Three Children's Books from Other Countries

Whispers in the Graveyard by Theresa Breslin

Solomon, the book's main character, has never had an easy time in school because of his dyslexia. He has created a secret hiding place in a desolate part of an old graveyard where he retreats to when his father is drinking or when his teachers tease him. Solomon soon finds himslef in the middle of the evil effects of an ancient curse put on the land by a witch who was burned and buried there many years ago. With the help of a professor, his teacher, and a young girl, they unravel the mystery and break the curse forever.
I luckily found this book at my local public library. I was a little skeptical that I would be able to find children's books from other countries, but this one was available! I really enjoyed reading this book, and I can see why this book would be popular for children. It contains elements of suspense, mystery, and is a little scary at times! When I was little, I remember reading any scary book I could find, and this book fits that description. The title is catchy and the plot is interesting--it has all the main ingrediants for a successful children's book.

Skellig by David Almond

"I thought he was dead. He was sitting with his legs stretched out and his head tipped back against the wall. He was covered with dust and webs like everything else and his face was thin and pale. Dead bluebottles were scattered on his hair and shoulders. I shined the flashlight on his white face and his black suit."

This is Michael's (the main character) introduction to the book and "being" Skellig, the man/owl/angel who lies motionless behind a mound of junk in the back of the garage in Michale's dilapidated new house. However, this is the least of Michael's worries. The new house is a mess, his parents are distracted, and his brand-new baby sister is seriously ill. Still, as scared as he is, Michael can't get this mysterious creature out of his mind--even as he wonders if he has really seen him at all. The rest of the story unfolds in a dreamlike fantasy. Skellig helps to examine many themes of life as they unfold in through the experiences of a young boy: death, life, friendship, love, and the connection between all things.
When I first started reading this book, I was a little turned-off. I thought it was going to be difficult to get through. A book about a man/owl/angel? I didn't think it would be very interesting. However, as the book unfolded, I began to get a little more interested. As an adult reading this book, I was able to focus more on the underlying themes and ignore the fantasy element of the book, which helped make it a little less unbelievable. Don't get me wrong, I love fantasy stories, but for some reason the storyline of this book was hard for me to get interested in. I did enjoy the themes of death, friendship, and love that the book emphasized. It was well told and flowed very easily.

Jonathan Swift's Gulliver by Martin Jenkins

This is an adaptation of the classic book Gulliver's Travels by Jonathan Swift. It is written to make the story more accessible for contemporary and younger readers. All of the major events of Gulliver's travels are included in the book, but they have been updated using more simplified language. Additionally, the book doesn't contain all of the political implications and themes of darkness that the original tale did. It is more suitable for a younger audience. Illustrations accompany many of Gulliver's experiences, and it is a book designed to encourage the reading of classical literature by children. Truthfully, I enjoyed reading this version much more than I did the original simply because of the change in the laguage. It was much much much easier to understand. Although I realize one must read the original Gulliver's Travels to get the entire experience, Jonathan Swift's Gulliver is a good start.

Two Awards Given for Children's Books in Other Countries

Kate Greenaway Medal: presented for the most distinguished work in the illustration of children's books published in the United Kingdom.

The Carnegie Medal: presented annually to an outstanding children's book published in the United Kingdom.

International Literature for Children

Mildred L. Batchelder Award: most outstanding children's book originally published in a foreign language and subsequently translated into English for publication in the United States

This is the award given by the American Library Association for children's books that are written in another country and translated into English.

Coretta Scott King Award: Elijah of Buxton

Elijah of Buxton was written by Christopher Paul Curtis and was published in 2007. It received the Coretta Scott King Book Award. This being said, how did this book address diversity? Elijah, the book's main character, was the first free-born member of his family. Escaping the oppression of the pre-Emancipation Proclamation and pre-Civil War torn United States, Elijah's family escaped to an established free-black community in Buxton, Ontario, Canada. Early on, the book focused on normal events in Elijah's life--attending school, doing chores around the house, fishing, and playing with his friends. The book tells about Elijah's experiences growing up free in Buxton. Because he was born free, Elijah seems to take his freedom for granted and never really wants to understand how lucky he was. He is just beginning to understand what that means when a local and trusted preacher steals money that is being saved to purchase the freedom of others trapped in the U.S. While becoming a part of the mission to catch the preacher and return the funds to their rightful owners, Elijah crosses into the prejudice-ridden United States and learns first hand what he has to be thanful for.
Overall, this book addresses the idea of cultural diversity. It fictionally describes what it was like for an African American person to be living free in Canada after escaping from slavery in America--a point of view that isn't chronicled in many works of fiction. It also serves as a coming of age experience for the main character. Elijah's eyes are being opened to the horrors of American slavery. Through his experiences, readers learn firsthand what it would have been like to have been a freed slave returning to areas where slavery still existed during the dark ages of American history.

