Heavy Medal : the Mock Newbery blog at SLJ, is back in business. This year it will be hosted by Nina Lindsay and Jonathan Hunt. I say HOORAY for the two of them. It will be a fabulous run!
Upcoming Movies
Hollywood obviously finds children’s books a great treasure trove for movie ideas/basis of movie scripts. Let’s hope these ones are decent to great:
Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs – 9.19.2009
Fantastic Mr. Fox – 11.25.2009
Where the Wild Things Are – 10.16.2009
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A Wrinkle In Time for Second Graders?
Child_lit Listserv Discussion Archive
A Wrinkle In Time for Second Graders?
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Originally posted on: Sat, 21 Jan 1995 by Kathleen Jo Powell Hannah
Chris Saad writes:
I read _A Wrinkle in Time_ aloud to a class of 2nd graders. It was over some kids’ heads, but many other kids loved it and looked forward to each day’s chapter.
Monica Edinger replies:
Oh, I wish you hadn’t done that! Those kids’ heads you read over may well have been turned off for good. That is a mighty long book to read to 2nd graders, especially for those who were not enjoying it. I am sure there are other books that more of the class would have enjoyed that connect to astronomy. I’m glad some looked forward to it, but what about those who didn’t?
I’m interested in this dichotomy. If we do as Chris would do, we interest smart kids & bore not-so-smart ones. If we do as Monica would do, we interest not-so-smart kids & lose smarter ones. Which is the lesser of the two evils? I (and probably many others on this list) feel as if I was the victim of the least-common-denominator method of education; no one really expected me to live up to my potential, so I probably wasn’t introduced to a lot of books that might have pushed me a bit harder. Obviously, the best teachers are aware of this & try to recommend books that will suit the various levels of intellect in their classes. But not all of them do. What are everyone’s thoughts on this subject: do we challenge above average students, ask average students to struggle to understand, and lose below average students; or do we challenge below average students and bore average and above average? Or is there some other way to handle this?
Originally posted on Sat, 21 Jan 1995 by Faythe Dyrud Thureen
Chris Saad: How fortunate your second graders were to have you read aloud to them A Wrinkle in Time, a beautifully-written, exciting book. Most children don’t have access to such books until their reading ability lines up with the book’s reading level. Their minds, however, are ready to handle the content long before most of their reading abilities. I read this book, as well as all the Narnia books, the Laura Ingalls Wilders books (complete with Mom’s comments and discussion), and many others to my son and daughter BEFORE they started school. As teenagers, they still make comments that remind me that they remember them well. –When it comes to read alouds, I think it’s good occasionally to ere on the side of reading over a couple kids’ heads rather than never challenging and delighting most of them.
Originally posted on: Sat, 21 Jan 1995 by fairrosa
On Sat, 21 Jan 1995, Kathleen Jo Powell Hannah wrote:
I’m interested in this dichotomy. If we do as Chris would do, we interest smart kids & bore not-so-smart ones. If we do as Monica would do, we interest not-so-smart kids & lose smarter ones. Which is the lesser of the two evils?
First of all, 2nd graders who cannot enjoy or grasp _Wrinkle in Time_ are not necessarily not-so-smart kids. Do we really “lose” the “smarter” kids if we wait until they are 4th-6th grade to share that book with them or to share that book with them in smaller group or one-on-one?
I’m in the most part favoring a somewhat “elite education.” I, ever since I was in junior high, have believed that people (I never thought of myself as a “kid” or “small adult” but always a “person”) who have more potential should get more encouragement to develop their talents/capabilities/whatever-you-call-it. But, I also realize as I grew older that I often say “Oh, that book (or that thing, or that music…). I read it when I was 10 (11, 12, 13..). Yeh, it’s fine. It’s alright.” And then, if I’m lucky, I’ll re-read that book and be surprised that I didn’t see many more sophisticated layers of the book as a younger me. Then, I become a little more cautious at recommending a book to a young person just because he or she is “capable” of reading through the book without stopping every 3rd word to check the dictionary. I really don’t want to “rob” the many wonderful meanings or allusions of a good book from a young person.
