book turned movie, 1 of 3, #518

The New York Times Bestseller "The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants" by Ann Brashares is the story of four different girls who share one thing in common: a pair of magical jeans. The book--using the pants as a conduit--follows the summer adventures of: Lena, Tibby, Bridget and Carmen. It is the first book in the series.

It is agreed that, upon summer break, the pants will first go to Lena, a strikingly beautiful girl and a promising artist. She spends the summer in Greece with her grandparents.

Lena sends the pants to Tibby, who spends the summer at home, working at a local grocery store. She befriends a twelve-year-old girl named Bailey, who has leukemia.

Tibby send the pants to Carmen, who is in South Carolina for the summer to visit her divorced dad. Much to her surprise, he reveals that he is getting married to a woman who also has children from another marriage.

Carmen sends the pants to Bridget, a seemingly fearless girl whose mother died some years earlier. She is a soccer camp for the summer.

As a result of the pants, and the four disparate girls' friendship, each character gains an insight into the problem/adventure faced that summer.

The movie was fairly close to the book--with some minor plot changes. For instance, in the book, Lena had a sister. Also, in the book, the four girls do not attend Carmen's dad's wedding.

I liked the book better than the movie. The movie was fine but it just does not compare to Brashares' insightful writing.

a book by Laurence Yep, 1 of 1, #518

"Auntie Tiger" by the author Laurence Yep is an insightful retelling of "Little Red Riding Hood." It is a colorful picture book for young readers. Set in China, the book's main characters are a pair of argumentative sisters: Big Sister and Little Sister, respectively. While their mother leaves them alone in the house and instructs them not to open the door, a tiger comes to their house and pretends to be their Auntie. The wiser older girl is suspicious but the younger sister, greedy for treats, falls prey to the tiger's tricks and ultimately lets him in. She is eaten by the animal. The elder girl tricks the tiger by climbing up a tree, convincing him to fetch her some water and a bamboo stick. She tells him that she is coming down, and then pours the water on him while he has the stick in his mouth. She kills him and retrieves her younger sister. Once the mother comes home, all is well. The sisters stop fighting as a result of their ordeal with the beast and order is restored.

Obviously, the book instructs children to obey their parents, to minimize sibling arguments, to be on guard for those who would do you harm and to use your wits.

One insight that I has while reading this was the idea that the plots in children's literature can be really simple. I don't mean that disparagingly at all. Simple doesn't mean bad. Not at all. But this plot was nothing more than a simple retelling of an old classic.

Yep is a prolific writer. His genres include: historical fiction, speculative fiction, nonfiction, autobiography and picture books. He has written the "Golden Mountain Chronicles"--of which there are nine books to date, two of which were Newbery Honor books. He has written four books in his "Dragon" series and three books in his "Chinatown Mysteries" series. He has also written nine picture books.

Dr. Seuss book 1 of 2, The Cat in the Hat, #518

Years after its first publication, "The Cat in the Hat" still charms. Several factors make it appealing to kids. First, it is not difficult for a new reader. For instance, most words used in the book are monosyllabic. Only one word--another--has three syllables. Only 14 words use two syllables, and the rest--some 221 words--contain one syllable. Second, it has a kind of sing-songy rhythm to it. The cadence is attractive to a new reader. Third, its plot is appealing since it uses imagination and it paints a portrait of utter mischief. There is a kind of tension in the book that all children feel; there is the fish (the adult voice of reason) and then there is the cat (the childish, fun, devil-may-care attitude). The book balances out that tension in an entertaining way. The book ends with asking a subtly moralistic question regarding whether the children should tell their mother the truth. Dr. Seuss's books seem like nuanced moralism; they certainly are not overt, which is another appeal for kids.

I don't know of another children's author who is like Dr. Seuss. Each author has his of her unique style of writing, and I don't know of anyone who emulates Dr. Seuss.

comparison of the Newbery and the Caldecott, #518

One important difference between the two awards is that: the Caldecott Medal is awarded to the most distinguished picture book, while the Newbery Medal is given to the author of most distinguished contribution to American literature for children. So, the Caldecott rewards pictures and graphics, while the Newbery is more literature based.

Both medals are given by the American Library Association. Both medals are the most prestigious within their field.

The Caldecott gets its name from an English illustrator from the 1800s named Randolph Caldecott. It is the highest honor that an artist can get for children's book illustration. The annual award has been granted every year since 1938.