Little Women Book vs. Movie

I am examining the wonderful and classic novel Little Women and the most recent film version of the story, released in 1994. After reading the book and rewatching one of my favorite movies, there are several minor storylines from the novel that were cut from the movie, which is both disappointing and understandable. Many of the scenes that were left out from the novel helped to establish character depth and develop each individual further than the film version was capable of doing in its allotted time frame. For example, in the movie there is really no mention of Beth's shyness (it is simply suggested through her actions), or of her overcoming that shyness to become friends with Mr. Lawrence. The wonderful scene in the novel where she fights with herself before gathering her courage to walk over to Mr. Lawrence's house and thank him for giving her his piano is one of the most defining moments for Beth, but in the movie the thank-you is very understated. This being said, I found both Beth and Mr. Lawrence to be slightly underdeveloped in the movie. Mr. Lawrence appears in only three scenes, while many of Beth's key moments also vanished. Jo's wonderful tomboyish nature is also severely tone-down for this version; however, the movie still does a good job of emphasizing her boyish ways. She does not say "Christopher Columbus" nor any of her other slang words. We never see the scene where she longs to go be a soldier fighting in the war and wishes she were a man. Moving on to the oldest sister, Meg, the movie transformed the her character from someone who longs for finer things and tends to be snobbish into the wise, motherly, older sister who does not care about such things. Lacking is the wonderful moment when she realizes that she does not care about Mr. Brook's poverty as she defends her love of him against Aunt March. With Amy, her humorous quest for a perfect nose is mentioned twice in the movie, but there is never a scene showing some of her efforts such as her wearing the clothespin on it at night to make is straight, nor do we get enjoy watching her artistic endeavors such as her attempts to make a plaster cast of her foot. Furthermore, movie viewers only see a few of the many lessons portrayed in the book that transform the four sisters from young girls into little women, the book's namesake.
While there are many obvious differences between the Little Women novel and most recent movie version, I still found the film to be enjoyable even with its many cuts. The movie did an excellent job of portraying the characters as they were in the novel. There was excellent dialogue and an interesting storyline; the characters simply weren't as developed as they were in the novel itself. However, with both time and budget constraints, I think it would be difficult to take on a novel of this magnitude without having to cut out some of its more minor details. Overall, I give the movie an "A."

Tuck Everlasting Book vs. Movie

Tuck Everlasting is a book written in 1975 by Natalie Babbitt. It is about a family that has found a fountain of youth in a spring on the family farm. The main character, Winnie, discovers the family and their secret, and she is faced with a dilemma about her own future. The most recent film version of Tuck Everlasting was released in 2002, and it is the movie I will compare with the book. There are many differences between the two. First of all, in the book Winnie was only about ten years old, while in the movie she is about 16. In the movie, this age seems more convenient because she falls in love with Jessee, a member of the Tuck family. In the book, however, she adores Jessee, and he returns the admiration, while planning on marrying her when Winnie turns seventeen. In the movie, Winnie's grandmother dies, while in the book she doesn't. Winnie lives to be 100 years old in the movie, while in the book she only lives to be 78. In the book, Winnie runs away from home because she's tired of being cooped up, but in the movie she runs away because she is being sent to boarding school. Overall, there are many small differences between the Tuck Everlasting book and movie, but the main idea of the story is the same. I actually enjoyed reading the book better because it seemed more descriptive and less of a love story, but the movie was very entertaining--a real chick flick though!

