I wish I had a class to read this middle grade novel with, or to, because I’m interested in how they would react. I definitely enjoyed it and found a I wish I had a class to read this middle grade novel with, or to, because I’m interested in how they would react. I definitely enjoyed it and found a lot to admire, but maybe the Middle Ages setting and other elements would make it hard for children to get sucked in if someone doesn’t read it to them?
The characters are not all children. That might count against it at first?
It isn’t written in the first person either, and that does put some distance between readers and the characters, including Beatryce, who the story is named for.
I can’t decide if Beatryce is the main character. She IS important and at least equal to the others. Being main character is perhaps a team effort here.
This story has pretensions to be great, and I appreciate that. There is an omniscient narrator who is not embarrassed to be grand and classic. The violence may not be vivid, but as in any good tale, it is cruel and life-altering. The world is magical without necessarily containing magic other than story and love.
Ordinarily, I avoid stories with kings and prophecies. Ordinarily, a European setting might seem tired to me.
Not here. Don’t let those things chase you away.
It is amazing how Kate DiCamillo boils the plot and other elements down. Each short chapter, like words in poems, is essential and deliberate. What isn’t shown isn’t necessary, even if it is a plot point that many other writers might have milked.
Beatryce, a goat named Answelica, Brother Edik, an orphan named Jack, and a man who dwells in a dark forest live in a cruel world filled with cruel people. Yet, Abi Elphinstone, who is quoted on the cover, is so correct: “Absolutely extraordinary. A beauty of a book.”...more
I more than liked it, but not enough, I think, for a fourth star. I may change my mind. Other reviews capture the weaknesses, so I'll share some strenI more than liked it, but not enough, I think, for a fourth star. I may change my mind. Other reviews capture the weaknesses, so I'll share some strengths: the cast of characters builds (Sirius Black, Professor Lupin), the world of wizards and witches existing alongside the Muggles is so appealing, the school setting, the backstory's effects on current events, the way the stakes are serious but Harry, Ron and Hermione interact like pre-teens, though I wish they were more understanding of Hermione! Those things and others really make this amazing for a lot of people. I can almost feel their immense joy....more
I first heard of Harry Potter in 1998 or 1999 when I was studying to be an elementary school teacher. I was a fantasy reader when younger, starting wiI first heard of Harry Potter in 1998 or 1999 when I was studying to be an elementary school teacher. I was a fantasy reader when younger, starting with the Hobbit in 5th or 6th grade, but was reading other genres by 1998. I thought it was great that JK Rowling widened fantasy’s audience and that a lot of girls read her work, but I did not take the plunge. Decades passed. I read the first one to my son and thought it was okay but did not really understand why it became a huge phenomenon. (My son read the rest of them on his own, but did not become obsessed.)
Almost five years passed.
People, including lots of literary agents, identify their Hogwarts’s house on Twitter. Students in my classes still get completely immersed in the Harry Potter books. One even called me Mr. Weasley this year... My own daughter has read all of them, posters from the movies adorn her room, and unlike her brother, she’s obsessed...
After reading this one, I’m beginning to see it. The characters are often complex, engaging, amusing, or just part of a nice balance of personalities, though Harry Potter may be one of the least developed... The world of Hogwarts itself is as engaging as a wonderful character, and the promise of more build-up is addictive. Also, various details like the spells and classes and Quidditch are thrilling and addictive too.
One of my favorite aspects of the story is how well Rowling balances the fact that they are students, with exams etc and student-ways-of-being, against the awesome responsibilities of the task(s) they take on. For example, I love the way Fred and George march ahead of Harry through the halls shouting, “Make way for the heir of Slytherin, seriously evil wizard coming through...”
It may not take me four or five years to get around to Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban.
