Recent Read: "Just David" by Eleanor H. Porter

This book is pretty much Pollyanna all over again but about a boy. Still, it has some very charming elements, and I really enjoyed reading it, even if it felt like a duplicate. The beginning was pretty tragic. Most of the rest of the story was pretty predictable, but I liked it.

Recent Read: "Fablehaven" by Brandon Mull

I avoided reading this book for a long time. First of all, the title, cover art, and the fact that it's a long series just screamed "Super Nerdy Fantasy Book" at me. Second, I wasn't crazy about The Candy Shop Wars. I had to read it and like it because it is about my home town, but the dialogue drove me crazy and the whole story seemed annoyingly far-fetched. But my youngest brother gave me Fablehaven for Christmas, and I just couldn't let him down.

I cracked it open on a lonely night when I couldn't sleep, and the very first page roped me right in. I didn't know that it was set in the present, and the whole idea of the Fablehaven preserve was so unique and creative to me. I was all set to launch into the entire series until the grandma entered the story and the dialogue got unbearable. Grandparents don't talk in informative paragraphs like that--am I right? The ending was fine, but kind of flash/bang/boom really fast.

Overall, I loved the beginning. I loved the mysterious/kids-figuring-out-clues feel. I'm not ready to continue in the series quite yet, but I could see myself getting there eventually. Just how and why the grandma turned into a chicken in the first place had better come up and be important in later books or I'm going to be mad that he just brushed that off.

Books I've Quit

In my youth, I tried to make it a goal to finish reading every book that I started (excepting anything that was dirty or inappropriate). I think that was a good goal at the time, but I've decided that now I'm grown up enough to throw it out the window. There are too many books in the world and too little time in my life for reading to waste much on a book that I don't like or that is a drag to read. Here are a few books that I quit recently, may they rest in peace:

The Once and Future King by T.H. White
I really liked The Sword in the Stone. The Queen of Air and Darkness was weird, uncomfortable, funny in parts, and absolutely creepy at the end, but I toughed it out. The Ill-Made Knight was so depressing that I quit a little over half way. It was making me cranky and unhappy, so I said no. It's not White's fault that the legend is a catastrophe, after all, but I just couldn't handle it.

Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert
I tried to read this to participate in a woman's book club, but I just couldn't go through with it. I dragged myself through the beginning and all the divorce rants, but in Italy I just couldn't stand the woman's worldly mind anymore and had to get her out of my head, as much as I love Julia Roberts movies and all. I just felt like Gilbert's values and driving force in life was too different from mine for me to enjoy the book.

The Constellation of Sylvie, by Roderick Townley
Okay, maybe I should have quit a bit sooner. Into the Labyrinth was pretty ridiculous and repetitive. I loved having more of Sylvie's beautiful world, but the story didn't really hook me. So when The Great Good Thing was carried onto a space ship by a the President's daughter, things got a little out of hand. I shelved it for a while, and then it was due at the library, so I just took it back. Maybe I'll finish The Constellation of Sylvie someday, when I'm really bored. We'll see. Overall though, I would just recommend The Great Good Thing. But that's a high recommendation! It is one of my favorites, and I really liked The Blue Shoe too.
  
Of Human Bondage, by W. Somerset Maugham
I know this is a classic, but I just can't go through with it right now. First Philip's life is tragic and depressing, and then he turns into a punk. I didn't like anyone in the book, so I decided to give it up for now. Maybe I'll persevere someday.  

Candy Freak, by Steve Almond
The title and cover art got me to open this book, which I wish I had never done. Almond has a dirty mouth and is very vulgar. I guess I was only interested in it because I have a very strong sweet tooth myself, but I quit in the first chapter. I'm pretty sure it's just a crowd pleaser book anyway.

The Book Thief, by Marcus Zuzak
I know everyone says this book is amazing, but the beginning was so creepy that I shut it up right away. Seriously, death talking to you? Maybe I need a little more backbone, but it really creeped me out!  