Coraline Book vs. Movie

I’m going to discuss a few of the differences between Coraline the book (written by Neil Gaiman) and the movie. For starters, the story introduced a whole new character named Whybie. In the movie he was an important character and helped carry out the storylines, but he wasn't at all in the book. However, I thought that he was woven into the movie very effectively and actually made the story better. A lot of times it seems that when major changes are made from book to movie like that, something gets messed up along the way--but not in this case. I thought it was an excellent addition by the screen writers! Whybie's full name was Whyborn, which I thought was extremely sad but added to his character. Coraline meets Whybie early in the story and he, of course, can’t listen to her lecture that her name is CORAline and not Caroline… and he says his grandmother lost her sister to the house that Coraline now lives in. So there is now an interesting tie in to the ghosts that she will meet in her "other" house and eventually rescue.
Overall, the story is a little different but effectively stays with the book with only a few new props (the spyingdoll: an example of what wasn't in the book), but the story is told accurately and beautifully, with a little weirdness thrown in, which makes it such a fun movie! My favorite parts were the beginning when Coraline is bored and trying to get her parents to pay attention to her. I thought her actions and words were exactly to character--both the book and the movie captured this brilliantly.
One thing I was a little disappointed in was the voice for the cat. For some reason, he just didn’t seem as cool as the cat in the book. However, I thought the appearance and voice of the Other Mother was very good! She was all sweet and nice at the beginning and quickly became scary, menacing, and downright EVIL. Overall, though, it was a very fine movie--fun, entertaining, and thrilling, and a very good adaptation of the book.

The Battle of Jericho by Sharon M. Draper

This is a very interesting chapter book about a young African-American adolescent boy named Jericho. He is offered the chance to pledge for an elite school club called the Warriors of Destruction. Jericho agrees to pledge because that means being a part of the popular crowd, wearing cool clothing, going to great parties, and being admired by other students in school. However, what Jericho doesn't know is that he is going to have to be part of some activities that he doesn't fully agree with. I really enjoyed reading the book, and I feel that all school media centers should have this book as a part of the collection. Draper wrote a book that focuses on all the problems of peer pressure and the desire to fit in. All children have to make difficult choices at some point in their lives, and The Battle of Jericho expertly depicts what it is like to be torn between what you believe is right and doing what other people want you to do in order to gain acceptance. It brings to attention the important message about making good decisions, and all children can benefit from reading this book.


I Love My Hair by Natasha Anastasia Tarpley

This book focuses on a young African-American girl who has to go through a nightly ritual of combing the tangles out of her hair. She cries when it hurts, so her mother tells her stories about why she should be thankful that she has such beautiful hair. Her mother gets very imaginative and makes up stories about what her daughter can do with such beautiful hair. The pictures in this book are very lovely, and they help emphasize the lesson being taught about celebrating yourself, your heritage, and your differences, no matter the situation. I Love My Hair is a very special book the focuses on self-acceptance. It should be found in every school library media center because all children feel out of place at one point or another in their lives. This book will help children understand that it is okay to be different and to celebrate your uniqueness.

The Tales of Uncle Remus: The Adventures of Brer Rabbit

This is a collection of stories by Julius Lester that depict the adventures of the book's main charcter, Brer Rabbit. There are a total of forty-eight stories in the book. Each story illustrates the daily experiences of Brer Rabbit's life. Many times, he has to use his wits and abilities to trick others in order to stay out of trouble. Brer Rabbit's main nemisis is Brer Fox, and there are many stories where Rabbit fools Fox in order to get out of a sticky situationor to avoid being eaten. Brer Rabbit also tricks Bear, Lion, and Man in the book as well. Julius Lester tells these stories in a very conversational style. He includes slang and words that are referred to as "contemporary southern black English" which helps the stories seem like something that would be told to children as bedtime stories or for entertainment. From reading these stories, Lester has made a collection of African-American folktales come to life through his words and the funny antics of the main character. Each tale is told in chronological order of how they happened in Brer Rabbit's life, so they are all linked together in some way. This is a collection of wonderfully funny folktales that all children would enjoy.

Other books by Julius Lester:
1. Two Love Stories
2. More Tales of Uncle Remus: Further Adventures of Brer Rabbit, His Friends, Enemies, and Others
3. How Many Spots Does a Leopard Have and Other Tales
4. Further Tales of Uncle Remus: The Misadventures of Brer Rabbit, Brer Fox, Brer Wolf, the Doodang, and Other Creatures
5. The Hungry Ghosts
6. The Man Who Knew too Much

Other Books by Laurence Yep

1. Golden Mountain Chronicles
2. Dragon's Gate
3. Dragonwings
4. The Chinatown Mysteries
5. Child of the Owl
6. The Rainbow People

The City of Dragons

This book by Laurence Yep is one that I think will speak to many young children. The main character, a young Chinese boy, was born with the saddest face in the world, and he was ostracized because of his appearance. The people in his small village asked his parents to make him wear a hat that covered his face so that he wouldn't make other villagers sad when they looked at him. They boy felt alone because of this mandate, and he ran away from home. Eventually, he came across a band of giants whom he befriended. He is able to help them with a problem because of his appearance. Later, he returns to his village feeling needed and special. Laurence Yep has written a very special book that is directed towards the idea of feeling outcast and different than others. Everyone feels this way at one point in their lives, including young children, and it is a good book to help children feel like they are all special for different reasons. Teachers can also use this book in the classroom to discuss individual differences and how people have different talents and abilities and should be accepted as they are.

