surprised when their family brings home an unexpected creature from the Dracula movie they had attended:  A rabbit.  The family quickly names their new member Bunnicula, and as the humans--eight-year-old Toby and ten-year-old Pete among them, favor the rabbit, Chester begins to suspect there's more to the small bunny than anyone imagines.  Chester sets about convincing Harold that Bunnicula, who sleeps through the day and escapes his cage at night to suck the juice from vegetables, may be a VAMPIRE!!!!!!!!

So, months and months and months ago, my friend Catherine said, "You should review Bunnicula."
And I was all.  "Good idea!  I will do that!"

And the months passed.

The only reason I got off my bum-bum to review Bunnicula now is because my students chose to read it as their final group read for the quarter.

Let me tell you, it was strange picking this book up.  I remembered that I absolutely loved it when I read it in the fourth or fifth grade.  And I remembered the general idea of a bunny joining the Monroe family and Chester the cat working tirelessly to prove Bunnicula was a vampire bunny.

But when I picked the book up as an adult, I was surprised by the voice of Harold, the family dog and narrator.  He's so....academic?...high-brow?...Smart?  Chester as well.  It surprised me and entertained me.  In this book, it's the humans who are the slow ones.

And Bunnicula?  He's silent.  I mean, really?  Why doesn't that bunny speak?
I once took a folklore class in which the teacher shared a tale about a woman who did not speak and so the objects and people around her starting creating stories about her. That's very much what happens to Bunnicula.

Bunnicula creates a lot of excellent humorous images.  I particularly like when Chester attempts to "steak" Bunnicula by using his paws to pound a slab of meat against the sleeping bunny.  But the best part is, with all the humor, I have yet to meet a child who thinks this book is scary.  Is there anyone out there who will admit to at some point finding the thought of a vampy bunny scary?

Since the book is referenced, a teacher could also try to create some interest in Treasure Island.  Another direction would be to introduce the students to the rest of the Bunnicula series or other vampire stories.


Dinner Conversation:

"I shall never forget the first time I laid these now tired old eyes on our visitor.  I had been left home by the family with the admonition to take care of the house until they returned.  That's something they always say to me when they go out:  "Take care of the house, Harold.  You're the watchdog."  I think it's their way of making up for not taking me with them" (p. 3).

"I joined the family and serious thinking began.  We all peered into the box.  It was the first time I had really seen him.  So, this is a rabbit, I thought.  He sort of looks like Chester, only he's got longer ears and a shorter tail.  And a motor in his nose" (p. 14).

"Let's not have any more arguments.  We'll compromise.  He's a bunny and we found him at a Dracula movie, so we'll call him Bunny-cula.  Bunnicula!  That should make everybody happy, including me" (p. 15).

"There in the moonlight, as the music filtered through the air, sat the bunny, his eyes intense and staring, an unearthly aura about them.
"Now this is the part you won't believe," Chester said to me, "but as I watched, his lips parted in a hideous smile, and where a rabbit's buck teeth should have been, two little pointed fangs glistened" (p. 23).

"Now tell me, Harold, have you noticed anything funny about that rabbit?"
"No," I said, "but I've certainly noticed a lot of funny things about you recently."
"Think about it.  That rabbit sleeps all day."
"So do I.  So do you."
"Furthermore, he's got funny little sharp teeth."
"So do I.  So do you."
"Furthermore, he gets in and out of his cage by himself.  What kind of rabbit can do that?"
"A smart one," I said" (p.45).


To Go with the Meal:

At heart this is a story about sibling rivalry (and vampire bunnies!  AND remembering to eat your veggies!).  A teacher could use this book to discuss the animosities that can emerge when new children are introduced to a class, a group of friends or a family.  Topics under this heading would include not to jump to conclusions, keeping in mind that although a new sibling often gets an unfair amount of attention, that doesn't mean the parents love the rest of the children any less, etc.

Having said that though, this book is probably best as a fun read.  

But if a teacher is desperate for activities to go with the book, he or she could discuss (age appropriate) folklore about vampires, the behaviors of various types of pets and how to care for them.  A creative route would be to have students imagine the conversations their own pets or favorite animal might have.

Tasty Rating:  !!!!

