Nonsuch Book

hold on to them

Last night my ten year old son came up to me clutching a book inscribed to me from my father on the Christmas I was eleven. Gnomes. I so loved the whimsical silliness of that book. Now that my son has been exposed to the gnomes of Norse mythology through his endless perusal of D'Aulaires' Book of Norse Myths, the title caught his attention on the book shelves. And he was delighted to escape the dark and grumpy denizens of underground mining and metal fashioning present in the Nordic depictions of gnomes to the lightness of cute and rosy gnomes peeing on the side of barns. We crawled into bed and read nearly the whole thing. So remember not to weed the shelves too thoroughly. You never know when an old friend might visit from the ranks of the long neglected.

tender morsels by margo lanagan

 

Tender Morsels by Margo Lanagan is the story of Liga, a victim of paternal incest, repeated forced miscarriages and a gang rape by local boys who prey upon her after the death of her father. She has one daughter by her father and is expecting another from the rape when she decides to take her own life, but is spared the moment by an act of magic that transports her to an alternate world of safety that suspends the realities of her painful past. As her daughters mature, a rift to the real world of Liga's past opens to one of her daughters and invites a return to reality and the dimensions of feeling absent in Liga's alternate existence.

Magic and fantasy are appealing themes to me. The writing here is often beautiful, ethereal, whimsical in its descriptions (despite some dialect that misfires in an annoying fashion). There is so much here that I anticipated liking that I was a little surprised to find it so unsatisfying. And after a day of reading other reviews and jumping into a conversation or two, I think that I have hit upon what bothers me most about the book. Lanagan could not decide whether to write a children's book or an adult's book. It is neither appropriate for many children and young adults or as dark and probing as required by many adults. The feminist themes strike me as simplistic. The second half of the book dragged on in largely uninteresting exposition. And then when I put my children's librarian hat on ...

In case you have missed it reading here, I tend to hold liberal views on many things including children's ability to enjoy uncensored reading choices. But some adult guidance is always required as children are not developmentally equipped to always choose well for themselves. They have to rely upon caring adults to protect their childhoods, their individual sensibilities, their individual maturation timelines. And I have to say that the marketing of this book as a YA title strikes me as very questionable. If we roll out some reasons in chronological order - a witch that will admittedly sleep with anyone, a father who repeatedly rapes his daughter, a gang rape, sodomy and bestiality - it is difficult to avoid the eyebrow raise. Really?

The reality is that YA is not read by just older teenagers for whom this book might be difficult in parts but acceptable for most. And I am not talking about the legions of adult YA fans. YA has found a huge following in the tween market, and this book with the attractive bear and girl on the cover, the promise of fairy tale, and the industry accolades attached to its front and referenced on its back has appeal to younger girls. 

Smart kids want smart books that they are sometimes not emotionally ready to process. I have seen this on many occasions with students. Nightmares. Nervousness. Temporarily turned off reading by a bad experience. We also all know kids that nothing seems to have an ill effect upon them. At 13, I was very fond of scaring myself senseless with a Stephen King book or two. But when a book is marketed as a YA title to both the appropriate audience plus a smart tween set, we have to look at whether it is truly appropriate for those most likely to pick it up. In my opinion, this one is not.

Many people adore this book, and I can understand some of those reasons. It had very limited appeal to me though. But I know that some of you out there will love it so I am giving my gently read hardcover copy away. The first person to ask for it in the comments will receive it. Just email me your shipping address after commenting.

This book is the May selection for my non-structured reading group. Other posters today include Emily, Richard, Jill, EL Fay. If you care to join us next month, we will discuss Moo Pak by Gabriel Josipovici on June 25.

play time with coloring books

 

Twitter can serve up lots of fun sometimes. Last week, Chronicle Books tweeted about a blogger who had recently become smitten with Taro Gomi coloring books. Sea of Shoes posted some great photos of these gems such as the two below. Hop on over to her post for more as well as some infectious enthusiasm for a childlike pursuit bringing glee to adults.

 

 

So my busy, can't sit still self wants some coloring books now. Started looking around and found some other things I want to color like the patterns and articles of clothing in My Wonderful World of Fashion by Nina Chakrabarti. I found about this one with the wonderful images below at Humblebumbleme's Blog.

 

The images in all these offerings so far are fairly detailed, and invite the crayon wielder to really let the imagination run wild. Could be quite the consuming bit of fun. But what to doodle with while you make phone calls or mindlessly waste time? Found that too. Download tons of fridge material at Patterns for Colouring. Things like these - Geo Gecko and Swish a Wish.

 

So by now some of you may be scratching your heads and thinking that I have hit the pinot noir a bit hard this evening. But not so. Just a bit of spring fever maybe. Playfulness returns with the bright sun and warm breezes of spring. With lots of reminders everywhere to not forget how to be a kid. Want to color with me?

the case files of sherlock holmes by john watson

 

My favorite little man in the world, my third grader son, has three bookish occupations of late - Vikings and Napoleon Bonaparte and Sherlock Holmes. He asked me most earnestly if I would feature one of his favorite Christmas presents on my blog - The Case Files of Sherlock Holmes by John Watson. Doesn't want any of you to miss out on the fun including all of those evidence envelopes. How could I say no? This book easily appeals to both children and adults.

