The Giver

Lois Lowry’s Newberry award-winning science fiction novel The Giver tells the story of a 1984-like community. I remember reading it in fifth or sixth grade, and my sister re-read it last summer and suggested that I read it for this class. I have conflicting feelings about this book. On the one hand, I really enjoyed it, but on the other hand, I was so distressed when I was finished reading. I just can’t imagine such a place.

The community has eradicated all pain and suffering, and as a result, it is presented as a fairly utopian society. When the kids turn twelve years old, they are given a job to fulfill without having any say in this process. When Jonas turns twelve, he is selected to be trained as the new “Receiver of Memory”. He is told that this job will bring a lot of pain, but that he is brave and that he Elders, who make the important decisions, have faith in him. What courage Jonas must have as the memories of the past, both good and bad, are transmitted to him! Throughout the year, he and the current Receiver of Memory (the “Giver”) talk about their community and why it is the way it is. Jonas helps the Giver come to the conclusion that something must be done about it. Jonas and the Giver make a plan for Jonas to escape when they watch as a newchild is “released” simply because he was born an identical twin. Their plan has to be put quickly into action when Jonas realizes that he must save a newchild, Gabriel, who came to live with them, from release. He sneaks off in the middle of the night with Gabriel and travels to Elsewhere.

The one thing that struck me as I was reading this book is that Jonas and the other children have no say in what job they are assigned. Jonas never asks or applies to be the Receiver of Memory, but he has to accept his new job. I can’t imagine ever living in a society where that would happen. For example, I can’t imagine someone telling me I have to be a trash collector and I just have to do it. That’s what happens to Jonas. When I was reading the book, I had this sense of fear and anger because this twelve-year old boy is forced to take a job that involves pain and suffering; he never asks for it.

This book brings up multiple themes. First of all, it talks about the importance of individuality. Because of the Sameness in the community, individual differences in people are not emphasized. It is not until children are twelve that their individuality is ever recognized. When they are twelve, they are assigned jobs that fit into their personalities and go along with their varying interests. Lowry is telling her readers to accept everyone’s individual differences. This book also emphasizes the role of memory in the human experience. Without memory of past events, humankind can never learn from its mistakes. This is why the Giver was so important to the community; he alone had possession of the memories with which to guide them in new situations. Everyone needs to have access to memories to help guide their decision-making.

I wish there had been more closure at the end of the book. While it is clear that Jonas is able to escape and ends up Elsewhere, I would like to know what happens when he gets there. Where does he live? What happens to Gabriel? How does Jonas adjust to his new life? What becomes of the community he left behind?

Because of Winn-Dixie

I read Because of Winn-Dixie, a Newberry Honor book written by Kate DiCamillo, in less than 24 hours. It was such a fast read and once I started it, I didn’t want to put it down. I just had to find out what happens to Opal and her dog Winn-Dixie. I loved the description of how the once stray dog came into ten-year old Opal and her father’s life.

One day her father sends her to Winn-Dixie to buy some groceries, and she comes home with a dog she has named after the store. Opal doesn’t think that her father will let her keep the dog, but his reaction surprises her and she is allowed to keep him. Winn-Dixie helps Opal make friends in her new town, like Otis, Gloria Dump, Miss Franny, Sweetie Pie, Amanda, Dunlap, and Stevie. Winn-Dixie also helps Opal get over her mother’s leaving her and her father. Although she will always think about her mother, she will never think of her as much as before she met Winn-Dixie.

Some of the things Winn-Dixie did reminded me of my dog. He used to sit in front of a fan all day during the summer, just like Winn-Dixie does at the library. Laddie even used to sit on an air conditioning vent all to himself whenever he got hot.

When Gloria tells Opal that “you can only love what you’ve got while you’ve got it” (167), it reminds me of a quote from the book Breakfast at Tiffany’s that you should never love a wild thing. Although Winn-Dixie is found at the end of the story and didn’t actually get lost, this quote shows that it is important to appreciate and be thankful for what you have when you have it. You never know when you might not have it any longer.

I loved learning the ways in which Opal is like her mother, other than hat they look alike. Both Opal and her mother are good at growing things, as we see at the end of the book when Opal checks on her plant in Gloria’s yard. They are both also fast runners. Opal says that she used to beat the other kids at her old school, and she beats Dunlap back to the party at the end of the book.

