Back in time...

Last month, after writing about the historical fiction I loved as a young girl, I searched online for lists of popular middle grade historical novels.  Many of them I'd never read before, and several piqued my interest.  I decided to take my list to the library and check out a handful of them. 

I have to say, I thoroughly enjoyed all of the books I read!  Though they are written for a middle grade reading level, I think that many older kids... and adults... would relish them as much as I did.  I have arranged the books below chronologically, by the time periods in which the stories take place:

A Single Shard by Linda Sue Park, 2001, winner of the 2002 Newbery Medal ... This was actually the second book that I read by Park -- after reading When My Name Was Keoko (farther down this page) and falling in love with Park's writing, I went back to the library and checked this one out.  (Now I'm planning to read her other middle grade books... Seesaw Girl, The Kite Flyers, Project Mulberry, Archer's Quest, Keeping Score, and A Long Walk to Water... as well!)

This story takes place in Korea, in the 12th century.  The main character is a brave and thoughtful orphan boy named Tree Ear.  Befriended and taken care of by Crane-man, a physically disabled man living under a bridge, this is the story of their relationship, as well as Tree Ear's apprenticeship to a local potter.  I loved the beautiful imagery in this story.

Fever 1793 by Laurie Halse Anderson, 2000 ... This book is based on an actual epidemic of yellow fever in Philadelphia that killed ten percent of the city's population in just three months.  The story centers around teenager Mattie Cook, who must flee the city with her grandfather after her mother becomes ill.  Anderson provides a vivid picture of daily life in 18th century Philadelphia, and I quickly became caught up in Mattie's fight for survival during this frightening time.

Sarah, Plain and Tall by Patricia MacLachlan, 1985, winner of the 1986 Newbery Medal ... I didn't get this book from the library -- I found it on my daughter's bookshelf!  This is a very short book, only about 58 pages, yet it paints a picture of loss, love, and life on the prairie in the 19th century, along with the phenomenon of mail-order brides. The main characters include children Anna and Caleb, as well as the book's namesake, Sarah, the woman who traveled to the prairie from Maine to meet them.  

Based on actual events that took place in MacLachlan's family, this book is the first in a series that also includes Skylark, Caleb's Story, More Perfect Than the Moon, and Grandfather's Dance.  (More books to put on my "to read" list!)

Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry by Mildred D. Taylor, 1976, winner of the 1977 Newbery Medal ... The story of an African American family in the deep south during the 1930's, this book explores the themes of racism, poverty, and the love of family.  Main characters include the narrator, nine-year-old Cassie, and her big brother Stacey, both of whom learn about loyalty, social injustice, and the importance of owning their own land. 

This book is the first in a series about the Logan family.  I have not read the other books yet (Let the Circle Be Unbroken, The Road to Memphis, and prequels, The Land and Song of the Trees), but I plan to check them out soon!  All of these books are based on family stories that Taylor heard while growing up.

Number the Stars by Lois Lowry, 1989, winner of the 1990 Newbery Medal ... This book takes place in Denmark during World War II, when Nazis began detaining Jews and taking them away to death camps.  It is the moving story of young Annemarie Johannesen and her best friend, Ellen Rosen.  Annemarie's family first brings Ellen into their home to live, and then later tries to smuggle Ellen's entire family out of the country, to safety.... 

When My Name was Keoko by Linda Sue Park, 2002 ... This is the first of Park's books that I read.  I was so intrigued by it, I couldn't wait to read more of her work!  The story takes place in Japanese-occupied Korea during World War II, and is told through the words of Sun-hee (changed later to Keoko, under Japanese law) and her older brother Tae-yul. 

I found this book especially interesting, maybe because I'd never really known much about Korea (or the Japanese occupation of the country) before, and Park's writing painted a clear picture for me.  I learned quite a bit about Korean society at the time and how heart-breaking it was to have their culture -- their language, their flag, even their names -- made illegal by their Japanese rulers. 

(It should be noted that Park does not treat all the Japanese characters in her story as villains.  As with all groups of people, some individuals are kind, some are not.   For example, Sun-hee's best friend is a Japanese boy, Tomo, who tries to help the family.)

The Wednesday Wars by Gary D. Schmidt, 2007, the winner of the 2008 Newbery Honor Medal ... This story is told by Holling Hoodhood, a seventh grade boy living in Long Island, NY during the late 1960's.  While the Vietnam War rages on, Holling battles his own wars, with his teacher Mrs. Baker (who, he's convinced, hates him), with school bullies, with his parents (who never seem to listen to him) and older sister, and with his own fear of the future.  Throughout all these battles, Holling (and author Schmidt) keeps his sense of humor, making much of the book laugh-out-loud funny!