"The extraordinary adventures of Sherlock Holmes, the world’s most famous detective have been extensively chronicled by his companion Dr. John H. Watson. Watson’s accounts of Holmes’ endeavors were based on the notes he took during the investigations and the evidence that he and Holmes gathered. These Case Files are, in essence, Watson’s scrapbook. Some of the cases include The Hound of Baskervilles, A Scandal in Bohemia, and The Dancing Men. 

For those familiar with Watson’s reports, the notes, letters, official documents, artifacts, and items of evidence add a compelling new dimension to each case. For those who have not studied Watson’s reports before, The Case Files are an excellent way to examine the crimes and even review crucial items of evidence first hand. Carefully filed in special evidence bags are a photograph of the only woman ever to outwit Holmes, the signed confession of a killer, and more!"

maybe christmas… perhaps… means a little bit more

 

Thanks to the outstanding generosity of Random House and the shiny, pretty people of First Book, every child at my school received a copy of How the Grinch Stole Christmas this week. Now that is a present! And they do look excited, don't they? The sounds of class after class reading the immortal words of the good Dr. Seuss in unison in joyous munchkin voices. The peals of laughter as they watched the classic animated version after the shared read. The thrill of making kids happy. It makes Christmas mean just a little bit more.

Who says kids don't want books for the holidays?

bookish friends for the wee ones

 

This week was action-packed at work: my usual duties plus the Julie Andrews author visit; Family Reading Night where we welcome hundreds in for books, dinner, and literacy based fun; and yesterday I took two teams to a US geography tournament at the Smithsonian Museum of American History. Can't quite get my head out of wee one mode so I have decided to share a little wee one knowledge just in case you have started holiday shopping with a young person in mind. Because, of course, books make wonderful presents. These gift suggestions reflect not only my own personal tastes but also my experience working with children. If they won't read it then what's the point, right?

The image above is the cover image of Jerry Pinkney's The Lion and the Mouse. Drop. Dead. Gorgeous. A nearly wordless re-telling of Aesop's fable of the same name, this book is set in the African Serengeti. The landscapes and the animals are captured in watercolors that practically leap from the page, that appear somehow illuminated by the color choices and dimension achieved. Each child that has picked up this book to tell me the story has succeeded beautifully. The story is that well-conveyed in images alone. The trick is getting the book out of their hands when their storytelling task is done. Can you say Caldecott? Ideal for ages 4-6 or anyone that appreciates superior illustration.

 

 

A beautiful selection for the fairy tale lover. "In exquisite three-dimensional scenes, Jane Ray retells and illuminates the story of Snow White, creating a gift book worthy of a fairy tale. Once there was a beautiful girl with skin as white as snow, lips as red as blood, and hair as dark as the winter branches. In six intricate spreads, delicate paper layers let children peer in the palace window at the wicked queen with her mirror, watch Snow White run to the house of the seven dwarves, and gaze as the prince wakes her in her coffin. As the familiar text unfolds on flaps evoking stage curtains, the scenes play out in dioramas of rare depth and beauty." (from the publisher)

 

David Carter is a genius of pop-up books but White Noise, the last installment in his color series, is not just entertainment for the young reader. It is book sculpture. Irresistible! 

 

Do you know that over half of a frog's bones are in its feet, and they use their feet like hands? Pick up Frogs by Nic Bishop and you will tune into this and a whole lot more info about the popular amphibian. The close-up, amazing photography of frogs from all over the world will appeal to the nonfiction lover on your list.

  

For older readers, The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate by Jacqueline Kelly is about a turn-of-the-century young lady who dreams of living in a tower of books, spurns the conventional expectations of young womanhood, and embraces the natural world as young scientist - with a little magic thrown in. My second choice for the 9-12 year old group is Kate DiCamillo's new novel, The Magician's Elephant. This author knows children well, and her stories draw them in to magical scapes without a trace of pandering or excess sentiment. And kids love that. This new story of an orphan boy who seeks to know if his sister is still alive delivers the reader to a fortune teller for help who offers an unusual answer that an elephant will deliver him where he needs to go.

Wow. This is a lot longer than I intended. And I could go on and on. But these are the standouts of late. Great books for small hands.

we love you so

Being a little wild thing myself, Where the Wild Things Are was (and is) one of my favorite picture books. If this is your story as well, and you can't wait for the movie, and you tear up a little every time you see the preview, get yourself over to the We Love You So website from the creators of the film. Where you can see awesome stuff like this entry from the "Where the Wild Things Ought to Be" contest. If you know in your heart of hearts that Max could have fronted The Clash, you can't miss it.