REVIEW: The Lion & the Mouse

Pinkney, J.  (2009).  The Lion and the Mouse.  New York:  Little, Brown and Company.

9780316013567

Jerry's back!  And his illustrations of this retelling of one of Aesop's fable are amazing.  (Caldecott amazing?  Maaaaaaaaaaybe?  Again, I'm not a betting kinda girl)  They make the book.  (Literally!  Since the book is almost wordless)  And that may be the reason why Little, Brown and Company chose to solely have an illustration on the front cover of the book.  No text.

Don't worry though.  The mouse graces the back cover (again with no text).  Using visual literacy alone, a reader can know that this is the story of The Lion and the Mouse.  It's awesome attention to detail that when opened flat, the reader can see that the lion is looking at the mouse.  Fun!  I likes it muchly!

And all this peritext hints at the content:  A picturebook that is almost completely wordless except for the hoots, squeaks, and roars of the animals featured in the story.

The fact that the animals aren't as anthropomorphized as they often are in other retellings is fun.  Pinkney calls the choice "natural."  I thought it was a nice departure from the majority of the ways that Aesop's fables are shared--which usually feature talking animals with a clear moral at the end of each short story.

30-Second Plot Summary:  After a lion spares a mouse, the wee little mouse finds itself in a unique position to help the lion in return.

Wee-little kiddies are especially prone to liking this story, since it's the wee-little creature that *Spoiler* manages to save the big-tough lion.


Activities:

This is an excellent book to encourage visual literacy.  For the youngest of readers, a teacher can work on having children label the different types of animals featured.  For kindergartners and first graders, a teacher can encourage the students to narrate or summarize the story.  The story also lends itself to play acting, with students taking turns pretending to be the mouse, the mice babies, the lion and the humans.

For older kids, a teacher could give students access to different versions of the fable and the young readers could compare the different approaches.


Tasty Rating:  !!!!

REVIEW: The Bravest Knight

Mayer, M.  (1968).  The Bravest Knight.  New York:  Dial Books for Young Readers.

9780803732063

The Bravest Knight, which was reissued in 2007, shares the story of a young modern boy who dreams of having lived a thousand years ago so that he could have been a squire to a knight and enjoy all of the fantasy and romanticism ascribed to that time.

The Bravest Knight is illustrated in Mayer's familiar style with full color and a lot of humor incorporated.  And the reader needs to have acquired visual literacy to be able to understand that humor.

Since this is a classic and is reflective of when it was written with regard to the fact that feminism still hadn't snuck into children's literature yet, the princess figure is rather passive, a character to be rescued.


Activities:

The Bravest Knight could be used to begin a lesson on what daily life would really be like during the dark ages, since the book (at least early on) does a decent description of a squire's duties before shifting into a more fantastic path.

This book could give voice to a desire for those young children who prefer fantasy and imagination to reality.  I wish I had found this book when I was a child.


Quotes of Note:

"I wish I lived a thousand years ago."

"There would be beautiful castles, kings and queens, good knights, bad knights, fair ladies in danger, evil dragons from the mountains..."

"I would work for the bravest knight in the kingdom and be his squire."

"The knight and I would wander through the countryside in search of adventure."

REVIEW: Lyle, Lyle, Crocodile

Waber, B. (1965). Lyle, Lyle, Crocodile. New York: Houghton Mifflin Company.

0395137209

PLOT SUMMARY:  Lyle the Crocodile lives with the Primm family, much to the annoyance of the Primm's neighbors, Mr. Grumps and his cat, Loretta. After the sight of Lyle scares Loretta one too many time, Mrs. Primm decides to take Lyle with her on her errands around New York City. Unfortunately, they end up in the very store Mr. Grumps works in. From there, more troubles arise.

Although Lyle is anthropomorphized in terms of his behavior, animal rights activists occasionally take umbrage with the idea of a crocodile as a domesticated pet. This issue is worth discussion, since children can also consider the advantages and disadvantages of keeping animals in zoos as well.

The book also feels dated through the traditional gender roles Mrs. Primm exhibits and the portrayal of New York city--very 1960s.