Recent Read: "The Sword in the Stone" by T.H. White

T.H. is not to be confused with E.B., which is a mistake I think I made for a long time. The beginning of this book was a little hard to get through, before I realized that it was all a joke. But once Merlyn shows up, it is a blast. It makes me sing the Disney "Sword in the Stone" songs, but the characters are even more fun on paper. I was very impressed by White's imaginary, descriptive, masterful, and fun writing style. This would be a good stepping stone to Tolkien for children who like mythology, fantasy, and long books

Recent Read: Into the Labyrinth by Roderick Townley

This is the sequel to The Great Good Thing. I love the first book. This one was okay. I loved being back in The Great Good Thing. Going into the internet was very imaginative. I love the part about cookies and how a computer looks from the other side of the monitor. It may not have been life changing, but it was a fun read.

Recent Read: The Blue Shoe by Roderick Townley

I love The Great Good Thing, Townley's first book. The Blue Shoe was written more recently, and I can tell that over time Townley's writing has become even more captivating. This book is pretty much pure fun. And it's written in blue ink--cool, eh? The ending is a little fantastic, but it was definitely a fun read.

Recent Read: Messenger by Lois Lowry

I really love Lois Lowry. I think her books are safe, sweet, and very poignant. I liked how Messenger tied The Giver and Gathering Blue together because I liked Gathering Blue pretty well but was confused how it connected to The Giver. Messenger makes this clear. I would like to say that I liked Messenger almost best of all, but I really didn't like the ending, so that puts it on equal plane with the other two. Lowry's books definitely make you think and explore and are completely beautiful. I also recently enjoyed Gossamer, which is a stand-alone book.

Recent Read: Just Ella by Margaret Peterson Haddox

Okay, I will admit that fairytale spin-offs are one of my little quirky reading pleasures, but I really like this one. The whole idea is what would happen if Cinderella really didn't want to marry the prince after all? I think rewritten fairy tales are so much fun!

I love how Haddox just picks a good stopping point and ends the book. We know they're going to live happily ever after--why drag it out? It's really fun how she starts and ends this novel in the middle of things, which keeps a retelling very lively.

Recent Read: Pollyanna by Eleanor H. Porter

This book is like going back to the basics. It's a really simple read, but so enjoyable. I love how light it is, and yet meaningful.

I can't help but picture Hayley Mills when I read the book, but I'm always surprised how different books are from the movies. There is no grand bizarre in the book, and the emotions of everything are a lot lighter and toned-down. I think ramping things up makes a good movie, but I like how the book is so simple.

Even though Pollyanna has become a mostly negative stereotype in our day, I still had so much fun reading this, and started catching myself playing the glad game--and why not?

Recent Read: A Wrinkle In Time, by Madeleine L'Engle

I really loved this book as a kid. I loved it mostly because my mom really like it. As a kid, I remember it going way over my head in a lot of places. This time, I have to admit that it's a little of a disappointment right after Rebecca. I've got to get back to appreciating the simplicity of children's literature. By the way, I love this image because it's the cover I grew up with and the jacket is all ripped up at the top just like our copy at home!

Recent Read: The Tale of Despereaux by Kate DiCamillo

I think it's because I was raised on The Secret of Nimh, Cinderella, and Redwall, but I love mice stories! When I saw the movie poster for Despereaux I was so excited because Despereaux's animated character was so cute! I decided to read the book after I saw the movie.

As usual, the movie and the book differ a lot. Now that I read the book, I'm disappointed about what the movie changed. I think that most of the movie changes didn't really add to the story, but such is life in Hollywood!

The reading level for this book says ages 7-12. That is quite a spread, but about right. The book reads more like a story book, but the pictures are in your head instead of on the page. The chapters are short and pretty episodic, which is really great for middle-grade readers. DiCamillo brings out a lot of real-life themes through this cute story--love, hate, revenge, ambition, uniqueness, perserverance, and forgiveness--which explains why she got a medal for this!