I read this book right after I finished reading DiCamillo’s Tale of Despereaux. They seem like very different stories to me, although animals play a large role in both stories. The Tale of Despereaux was a fantasy story, weaving together elements of other fairy tales. Because of Winn-Dixie is a realistic fiction story. Both, however, teach the reader important life lessons.

Because of Winn-Dixie teaches us that we should not judge others. We learn that Otis has been in jail, but that we shouldn’t focus on that and should instead focus on the wonderful music he plays for the animals and the freedom he grants them. Dunlap and Stevie think Gloria is a witch, but Opal befriends her anyway and gains a wonderful new friend. A second important theme is that people all have a lot in common with each other. Even though Opal doesn’t like Amanda at first, they both have lost someone close to them—a brother and a mother. As a result, they become friends. This is a wonderful read for kids and adults alike!

I remember this book being made into a movie recently and wonder how the two compare. Has anyone seen the movie?

The Tale of Despereaux

Before I read The Tale of Despereaux, written by Kate DiCamillo and illustrated by Timothy Basil Ering, I didn’t think I would like it, but I quickly changed my mind. I wasn’t so crazy about reading it because I’m not such a huge fan of fantasy, and talking mice and rats seemed to fall in the genre of fantasy. The first time I was exposed to it was when I was substitute teaching in a second grade classroom at home over winter break. I read the kids a few chapters after lunch in order to get them to settle down, and I remember thinking what a great book it was. Each chapter ended in such a cliff-hanger that I wanted to make excuses to read the kids just one more chapter.

Although I’ve heard other people in the class say that they didn’t like how the author was talking to the reader, I enjoyed it. It seemed to make the story more personal. When the author told me to look up ‘perfidy’, I did it right then just because she told me to! Every chapter ended with the author telling me as the reader something. I also liked how everyone’s stories intertwined at the end. I knew that they would have to, so I just read the book and waited for it to happen. Each character wanted more than what he or she currently had, and I couldn’t wait to find out if Mig ever got to be a princess or if Roscuro ever got to the light. DiCamillo uses such wonderful words in this book, like chiaroscuro and perfidy.

This book has a lot of great themes. Even though Despereaux is born into an unfortunate family situation (can you imagine your father sending you into the dungeon with the rats?), he is able to overcome this and save the princess. Because the queen died while eating soup, the king outlaws soup and all of its accoutrements. This is just ridiculous and shows the reader that you have to deal with things directly instead of just reacting on impulse. Forgiveness also plays a large role. Despereaux forgives his father for sending him to his death, and the princess is able to forgive Roscuro at the end of the book and invites him to eat soup upstairs in the dining room.

One connection I made between this book and another book is pretty irrelevant, but I thought it was worth sharing. In one of my favorite books, The Poisonwood Bible, there is a chapter called "The Things They Carried", and there is a chapter in this book called "What Mig Carried". While I don't think that was necessarily done on purpose, I always get excited when I see connections. The story also reminds me a lot of the King Arthur stories. Despereaux is the knight in shining armor who rescues his princess from evil. While King Arthur and Lancelot have swords, all Despereaux has is a sewing needle. He has to summon his courage, but he gets the job done.

Follow the Drinking Gourd

I decided to read this book, written and illustrated by Jeanette Winter, after watching a video adaptation of it in a class I was substitute teaching for. I remember watching the same video every year when I was in elementary school, and I was reminded of how great a book it is. I couldn’t get the song “Follow the Drinking Gourd” out of my head for the rest of the day!

This book tells the story of runaway slaves following the Underground Railroad making their way north. They use a song about following the big dipper (the “drinking gourd”) to guide them to freedom. I really enjoyed the “Note about the Story” included at the beginning of the book. It gave a bit of background information about the characters in the story, like Peg Leg Joe, and about the Underground Railroad in general as well as information on some notable abolitionists, like Harriett Tubman. The introduction also gives details about what different sections of the song mean; for example, the line “when the sun comes back, and the first quail calls” means when it is spring. This introduction provides information that can be integrated very well into a classroom lesson or unit on slavery or the Underground Railroad. The book offers another resource at the end of the book—music for the song. This could also be integrated into the classroom by teaching the students how to sing the song, and even making up a song of their own.