Have you read any of these books?  If so, what did you think?  I'd love to hear your thoughts, as well as recommendations for more historical fiction, whether for middle grade readers or any other age.  And, if you haven't read the books above, please consider doing so -- I highly recommend them!

A spark

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“To learn to read is to light a fire;
every syllable that is spelled out is a spark.”

- Victor Hugo

Limerick

This week's word is limerick, the name of a special type of poem.  I like it because a) it's a fun word to say, and b) limericks are usually quite silly! 

Limericks have five lines: 

• Lines 1, 2, and 5 have seven to ten syllables, and the three lines rhyme with each other. 
• Lines 3 and 4 have five to seven syllables and rhyme with each other.

Here are a few limericks that I found online:

There was a young lady from Leeds

Who swallowed a package of seeds.

Now this sorry young lass

Is quite covered in grass,

But has all the tomatoes she needs.

~Author unknown

What a limerick is in a crunch

Is a bit like a loony's light lunch.

Though it briefly delights,

It's just four nutty bites

Swallowed down with a ludicrous  punch.

~Graham Lester

I've written a few limericks of my own, mostly for a poetry unit in English when I was a teenager.  The following is my favorite. (Heidi was one of my best friends, but I exaggerated *a bit* about the state of her room!):

There once was a young girl named Heidi

Whose bedroom was very untidy.

One day she got stuck

In all of that muck,

And we never again saw Heidi!

Do you have any favorite limericks?  Or have you written any of  your own?  I'd love to hear them!

Eyes in the Night

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Eyes in the Night

The moon came up on a summer's night
That was soft and dark except for the light
Of fireflies and the gleaming eyes
Of green-eyed cats and
the amber eyes of wandering dogs
And the red eyes of frogs
and the eye of the toad
Picked up by lights coming down the road,
Little emerald eyes, the gleaming eyes,
And the eyes of rabbits and foxes
And more and more flickering fireflies.
Then the car went by, and soon
There was only the light
Of a big warm moon
All over the summer night.

~Margaret Wise Brown

 

Spotlight on Shel Silverstein: Poet, Author, Illustrator, and More

I was first introduced to Shel Silverstein's work when I was nine.  I was at Girl Scout summer camp with my best friend, enrolled in a session called "Hug-a-Tree".  We each "adopted" a tree in the campgrounds for the week, talking to it and watering it daily.   We also learned all kinds of information about trees.  (Really, it was the perfect camp for the daughter of a forestry professor!) 

One day, a camp counselor read one of Silverstein's most popular books, The Giving Tree (1964), aloud to the group.  I enjoyed it so much, I asked to look at the book afterwards, so that I could reread it. 

As I mentioned in an earlier post, our family had a large maple tree in our backyard.  I loved that tree.  I never thought of the tree as an "it", but always as a "her" --  when we first moved to our house, I named her Maple.  (Not real creative, I know, but I was only 6 at the time.)  

I talked to Maple all the time, convincing myself I could hear her talking back.  I considered her my friend.  Because of that experience, I felt a connection to The Giving Tree.  I could truly appreciate the bond between the boy and the tree in the story.  The tree's selfless love for the boy warmed my heart, and that image has always stayed with me.

About a year later, one of my friends checked out  the book Where the Sidewalk Ends (1974) from the school library.  Together we sat down and looked through it, laughing and laughing at all the zany poems and illustrations inside.  The book ended up being a huge hit with our whole class!

When I was in jr. high, I heard that Silverstein had published another book of poetry, A Light in the Attic (1981).   I immediately went searching for it at the library.  Once again, I loved the wackiness of Silverstein's words and drawings. 

Many years later, my in-laws discovered what a big fan I am of Silverstein's work, and they bought me both volumes of poetry.  When a third volume came out in 1996, Falling Up, they bought that for me as well.  I've shared the books with my kids many times -- they love the silliness as much as I do!  And even though I know many of the poems by heart now, I still find myself flipping through the pages every so often, reading and chuckling.

When Emmalie and Nick were little, my in-laws bought something for all of us, the CD of Where the Sidewalk Ends (2000).  That was when I discovered something even better than reading those poems out loud -- listening to Shel Silverstein himself read them aloud!  All these years later, we still pop the CD in on car trips sometimes -- instant fun for the whole family. :)

I've read most of Silverstein's other books for children... Lafcadio, the Lion Who Shot Back, The Missing Piece, A Giraffe and a Half, and more.  I've thoroughly enjoyed each one!

A few years ago, my brother-in-law gave me this one: Who Wants a Cheap Rhinoceros? (1964) -- a fun book about a very unusual pet!

He also gave me Runny Babbit, which was published in 2005, six years after Shel Silverstein's death.  (It was completed before he passed away.)  Talk about a tongue twister -- this one is nearly impossible (for me, anyway) to read aloud, but, oh, so funny to try!