As a children's book, The Tale of Despereaux, is cute, sweet, fun, and quick. I felt like it was a little below even my general reading level taste for children's novels, but I still really enjoyed it

Not Far From Hamelin: A Personal Response to Robert Browning's "Child's Story"

This post is brought to you by July 22, Pied Piper of Hamelin Day.

During my junior year of college, I was so confused by Robert Browning. Was the man crazy, or what? Who writes stuff like, ‘No Tully, said I, Ulpian at the best!’ (from “The Bishop Orders His Tomb,” line 100) and calls it art? Now, Elizabeth Barrett Browning is another story. What an amazing writer! I can easily identify with her beautiful imagery, voice, and style. And then there’s Robert.

How can you compare “Fra Lippo Lippi” with “I love thee to the level of everyday’s / Most quiet need, by sun and candlelight” (from Sonnets from the Portuguese, No. 43) I wondered. The third line of “Fra Lippo Lippi” is a good example of Browning’s unconventional style: “Zooks, what’s to blame? you think you see a monk!” Every day in my British literature class, I asked myself what this lamb-chop bearded man was talking about. He must have been insane. I couldn’t even get through one poem without cringing.

One day I decided to turn to that omniscient source of all wisdom: Google. I searched for Browning’s name, scrolled down the hit list, and was surprised to run across “‘The Pied Piper of Hamelin’ by Robert Browning” as a search result. With astonishment, my mind recalled that story I had read years ago when I was a little girl—that strange but fascinating tale of the odd piper who lured away all the children of the town because the citizens did not keep their contract with him.

With my eyes riveted to the computer lab screen on the fourth floor of the library, I sat there rolling Browning’s fun yet poignant lines through my mind and reliving the story that I loved so many years ago. It’s hard to say exactly why this story has always captivated me. The plot is rather unsettling when you think about it—a gypsy leading a slew of children away from their homes. As I reread Browning’s poem, I was again swept away by these alluring lines that describe where the Piper leads the children:

… a joyous land,
Joining the town and just at hand,
Where waters gushed and fruit-trees grew,
And flowers put forth a fairer hue,
And everything was strange and new;
The sparrows were brighter than peacocks here,
And their dogs outran our fallow deer,
And honey-bees had lost their stings,
And horses were born with eagles' wings. (stanza XIII)

Browning’s, the piper’s, perfect place intrigued me so much—a wonderful dream of peace and joy and no more troubles.

Once I found out that Robert Browning penned the verse version of “The Pied Piper of Hamelin” (see Note 1), he instantly shot up the charts of my personal esteem. Suddenly I wanted to understand Browning and his writing. I went back to my textbooks and began again to try to appreciate the works of Robert Browning. I read slowly and thoughtfully. I laughed, I cringed, I smiled, I cried, I got angry, I felt lonely, I felt hopeful, and many a time I was quite puzzled, but in the end I felt like I had at least scratched the surface. I didn’t become an expert, but through my research, and especially my rediscovering of “The Pied Piper of Hamelin,” I penetrated in a small way an acknowledgement that Robert Browning was one of the greatest poets of the English language and that there is a reason to read and write about him and his works.

Most scholars skip over “The Pied Piper of Hamelin” because it is, as Browning himself subtitles it, “A Child’s Story.” However, based on research and my own experience with this work, I have come to believe that Robert Browning’s nursery tale, “The Pied Piper of Hamelin,” has more merit than most of academia gives it.

The story of the Pied Piper of Hamelin was not Browning’s own, original tale. It was a story that had been around for centuries and one that Browning’s father had read to him over and over again when Browning was a young child (see Note 2). Years later, when little Willie Macready, the son of one of Browning’s theater colleagues, was sick in bed for weeks with a bad cough, Browning penned his verse version of “The Pied Piper of Hamelin” (DeVane 127).