The text is written in lyric form, which enables it to be read in a sing-song manner. This way the reader can make an easy connection between the text and the song that the slaves use to get to freedom. I only got the full meaning and beauty out of the text when I read it slowly; it can not be fully appreciated when read through quickly. When the family finally gets to Peg Leg Joe on the riverbank, I am always so relieved. I get really enthralled in the story, and I think that is because of both the lyrical text and its accompanying pictures.

I loved looking at the expressions on the character’s faces. They accurately convey the fear about what could happen to them as they were running away. I can’t even begin to imagine what must have been going through their heads as they were following the drinking gourd on their way to the north.

Historical fiction was always my favorite type of book to read when I was younger (and still is, judging by the books I’m still drawn to, even as an adult!), and the way the slaves were hidden under the floorboards in the barn at one of the safe houses reminds me of how families hid Jewish people during the Holocaust. I was reminded of Anne Frank, hiding in an office building, and other characters from books I have read in the past. How must they have felt the whole time they were in hiding?

Smoky Night

Smoky Night, written by Eve Bunting and illustrated by David Diaz, tells the story of a boy and his mother during a night of rioting in Los Angeles.

Diaz’s pictures are wonderful. I loved how the backgrounds of the pages were different textures. It made me want to reach out and touch the pages. There isbubble wrap on one page, textured paint on another, tinfoil on yet another, and cereal on another. The illustrations are made up of warm, dark colors. They are also painted in a way to lend depth and texture to the characters. I thought it was interesting that the African-American mother and son are not depicted as being any different from Mrs. Kim, who I assume is Asian. In that way, the pictures help to develop one of the themes that all people truly are more alike than they are different.

The writing is simple, which makes it easier for the reader to get involved in the story and believe that it is actually happening. I could just imagine a scared, curious little boy and his mother during such an event.

This is a great book to teach students about riots and other conflicts. Bunting lends insight into a scary time for children and adults alike. The book has a great theme—that people need to tolerate each other and get along. This theme is developed both through the characters in the riots needing to get along and the two cats needing to get along.

Smoky Mountain Rose: An Appalachian Cinderella

This book, written by Alan Schroeder and illustrated by Brad Sneed, was recommended me in a comment by a classmate. This blog has been such a good forum for discussion! Since the other two versions of the Cinderella story that I read were from foreign countries, I thought it would be interesting to read a different version from America.

The first thing that struck me about this book was that it is written in the dialect of the people living in Appalachia. I thought that was such a neat addition! It made it seem more like someone was actually telling me this story and less like I was reading it. The use of the dialect also added extra elements of the Appalachian culture to the story. I mentioned this before, but my family is from Appalachian North Carolina and a lot of them still live there, so it was kind of comforting to read something written in this dialect. Schroeder also used wonderful, descriptive language in telling the story, for example “but talkin’ to her was like kickin’ an agitated rattler” and “Now stand up and turn around real fast, like ye got a whompus cat bitin’ at yer britches.” The author could have said that the man didn’t like talking to his wife and that she should stand up and turn around quickly, but instead he chose to convey it this way, which adds even more Appalachian culture to the story.

For some reason, Sneed’s illustrations remind me of the painting “American Gothic.” I’m not sure if it’s the style both artists used, or just that the subject matter reminds me of that picture, but there is definitely some sort of similarity there. While the pictures weren’t particularly pretty, I loved looking at the expressions on the characters’ faces. Everything seemed so comical. I especially liked the picture on the last page of Rose and Seb as adults, still living in Tarbelly Creek. This was a great way to tie the story together.

This story also shares some common features with the familiar American Cinderella story as well as the other two versions. First of all, Rose’s father marries another woman, and Rose is forced to serve her stepmother and two stepsisters. The stepmother and stepsisters are invited to a dance by a rich man named Seb who lives across the creek, but Rose is not allowed to go. After her family leaves for the dance, Rose begins crying and the pigs come to talk to and help her, much like Cinderella’s fairy godmother and animal friends in the familiar version. Instead of going to the party in a pumpkin, Rose goes in a mushmellon, again integrating elements of Appalachian culture with the story. Because the spell runs out at midnight, Rose leaves the dance in a hurry and left her glass slipper. The rich man from across the creek finds it, searches for its owner, finds Rose, and marries her.