My 8th grade teacher once said to me, “Why do you want to live ahead of your age? Stay here and enjoy the only one “14th” year of your life and wait till you’re 17 to enjoy that age.” I took her advice and stopped being an “old child.” I am forever indebted to her for all the wonderful friendship and happiness of a teenager I had!
Originally posted on: Mon, 23 Jan 1995 by Monica R. Edinger
fairrosa writes:
“I’m in the most part favoring a somewhat “elite education.”
Me too! Of course there are 2nd graders who will love “A Wrinkle in Time.” They should be encouraged to read it or have it read to them. Chris described reading it to a class to enrich his astronomy unit. I think there is a big difference between reading a book aloud to a whole heterogeneous class and inviting individual children or a small group to read it.
I have a reputation at my school as providing a “cerebral” curriculum (whatever that means!) Some parents want it, others think I should be teaching high school rather than fourth grade! So, I totally believe in teaching above, not to the so-called lowest common denominator. Now, Chris may have totally won over most of his kids with his reading of “Wrinkle in Time” just because of his enthusiasm. I’m just concerned about the percentage of kids in the group who were totally put off. Meg and Calvin are way beyond 2nd grade and some of the stuff about tesselating is pretty complicated. I just have an image of some of those seven year olds totally lost day after day as the book was read to them.
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About Weetzie Bat
Child_lit Listserv Discussion Archive
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Wed, 29 Mar 1995, jodi lynn mousel
The question of “young adult” books and romance is of particular interest to me at this time. I have just finished reading “Weetzie Bat” for my class on Children’s Literature. Apparently, its been awhile since I’ve read a “young adult” book. This book left me wondering if I’m just a prude, or if this book was really missing out on morals. I read the book to fulfill the multicultural topic of “sexual orientation,” and it was not the parts on sexual orientation that I found to be immoral or inappropriate. It seemed that the author (Francesca Block) was condoning all sorts of behaviors for young adults, from underage drinking to group sex, single motherhood, drug use, etc. It is not the subject matter that I found as offenstive as the way in which it was portrayed. There seemed to be no real consequences of any of these behaviors, and even a teenager having a baby (without knowing which guy was the father) did not seem to carry any bad consequences. I’m just wondering if these are approopriate “romance” books for young adults to be reading, and just what age group are these books aimed at???
Thu, 30 Mar 1995, Tracy Fein
I read all of the books in this “series” by Francesca Lia Block. At first, I thought they were a little far out, but after forcing myself to enjoy the book, as opposed to doing the Critical reading that I had been *trained* to do as an English major, I really enjoyed them all. I am from Miami, Florida, where I was also a full-time substitute teacher in a high school for a year. From my experiences, Block’s books deal with issues that ARE very realistic. Yes, of course, she adds an interesting twist using her excellent story-telling abilities, however, the issues that are dealt with are real and need to be treated as such. Maybe the fact I come from a big city and have dealt with high school kids with family backgrounds even more wacky than some of Block’s character’s backgrounds is why I like her so much. Her stories are refreshing and deal with issues head-on. There is no modesty nor shyness–she confronts issues that need to be confronted. Hers are the books that kids will rush to read, not even aware that they are getting a moral education in the meantime. Granted, there are some issues that we wish were not issues that kids have to deal with, but they really are realistic in our society today, and I feel the best way to deal with them is by confronting them. Block’s books deal with everything from a young person wanting a baby to homosexuality to spirituality to dreams and fantasies to relationships to divorce to lonliness to fears, etc. etc. etc. . . There are so many issues I can’t eve n name them all. I am anxiously awaiting the next story!
Thu, 30 Mar 1995, fairrosa
Here’s my reaction to the concern of morality in _Weetzie_. (This is for the list.) Even though I love the prose and find the book entirely entertaining, satisfying, and charming, (and not bothered at all by its “lack of moral standard”) I can understand people’s concern.