(Since I haven’t read them, I can’t compare Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets to later books like many reviewers do, but that seems to be a good thing. This one starts slowly, I agree, but I don’t really understand the criticism that this book does not advance “the plot”. That criticism seems to refer to larger events of the entire series and how this book fits into it. That “defect”, however, does not detract from the logical and satisfying way this story finally unfolds and wraps up, at least not to a first time reader. If I continue to read this series, I hope my meta-theories about Harry Potter or fantasy don’t blind me with the hokum of hindsight or the malfeasance of malarkey.)...more
It is 1242 in France. People gathered at an inn take turns adding to the story of a fascinating current event that involves three children: Jeanne, JaIt is 1242 in France. People gathered at an inn take turns adding to the story of a fascinating current event that involves three children: Jeanne, Jacob and William. Some of the guests who speak were participants or witnesses, some will be, as the events eventually sweep by the inn and take place in real time.
William is a young monk who has never been near a peasant girl like Jeanne, never mind talked to one. At first he’s afraid of her because she’s a sinful Daughter of Eve. Details like that about medieval life and perspectives give the narrative a lot of power. Jacob is Jewish, whereas Jeanne and William, despite other differences, are both Christian. Their God is powerful and ever-present. I am not very religious, but I did not mind that here, as it rang true for the times and characters. Religious difference is a key aspect of the main conflict, which involves the King of France, the Queen Mother, and others, some powerful, some not. The conflict revolves around religious difference but the story sends a message of love and tolerance. The complex narrative structure does distract from the story of the children in ways, because it keeps them and their feelings and experience at a distance at times, but not throughout. At the end, I wished I knew the children and Gwenforte the Holy Dog better though....more
Wow, this was wonderful. I enjoyed so much about the story, the characters, and the world. I could go on about Luna, Xan, Antain and others. I could eWow, this was wonderful. I enjoyed so much about the story, the characters, and the world. I could go on about Luna, Xan, Antain and others. I could explain my pleasure with the magic, the witches, the mountain, and so on in detail. However, I'll almost only mention that events in the past affect the present in a heartfelt way and that some characters live long lives for good and bad. Babies are left in the woods to die, and there is sorrow. After many chapters, several characters are set in motion, and there was so much that could go wrong, so much to worry about!
I will not quibble like I usually do, since none of my complaints are mentioned in the 1, 2 and 3 star reviews I just read, and I can't even identify with their complaints at all. Fiddlesticks!
I wish I read this aloud to my daughter when it was published. She won't let me now....more
I've never self-identified as a fangirl, but after reading quite a few of Wilson's novels to my daughter, I suppose I may as well admit to being a JacI've never self-identified as a fangirl, but after reading quite a few of Wilson's novels to my daughter, I suppose I may as well admit to being a Jacqueline Wilson fangirl. Especially after this book.
Unlike the books starring Hetty Feather, this one has a contemporary setting. The main character, Tilly, lives with her dad because her artist mother has flown the coop. She doesn't see her mother much, her parents had never been married in the first place, and she gets obsessed about being a bridesmaid and weddings. My mother gagged when I told her about Tilly and I could not convince her that Tilly and her story were good. When my daughter picked it out and I saw the pink cover and read the blurb, I groaned, but Tilly's friends are tomboys and put up with her and so might you. She rents herself out as a bridesmaid and there are a few slow moments but if you're a fangirl like me, you'll probably love it. Otherwise, you may want to pick up the first Hetty Feather book....more
This is based on a classic that I have not read, What Katy Did, so I cannot comment on that. However, this had all the hallmarks of Jacqueline Wilson'This is based on a classic that I have not read, What Katy Did, so I cannot comment on that. However, this had all the hallmarks of Jacqueline Wilson's writing, which includes vivid description and strong, empathetic characterisation.
Jacqueline Wilson's Katy is impulsive and bold, moody and unforgiving. Her first day of summer between elementary school and middle school, which occurs somewhere close to the middle of the book, is catastrophic. I wasn't prepared for it. I have never read anything like this, not because it is unique speculative fiction, but because it is completely realistic and outside of my experience. I read it to my daughter, who is in third grade, and I'm glad I did....more
My daughter and my students enjoy graphic novels. I’ve champed at the bit while reading the few I’ve tried, because the pictures limit and befuddle myMy daughter and my students enjoy graphic novels. I’ve champed at the bit while reading the few I’ve tried, because the pictures limit and befuddle my own visualizing, but Raina Telgemeier’s oeuvre has intrigued me for awhile. Because of its popularity, I guess, but also because her stories, the first ones anyway (?), are grounded in the ordinary and are autobiographical.