This book reminds me of some elements of Appalachia by Cynthia Rylant. I am glad I read her book first because it allowed me some insight into different aspects of the culture and way of life of the Appalachian people. It was also interesting to see a different perspective on the same region. Like Rylant’s book, this book would be a great way to teach young readers about a region of the United States they might not be familiar with. On the other hand, this book’s use of dialect might make it a little difficult for readers not familiar with this way of speaking to understand it. Rylant’s book is much more understandable to everyone, so perhaps it would be better to start with her book before moving on to this one.

Domitila: A Cinderella Tale from the Mexican Tradition

This Mexican version of Cinderella, written by Jewell Reinhart Coburn and illustrated by Connie McLennan, is a great way to introduce the Mexican culture to young readers while pairing it with something familiar to them. I have started to read the inside book covers of all of the books I read before I actually read them. I was glad I read this one first because it provides some interesting insights. It mentions that, unlike other Cinderella stories, in this one the “prince” is the only person who transforms. In the American version we are all familiar with, Cinderella’s fairy godmother comes and creates a beautiful dress and shoes for her to wear to the ball, but that does not happen in this story. The inside of the book cover says that “the only transformation in this story is Timoteo’s—Domitila’s suitor—as we watch him mature from an arrogant politician’s son to a compassionate family man…All Domitila has are her innate qualities and her family legacy.” I think that this is an important message for young readers--they don’t need fairy godmothers and glass slippers in order to be happy.

After Domitila’s family’s house and crops are destroyed in the rains, she goes to work as a cook at the Governor’s house. Her mother falls ill and dies, and Domitila is called home, but not before she has impressed Timoteo, the Governor’s son with her cooking. She loses part of her shoe as she is leaving, and Timoteo sets out to find her. He is sent astray by a woman trying to steal him for her own daughter, but eventually finds and marries Domitila.

Coburn uses beautiful languages in this book; for example, when Domitila is describing a shawl she wants to make for her mother, it says “The border would be like our purple Sierras with a sunset sky of rose and gold yarn.” The imagery of this line allows me to be able to visualize the shawl as it is being described.

Both the author and illustrator did a wonderful job of integrating Mexican culture into the book. One element I immediately liked about this book was the sayings set above and below the story. For example, above the first passage is this quote: “Obras son amores y no buenas rezones” and below: “Deeds, more than words, are proof of love.” This adds an extra bit of Mexican culture to the book. I thought it was great that simple Spanish words were used in the text instead of English ones where appropriate, for example “The family worked hard to build their small adobe casa.” Everything about this book worked together to instill Mexican culture in the reader while pairing it with something familiar. At the end of the book is a glossary of Spanish words used in the text and a recipe for the nopales mentioned in the text, which are both great instructional tools.

The illustrator did a wonderful job of recreating the Mexican setting. I have never been to Mexico, but after looking at these pictures, it seems just a little bit closer. The colors she uses are beautiful, a lot of bright reds and blues for the clothing and deep yellows, browns, and reds for the landscape.

Certain elements are similar to elements in the American version. The girl in both versions is forced to work as a servant, either for her step-mother or for the Governor of Hidalgo’s family. Although Domitilia does not have a fairy godmother, her mother’s spirit appears to her at her family’s home. Her spirit offers Domitila advice, much like the fairy godmother does in the American version. In the American version, Cinderella loses her glass slipper after the ball, but in this story, she loses part of her sandal when she is called home because her mother is sick. A widow along Timoteo’s way tries to trick him into marrying her daughter by tricking Domitila’s father into marrying her. Domitila is then forced to work as a servant for her stepmother and stepsister. Fortunately there is a turn of events that the stepmother did not foresee, and Timoteo meets and marries Domitila.

This book reminds me a lot of Climo’s The Korean Cinderella for obvious reasons. Both are about another country’s version of the Cinderella story, and both integrate elements of their own culture into a well-known tale so that readers can learn from the story.