Firmly on Mr. McGregor's Side: A Reality Check

Remember the days when we fondly thought being poor as churchmice would be an adventure? Just think how those 5 little Peppers grew, despite their poverty! Or, what about being short? After all, the Borrowers had such a life of adventure. Then, there's the romantic way Ma and Pa made that little sod house on the prairie. What a life! Can there be too many adorable Peter Rabbits in the world? Wouldn't raising your kids on a diet of Yorkshire moor air be just the thing for their health? Better yet, who wouldn't want to reclaim a secret garden from 10 years of neglect?

Those of us raised on a steady diet of great children's books have no doubt all experienced adulthood as one big reality check. Am I right? Currently, I'm firmly on the side of Mr. McGregor, wishing all little bunnies were being good little bunnies who only ate blackberries (instead of my tomatoes and cucumbers!). I think Mr. McGregor was totally justified in making Peter's father into a pie.

I've also been forced to admit (so far, only to myself) that being poor is not really much fun*; being short is not always a blessing; feeding and raising kids is a lot harder than Mrs. Sowerby makes it out to be; doing yard work/gardening is fun sometimes, but frequently just a lot of hard work; and I don't even want to imagine what cleaning a sod house with dirt floor would be like! And yet, I'm delighted--utterly delighted--that my children are entering the worlds of Mrs. Tiggywinkle and Jemima Puddleduck...soon to be followed with stories of Laura Ingalls Wilder, Mary Lenox, and other great literary characters. Despite the reality check that eventually comes, great literature teaches us to see things better, to understand people better, to see the Great Story better (creation, fall, redemption). After all, I'm quite sure the Swiss Alps were so beautiful to me in person because I'd already seen them with Heidi, I love roses in part because they were the essence of the Secret Garden, and I can never look at a horse without appreciating the hard work we humans have put them to--especially as London cabby horses. Don't you still think there might be little people under your floorboards borrowing thimbles and whatnot, fairies amongst the fireflies at night, dolls that talk, animals that all get along when the moon is full, and mermaids?

*I must admit that we are not poor by any stretch of the imagination--we had some tough times when hubby was finishing grad school, but even then the Lord had blessed us with more than enough! We were tight enough and continue to budget enough that I can appreciate how much hard work it truly is to make ends meet when you really don't have enough.

Joyful Noise: Poems for Two Voices

Paul Fleischman has created a truly unique offering for children in his Joyful Noise: Poems for Two Voices. A collection of antiphonal poetry, the poems in this charming volume are all about bugs. Antiphonal poetry involves two people reading each poem; the lines of the poem are arranged in two columns so that each narrator can figure out his or her lines. In JN, the readers will sometimes be speaking alone, sometimes in unison, and sometimes overlapping--each with a unique line.

Fleischman's little book is organized by the seasons in that the first poems deal with the insects we first encounter in the spring (grasshoppers); the final poems end with winter and what that means for the world of creepy-crawlies. Most poem are in first person--from an insect point of view. The language changes for each insect, gaining speed in the "Whirly-gig Beetle" offering, moving rythmically in the "Waterboatmen" version, chirping away in "House Crickets."

This is one of those books that you simply must experience in audio format. It is less than half an hour long--it would make a nice preschool or kindergarten offering in the midst of longer, "older" books during a long car ride. It fits in well if you're simply running errands, too, since each poem is quite short. The narrators are top notch (I listed to the Recorded Books, Inc. version--those are often found in libraries), and poetry should always be heard, rather than merely read. I think the collection will most resonate with preschool-kindergarten-aged children, but anyone who enjoys bugs and the insect world will appreciate the subtle humor, the variety of language, and the intricacies of hive life that Fleischman includes in his charming poetry collection.

For other audio book recommendations (for those summer trips!), check out the audiobooks category in the right-hand column.

Award Winners--Newbery

The familiar Newbery Award has been around a long time! Nearly 100 years old, it was first awarded in 1922. Awarded annually, to the "author of the most distinguished contribution to American literature for children," it usually signifies a book worth reading. Still, though, remember that these books are judged by other people--it represents an opinion you are free to disagree with! They are worth getting to know because libraries stock them, and they often wind up on curriculum lists in elementary/middle school classrooms.

These are meaty books, even though they are for "children." They also range from Millions of Cats to Frog and Toad to The Giver in level and content. It's interesting to note that some of the now-standards were only "honor" books back in the day, partly because the committee wondered if their content was too dark (i.e. Charlotte's Web and Old Yeller). Here's the list of winners.