Conversations on The Cat in the Hat/The Lorax

I grew up reading all of the Dr. Seuss books, but for this assignment I had to go back and read it again. I had never read it from a literary standpoint, trying to determine the book's theme or main idea, so I checked it out from the local public library. While reading the book, I noticed that there is an interplay of sense and nonsense, with the cat usually talking Sally and her brother into allowing him to play some sort of "game." Sally and her brother, the narrator, represent logic and common sense while the cat in the hat represents silliness. He is always trying to talk the children into doing something, and when they give him an inch, he takes a mile. Another book that I read as I was growing up was If You Give a Mouse a Cookie by Laura Joffe Numeroff. It seems to have some of the same tensions presented in The Cat in the Hat. The main character in the book, a mouse, is wanting a chocolate chip cookie, but when the child gives him a cookie, the mouse wants a glass of milk. Then he'll want a straw to drink with, and so on and so on. When the child gives the mouse an inch, he keeps wanting more and more and more, which is exactly like the cat in the hat. The book also has a lot of nonsense and silliness in it, just like The Cat in the Hat. Readers are always wondering what the mouse is going to ask for next or what the cat is going to do next, when reading the book. I think it is this aspect that makes both books appeal to children: the sense of playfulness and silliness that keeps children guessing.

With The Lorax, Dr. Seuss considered this book his best. However, it did not go over well at

the time because of its didactic portrayal of environmental and ecological issues (trying to teach some kind of moral/political message). The Lorax is considered didactic because it clearly teaches its readers the consequences of taking advantage of the environment. Even though The Lorax was written many decades ago, there are still didactic children's books being published today. Some examples are Fibbed Big by Berkeley Breathed and Have You Filled a Bucket Today? by Carol McCloud. Both of these books are meant to teach a lesson to children in addition to entertain them.

Newbery Vs. Caldecott

Now that I have read and blogged about two Newbery Medal and five Caldecott Medal award winners, what does this distinction mean and what, if any, is the difference between the two? Both the Caldecott and Newbery Awards are yearly awards given by the Association for Library Service to Children, a branch of the American Library Association (ALA). These are separately awarded every January to a children's book that had been written the previous year. The Newbery Medal is named after John Newbery, a British bookseller during the 18th century. It is mainly given to a children's work of short fiction and was first awarded in 1922. According to the ALA website, the Newbery award is given to the "author of the most distinguished contribution to American literature for children." Although there is only one Newbery Medal winner per year, there are a few books each year that are chosen as Newbery Medal Honor books, which is similar to a first-runner-up award. The Caldecott Medal is named after Ralph Caldecott, an English illustrator during the 19th century. This award is limited to children's picture books, and it was first awarded in 1938. According to the ALA website, the Caldecot award is given to the "artist of the most distinguished American picture book for children." Like the Newbery Award, one book is chosen each year to be the Caldecott Medal Winner, but other books can be chosen to receive Caldecot Medal Honor awards.
Reference:
http://www.ala.org/ala/alsc/awardsscholarships/literaryawds/literaryrelated.cfm

The Hello, Goodbye Window

This is a Caldecott Medal Award winner, written by Norton Juster and illustrated by Chris Raschka. The pictures in this book were very interesting. They looked very child-like and were done in paint and watercolor. The story was told from a child's point of view too, so the illustrations corresponded very well with the story being told. I really enjoyed reading the story. It talked about a special window in a small girl's grandparent's kitchen that is a sort of magic getaway. Everything important in her life happens near it, through it, or beyond it. The book is so captivating because it celebrates the common wonders that define childhood, things that we usually forget as we grow older. It also focuses on the special relationship between a grandchild and her grandparents. The Hello, Goodbye Window was very touching and a wonderful children's book.

My Friend Rabbit

This was an extremely cute book by Eric Rohmann. The two main characters were a rabbit and a mouse, and the rabbit was always unintentionally getting into trouble. He gets his toy airplane stuck high in a tree, and he comes up with this elaborate plan to get it down, involving a pile of other animals. Eventually, the airplane is freed, but the rabbit once again finds himself in a pickle. It's a very cute story with very colorful illustrations to go along with it. Any young child would enjoy reading this story.

