Summer Reading

To me, summer reading bring up images of shopping, ditsy female characters. and conveniently romantic scenarios. This summer, however, my selection of reading has been overwhelmingly about strong female narrators who make choices within rigid communities and find themselves in situations that are anything by typical. (Coincidence, I think not...) Challenge yourself to read some amazing literature this summer, and check out the list below.

The Girl Who Could Fly by Victoria Forester
Stephenie Meyer calls this book a cross between Little House and the Prairie and X-Men. Nothing is ever as it appears in this book, which makes it a delicious page-turner.

Two Girls of Gettysburg by Lisa Klein

A study in perspective since the story is told by two narrators, cousins from opposite sides of the conflict. In vivid detail, this book describes how life changed for ordinary people during the Civil War. This is historical fiction at its best.

The Chosen One by Carol Lynch Williams

A candid view into a isolationist polygamist community and the consequences of blind obedience to leaders. It is an intensely powerful book about the value of intellectual and emotional freedom.

Alis by Naomi Rich

Read Alis along with The Chosen One to compare and contrast a realistic fiction situation and a Orwellian Puritan future. Perhaps very little separates the reality from dismal post-Apocalyptic visions. Both books put female characters in impossible situations and show how they rise above their shackles.

The Thirteenth Child by by Patricia C. Wrede

The first book in an exciting new series by one of fantasy's best writers. Imagine the American frontier but with dragons, magic, and wizards.

Skeleton Creek by Patrick Carman

A revolutionary novel, Skeleton Creek uses viral videos and the written word to tell this ghost story. Prepare to lose sleep after watching Sara's videos, but you'll love how you can interact with the book. The sequel comes out in the fall and I am already counting down the days.

Daughter of the Flames by Zoe Marriott

Women warriors. Evil uncles. Hidden identities. What more could you want from a fantasy book?

Ten Things I Hate About Me by Randa Abdel-Fattah

No matter our nationalities or origins, we all feel like we live double-lives at some point, where there are elements of our culture that we cannot share with others. This book makes us feel less alone.

If I Stay by Gayle Forman

The plot sounds like a Nicholas Sparks novel, but reads like no other author. Listen to this one on CD, narrated by the fabulous Kirsten Potter, and you will think, laugh, and cry.

The Forest of Hands and Teeth by Carrie Ryan
After civilization ends, the world is populated by zombies. The community is the only thing keeping you safe from the wild elements. What happens when you begin to question the community? Like an onion (or a parfait), this book has so many layers that make it an amazing read.

Cup of Courage

Shaking with nervousness, I entered Starbucks and scanned the room for her. She sat by a side table, looking anxious too. I gathered my strength and joined her. For the first time, I directly confronted her about issues that had been bothering me and we communicated. It took a great deal of courage on both our parts to be honest and share our feelings, but without it, our friendship could never grow. For us, courage was not the absence of fear; it was taking action despite the fear. Both Call it Courage by Armstrong Sperry, winner of the 1941 Newbery Medal, and The Matchlock Gun by Walter D. Edmonds, winner of the 1942 Newbery Medal, share this important message about facing our fears.

The story of Mafatu, the Boy Who Was Afraid, is retold in Call it Courage. Mafatu develops an intense fear of the sea after his mother was killed by a tropical storm. This fear isolates him in the village. In order to prove himself, he forces himself to take to the sea with the other boys. However, he is marooned on a deserted island and must fend for himself. (Fortunately, in almost Disneyesque style, he is accompanied by Kivi, a crippled albatross, and Uri, his faithful dog.) Once alone, he faces sharks, wild boars, and cannibals with determination and pluck. It is only when he has to confront his fears that he learns he has the strength within to overcome them. Through his experiences, he learns to live up to his name, Mafatu, which means Stout Heart.