The Newbery gets its name from John Newbery, an English children's book publisher; the annual award has been granted since 1922.

There is some controversy about the committees who pick the books; some researchers argue that the books are too hard for children. One researcher pointed out that there is a less than 5% overlap between the Children's Choice Awards (International Reading Association) and the Notable Children's Books (ALA). That is food for thought. I lack an opinion about that, at present, since I feel that I have not read enough Newbery's or Caldecott's to comment.

In terms of comparing the two awards against each other, one award is not better than the other--in my opinion. They are equally prestigious and convey the same thing: that the recipients have achieved the highest within their realm--whether that is literature or illustrations.

Coretta Scott King Award, book 1 of 1, #518

"Copper Sun" by Sharon Draper is a winner of the Coretta Scott King Award. It takes place in the 1770s. The protagonist is Amari, a fifteen-year-old girl, who is the "golden girl" of her village. She has it all: a handsome fiancee and a loving family. But her life changes forever when she is captured in her African village and is sold into slavery. She is headed to the Carolinas. In the ship, headed to a foreign land, Amari meets Afi, who acts as a mentor to the girl, telling her to stay hopeful--despite the dire circumstances.

Once in America, Amari is sold to a plantation owner, who gives the girl to his son for a birthday present. Amari meets a white girl named Polly, who is also a servant. The two girls become fast friends. Later, they (along with a small boy) escape to Florida.

This book is intense. It leaves little to the imagination in terms of the subjugation of women by men and spares no details. It is written for a teen audience and I wonder if perhaps it is a bit too intense for a teen audience? I really don't know. I think that it might have been too heavy for me as a teen. I would love to ask a teenager who has read it, if it was too much or just right. It is certainly a powerful book based on the very nature of the subject matter.

Newbery, book 2 of 2, #518

"Crispin: the Cross of the Lead" by the one-word author, Avi, was the recipient of the 2003 Newbery Medal. It only took about two pages into the book, before I was hooked. However, I had my doubts based on the terrible cover. The cover is a drab brown with a graphic that shows a surprised looking boy. The cover did absolutely nothing to grab my interest. I almost did not check it out at my local library due to the dull cover! It didn't say, "hey, this is a fantastic adventure book with lots of plot twists and turns, on par with the Harry Potter series or the Artemis Fowl series or the Rick Riordan books."

Despite the misleading and disappointing cover, the book thrills! It is historical fiction--taking place in 1377. Crispin is a thirteen-year-old boy who lives under feudalism. He lives and works with his mother at Lord Furnival's manor. However, the Lord has been gone for years (fighting wars) and the steward of the manor, John Aycliffe, is in charge. Aycliffe loathes poor Crispin and serves as the book's main antagonist.

Like any good adventure, the book thrusts the reader into action early on. His mother dies and his one friend, the village priest, is murdered. Crispin is falsely accused of theft and Aycliffe declares him "a wolf's head", meaning that he is a marked person--anyone who kills him will be rewarded with riches. Suddenly, Crispin can trust no one. His world is turned upside down. He is on the run--and is hunted by many. Having almost no resources, it's incredible that he survives.

Another mark of a good book is that it raises "story questions" early on to entice the reader. Avi does this with aplomb. For example, before the priest is murdered, he tells Crispin that his father is an important man, a noble. Crispin's mother told her son that the father was dead, killed by the Bubonic Plague. Also, the priest intimates that Crispin's seemingly illiterate mother could read. Crispin doesn't believe it, still reeling from his mother's death and his "wolf's head" status. Like a good writer, Avi entices his readers with such morsels of information to keep us reading.

Avi's book has many elements of the whole mythical hero plot subgenre. For instance, Crispin is a reluctant hero. He has nothing, is nothing, has no status, no father, no riches--so he thinks. Later, his father is revealed. Second, Crispin has a helper, a wise person, who helps him. This could be either the priest or a man named Bear. Bear is a circus performer whom Crispin meets later in his journey; they have a complicated relationship. At first, Bear demands that Crispin be his slave, but later they help each other. Third, Crispin goes on a journey (though by force) to leave home in order to restore order.

Avi writes in the first person with Crispin as our narrator. His language is true to the Old English way of speaking, which may be difficult for some child readers. However, the action sequences help to nullify difficult language. Words like "blight", "sustenance", "pillaged", "thrushes", "hamlet", and "crone" may be hard for some child readers, which is something a teacher should be mindful of.