It in a way affirms the life style by making everything work out in the end.
However, in “real life,” I believe, there are many many “lost teenagers” who will eventually turn out to be fine or even do great in their adult life. I think _Weetzie_ is especially wonderful because it presents that possibility to kids who are now going through rough years.
I too read it from a Fantasy angle (with all the dream like colors and languages and the ginnie, etc.) but now find it more realistic than a lot of other so-called “realistic” novels. It is real in the sense of emotion and love and suffering.
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Where the Wild Things Are Not Suitable for Children?
Child_lit Listserv Discussion Archive
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Originally posted on Tue, 21 Feb 1995 by Tracy FeinHi.
I have a question about Maurice Sendak and his works–specifically _Where the Wild Things Are_– and the audiences the books are intended for or even for which audiences they are most widely used. I had company over this past weekend–ALL PhD. students in Psychology–and I was sharing with them some of the books in my Children’s Literature collection. When _Wild Things_ went around the group, I heard a number of comments which I have not associated with the book first-hand. I know that Sendak has been considered controversial for years–probably more years than I have been alive! But since most of my discussions on his works have been with Children’s Literature authors and students, I haven’t heard anything too negative until this past Friday night. One of the young women said something like, ” Oh! I hate this book! This book is terrible for Children! It gives them nightmares and scares them! I would never read this book to a child!” And she went on to share an experience she had working at a day-care center where they “screened” the books brought in by parents, and one of the titles not even allowed on their library’s book shelf was _Wild Things. She said that the only purpose the library served was for oral reading material for the aides and teachers. What do you think? The whole situation disturbed me as I am vehemently opposed to censorship of any kind. I, however, most likely, would have been one of the kids who had nightmares as a result of a good reading of it! Thanks!
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9
Saw 9 tonight. It made me think how a longer and more “padded” story does not make for a better viewing/reading experience. Any short story with a soul and a solid idea packs so much more power than a long tale that meanders aimlessly and has no focal point. The short that this feature film is based on, without dialog or back story, speaks to me much more profoundly, leaving me to think more and to feel more than the 78-minute theatrical extension which left me feeling “um… this is slightly pointless…” Same thoughts can be applied to many books published these days for children and teens. Longer tomes filled with padding (…. Bella’s endless drivel came to mind) and no substance saturate the market and take up the precious reading and reflecting time of the young minds.
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Reading…
I’m reading Nancy Farmer’s The Islands of the Blessed and am enjoying it tremendously. It does not have a breathless pace to push me forward but I love so many passages with great imagery and little bits and pieces of true life wisdom.
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Moving Day
Today I started the process of moving content from my old site at fairrosa.info to the wordpress blog site. I like this template but will tweak the style sheet a bit. So expect changes.
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The Time Machine
by H.G. Wells
This is the first time I actually read this classic science fiction. As a forerunner of this genre, it does not feel stale or naive. It does not attempt to dazzle the reader with gadgets or worldbuilding, but simply tells a solid and thoughtful tale. And it is such a short and quick read, too.
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Creature of the Night
by Kate Thompson
The story definitely gripped me from the get go, and the voice of Bobby is raw and oh-so-real. I only wish that it had not been so “realistic,” that the creature of the night (which turns out to be Bobby in a sense when he realized how dark his life has been) – the Little Woman/Badger – features more prominently and the slightly creepy, surreal mood is maintained throughout the book. The long stretches Bobby’s work habits and his finding his way into PJ Dooley’s life are essential to the character development but it definitely slows down the momentum and almost feels like too much light and too light in a dark and heavy story.
Eventually, this is a realistic fiction, a coming-of-age story, a hopeful tale (with its feel-good epilogue,) and an intimate look at a troubled teen’s life. It shows a boy who battles with his inner demon, like a boxing match — He’s Down, the Demon’s Down, oh, no, He’s Down again.. he gets up… and the Demon strikes back… … … and yet.. we never got that really satisfying FINAL *POW* PUNCH. It is so real-life that it does not have enough dramatic force toward the end.