The Matchlock Gun retells the true story of the Van Alstyne family that has been passed down through generations. The Van Alstynes were Dutch pioneers who settled New York to escape political persecution. Teunis Van Alstynes is drafted to help the militia deal with Indian raids spurned on by the French. While Teunis is away, his wife and children must band together and defend themselves when the Indians attack*. Their mother, Gertrude, takes a pivotal role in keeping her children safe by leading the Indians within the range of the Matchlock Gun and instructing her son, Edward, in the perfect time to shoot it. While my modern sensibilities cringe at the sight of a child murdering anyone, maybe in this life or death situation, the brave thing is to strike fast.

Both of these stories show how children manage desperate situations with calm and perseverance. While most of us don't face intense scenarios like these every day, by reading these books, we are reminded to confront our personal demons and rise above our limitations. Change might start with coffee at Starbucks or a trip out to sea, but the important thing is to take the plunge.

*As an aside, this book makes the Indians into the aggressors, despite the fact that we stole their land from them. African-Americans are also mistreated in this book. This book belongs in a different time, and does not hold up in our modern light. For more on this, check out http://www.oyate.org/books-to-avoid/matchlockgun.html.

American Dreamz

The Statue of Liberty. The Bald Eagle. Uncle Sam. Each is a symbol that is meant to stir feelings of nationalism and pride. Daniel Boone became a living symbol during his lifetime of the unconquerable American spirit and his story is captured for all time in Daniel Boone by James Daugherty, the winner of the 1940 Newbery Award.

The power of Manifest Destiny is in full swing throughout the narrative of Daniel Boone. From childhood Boone felt the pull of the West pulling him further out into the wild frontier. On his way, he helped many other pioneers by sharing his experience, advice, and fighting skills. Sadly, he found and lost every land claim he made due to incomplete paperwork, which is truly a sign of American bureaucracy at its best. Still, his influence was far reaching, and there is no way to tell how many people he helped endure the harsh conditions at the edge of the civilized world.

The story of Daniel Boone could be the story of America itself. As a fledgling nation, newly free and striving to carve out a place for itself from the wilderness, the United States stumbled its way through uncharted territories and grey areas. The mistreatment of the Indians is a particularly shady area, which Daugherty does recognize. He discusses the Indian’s reaction to having their land stolen and religion forced upon them on page 40, but every mention of Indians before and afterwards describes them as willful aggressors. Putting this book into historical context, I can understand why Daugherty perhaps was hesitant to color his story with too many shades of grey. He published Daniel Boone in 1939, as the Nazi party was gaining power and fascism threatened the fabric of America. This book is meant to inspire pride in the American spirit and belief in the American dream, and explaining how America was founded on the destruction of its indigenous people is hardly inspirational. In the New Eden, America must be seen as the “good guys” who fight for truth, justice, and the American way. Like all symbols, Daniel Boone has become more than his original image. From his beginnings as a symbol of hope and perseverance, after reading this book, he might even be a symbol of prewar propaganda.

Heatwave

Rather than reading Shopaholic for the 15th time while you lounge at the beach this summer, try Thimble Summer by Elizabeth Enright, winner of the 1939 Newbery Medal, and an excellent beach book. It reads like a perfect summer day, with a lazy, easygoing story and characters as sweet as freshly squeezed lemonade. Enright recounts various episodes during a magical summer in nine-year-old Garnet’s childhood. From the miraculous arrival of the silver thimble and life-restoring rain, the appearance of Eric, the drifter orphan, the accidental overnight in the public library, and Garnet’s attempt to run away from her family, Garnet’s life is full of wonderful, exciting, and interesting experiences. She learns to appreciate the simple pleasures of hanging out with friends, spending time with family, and staying up late. Her ninth summer will remain part of her as she grows up and the silver thimble will remain a symbol of endless possibilities. Hopefully each one of us has a memory of a magical summer where the days lingered and the experience lasted long after the rush and heat. This book reminds us that we deserve to take time out of our busy lives and jobs and relax and enjoy ourselves. Take time this summer to appreciate the simple things with friends or family, read a good book, and be kind to yourself.

