Children's Books Too Cool for School

Talk about a dark horse Newbery winner...

I guess the lucky side of having a Newbery winner that no one was expecting is that the book was right on the shelf here at the local library, so I grabbed a copy and dove in right away. I remembered the book from when it was new -- the cover and a quote from Patricia Reilly Giff caught my eye -- but I was overwhelmed at the time and opted to display it rather than read it. Ah, for missed opportunities.

So what's all the soon-to-be-fuss about?

Moon Over Manifest begins with rough-and-tumble, Depression-era stock heroine, Abilene Tucker, arriving in her father's hometown of Manifest, Kansas. She's used to hopping trains, poor living conditions, a rough life and being a little rough around the edges. You know the type. Her father has taken a railroad job in Iowa, and claiming that the situation isn't proper for a young lady, has sent her to spend the summer with his old friend, bootlegger-turned-pastor, Shady Howard. Or, at least, her father says it is only for the summer... (At this point, I almost couldn't resist comparisons to a childhood-favorite film, The Journey of Natty Gann.)

Looking for clues to her father's past, Abilene instead stumbles instead on a little tin filled with some keepsakes and letters, piquing her interest in a couple of young men named Ned and Jinx, and a spy called "the Rattler."

And this is where the story comes alive...

Through the recollections of an old Gypsy fortune teller, Abilene learns about the lives of Jinx, Ned, and about the once-lively town of Manifest, Kansas. Vanderpool manages to effortlessly weave in the stories of Manifest in 1918, on the brink of the Great War, with the Depression-era Manifest of 1939. Sometimes, stories with multiple narratives can be frustrating -- just as you start to get into one story, the author switches to the other -- but Vanderpool balances both very well, never sinking to obvious cliff-hangers nor spending too much time in one "place."

However, both places have their elements of excitement and mystery that keep you wanting to read about both. Best of all, both are full of some really great and memorable characters. This is one of those novels that is just chock full of people (there's even a handy character guide in the front of the book, but the characters are so vivid and real, you won't much need it) that really give the impression of, well, the life of a whole town.

Meanwhile, in terms of historical fiction writing, Vanderpool couldn't have picked a more exciting couple of decades to write about. There's war, depression, labor issues, prohibition,  poor race-relations, orphan trains, immigration, and Hoovervilles. All of it filtered through the very relatable character of Abilene Tucker, who is, admittedly, still something of a stock heroine. However, she'll seem fresh enough to the younger set. 

Overall, this is a fine novel that I really enjoyed reading, and it kept me interested enough to blow through it in less than 24-hours. Only time and a little perspective can really tell how a Newbery will do in the overall scheme of things, but I think that it is a fine choice, and congratulations to first-time author Clare Vanderpool, from whom I look forward to reading more.

A book about a girl I think you could get a boy to read, best for ages 10-14.

I think it is safe to say that Kathi Appelt isn't my bag. If she's yours, just go ahead and ignore the rest of this post. Or read it and seethe. Or maybe, just maybe go ahead and read what I've got to say, and see if you can find any truth in it.

Last time I found myself complaining about Appelt (And I don't, usually. I like her picture books! See Bats Around the Clock.) it was because she wrote a weird novel featuring malignant forest spirits, animal cruelty, and a drunk named Gar Face who was beaten mercilessly by his father. None of this is, inherently, a problem.

But I was left with one burning question: Who on earth is Appelt's intended audience?

I had high hopes for Keeper, at first. It seemed like a simpler, less... inappropriate story. Sure, it features some complex relationships and situations, but nothing on the level of The Underneath's vivid description of the burning sensation of bad vodka. (Yes, really.)

The titular Keeper is ten years old, living just outside of the tiny town of Tater, Texas (I love that alliteration!) on Oyster Ridge Road,  a "world unto itself." She lives with an adoptive parent, of sorts, named Signe, and spends her days helping her neighbor, Dogie, wax surfboards, or helping the only other resident of Oyster Ridge Road, Mr. Beauchamp, care for his flowers. Throw in two dogs (Keeper's BD or "Best Dog," and Dogie's Too, shortened from "Best Dog Too"), Mr. Beauchamp's cat, Sinbad, and a seagull named Captain, and you have the sum total of Keeper's world.

Keeper is surrounded by love, but feels that she has "ruined everything," on a blue moon day that started out so promising. Signe was to make her famous blue moon gumbo, Mr. Beachamp's night-blooming Cyrus was to have its once-yearly flowering, and Dogie was going to sing his "two word song," (that is, "Marry me") to Signe. Finally. 

But then, the crabs Dogie caught for the gumbo call out to Keeper, asking her to free them. Keeper knows she can hear the crabs because she is (she believes) part mermaid. The last time she saw her real mother, who leaves Keeper with her friend Signe when Keeper is three, was out in the sea. Therefore, she believes her mother was a mermaid who has returned to the sea. Signe has let her believe this, apparently in an attempt to protect her from the emotional truth -- that Keeper's mother abandoned her.

So when Keeper "ruins everything", she heads out in a small boat in the middle of the night, hoping to find her mermaid mother, Meggie May, to make everything all right.

My concerns about intended audience come less from the weight of the subject matter this time -- Appelt actually deals rather deftly with issues like non-traditional family structure, child abandonment, and even post-traumatic stress syndrome -- however, the structure of the story as a whole, still failed to feel like it was written with actual child readers in mind. (I'd like to add here, that homosexuality is a topic that comes up, briefly, in the story. This isn't one of my objections, although many others have found it objectionable. I think she deals with the so-called "issue" very well.)