I might have been happy to NOT have that Epilogue — to keep myself guessing and thinking hard about his potential future(s).
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In Cold Blood
by Truman Capote
Finally got a chance to read this. Excellent beyond belief. No wonder it is such a famous book. Capote is not only a great sentence crafter, he is also so skilled in putting together the whole picture bit by bit with just the right amount of tension as each chapter progresses and as each section of the book falls into place. There is the “cold blood” chilling-ness permeating the book, of course, but there is also so much that is entirely human about each person’s tale. We wonder about these murderers and what went wrong in their lives and in their brains and in their hearts. I feel both a deep sorrow and a real emotional detachment – two highly opposite sensations and yet they co-exist the entire time as I read the book. I’d credit the author for giving a most unusual reading experience.
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THe Astonishing Adventures of Fanboy and Goth Girl
by Barry Lyga
So much of the book works for me — the painfully honest and self-deprecating tone of Fanboy who tells his own “adventure,” the unexpected plot surprises, and tension, the pacing, moving briskly and breathlessly from one chapter to the next, and the discussion of excellent graphic novels throughout the tale. And yet, some thing is not quite gelling at the end. I’m not as bothered by the non-conclusive ending as by the “revelation” that all adults are just like the bullies in the school: you just have to bully and fool them back and your life will be peachy. Hmm… is that what this amazingly big adventure all about? Very much puzzled.
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Couldn’t finish Goodkind’s Stone of Tears. His prose style (or the lack of) really grated on my nerves. Specific examples will be posted when I get back home and have better internet access.
Since we ran out of books to read during our travels, last night David and I paid the B&N in Seattle a visit. He got Frankenstein and I got The Time Machine. Both old titles new to our reading eyes.
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Lily is reading Saffy’s Angel by Hilary McKay. She finds it engrossing and funny.
Roxanne is reading and liking The Stone of Tears by Terry Goodkind. 2nd book in the Sword of Truth series. Tor. 1995. 979 pages. I am on page 110 now.
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When the Whistle Blows
When the Whistle Blows by Fran Slayton
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Judging by the somewhat muted and sleepy cover, I thought I was going to read a “pensive, quiet” coming-of-age, historical fiction. It turned out that the story is NOT all that quiet: every episode falls on an All Hallow’s Eve from early-40s to late-40s. You get the thrill of the secret Society’s weird, slightly off and scary way to honor a recently deceased member; you get the Halloween prank gone awry; you get the blood-pumping, almost heart-stopping football game actions; and you get the death and danger working on the steam-engined trains. But then, you also get so much HEART between the main character and his father. It is an entirely “male” book, glaringly so — you hardly see a female character and they hardly have even a speaking turn. It’s all… very, macho, but oddly also very tender. And so much humor and humorous wisdom. I am not ashamed to say that I cried hard at the end of the tale… mourning the passing of a man and of an era so lovingly and convincingly portrayed by the author.
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Al Capone Shines My Shoes
Author: Gennifer Choldenko
Rating: 
Reading Level: 4th to 7th Grade
Publisher: Dial
Edition: Hardcover, 2009 (galley)
I am completely delighted by this book. I really enjoyed the first one and this one holds up, well and strong, and I think it works even better. Maybe because I thought, “What can she come up with that can top the first book?” before starting to read this one.. and Choldenko absolutely pulled it off. There is humor and tension all throughout the book, not to mention some hard-to-sort-out moral dilemmas. Over the years, my students have loved the first book — from really strong readers to really reluctant ones – and both girls and boys do, too. I can see this one achieves the same effects: not a book that gets everyone super-excited, but one that gets talked up by young peers and gets passed around without making too big a wave. Its “beloved-ness” will last quite a while, I believe.