Here are Betsy's faves (I haven't kept up with the Newbery scene as of late; I haven't read many of the newer ones):

• A Single Shard by Linda Sue Park (2002 Winner)
• Because of Winn-Dixie by Kate DiCamillo (2001 Honor)
• Bud, Not Buddy by Christopher Paul Curtis (2000 Winner)
• Holes by Louis Sachar (1999 Winner)
• Out of the Dust by Karen Hesse (1998 Winner)
• The Thief by Megan Whalen Turner (1997 Honor)
• Catherine, Called Birdy by Karen Cushman (1995 Honor)
• The Giver by Lois Lowry (1994 Winner)
• Number the Stars by Lois Lowry (1990 Winner)
• Shabanu: Daughter of the Wind by Suzanne Fisher Staples (1990 Honor)
• Joyful Noise: Poems for Two Voices by Paul Fleishman (1989 Winner)
• Jacob, Have I Loved by Katherine Paterson (1981 Winner)
• The Westing Game by Ellen Raskin (1979 Winner)
• Bridge to Terebithia by Katherine Paterson (1978 Winner)
• Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry by Mildred Taylor (1977 Winner)
• The Perilous Guard by Elizabeth Marie Pope (1975 Honor)
• The Dark is Rising by Susan Cooper (1974 Honor)
• Frog and Toad Together by Arnold Lobel (1973 Honor)
• Sounder by William Armstrong (1970 Winner)
• A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle (1963 Winner)
• Island of the Blue Dolphins by Scott O'Dell (1961 Winner)
• The Witch of Blackbird Pond by Elizabeth George Speare (1959 Winner)
• Old Yeller by Fred Gibson (1957 Honor)
• Charlotte's Web by E. B. White (1953 Honor)
• King of the Wind by Marguerite Henry (1949 Winner)
• My Father's Dragon by Ruth Stiles Gannett (1949 Honor)
• The Hundred Dresses by Eleanor Estes (1945 Honor)
• Roller Skates by Ruth Sawyer (1937 Winner)
  

Award Winners--Printz

The Michael L. Printz Award is an award for a book that exemplifies literary excellence in young adult literature. The Printz Award is a relative newcomer to the award scene; it was first awarded in 2000. It is worth noting one of the key differences between the Printz Award and the more familiar Newbery: the age of the target audience. Printz Awards are given for young adult literature versus the children's literature that receives the Newbery. Sometimes, the protagonist's age doesn't differ greatly, but the subject matter, content, and overall tone will differ extensively.

The pattern, so far, in the Printz Award winners seems to be literature that is most definitely for the upper end of the YA spectrum (age-wise). These are not books to hand casually to your 11-year-old. They are edgy, complex, "messy," open-ended, and, admittedly, well-crafted. They merit much discussion and often include elements that parents are uncomfortable with. They also happen to be books that wind up in high school (or even middle school) classrooms on the curriculum list. It's worth knowing what your children may be reading in school. Certainly, their peers are devouring these books.

Betsy's favorites:

• American Born Chinese by Gen Yang (2007 Winner): A graphic novel about a Chinese-American boy's struggle to find his cultural identity. Really, a fascinating and well-done book.
  
• Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson (2000 Honor): This one winds up in classrooms regularly, particularly in 8th and 9th grade. It's a sobering, poignant book about a young girl who gets raped at a party during the summer between 8th and 9th grade; she struggles to find her voice (literally) throughout her freshman year. The ending was a bit overdone, in my opinion, but the book tackles a topic worth examining, and Melinda's "voice" in the book (she's the narrator) is readily identified with, even if you haven't undergone the trauma she has experienced.
  

Here's the list of winners.

Award Winners--Caldecott

"You can't judge a book by its cover" --even when that cover is emblazoned with an award seal!

Award winners are not always the best of the best; this is a subjective group of human beings judging and you are entitled to disagree!

Caldecott Medal (CM): Awarded annually since 1938 to the artist of the "most distinguished American picture book for children." Thus, the Caldecott is awarded to the illustrator, not the author. A quick sampling of the winners shows a fascinating peek into the ways in which children's illustration has evolved over this past century. Here's the list of award winners. Some of Betsy's favorites are (check them out from your local library!):

• The Lion and the Mouse by Jerry Pinkney (2010 Winner)
  
• Red Sings from Treetops illustrated by Pamela Zagarenski, written by Joyce Sidman (2010 Honor)
• Kitten's First Full Moon by Kevin Henkes (2005 Winner)
• Rapunzel by Paul O. Zelinsky (1998 Winner)
• Golem by David Wisnewski (1997 Winner)
• Tuesday by David Wiesner (1992 Winner)
• Lon Po-Po by Ed Young (1990 Winner)
• Goldilocks and the Three Bears by James Marshall (1989 Honor)
• Ox-Cart Man by Barbara Cooney (1980 Winner)
• Noah's Ark by Peter Spier (1978 Winner)
  
• Frog and Toad Are Friends by Arnold Lobel (1971 Honor)
• Drummer Hoff illustrated by Ed Emberley; text: adapted by Barbara Emberley (1968 Winner)
• May I Bring a Friend? illustrated by Beni Montresor; text: Beatrice Schenk de Regniers (1965 Winner)
  
• Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak (1964 Winner)
• Little Bear's Visit illustrated by Maurice Sendak; text: Else H. Minarik (1962 Honor)
• Chanticleer and the Fox , illustrated by Barbara Cooney; text: adapted from Chaucer's Canterbury Tales by Barbara Cooney (1959 Winner)
• A Tree is Nice , illustrated by Marc Simont; text: Janice Udry (1957 Winner)
• Play With Me , by Marie Hall Ets (1956 Honor)
• Blueberries for Sal by Robert McCloskey (1949 Honor)
• The Little House by Virginia Lee Burton (1943 Winner)
• Make Way for Ducklings by Robert McCloskey (1942 Winner)

What the World Eats

My neighbor, Lisa, introduced me to this fascinating book: What the World Eats by Peter Menzel and Faith D'Aluisio. Written for children/young adults, this is a tally of what the world eats. The authors (photographer/writer team) interviewed 25 families in 21 countries; the families are not necessarily typical of every other family in that country, but they do represent a chunk of the population. The countries span the globe and reach from refugee camps through the developing world on into the fully industrialized countries. Islands, mainlands, dessert, mountains--all are included.

The authors are hoping to get all of us to evaluate what we eat across several standards, promoting such websites are Global Footprint and the like (see the book website). Nonetheless, the book is not preachy. Instead, here's what you come away with (in addition to appreciation for the terrific photography):

• Some people in the world eat so little!!
• The amount of packaging differs widely between developing and industrialized countries.
  
• Much of the world does not have the variety of food we do.
• Much of the world spends more time preparing food than we do.
• Some countries spend much more money than we do on food.
• Some countries spend much, much, much less money on food.
• Many people must grow their own food.
• Many people are much more limited by their nation's topography: island types eat fish; arctic types eat things like seal; etc.
• Some groups eat very little fruits and vegetables; others eat massive amounts.
• Some countries eat much more meat than others.
• The countries with the highest health care costs per person also tend to have the highest life expectancy rates.
• Industrialized nations might eat more processed foods but we also tend to have the highest percentage of safe/sanitary water!
  
• The industrialized countries consume vast quantities of sugar! (no surprise)

The families interviewed each get their own section. Every so often, the family narratives are broken up by charts depicting life expectancies for the countries researched, pounds of meat consumed, numbers of obese people, etc. There are also recipes sprinkled throughout. All in all, this is a fascinating book to check out from your local library.

Rescue Boys from Captain Underpants!

(I wrote this post a year ago and forgot to post it!)

World Magazine puts out an annual "Books Issue" every year; this is my favorite issue of the year, and I always make time to read it. This year's issue just came out, and it coincided with an interesting conversation I've been having with a friend of mine: what do we give boys to read (boys who are good--even excellent--readers)?

World did a small survey of the Accelerated Reader program (AR; a program in which school children read books and then take small comprehension quizzes on them. Most schools have contests/rewards that are based on the number of points each student/class earns. Books are given points based on difficulty level.). They were looking primarily at the different books that seemed popular across the gender line, or were preferred by girls or boys. This was interesting to me because I have two friends who have each bemoaned to me that there is a lack of good reading material for boys who are excellent readers, but need some censorship on the maturity scale. Both of these boys are/were reading chapter books by age 5 or 6 (one boy is age 5 now and is currently reading Lloyd Alexander's Prydain series--The Black Cauldron and so forth).

According to World, boys seemed to prefer primarily the same books/authors year after year while girls read a wider variety of material. Captain Underpants books are among the most popular for boys in several grades (sigh). I have to admit that I've never actually read a Captain Underpants book, but there would have to be a lot of redemptive qualities about the text for me to get over that title. Girls read all sort of things: Anne of Green Gables, The Series of Unfortunate Events, etc.

So, what are some good choices for our young men? Megan and I have been compiling a list of what we think are some good choices--books which provide some challenge academically and contain appropriate content for a young man (think 1st grade here) to read. Of course, these books would interest boys far older than first grade as well. The list contains books of varying academic difficulty and literary merit, but all are "good reads." If you would like to add something to our list (we love new ideas!!), then leave us a comment!

Brian Jacques' Redwall series
The Great Brain
Encyclopedia Brown
Bobbsey Twins
Hardy Boys
Trixie Belden
Horatio Hornblower
Stowaway by Karen Hesse
Series of Unfortunate Events
Katherine Paterson's books
Dear America series
Treasure Island
Kidnapped
Jungle Books
Bambi
Peter Pan
Pinocchio
George MacDonald's fairy tales (Princess and the Goblin, etc.)
good translation of Grimm and Andersen fairy tales
Tom Sawyer
Swiss Family Robinson
Shiloh
Roll of Thunder Hear my Cry
Heidi
Secret Garden
Black Beauty
Wizard of Oz
Wind in the Willows
Lois Lenski's books
Dr. Dolittle
My Father's Dragon
Where the Red Fern Grows
Old Yeller
The Yearling
The Black Stallion books
Marguerite Henry's Horse books