Since Browning wrote the poem originally just for Willie and with no intention of publishing it, most people dismiss the poem as something just for children. According to the critics, “The Pied Piper of Hamelin” is a work that has all the principle appeals for children: an animal story, an escape from everyday life, and a satire that makes grown-ups look foolish—in short, an unmistakably acclaimed children’s classic (Jack 83, Small xi). While I agree with critics in terms of Browning’s overall literary genius, amusing rhyme schemes, and humorous imagery, all of which form a wonderful work of literature for children, the quality of the poem I find most pivotal is that this was a beloved story from Browning’s childhood that he gave as a gift to another child. Five months after Browning wrote the poem, it was published as the final piece in his book of poems Bells and Pomegranates in November, 1842 (Erickson 81, Brooke 5). At the time of publication, I think Browning must have thought about the thousands of other children who would read this tale and love it just like he did—just like I have.

But what is it about this story that makes it so captivating? Why did thirty year-old Robert Browning still care to write about the Pied Piper? As for me, I was a college student; why out of all of Browning’s better-known “adult” works was I still so enthralled with this poem? I found an answer to this question in a Browning biography:

‘The Pied Piper’ shows more experienced readers how sadly skeptical age has made them and reminds them of their lost childhood and its simple morals … [It is] in some sense a nursery tale for adults. (Erickson 92)

Yes, this poem exemplifies Browning’s genius of variety, free medium, metrical device, etc. (see Note 3), but the crowning feature of this work is its capacity to touch the hearts of all people. Young or old, in comfort or loneliness, amidst success or failure, we need literature, folktales, stories, and poems to take us away to that childlike dream of fairyland where everything is all at once peaceful but exciting, comfortable but brand-new, challenging but happy. “The Pied Piper of Hamelin” opens a glimpse of Wonderland, Xanadu, Bali-Ha’i, Toyland, Pixieland, Over the Rainbow, Neverland, Utopia, and Innisfree.

“The Pied Piper of Hamelin” shows a tiny glimpse of the romantic, delicate part of Browning’s heart (see Note 4). He wrote this poem to cheer a nine-year-old boy and teach little Willie to keep promises, but also to express and bequeath to him that dream of “a joyous land … just at hand.” This dream reminds us of that faraway time when we believed that people speak truth, that when you bump your knee Mom and a band-aid will fix it instantly, and that you can grow up to be anything you want to be. It’s hard to become an adult and realize that not all people are honest all the time, that some people care only about themselves and money, that the world is often too busy for relationships, that heartache is real and can bleed for a long time, and that many of your dreams still haven’t come true; but there’s a magic light that shines in your soul when you remember those simple essentials you learned so long ago and that there’s always a place to go to dream that wishes do come true.

I still don’t know why Browning chose to write poems about the psychologically unstable, and I’m still not sure how he and Elizabeth could have possibly been a perfect match, but as a result of my journey with “The Pied Piper of Hamelin,” from Google to a child’s Paradise, I’ve found a way to connect with Robert Browning in a way that I never thought was possible. Apart from the miracle this realization has worked in my own life, the application of Browning’s “Child Story” on an adult level is valid, even imperative.

Swirling through the whirlwind of academic knowledge and world-renowned literary masterpieces, it may often seem that the piper is piping only to rats—the real world is hard, scary, ugly, and even smelly. The concepts of integrity and morality are drowned by “contemporary,” “modern,” “innovative,” and “21st century” styles of society, business, and art. It is at these times, when we are bogged down with the weight of the responsibilities, priorities, and changing ethics of the grown-up world that Robert Browning surprises us with a nursery tale for children and adults alike—a poetic masterpiece, a tender story, a fine moral, and an exquisite enchantment that flutters over time and space, majestic and maternal, enveloping in its eternal embrace those who remain children at heart.