TWO DECADES DOWN>>>MANY MORE TO GO.........

The Origins of Evil

The White Stag by Kate Seredy, winner of the 1938 Newbery Medal, retells the myth of the Huns' and Magyar’s search for their homeland in lyrical prose. The story itself reads like an epic poem, but the most fascinating part about The White Stag is that it leads into a historical event, the rise of Attila the Hun. According to the myth, Attila was destined to be a great leader who would find a home for his people. His mother, Alleeta, died in childbirth, which changed his father, Bendegus, forever – especially since his father had just challenged the gods, which as we all know, is a huge no-no. Attila was raised without “pity, tenderness, and love” and became the Red Eagle, the Scourge of God. The myth ends (of course) with the White Stag leading Attila to the chosen land of his people. This happily-ever-after ending does not take into account the price of their home, the stones and fields stained with the blood of thousands. As the release of the latest Harry Potter movie approaches (3 days and counting), I am reminded of another man who had a tragic origin story and used his power for evil. Voldemort’s origins are important but they aren’t everything. He was responsible for every choice he made, no matter his harsh upbringing. Similarly, Attila fits into a well-laid myth but is held accountable for his mass-murdering rampage. In the end, The White Stag disturbs me by almost justifying his behavior. Clearly, I need to reread Harry Potter to gain my sense of equilibrium and good and evil.



NOTE: Make sure to check out On the Banks of Plum Creek by Laura Ingalls Wilder, a Newbery Honor book for 1938, which I honestly think should have won the Medal.

The Moderately Glad Game

I’ve always aspired to be a Pollyanna, a happy-go-lucky ray of sunshine that finds the good in every person. However, my natural cynicism and mistrust of people in general makes it difficult to open myself up to this way of life. Enter my new favorite heroine, Lucinda, from Roller Skates by Ruth Sawyer, winner of 1937 Newbery Medal, who seamlessly rides the balance between congeniality and realism.

Lucinda skates all over New York City on her polished roller skates, finding new friends wherever she goes. Her natural warmth and interest in others makes her instant friends with Mr. Gilligan, the cab driver, Patrolman M’Gonegal, Tony from the fruit stand, Trinket, her four year old upstairs neighbor, and many others. She touches each person’s life in a profound way, either through her own direct interaction or the connections she makes between her friends. She saves Tony from bullies who attack his fruit stand by enlisting the help of Patrolman M’Gonegal’s friend, Patrolman Jerry Hanlon. She gives Trinket her first real Christmas – complete with a green tree, lavish presents, and good friends. She shares countless hours with her Uncle Earl, reading Shakespeare together, when his own stepdaughters (which he calls the “gazelles”) express no interest in anything besides propriety and sewing. Lucinda is not a docile puppet who can acquiesce to her Aunt Emily’s demands to sit still, control her temper, and imitate her own girls. In one instance, her aunt keeps calling her “homely as two toads” until “something goes off inside Lucinda like fireworks…and shouts, “Glory be to God, Aunt Emily, if you must say it keep it down to one toad! I’m sick to death of two!” (34). Lucinda has a great amount of energy and expels much of it on her excursions around the city. Unlike Aunt Emily who tries to put Lucinda in a box, the colorful family that she has created for herself allows her to be wholly herself, and sees the deep beauty that shines from within.

All families encounter loss and death, and Lucinda’s makeshift family is no different. In true Lucinda fashion, she consoles the survivors like an adult and tells them about the Eskimo idea of death, how the soul becomes a gull, and then has her Uncle Earl make the funeral arrangements for them. Experiencing a death for the first time gives Lucinda a peek into the adult world of grief but also shows her youth. While she is usually the one who takes care of everyone else, in this moment, she lets herself slip into her guardian’s room and be held as she falls asleep.

Lucinda is transformed by her year in New York and the reader with her. She teaches us that we have no idea how deeply we can effect other’s lives and how we are, in turn, changed. While Pollyanna might say that all people are good, Lucinda would say that all people are interesting. And that is a philosophy that can inspire me.