The language is both too slow-paced and poetic for your average elementary or middle grade kid, while lacking the kind of complexity that might engage an older child. The plot had almost no real movement -- the story was far more character-driven, and the pacing was very slow -- but the language and Keeper's personal world-view were entirely more juvenile.

Once again, Appelt has written a book whose only real audience is adults who read children's books, and once again, I'd be willing to bet good money, just as I was with The Underneath, that this will be on the Newbery's shortlist.

And I will continue to be frustrated with modern Newbery winners and their lack of kid-appeal. And the world moves on.

Keeper is more of a "girl book," than anything, although I could see broader gender appeal, and would be best for a really precocious 10 or 11 year old... or an adult who reads children's books.

Sarah, Plain and Tall by Patricia Maclachlan (A "Top 50 Post")

I'm always afraid Sarah, Plain and Tall gets read for all the wrong reasons, namely that it is Newbery, Simple and Short.

But it really is a beautiful tale about family and love that is told in an authentic child's voice. Sarah, much to the interest of my younger self, is a mail-order bride. She may be plain and tall, but like the prairie that surrounds her, there is great strength and depth to her character. There isn't much to the story: It is mostly the tale of two motherless children, a sweet father, and a loving woman who get to know, and then love, each other.

It may be the only "quiet book" I've ever really loved. 

Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle by Betty MacDonald (A "Top 50 Post")

I clearly remember one of my elementary school teachers reading Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle to us every day before nap time, and that I thought she was riotously funny.

I'm glad to discover that, upon revisiting these tales of the mysterious neighbor who has the cure for every parenting problem, I was a school-age child of taste.

Generations have enjoyed Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle and sequels, and generations will hence. It's just that kind of story. 

Hidden Talents by David Lubar (A "Top 50 Post")

 This is one of the more modern titles on my list, but I think it's a great story with potential for staying power.

At its core, Hidden Talents is a classic misfit tale told from the point of view of a misfit among misfits. Martin has been expelled from so many schools, he's been placed in a super-weird alternative school. Slowly (a little too slowly for an adult reader, I'm afraid) Martin realizes that his core group of friends aren't really bad kids, they actually have... ahem... hidden talents! However, Martin just feels like more of a misfit than ever, after he realizes he doesn't have a super-power of his own. Or does he?

This book is just a lot of fun, and an easy one to sell to the guys. There's not a yucky girl in the book! 

The Giver by Lois Lowry (A "Top 50 Post")

This remains not just one of my favorite children's book, but one of my favorite books or all time. Dystopia never read so well.

A "modern classic" if you will, The Giver tells the story of Jonas, who lives in a perfect world. All the parents have 2 children -- a boy and a girl -- and are the perfect parents. There are no smoggy cars, instead they all ride bikes and are all trained on the same schedule. And everyone is assigned the perfect career.

In Jonas's case, this means he's apprenticed to the Giver -- a keeper of memory of sorts. And through the Giver, Jonas begins to learn that utopia isn't so perfect, after all.

This book has lovely subtleties even an adult reader can enjoy, and from my first read in middle school, I've never ceased to enjoy re-reading this novel. As a side note: This was my first book I ever read that didn't have a definitive ending. I'm always curious what readers think happens.

The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe by CS Lewis by Gail Carson Levine (A "Top 50 Post")

While I have my share of issues with the later Narnia books, this book is a true classic. Religious? Sure, but in a subtle (at least to kids) way. Magical? Absolutely.

It's hard not to steal a peek into old wardrobes even to this day, isn't it? I always know that, just like Lucy, somewhere back there is a whole magical world waiting for me, where it turns out I am royalty.  Or at least a deliciously wicked lady wielding Turkish Delight.

Ella Enchanted by Gail Carson Levine (A "Top 50 Post")

You've already caught me singing the praises of Shannon Hale. Well, now it is time to talk about the fairy godmother of re-imagined fairy tales, Gale Carson Levine. 

Ella Enchanted re imagines the Cinderella story as the tale of a young girl blessed with (or cursed with) the fairy gift of obedience. This, you see, is why Ella is such a compliant servant to her stepsisters. But a chance meeting with a charming prince changes Ella's life forever, and puts her and the prince in danger!

Obviously, the tale of Cinderella has been told a million times, but this one is a retelling worth reading--truly original. 

I sorta lost the thread of that Top 50 thing, didn't I? Can you tell I've been hitting the busy season at work? I simply come  home too exhausted to make any more work for myself.


Luckily, in a quiet moment, I was able to knock out a few posts, so keep your eye on the blog. New material coming soon.

A Wrinkle in Time Madeline L'Engle (A "Top 50 Post")

This is like the grandaddy of all children's books. Trying to describe why I like it is like trying to describe the universe.

I don't really have to tell you why this book is so awesome, do I?

Okay. Fine. Look it has a great female lead, science, magic, fantasy, time travel, evil aliens, and three cool witches. That should do it.

This is a series, actually, but I think this is the standout book. As an older reader, I really appreciated A Swiftly Tilting Planet and Many Waters may actually be my favorite book about Meg's family, but as a children's book, nothing touching Wrinkle in Time.