Smile was a treat. Maybe I’ve matured as a reader and viewer of graphic novels, or maybe Raina’s way of illustrating is paramount, because I did not feel hampered by the illustrations at all. Everything about them compliment, elaborate, or expand on the text, making the story and events come alive.
Smile was also a treat because of the story itself. In sixth grade, Raina damaged her front teeth. The book begins just before that and ends when she’s a high school sophomore and they finally, after various treatments and teeth ordeals, remove her braces.
But it was so much more than that! It’s a sympathetic but not saccharine account of the middle school years, complete with worries about friends, appearance, the opposite sex, and identity. It reminded me of those times and what they/I was like without triggering nightmares, flashbacks, or needless violence. Amazing!...more
Clover Moon lives in London during the reign of Queen Victoria. She does not go to school. She takes care of siblings for her stepmother. Her father wClover Moon lives in London during the reign of Queen Victoria. She does not go to school. She takes care of siblings for her stepmother. Her father works at a factory and grows more and more distant as the children with his second wife multiply. Clover's circumstances aren't great but could be worse. Eventually, the things that keep her at home disappear and she runs away.
That day is a big chunk of the novel. It lasts somewhere between 100 and 150 pages. And that glimpse of London during that time is quite an experience! Jacqueline Wilson allows readers a view of the grit without traumatising anyone - probably.
Things mostly workout, but it is not a fairy tale.
Although I am not one of the girls, Jacqueline's writing welcomes even me into the tribe, though at times I only keep reading because I'm reading aloud to my daughter. For example, the characters end up in the privy often enough here and in her other books that I feel it must be an in-joke of the author's. My daughter and I roll our eyes, laugh, and carry on....more
I read this to a class of fourth graders over a few months. Although all the stories demonstrated the importance of animals in our lives, the stories I read this to a class of fourth graders over a few months. Although all the stories demonstrated the importance of animals in our lives, the stories were usually bleak to me, because the humans were bleak. I may use some of the stories with future classes to highlight some aspect of writer’s craft, but I don’t think I'll ever read all of it to a class again. I’m too fragile, even if they aren’t.
Melki has a more positive spin on the whole thing though. See her review, because you may be in her camp:
This is the first book in a series. (I read Little Stars to my daughter first. We loved it, realized the series existed, and here we are. Little StarsThis is the first book in a series. (I read Little Stars to my daughter first. We loved it, realized the series existed, and here we are. Little Stars referred to some characters and events here, which was not a problem. We enjoyed being on the look-out for those things.)
Overall, I was not as enamored. Hetty is young here though (baby to, I think, around 10 or 12) and in less control of her life. She is also not quite the same feisty girl here as she is by the events in Little Stars, though that confidence does not come out of nowhere. She is bold and impulsive and a great character. She is raised by a farming family until five, which is fun to see and heart-breaking to watch end, and is then returned to a regimented life at the Foundling Hospital. That leads to a lot of routine, though there is some adventure again before the end. You won’t want people or her world to disappoint her. They do, though Jacqueline Wilson manages a happy-for-now ending.
It is a historical novel, though the setting seems to have hard-to-pin-down flaws. Maybe not in the details, exactly, but in the slightly anachronistic viewpoints of the characters and in details that fail to fully world-build. Other than that, the crisp clean writing really works for me and is a pleasure to read-aloud....more
This book pops up on favorite lists. Whose? Librarians, authors, literary agents... lots of folks, so I chose to read it to my daughter.
The other reviThis book pops up on favorite lists. Whose? Librarians, authors, literary agents... lots of folks, so I chose to read it to my daughter.
The other reviews will tell you all about how it is a rewrite of Cinderella, though that’s not so obvious at first. It becomes obvious in good ways somewhere in the middle, less good for me near the very end, because I am flawed enough to... (view spoiler)[ ...desire revenge - that step-sister! - (hide spoiler)].