Boys and Girls Club

Girls play with dolls. Boys play with trucks. Girls are made from sugar and spice, and everything nice. Boys are made from snips and snails, and puppy-dogs' tails. Girls are the cornerstones of the home and boys are the breadwinners. Whether consciously or not, we absorb these stereotypes from the society around us and accept our limitations and gender roles. Fortunately, children’s literature pushes the envelope of conventional mores in Dobry by Monica Shannon, winner of the 1935 Newbery Medal and Caddie Woodlawn by Carol Ryrie Brink, winner of the 1936 Newbery Medal.

Dobry is set in a peasant village in Bulgaria (primarily known to me as home to Viktor Krum). Dobry is a young boy whose future is embedded in the farmland of his fathers. For his mother, Roda, their farmland represents generations of hard work and history that have cultivated life-giving crops. She cannot understand why Dobry would foolishly reject her wishes and the land he was raised on and put his heart and soul into becoming an artist. However, Dobry does not reject his birthplace, but makes it his muse to inspire his art. He captures the storks, cows, trees, snowdrifts, mountains, and people of his village in oils, charcoal, and clay. The conflict between Dobry and his mother is diffused by his storytelling grandfather who expresses the theme of the novel when he says to Roda “. . . people are not all the same, any more than the vegetables, fruits, trees, animals are all the same. . . Both have different needs . . . Dobry needs to draw, to paint, and Dobry is going to be a great man just as his father said he would be” (108). Using the folk wisdom of the Bulgarian people, Dobry’s grandfather is able to help Roda come to terms with the different path that Dobry has chosen, and eventually she gives her blessing and savings to send Dobry to study art is Sofia.

Caddie Woodlawn is set in frontier Wisconsin and tells the mostly true story of Carol Ryrie Brink’s grandmother, Caddie Woodhouse. Caddie Woodlawn is a rambunctious flame-haired girl whose greatest pleasures in life are adventures with her two brothers in the great outdoors, which include visiting the local Indians, berry picking, and tricking her tattle-telling sister, Hetty. Unlike her “ladylike” sisters, Hetty and Clara, Hetty is given free-reign to run wild. After her sister Mary died and Caddie herself was frail and sickly, Caddie’s father decided to experiment with Caddie and help her gain her health back by running the woods with her brothers. This atypical education gives Caddie the strength to get herself into many scrapes and dangerous situations, but it also gives her the tools to handle conflicts successfully. When the adults and children around her huddle in the dark when they hear a rumor about an Indian massacre, a group of trouble-makers decide to take matters into their own hands and attack the Indians first. Caddie saves the day by warning her friend, Indian John, and avoiding bloodshed. By allowing Caddie to “act like a boy,” she is able to save her neighbors from doing harm to themselves and others. This is her father’s goal in giving Caddie her freedom. He wants her to grow up into a “woman with a wise and understanding heart, healthy in body and honest in mind.” His open-minded approach stems from his upbringing in England as the child of a seamstress and the disowned son of an English lord. As the child of a man who had to reinvent himself, he understands the value of choosing one’s own path. Caddie Woodlawn stands out as an iconic character in children’s literature that represents what real girl power is about, and has inspired generations of girls and boys to look beyond sugar and spice and snips and snails.

Better than Ice Cream

Some books are like bread and water, necessary for survival but without a satisfying flavor. Some books are like cod-liver oil, forced upon us by well-meaning parents. And some books are like ice cream sundaes with sprinkles and a cherry on top, so wonderful and delicious that we savor every spoonful until we are left with a sticky-sweet aftertaste that leave us craving more. Invincible Louisa: The Story of the Author of Little Women by Cornelia Meigs, the winner of the 1934 Newbery Medal, is a tasty treat for anyone whose life has been effected by Louisa May Alcott.