Joseph had a Little Overcoat

This is a very cute book by Simms Taback. It is a Caldecott Medal winner. It tells the story of an overcoat that Joseph has. It gets old and worn, so he turns it into a jacket, then a vest, then a scarf, and so on. What is cute about the book is it has cut-outs in the pages the shape of what Joseph is making next, so children can guess before they read about it. I also think the book teaches a good lesson on reusing what you have and not throwing something away the second it gets a little worn. It seems like that has become an unspoken rule in our society--we always want the biggest and best thing available and continue to buy buy buy instead of using what we already have. Joseph had a Little Overcoat is an excellent book to help teach children to be thankful for what they have.

Flotsam

When I first found this book, I really wasn't sure what it was going to be about. I had never heard of the word "flotsam," or atleast I didn't think I had. After looking it up online, I remembered I had heard of flotsam and jetsam, and that flotsam was material found floating in the ocean. Flotsam by David Wiesner was a Caldecott Medal winner, so I thought it must be good. I was surprised when I opened the book to read and there were NO words. It was all pictures, like a graphic novel. Very interesting...I found that as I was "reading" (a.k.a. looking at the pictures) I had a tendency to make up my own words to go along with what was happening, which I thought was kind of neat and probably what Wiesner intended for children who read the book as well. The illustrations were gorgeous and very creative. It's easy to see how children could get swept away by their imaginations while in the company of this book. I thoroughly enjoyed it.

Henry's Freedom Box

This book, written by Ellen Levine and illustrated by Kadir Nelson, was a very well-written book with beautiful pictures to go along with the story. The book tells the story of Henry "Box" Brown, a real slave who mailed himself to freedom in a wooden shipping crate from Virginia to Philadelphia. The book also talks about some of the hardships that slaves faced during their lifetimes: hard physical labor and separation from family being two major problems. I think this book is perfect for a young child just learning about slavery and American history.

Very Intriguing...

Criss Cross by Lynne Rae Perkins is probably one of the most strangely atypical books I have ever read. As I got deeper and deeper into the novel, I kept waiting for something to happen—something exciting that I would find interesting and worth reading about. Although I never really came across anything of this nature, Criss Cross did appeal to my “girliness.” The book is a collection of thoughts and feelings of a group of friends growing up in the 1960s. It mainly focuses on the life of the main character, Debbie, her wish to grow up, and how her life is intertwined with the lives and experiences of her friends. Sometimes the book is funny and other times thought-provoking. For me, though, the book did get a little lackluster at times (and I love to read). However, I think if I had been an adolescent girl, this book would have held a lot more significance. It satisfactorily covers many of the thoughts and emotions of growing up as a girl trying to find herself.

Al Capone Does My Shirts

I just finished reading this book, a Newbery Medal Honor Winner, by Gennifer Choldenko. It was a really cute book. What I really enjoyed about it was the main charcter's struggle against doing what he knows to be right and what his peers are doing. His name is Matthew "Moose" Flanagan, and he lives on Alcatraz in the 1930s after his father got a job as electrician at the prison. I also enjoyed reading about Moose's main nemesis, a girl named Piper, who just happens to be the warden's daughter. She is always trying to get him into trouble!! Add into the mix an older sister who has autism (although autism didn't exist yet) who Moose has to take care of while his father and mother work, "convict" baseballs, and Moose's own curiosity, and Choldenko has created an exciting book that will hold readers' attentions and keep children coming back for more! I would definitely recommend this book to children 8+.

Ok. This doesn't qualify as a children's literature book, but I just finished reading Handle with Care by Jodi Picoult. It's her latest book, and it was so so good. I enjoy reading her books so much because there is so much depth and "realness" to them. The characters are well-developed and the storyline is so intriguing. The surprise ending to Handle with Care was one of the most surprising, but at the same time, a little disturbing. As I got closer to the end, I kept thinking, "How is this going to be a surprise?" because all of Picoult's novels end with a twist. And it was on the cover all along!!

Labor Day Homework

It's Labor Day; it's raining; and I'm consumed by graduate school homework. I should be enjoying these last few days of summer, but the weather thinks otherwise. I've created this blog as an assignment for a Children's Literature class; however, I hope to use it for more in the future (after this class ends) after I figure this blogging thing out! This fall, I will be reading a variety of children's books and blogging about them. Enjoy!