Now back to the end of 2666...

mistress masham's repose by t.h. white

We spent a large part of the day cleaning my daughter's room. Lending her a bit of order before she begins her new middle school life at month's end. It was terrible. Like a slow, painful death by clutter at the hands of pack ratus maximus. Put to work culling the unwieldy book collection (she is my daughter after all), she pulled the title you see above from her shelves, and placed it atop the discard pile. She never read it. I may have found it enchanting as a child but it did not appeal to her. There was also some allegation of book stink.

The Once and Future King is one of my favorite books, but Mistress Masham's Repose created my T.H. White infatuation. Especially when I was young enough to believe that his unhappy childhood led him to embrace the life of the mind. Rather than some adult perception of White as misanthropic and generally grumpy. When I was young enough to strive earnestly to identify some of his more arcane references. Rather than flippantly relying upon the very useful T.H. White online glossary.

The new NYRB edition of this book might be my best hope to get my kids to read this or have it read to them. Nice and new and not smelly. Synopsis for those of you beginning to wonder:

"She saw: first, a square opening, about eight inches wide, in the lowest step...finally she saw that there was a walnut shell, or half one, outside the nearest door...she went to look at the shell—but looked with the greatest astonishment. There was a baby in it." 

So ten-year-old Maria, orphaned mistress of Malplaquet, discovers the secret of her deteriorating estate: on a deserted island at its far corner, in the temple long ago nicknamed Mistress Masham's Repose, live an entire community of people—"The People," as they call themselves—all only inches tall. With the help of her only friend—the absurdly erudite Professor—Maria soon learns that this settlement is no less than the kingdom of Lilliput (first seen in Gulliver's Travels) in exile. Safely hidden for centuries, the Lilliputians are at first endangered by Maria's well-meaning but clumsy attempts to make their lives easier, but their situation grows truly ominous when they are discovered by Maria's greedy guardians, who look at The People and see only a bundle of money. (from the publisher)

Magical. Right down to the Fritz Eichenberg illustrations. And I should just be happy that my kids are readers even if they don't always want to read what I want them to read. But I can keep trying...

a sneak peek: tim burton's alice

"If I had a world of my own, everything would be nonsense. Nothing would be what it is, because everything would be what it isn't. And contrary wise, what is, it wouldn't be. And what it wouldn't be, it would. You see?"  - Alice

The sneak peeks at Tim Burton's Alice in Wonderland are everywhere. And the images are arresting. And we all have to wait until next March for the film's release. The story of Alice in early adulthood running from a public proposal of marriage back into Wonderland. But she does not remember a thing from her childhood visit. Is she still capable of nonsense? Catch the trailer and remember just how dark the book is, and the potential for developing that darkness in a film in the hands of Tim Burton. I wish I could see it now. But I can't. So I will re-read the book.

Johnny Depp as the Mad Hatter

Helena Bonham Carter as the Red Queen

Anne Hathaway as the White Queen

coraline for fun, for creeps, for free

People frequently tell me that they would love to have my job as a children's librarian. "It must be so much fun. And you get to read all of those great books," they invariably say. Some days I look at them with polite appreciation for their ability to idealize the life of the well-read yet under-paid guardians of the kiddie books. Other days I respond with affirmation and the kind of unfiltered joy I feel this week for I have been reading and listening to Coraline over and over and over again. With the girls book group, the boys book group, and all the kids that came into the library at odd times with their books and an earnest, whispered request to listen to just a bit more. (The audio book read by Neil Gaiman is fantastic. The kids are chanting menacing rat style all over school today. Listen and you'll understand.)

Neil Gaiman appears to understand children much in the same way as my favorite children's author Roald Dahl did. And children get that. They understand the distinction between a children's author that writes to satisfy their own sensibilities or idealized notions of childhood and one that sees children for whom they are and celebrates every inch of that. And they know an adult that still believes in magic, in possibilties in the same way they do. Dahl once famously stated, "And above all, watch with glittering eyes the whole world around you because the greatest secrets are always hidden in the most unlikely places. Those who don't believe in magic will never find it." Gaiman knows some wonderful secrets.

I love what the New York Times review of the movie had to say:

There are many scenes and images in “Coraline” that are likely to scare children. This is not a warning but rather a recommendation, since the cultivation of fright can be one of the great pleasures of youthful moviegoing. As long as it doesn’t go too far toward violence or mortal dread, a film that elicits a tingle of unease or a tremor of spookiness can be a tonic to sensibilities dulled by wholesome, anodyne, school-approved entertainments.

Although I have not seen the movie yet, I feel that the whole Coraline experience will be very satisfying to both children and adults alike aching for a less homogenized entertainment experience. 

Obviously, this is not a review today. Thanks to some stellar marketing, most reading this know the story line here. Just some observations from someone with some firsthand experience. Read this with kids, without them, just read it. A lot of stores have found themselves short of copies, so if need be, go online and read it for free for a limited time thanks to Harper Collins. Pick up that audio book and let the wee ones follow along in the text as they listen. Two simultaneous access points to a story is heaven to many children. And maybe I will see you at the movies this weekend as all of us disappointed by plentiful portions of trite get a big helping of magic.