Written in a similar breathtaking style to Louisa May Alcott, Invincible Louisa goes behind the scenes with the Alcott family to draw parallels between Little Women and Alcott’s own life. I found myself constantly crying “I didn’t know that!” aloud as I read this biography, surprised by how many elements of her own life Louisa put into her novels. Like Jo, she had an older sister, Anna, and two younger sisters, Elizabeth and May. She captured the close relationship she maintained with her own family in her novels by including personal anecdotes like the theatricals in the attic, the works of the Pickwick Club, and the importance of the Pilgrim’s Progress. Louisa’s upbringing with the New England Transcendentalists clearly had much to do with the philosophies expressed by the March family. Great men like Ralph Waldo Emerson, Henry David Thoreau, and Henry Wadsworth Longfellow were close friends of the Alcott family, and stirred up questions and new ideas in Louisa’s mind. Louisa’s own moral compass, especially when it came to the controversial topic of abolition, steered true from her experiences with African Americans. As a toddler, a black boy who was passing by saved her from drowning, and this experience profoundly effected her. Her own home was used as a way station for the Underground Railroad, and she remembered vividly when she stumbled upon a runaway slave hiding in the oven. Louisa’s parents were idealists who acted as they believed, no matter the cost. Her parents’ advanced views about education and childrearing are evident in the incident with Amy and the limes. Bronson Alcott, Louisa’s father, was an educator who tried to develop a new system to teach children, maintaining that “children had minds and hearts and spirits of their own, and should have a voice in what was decided concerning them” (65). Creating Plumfield, the fictional school in Jo’s Boys, must be a tribute to her father’s lifetime of work in education. Alcott also plays tribute to her own sister, Elizabeth, as one of the most memorable characters in literature. I had no idea that like Jo, she nursed her own sister after a bout of scarlet fever, and sat with her as she passed into the next realm. Knowing that Beth was more than words on a page makes her death even more significant. Louisa bravely poured her own grief and loss onto the page for readers across the world to experience. Her stories remain just as relevant today as when she wrote them more than one hundred years ago, effecting new generations of readers in new ways. Invincible Louisa has added a new layer of to my understanding of the canon of Louisa’s work and reminded me that good writers must write from their own lives to touch others. In Louisa’s life there were many people that touched her and she has immortalized them in her fiction. Of course, a central part of Little Women is Jo’s relationship with Laurie, which Invincible Louisa addresses, but I can’t give away all the treats of this book. To find out who Laurie was, you’ll have to read it for yourself.

Growing up is Never Easy

At some point each of us must reassess the values that we have been taught and decide for ourselves if they fit within the framework of our own minds. This is called growing up, and although it is full of difficult choices, complacency holds a much crueler fate than self-awareness. In Young Fu of the Upper Yangtze by Elizabeth Forman Lewis, winner of the 1933 Newbery Medal, Young Fu uses his brain to decide what is true and meaningful to him within his culture. The story begins as Young Fu travels with his mother from the country to the city of Chungking to become an apprentice to a coppersmith. While he experiences the changes of growing from a child to an apprentice to a journeyman to a man, the country around him constantly shifts from ongoing revolutions. At the brink of a new regime, Young Fu undergoes an inner struggle to find his own course. He defies the ancient gods by saving a foreign woman from the Fire Dragon, a fire that is bent on destroying everything in its path. He befriends her when others caution him to stay away. It is because of his friendship with this woman, who turns out to be a nurse, that he is able to save his fellow apprentice, Li, when he falls ill by bringing him to the nurse’s clinic. Young Fu refuses to follow his mother’s superstitions blindly, but thinks through his choices, and then acts. Of course, like any adolescent, he gets himself into his share of scrapes, bad calls, and mistakes, but he learns from each one of them and gains wisdom. While he dismisses concepts that do not make sense to him, Young Fu finds value in the wisdom of his ancestors, which he learns from his neighbor, Wang Scholar. As he grows up, he pieces together his own views, which are certainly shaped by his culture and its beliefs, and finds his place in the world.