Activities:

This classic picturebook is excellent for discussing what to do if a parent and child become separated in a large store or what to do in case of a fire. Another option would be to discuss how to deal with difficult people, such as Mr. Grump. Or how to deal with leaving home, to attend camp, for example.

A teacher could also encourage students to read information books about crocodiles (and have them learn exactly what are the differences between crocodiles and alligators).

Quotes of Note:

"This is the house. The house on East 88th Street. Mr. and Mrs. Primm and their son Joshua live in the house on East 88th Street. So does Lyle. Listen: SWISH, SWASH, SPLASH, SWOOSH! That's Lyle...Lyle the crocodile."

"Whenever his cat caught even the slightest glimpse of Lyle, she would fling herself into a nervous fit."

"Have you by chance come across a crocodile? His name is Lyle."

"Sorry, madam," answered the salesman, "I have not come across any crocodiles named Lyle today."


TASTY RATING:  !!

On an unrelated note, this appears to be about our 300th POST.  So, that's something to celebrate.

Pledge to Read

Jumpstart is hosting a pledge to read The Very Hungry Caterpillar today.

I took the pledge.  Do you think that you, our dear but few faithful readers, could also take the pledge and read this classic picturebook aloud to someone (or many someones)?

You don't even need to read it to wee little children.  There's nothing like rediscovering a childhood favorite!

It'll be fun, I promise you.  I'm personally going to read it to a bunch of 20-year-olds, and they're gonna love it!!!!!!!  (Or I will FAIL them!)

REVIEW: The Napping House

Wood, A. (1984). The Napping House. Orlando: Harcourt, Inc.

0152050809

A new edition of The Napping House has been published and I'm very excited about it. Because this is another one of those books that I think deserves classic status. I mean it's survived 25 years and still is often referenced as a wonderful example of picturebook-dom. Has this been declared a classic yet? Can I declare it to be classic? Do I have that magic power? Let's find out. Pssst! The Napping House is a classic pass it on! We'll see if that works.

In case you haven't heard, "there is a house, a napping house, where everyone is sleeping." The illustrations and narration then move into a house to describe a grandmother who is sleeping in the bed, and which child and animals join her there. The language is repetitive, growing on itself level by level, working an early reader up to reading almost a half-page of text. Of course, the peace cannot last, and everyone's ability to snooze depends on everyone else's and readers can see the tower of sleepers be undone, napper by napper.

The illustrations feature a lot of curves and soothing blues, all excellent for easing children to sleep. It's also fun to see the change in perspective as the bedroom is viewed from different angles.

Activities:

This simple book is wonderful as a read aloud before or after a nap or night's sleep. Since the language repeats, it can be a good book for children to memorize and play at pretending to read.

The second half of the picturebook features many synonyms of ways to disturb a sleeper that can aide children's language development.

On a less typical note, if a child is used to being able to have a bed to themselves, this book could be used to let them know that it could be fun to share a bed during a sleep over, or while a cousin visits, etc.

Quotes of Note:

"There is a house,

a napping house,

where everyone is sleeping."

"And in that house

there is a bed,

a cozy bed

in a napping house,

where everyone is sleeping."

"And on that bed

there is a snoring granny,

a snoring granny

on a cozy bed

in a napping house,

where everyone is sleeping."

"And on that mouse

there is a flea...."

REVIEW: Blueberries for Sal

McCloskey, R.  (1976).  Blueberries for Sal.  New York:  Viking Press.

0670175919

In this classic, little Sal and her mom go to pick blueberries on the aptly named Blueberry Hill with the intention of canning them.  Sal complicates this plan by eating every blueberry that comes near her.  On the other side of the hill, another mother and child are out looking for berries, a anthropomorphized bear and her cub.  Both cub and child wind up separated from their mothers while eating the berries, they wind up following each other's mother.

This text has the potential to feel strange to students who are raised outside of the context of picking fresh berries and canning.  Despite this, a teacher could help make it relatable by emphasizing the idea of eating a favorite fruit.  This book could also be accused as being dated in terms of its gender roles (no fathers are present as care givers and Sal's mother is shown wearing a skirt despite the fact she is trekking up a hill).

For teachers on the hunt for a longer picturebook read aloud, this book is on the text-heavy side and is longer than the average picturebook by 20 pages.