Notes
1. The origin of the “Pied Piper” story is unknown, a detail lost during the Middle Ages, but a German manuscript from 1430-1450 records the “Exodus Hamelensis,” an occurrence in 1284 when 130 children strangely disappeared from Hameln, Hanover (Small ix). Literary and historical accounts of this folktale have been traced all the way to von Goethe. The story is included in Richard Vestegen Rowland’s Resitution of Decayed Intelligence Antiquities Concerning the English Nation, first printed in 1605. Browning’s specific source for the story was Nathaniel Wanley’s The Wonders of the Little World, or A General History of Man, printed in 1678 (Harrington).
2. The volume that Mr. Browning the elder read from was Nathaniel Wanley’s The Wonders of the Little World, or A General History of Man. When asked about retelling a story that has been around for centuries, Browning willingly attributed the original tale to other earlier accounts of it; he said, “I give mine Author’s very words: he penned, I reindite” (DeVane 535).
3. … exciting narrative, various audience, chaos of language, spirit, Hubibrastic invective, animal imagery, keen insight, clever verse, speaking voice, and exemplified narrative--I wasn’t kidding when I said everyone has something to say about Browning! These phrases of Browning’s writing in “The Pied Piper of Hamelin” are found in the following sources: Cohen 26; Erickson 82, 91, 93; Small xi; Jack 83, 84, 96.
4. Ian Jack stated in his book Browning’s Major Poetry that “The Pied Piper of Hamelin” is an ingenious work in which “the narrator appears to be indistinguishable from the poet himself,” a vast contrast from most of his other works (Jack 79).

References
Abrams, M.H. Norton Anthology of English Literature, Volume 2, 7th ed. W.W. Norton: 2003.
Brooke, Stepford A. The Poetry of Robert Browning. Crowell: New York, 1902.
Cohen, J.M. Robert Browning. Longmans, Green: London, 1952.
DeVane, William Clyde. A Browning Handbook. Appleton-Century-Crafts: New York, 1935.
Erickson, Lee. Robert Browning: His Poetry and His Audiences. Cornell: Ithaca, 1984.
Harrington, Vernon C. Browning Studies. Badger: Boston, MCMXV.
Jack, Ian. Browning’s Major Poetry. Oxford: Clarendon, 1973.
Small, Terry. The Pied Piper of Hamelin. Gulliver Books: San Diego, 1988.

Survey Results: Your Favorite Children's Series

36% of readers voted for The Little House on the Prairie series by Laura Ingalls Wilder.

27% of readers voted for the Anne of Green Gables series by L.M. Montgomery.

9% of readers voted for The Babysitter's Club.

9% of readers voted for The Chronicles of Prydain by Lloyd Alexander.

9% of readers voted for Encyclopedia Brown.

9% of readers voted for The Hardy Boys.

Great Read this December: Prince Caspian by C.S. Lewis

Disney's film, "The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian,” comes to DVD on December 2, 2008, just in time for the holidays. Both Chronicles of Narnia movie adaptations have revitalized interest in C. S. Lewis' original series. It's a great time to jump in and encourage the children in your life, and yourself, to read, or re-read, the original C. S. Lewis Chronicles of Narnia books.

When first published, The Chronicles of Narnia were as popular for British and American children as the Harry Potter series is today. And why? The genius in Lewis’ work is his ability to tell a moving, exciting, meaningful story while simultaneously teaching important Christian doctrinal truths.

Although Lewis very much strayed from telling people that his books were purely allegorical, he liked to call them symbolic myths. You will find The Chronicles of Narnia an easy but uplifting read. Lewis' favorite uncle-like storytelling voice is engaging for adults and children alike.

The most recent editions of The Chronicles of Narnia have printed the books in Narnia-time chronological order. The movies, however, are being released in the order that Lewis wrote the books, which is also the order of reading I suggest, as follows:

1) The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe
2) Prince Caspian
3) The Voyage of the Dawn Treader
4) The Silver Chair
5) The Horse and His Boy
6) The Magician's Nephew
7) The Last Battle

If you’re new to The Chronicles of Narnia, here is some information about the first three books and highlights to look for as you read to get you started.