A feminist critique of fairy tales lies within and adds to the story, but remains a whiff, not a gale. Ella, the main character, is burdened by a curse that was meant as a gift. It partly explains the horrid servitude that befalls her. The story unfolds after her mother’s death and veers from the exact particulars of the fairy tale, don’t worry. I enjoyed events and characters, including Ella’s father the jerk, and even her budding romance with the prince, but maybe I should have read this when I was a 12 year old girl, as another reviewer felt. Maybe I should have saved this for my daughter so she could have read it when 12. At this time, she prefers realistic fiction, which is fine, and this did not sway her.
By the way, Ella, the character, has great strengths and weaknesses. I don't blame the prince for being interested....more
Doll Bones is simpler than I expected. Elements of it were ambiguous, and those elements seem to mask a complexity that has not completely sunk in, buDoll Bones is simpler than I expected. Elements of it were ambiguous, and those elements seem to mask a complexity that has not completely sunk in, but for now, for me, what I loved, or almost loved, or would have absolutely loved, remained undeveloped.
Oh, well.
Those undeveloped things include the interesting dynamic between Poppy, Zach and Alice. Zach narrates. They have been friends for years but they’re entering a time of change and their friendship seems unlikely to last. This was fascinating territory, especially as they traveled, and I wanted more impact from it.
Another undeveloped aspect of the story was the spooky horror of the ghost girl, which was the reason Poppy, Zach and Alice head to East Liverpool in the first place. The quest itself, its rationale, was first-rate, because I love an angry ghost as much as some singer loves a rainy night. But, it came undone. It did not fizzle. It snapped, like kite string, but less dramatically.
Unfortunately, this simple story was too long, or not long enough? Or maybe it was just too erratic? Okay, I bet you can name a great simple story that isn’t mythic, such as The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane, which I gave four stars. Furthermore, Edward Tulane, like Doll Bones, is erratic. Yet… [shrug].
No, maybe not too anything. Maybe the ambiguity failed for me. I’ve spent too many years trudging off to work every morning. I have one loose screw that needs tightening. Tighten that one screw, and I think I’d love this book!...more
This is the second Jacqueline Wilson book I’ve read aloud to my daughter and we loved it! When I purchased it, I did not realize it was one of a serieThis is the second Jacqueline Wilson book I’ve read aloud to my daughter and we loved it! When I purchased it, I did not realize it was one of a series, but that did not matter. We’ll read something by someone else next, but I plan to return to this series in the near future, probably with Hetty Feather.
A few reviews by Jacqueline Wilson fans expressed disappointment with this one, which is great news to me. If the earlier ones make this a let-down, wow.
At the start of this book Hetty and her younger friend Diamond are traveling across part of England on a penny farthing. They hope to get employed as music hall artistes at a place called the Cavalcade. They have just escaped a circus, an event that is apparently covered in a previous book.
Earlier events and characters are often alluded to, but it did not confuse. In fact, it piqued my interest in Hetty and her other adventures.
Hetty is a great character. She’s smart and resourceful and caring. Diamond needs someone, and Hetty is there for her while being a convincing sixteen (or seventeen?) year old. Hetty is full of vim. When Diamond acts her age, Hetty keeps her going. The writing was great. The author describes the countryside and the scrumptious cooking there and a bawdy audience in a music hall with equal panache. The other characters, no matter how small their role, are deftly and deeply portrayed, from the landlady, Ms. Gibson, to Hetty’s role models, Mrs Ruby and Miss Marina Royal. Everyone is not perfect, and Hetty is somewhat innocent. For example, she doesn’t get all the suggestive jokes she hears performed on stage (they are not shared with the reader), but she’s wise enough to try to avoid a man, Samson, whose interest in her is clearly inappropriate and would definitely damage her reputation. Occasionally, once in a long while, I worried the material was a little too mature for a second grader, assuming she picked up on it, but ultimately I think it was okay. Samson is as sinister as any undead. His lurking presence is a good lesson, I think, especially for the older readers who are probably reading this independently. (Sexuality is not demonised though; Hetty flirts with Bertie and it's fine.)