McCloskey's illustrations are done realistically in black and white and earned the book a Caldecott Honor .

Activities:

A teacher could use this story to set up a lesson on addition and subtraction, as Sal picks and eats the berries.

A teacher could use this to kick off a lesson on bears, their habitats, foods, behavior patterns, need for hibernation.

And of course, after sharing this book, an adult could take the student berry picking or be taught how to can berries or make jam.

A teacher could also pair Blueberries for Sal with Are You My Mother? and discuss what a child should do if they become lost.

Quotes of Note:

"One day, Little Sal went with her mother to Blueberry Hill to pick blueberries."

"She picked three more berries and ate them.  Then she picked more berries and dropped one in the pail-Kurplunk!  And the rest she ate.  Then Little Sal ate all four blueberries out of her pail!"

"On the other side of Blueberry Hill, Little Bear came with his mother to eat blueberries."

"Little Bear and Little Sal's mother and Little Sal and Little Bear's mother were all mixed up with each other among the blueberries on Blueberry Hill."

REVIEW: Treasury of Classic Stories for Children

Carle, E.  (1988).  Treasury of Classic Stories for Children:  by Aesop, Hans Christian Anderson and the Brothers Grimm, selected retold and illustrated by Eric Carle.  New York:  Orchard Books.

0531057429

Carle's beautiful illustrations (in his usual style) help these classic folktales and stories to come--not alive, necessarily, but at the very least more eye-catching.  With artwork incorporated onto each page, Carle's interpretations of the works of Aesop, the Grimms, and Anderson may be enjoyed.

While there is a great deal of trickery and the occasional death among the these pages, there is not nearly as much depressing or morbid content as could be found in the complete collections of the Grimm brothers or Hans Christian Anderson's works.

I also liked that the morals of Aesop's fables were not emphasized too heavily or pulled out into a special section as occurs in some other collections.

Overall, Carle includes some more famous stories (such as Tom Thumb by the Grimms and The Grasshopper and the Ants  or The Rabbit and the Turtle by Aesop) balanced with stories that students will probably be less familiar with.

Activities to Do with the Book:

 

 This collection would serve as an excellent read aloud to children who love fairytales and folktales, whether they've been exposed to such stories extensively or only have the Disney versions.

The stories would lend themselves to be acted out among children.  Also, since most of these stories come to us from Ancient times or the 1800s, students could consider the clothing and setting Carle chose to use in his illustrations.

Many of the stories could be tied or used with other literature because of similar themes.  For example, The Grimms' Hans in Luck works well with Shel Silverstein's poem "Smart."  The Evil King by Hans Christina Anderson has details similar to The Emperor's New Clothes.  etc.  

 

 

Favorite Quotes:

 

“What a sad thing it is that we have no children.  We live too quietly.  A child would cheer us up" (p. 9).

"A well-known judge loved to talk about the good old times.

Whether he was visiting someone else or someone was visiting him, it wasn't long before he began talking about the olden days and how much better they had been" (p. 31).

"A rabbit and a turtle were looking for something to do to while away the afternoon.

"How about a race?" suggested the rabbit, who was a very fast runner" (p. 36).

If You Are Interested in Eyes Like Stars, You May Also like...

So, Eyes Like Stars only came out yesterday and your copy from Amazon or Barnes & Noble may not have arrived yet, you may want to check out some of these other books that include similar themes or structures.  

And for those of you who stayed up late finishing Eyes Like Stars last night, here's a way to continue reading as you await Acts II and III.

(Special note to teachers--some of the following books would be excellent book pairs)

The works of Francesca Lia Block.

Like Mantchev, Block includes elements of fantasy mixed with stirring accounts of reality.  Both Block and Mantchev incorporate a sense of the creative spirit battling against tradition or the majority.  Plus, Block's poetry in Psyche in a Dress includes many references to Greek mythology in a similar way to how Mantchev incorporates famous plays.

Plus both have written about fairies.  True that.

If students like the play format that is intermixed with the narrative of Eyes Like Stars they may also like the structure of Monster by Walter Dean Myers.  While in terms of content these books are very different (Monster is realistic fiction and shares the story of a teenager on trial for assisting with a robbery, his journal incorporates scenes of a screenplay sharing aspects of his life).