The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe is a great way to start reading C. S. Lewis. The new publication of the series has you read The Magician’s Nephew first, but I recommend starting with The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. The overall themes of the return of Aslan, his sacrifice for Edmund, and the realization of the role Aslan has in store for all four children in Narnia are captivating. None of the Narnia books are very long, and The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe jots along at such an exciting pace that you wish there was more when you finish.

In Prince Caspian, the four children return to Narnia. While only a year has passed in England, hundreds of years have passed in Narnia. They are brought back to help Prince Caspian overthrow his usurper uncle and return harmony between talking beasts and humans in Narnia. The beginning of the book is a bit slow until the children (and the reader) are brought up to speed with Narnian history, but the battle scene at the end of the book is well worth the wait. In addition, Prince Caspian is an important set-up volume for The Voyage of the Dawn Treader.

The Voyage of the Dawn Treader is a great adventure story! In this book, Caspian, Edmund, Lucy, and Eustace, a new character, travel to different islands as part of a quest. Each island is full of symbolic occurrences and culminates with the children meeting Aslan in his own land. This is one of Lewis’ best in Christian symbolism.

A copy of Lewis’ original Prince Caspian coupled with the new Disney DVD is a great gift idea to encourage readers of all ages. Now is a great time to read, or re-read, C.S. Lewis' The Chronicles of Narnia!

Great Read this Summer: Prince Caspian by C.S. Lewis

Disney's new film, "The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian," has been out in theaters for two weeks and has already made over 150 million dollars.

Both Chronicles of Narnia adaptations have revitalized interest in C. S. Lewis' original series. It's a great time to jump on the bandwagon and encourage the children in your life, and yourself, to read the original C. S. Lewis books.

Although Lewis very much strayed from telling people that his books were purely allegorical, he liked to call them symbolic myths. You will find The Chronicles of Narnia an easy but uplifting read. Lewis' favorite uncle-like storytelling voice is engaging for adults and children alike.

The most recent editions of The Chronicles of Narnia have printed the books in Narnia-time chronological order. The movies, however, are being released in the order that Lewis wrote the books, which is also the order of reading I suggest, as follows:

1) The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe
2) Prince Caspian
3) The Voyage of the Dawn Treader
4) The Silver Chair
5) The Horse and His Boy
6) The Magician's Nephew
7) The Last Battle

If you’re new to The Chronicles of Narnia, here is some information about the first three books and highlights to look for as you read to get you started.

The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe is a great way to start reading C. S. Lewis. The new publication of the series has you read The Magician’s Nephew first, but I recommend starting with The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. The overall themes of the return of Aslan, his sacrifice for Edmund, and the realization of the role Aslan has in store for all four children in Narnia are captivating. None of the Narnia books are very long, and The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe jots along at such an exciting pace that you wish there was more when you finish.

In Prince Caspian, the four children return to Narnia. While only a year has passed in England, hundreds of years have passed in Narnia. They are brought back to help Prince Caspian overthrow his usurper uncle and return harmony between talking beasts and humans in Narnia. The beginning of the book is a bit slow until the children (and the reader) are brought up to speed with Narnian history, but the battle scene at the end of the book is well worth the wait. In addition, Prince Caspian is an important set-up volume for The Voyage of the Dawn Treader.

The only other Narnia book that comes close to rivaling The Voyage of the Dawn Treader in adventure is The Silver Chair. Because we already know Caspian, Edmund, and Lucy, there is only a little background story for Eustace, a new character, before we jump right into adventure. During the voyage, the characters travel to different islands. Each island is full of symbolic occurrences and culminates with the children meeting Aslan in his own land. This is one of Lewis’ best in Christian symbolism.Enjoy this great time to read, or re-read, C.S. Lewis' The Chronicles of Narnia!

Fun Trivia Fact:When first published, The Chronicles of Narnia were as popular for British and American children as the Harry Potter series is today.

* Add a comment!
Which is your favorite Narnia book? What is your opinion of the new movie?