Besides all of his works for children, Silverstein also wrote books and drew cartoons for adults.  He composed music and wrote plays, as well.  To learn more about this very talented man and his marvelous creations, check out the official Shel Silverstein website for kids.  Be sure to look for his work at bookstores and the library, too!

Letters

From the book
Antler Bear Canoe: A Northwoods Alphabet,
written and illustrated by Betsy Bowen, 1991 

"TV. 
If kids are entertained
by two letters,
imagine the fun they'll have
with twenty-six. 
Open your child's imagination. 
Open a book."

 ~Author Unknown

Climbing

I'll admit, it's been awhile since I last climbed a tree, but when I was a kid, I practically lived in one! 

We had the perfect climbing tree, a maple, in our backyard, and whenever my family wanted me, they could usually find me there.  I ate snacks in the tree, did homework up there, played games with my sister and my friends, and read countless books while perched on my favorite branch. 

I found the following poem recently and it made me smile, remembering the days when I felt exactly like this....

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Climbing

The trunk of a tree
is the road for me
on a sunny summer day.

Up the bark
that is brown and dark
through tunnels of leaves that sway
and tickle my knees
in the trembly breeze,
that's where I make my way.

Leaves in my face
and twigs in my hair
in a squeeze of a place,
but I don't care!

Some people talk
of a summer walk
through clover and weeds and hay.

Some people stride
where the hills are wide
and the rocks are speckled gray.

But the trunk of a tree
is the road for me
on a sunny summer day.

by Aileen L. Fisher

Shhh...

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I have a secret.

Actually, it's not really a secret to anyone who knows me personally.  But, to anyone reading this who has never met me, this might come as a surprise.

As much as I love words and writing and chatting online, I am very quiet and shy in person.  I get extremely nervous when I have to talk, even when I'm talking with people I know well. 

I get so nervous that when I was a young girl, I used to wish I was mute -- physically unable to speak -- because then no one would expect me to talk!  I wished I could just walk around with a pad of paper and a pencil, communicating with others that way. 

Every once in a while, I still wish that.  Though now I'd probably choose a laptop instead... :)

For me, the internet has been a really good thing.  I can easily share my thoughts and feelings with others online, things that would otherwise stay bottled up inside me. 

I have made many friends online with people I never would've met without the internet.  Even if I'd come across them in my daily life, I would've been too scared to start up a conversation and get to know them.  I would've missed out on so many friendships with so many wonderful people.

Though my difficulty with talking has many disadvantages, it does have a few benefits.  Since I spend little time talking myself, that means I spend a lot of time listening to others instead.  I believe that listening to people -- really paying attention to what they are saying -- is important.  It helps me to better understand others.   And people enjoy being heard. :)

I also wonder: if I had spent more time talking throughout my life, would I still be as interested in the written word as I am now?  Maybe.  Or maybe not.  As it is, I am fascinated by words on paper or computer screens, whether I'm reading others' words or writing my own.  I like being able to communicate without ever having to make a sound.  It's part of what makes me me.

I've been thinking about this subject a lot recently.  Ideas for a character who doesn't speak, even though physically able to do so (a condition called "selective mutism"),  have been buzzing around my head for awhile now -- the problems such a character could encounter, and how he or she might react to and solve those problems.  I definitely could sympathize with such a character.  Maybe it's just me, but I think my ideas could create an interesting story for kids.  Hopefully, I'll start getting those ideas written down soon -- along with all the other story ideas that are filling up my brain! :)

How about you?  Are you a talker, or do you prefer to keep quiet much of the time?  What is your favorite way to express yourself?

The right word

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"The difference between the
almost right word
and
the right word
is really a large matter --
it's the difference between
the lightning bug and the lightning." 

~Mark Twain, in a letter to George Bainton, 1888

Sweven

This week's word is sweven, an archaic noun meaning "a vision or a dream".

My alarm clock woke me in the middle of the most delightful sweven.

I first heard this word in high school, at a party.  My friends and I were playing something similar to the board game "Balderdash".  (But this was several years before that game came out.) 

One person would look for an uncommon word in the dictionary, and read it out loud.  Everyone else would make up a definition for the word, writing it down on a piece of paper.  (Meanwhile, the reader would write down the correct definition.)  The reader collected all the papers, mixed them up, and read each one aloud.  Then the other players voted on which definition they thought was the correct one.

When it came time to hear the various definitions written for sweven, my friends and I really liked the correct meaning, as well as the fake one that received the most votes, defining it as an adjective meaning "heavenly".  From then on, we often used the word in conversation, sometimes using it correctly, and sometimes using it the other way.  One day I even created a "Sweven" button to wear with my other totally 80's buttons.  :)  (I still have it around here somewhere!)

How would you use the word sweven?