Despite the differences in content a teacher could use both of these books with a class or writing club to show how to structure a screenplay or learn playwriting.

Paul Fleischman's Seek, in the format of a radio play shares the story of a boy who is looking for his estranged father, a former radio personality, among the many radio stations.  This work of realistic fiction could be a good recommendation for students who are interested in drama.

Plus, this book would lend itself to have students record their own voices using the script.

Going in a more old-school direction, Eyes Like Stars could be paired with the movie, musical or book The Phantom of the Opera.  

As with the Bertie, the phantom lives in the opera.  But where the phantom is a sneaky squatter, Bertie is an accepted orphan who is looking for her place in the theatre.  And where the scarred phantom hides behind a mask, Bertie dyes her hair bright blue and is accompanied by fairies.  PotaTO, PoTAto.

The most natural of pairings would be to Shakespeare's works.  Several high school teachers that I've spoken with have provided a preference for the Shakespeare Made Easy series, since it includes both the original text and a modernized version side-by-side.  This helps to ease students into the plays.  Since 

">Hamlet figures largely into the plot, this play would be a natural beginning place.

To find out more about Eyes Like Stars and its author, follow the rest of the book tour:

The 160 Acre Woods, A Christian Worldview of Fiction, A Patchwork of Books, Abby the Librarian, All About Children’s Books, And Another Book Read, Becky’s Book Reviews, Dolce Bellezza, Fireside Musings, The Friendly Book Nook, Homeschool Book Buzz, Homespun Light, Hyperbole, KidzBookBuzz.com, Never Jam Today, Reading is My Superpower, Through a Child’s Eyes

REVIEW: Betsy and the Boys

Haywood, C.  (1945).  Betsy and the Boys.  Orlando:  Harcourt Books.

 

0152051023

 

Don’t judge a book by the cover.  This cover is an update.  The content of this book and the illustrations are authentic 1940s fluff.  Betsy and the Boys follows the daily lives of Betsy and her best friend Billy as they cook, attend school, enjoy Valentine's Day, prepare for a play, wash dogs and play football. 

 

With all of the ‘gees’, ‘gollies’, ‘jimminies’ and ‘you betchas,’ it’s easy to think the book is stereotypical of the time it’s describing.  That is of course, until you think about the plot.  Billy bakes along side Betsy.  And Betsy searches for a way to play football with the boys.  (Don’t get me wrong, this book doesn’t completely deconstruct gender stereotypes—the parents seem to embody traditional gender roles and Betsy *SPOILER* is subtly directed away from playing football)

Betsy and the Boys shares the experiences of everyday middle class (white!) suburban experience.  Most of the children in the narrative are good and well-intentioned.  The chapters feel episodic (which would lend itself to being read aloud) with an overarching plot that fades in and out.

This is one book in a larger Betsy series by Haywood.

 

 

Activities to do with the book:

 

While I wouldn’t say that Betsy and the Boys is the most tense or fast-paced book in the history of the world, it can still manage to be engrossing as a read aloud to eight or nine-year-olds or as a social studies read into life in the U.S. during the 1940s (without that pesky second World War to bring anyone down).

Older students could use this book to examine how both gender and childhood are constructed.  Since Valentine's Day is celebrated in a certain way in the book, students could "write back" with their own experiences of the holiday.

 

 

Favorite Quotes:

 

“Betsy, Billy, and Ellen had met in the first grade.  They had become fast friends as they worked and played together” (p. 1).

 

“After the pancake and cream puff experience, Billy began calling Betsy “Pancake” and Betsy called Billy “Cream Puff.”

At first, Billy didn’t mind.  He just thought it was funny.  But when the Wilson boys, who lived around the corner from Billy, heard Betsy call Billy Cream Puff, they screamed with laughter” (p. 16).

 

“Who ever heard of a girl on a football team?

“Girls can do anything,” said Betsy.  “Girls can fly airplanes and drive taxicabs and run streetcars.  Why can’t they play football?”

“Cause they can’t,” said Rudy.

“Well, I betcha I’ll be on the team,” said Betsy” (p. 20).