I also really appreciate the author’s notes. This will make for a good historical-fiction writing assignment starter book. (I can see a whole class reading the book, discussing the facts and fiction aspects of the story, and doing some sort of historical research and writing a short story. <– with my librarian's hat on, of course.)
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Battle Royale
Author: Koushun Takami
Rating:
Reading Level: Young Adult/Adult
Pages: 624
Publisher: VIZ
Edition:2003, Paperback
Finally. Read and finished this one. Ever since I heard about it (and watched the movie on youtube ;p) I had the book set aside to read but so many other things came along the way… it was WORTH my own wait and I wish that I had read it earlier in the school year so I could have recommended it to more readers.
It’s an interesting way to tell a story — there is an over arching plot, a simple one, an explosive one, a thoughtful one, but there are basically a series of character sketches as well. You meet some of the minor characters along the path, you know something about them, and they you see them being killed (mostly brutally, with graphic details — not for the faint of heart!) It’s an examination of human nature – the good, the bad, and the in between; the kind, the evil, and the confused. I actually shed tears at 4 different points — some for characters I learned to love; some for “throw-away” characters whose stories happen to touch my heart.
It seems to be a long book, but it’s such a fast and easy read. The alternative history aspect and the social criticism aspect are slightly didactic, but still work well with the narrative flow. Lots of action and “fun” — if one can define reading about 15-year-olds forced into killing each other as a fun experience.
My last words of wisdom? DO NOT WATCH THE MOVIE before reading the book; after reading the book, you will be disappointed by the movie. So, if you plan on reading the book, basically, just let the notion of watching the movie go!
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Feminist or Anti-such?
I, along with my students and thousands of fans, have fallen in love with recent books by Tamora Pierce and Kristin Cashore. (Terrier, Bloodhound, Graceling, and Fire.) These fantasy books all feature incredibly attractive and strong teen females. They fight crimes, they battle monsters, they fall in love but seem to be totally in control of their relationships! They, not the male partners, are the ones who are empowered to choose and make their destinies.
So, when you have these young women, each (Beka, Katsa, and Fire) is taking one or multiple partners to bed, some details have to be attached. Beka got a charm, Katsa and Fire both used an herb — these supposedly will prevent pregnancy — the messy aftermath of their amorous acts.
On the one hand, I am happy that they are “getting it” and having a great time with it. On the other hand, my 21st century, teacher of teens and mother of a pre-teen daughter, mind keeps wondering: What are the BOYS/MEN doing to prevent the communication of the “other” kind of mess? The mess that hangs over millions of modern men, women, and children. Yes, these are Fantasy stories — but since the idea of birth-control are included, what’s to prevent our wonderful writers to also come up with some clever ways so that at least the young people in the stories (and the young people reading the stories) are careful about diseases. (In both Beka Cooper and Fire’s cases, they are sleeping with men who have multitudes of partners before and after themselves.)
Just wondering… Why in these quite feminist slanted stories, men and boys are still not held “accountable” for their actions?
Tiny Tyrant: Vol. 1 – The Ethelbertosaurus
Author: Lewis Trondheim; illus. by Fabrice Parme
Rating:
Reading Level: 3rd to 5th grade
Pages: 62
Publisher: Frist Second
Edition:Paperback, 2009
Most excellent and fun short skit-like tales. This volume contains six stories. King Ethelbert is extremely spoiled and self-centered and yet one simply can’t help but adoring him (probably because more often than not, he gets his just-desserts: a spanking, or being blown out of the palace window!) A French import.
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The Burning Bridge
Author: Flanagan, John
Rating: 
Reading Level: 4th to 7th
Pages: 262
Publisher: Philomel
Edition: Hardcover, 2006
A solid follow-up to the really fun first Ranger’s Apprentice title. Although the world is quite fantastic with monsters and some magical elements, most of the plot evolves around military tactics and your basic adventures (sword fights, archery, etc.) The main characters do not possess magical abilities. The pacing is tight and there are some surprises that will keep even a seasoned fantasy reader focused.
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