Avi's writing is poignant and apt. For instance, there is one scene (around page 59) where Crispin--still alone, scared, tired and hungry--stops at a village to look for food. He realizes that the villagers have been killed by the plague from several years before. There is no one in the village. Pondering the plague's toll on the village people, Crispin muses, "Here, not one person appeared to have remained alive. The profound stillness that embraced all was its own sad and lonely sermon." Beautiful and poignant writing indeed.

Despite the differences in time, Crispin reminded me--oddly--of the 1993 movie The Fugitive, probably because Crispin is a hunted person--like Dr. Richard Kimble. Also, the action scenes are as fast and furious as that movie's were.

Crispin is an excellent story; I think it would appeal to boy readers especially. As a piece of historical fiction, it has the added benefit of teaching kids what it was like to live within the feudal system of the 12th century, which opens to floor to a discussion of basic human freedoms that we take for granted today.

Newbery, book 1 of 2, #518

"The Higher Power of Lucky" by Susan Patron was the recipient of the 2007 Newbery Medal. It is the insightful (and controversial) story of a ten-year-old girl named Lucky. At times heartfelt and sad, it is not a depressing book. It balances genuine humor with serious topics--like death, parental abandonment, parental imprisonment, and addiction.

I loved Patron's writing style. She nailed her main character's "voice" and "point of view." She writes in the third person point of view, yet--unless you are paying attention--you almost think she is writing in the first person, because she just completely nails Lucky's voice! She is a stunning writer. Like the truly gifted storyteller that she is, Patron does not get in the way of her story. She does not allow her own voice, her own psyche, her own ego to interfere. It is as if you--the reader--are being told the story by Lucky herself. And again: Patron manages this bit of magic without writing in the first person.

Patron's writing dazzled me. In addition to her deft use of voice and point of view, she is equally skilled with character development. There is an age old question among writers: which is more important, plot or character? Clearly, Patron is a master in the character department. Her characters come alive. My favorite character was Miles, a sympathetic five-year-old boy and a friend of Lucky's. One of his quirks involves cookie-hunting. The author writes, "Miles had done a thorough cookie-availability check with everyone in town at one time or another. He was an expert on who had what kind of cookies, who would give him one, and where they stored them. He made his cookie rounds every day." If that doesn't paint a picture of being five, then I don't know what does!

Another great character is Brigitte, Lucky's Guardian. Brigitte also happens to be Lucky's father's first wife; she is from France and comes to California to care for poor Lucky, whose mother died and whose father wants nothing to do with her. You get the sense that Lucky thinks of her Guardian as a foreign, ethereal goddess. Lucky likes Brigitte but fears that she will leave and return to France, since she only agreed to care for the child temporarily.

Lincoln, another lovably quirky character, is Lucky's best friend...and possible crush. Lincoln has a quirky penchant for tying knots. In fact, at age 10, he is a member of the International Guild of Knot Tyers. He reads their monthly newsletter cover to cover and is perpetually engaged in tying and untying knots. Later, Lucky sees Lincoln's knot tying talents as a kind of art, as a special way of seeing.

On the topic of character development, Patron is fearless with her protagonist. What I mean is this: she is not afraid to show Lucky's faults. At one point in the story, she makes Lucky be extremely mean to one of the more sympathetic characters. Many authors, I think, would be afraid of doing that, thinking that it may alienate readers.

Unfortunately, Patron's stellar writing talents have been overshadowed by the controversial use of the word of "scrotum". Lucky hears that her friend's dog gets bitten on his scrotum. Patron writes, "Scrotum sounded to Lucky like something green that comes up when you have the flu and cough too much. It sounded medical and secret, but also important."

Although the word is one part of a beautiful and complicated story, some librarians are banning it from their libraries. I understand the controversy; however, the story is too gorgeous, too important not to be told--just because it uses a highly clinical, anatomical word for a body part. In my view, Patron is not some writer-version of Lady Gaga or Madonna. What they lack in talent, they make up for in churning contoversy. On the contrary, Patron is a remarkable writer who happened to use the word "scrotum".

And the use of that word is part of Patron's story. But it isn't the whole story.

To deny children the chance to read this stellar book because of the use of the word "scrotum" smacks of censorship.