The story takes place in earlier times. When exactly was unclear to me, which occasionally felt like a shortcoming, but most of the time I did not mind. So much was excellent!...more
Articles over the years in Horn Book magazine inspired me to try Jacqueline Woodson’s award-winning writing. I do not remember how brown girl dreamingArticles over the years in Horn Book magazine inspired me to try Jacqueline Woodson’s award-winning writing. I do not remember how brown girl dreaming became my gateway read, but it is a biography that covers her early childhood. It is also narrative poetry, a form I’ve encountered before in Holly Thompson’s fiction for teenagers. (I will not detail my doubts about narrative poetry: In order to realise my plan to live healthily into my 80s or 90s, I will not focus on vitriol, despite almost 50 years of inclinations in that direction. I will not lead this review with caveats, even though they came to mind first. In fact, I’m so cheerily positive I may not include them at all, so read on, dear reader!)
Woodson’s short poems are organised into five sections. Few poems, if any, extend more than three pages. They work effectively as a collection of impressions or touchstones and are ideal for conveying emotion and sensory images, as well as highlighting poignant observations. Taken together, they emphasise what we have in common, which is, perhaps, the point.
Jacqueline Woodson spent part of her childhood in South Carolina and part of it in Brooklyn, but much of what she wrote resonated personally with me, a Massachusetts boy, because many of her themes are universal, such as her observations about childhood and families and forming an identity and developing self-worth. She is my very near contemporary, and that mattered, especially when her topic or focus was outside my experience, like having to sit in the back of the bus and having a grandmother who continued to sit in the back of the bus after laws changed because she did not want to make waves.
I was grateful for the family tree at the beginning of the book and the photographs at the end. I turned to both places frequently while I read. We learn a lot about her South Carolina relatives, her mother’s family, because her parents separate and she moves there from Ohio when very young. I gaze at their photographs knowingly, with a certain amount of understanding and affection. But she also included photographs of her Ohio relatives! Her father’s family is more of a mystery to me, and maybe to her too, because she gives very little account of them. Whether the effect is conscious or not, I loved it. I returned to the picture of her biological father Jack often and wondered, Jack, where are you? Look what you’re missing.
Maybe it does not matter what brown girl dreaming is not, especially to a dreaming white guy approaching fifty. The title, that dreaming, does reveal Jacqueline Woodson’s overall perspective and attitude. Her childhood, as portrayed, despite the absent father and a younger brother born, I think, out of wedlock, is somewhat idyllic. Her mother appears to struggle, but we learn little about it. Her uncle goes to prison for a time, but it does not weigh things down. In fact, she implies positives, even for her uncle. Social justice and racial conflict play a part, but there’s no anger. I’m not saying there has to be, but I think its absence is significant. It may be the reason the narrative ends before she’s a teenager.
brown girl dreaming is also an origins story. There are myths about artists and writers. Some part of what they do, I suppose, may be an innate gift, and Jacqueline Woodson is grateful to those who encouraged hers. I just wish she had emphasised the hard work too, because many writers and artists are made, not born, and that’s the story I emphasise as a teacher.
So Jacqueline Woodson dreamt of being a writer and became one, which is a personal victory, but so what and to what end?
I’ll have to read something else by her to find out....more
Somehow the story did not come together for me, despite many strengths. I’m not even sure I want to speculate what went wrong because it may just comeSomehow the story did not come together for me, despite many strengths. I’m not even sure I want to speculate what went wrong because it may just come down to individual tastes, individual reactions to the particular mix.
I’ll spare a little time though, describing it, in case you can ascertain where you’d stand. Many people seem to love this book, though a sizable few appear more ambivalent, like me.
Good things include a strong, active main character, Mo LoBeau. There is also a murder, and the writing is colorful. Other advantages are the small town Southern setting and the rest of the cast: best friends, detectives, cafe patrons.
Yet aspects of many of these things did not appeal to me. None of it alone was a show-stopper, but I guess it added up. I read aloud and mostly enjoyed. My daughter listened and mostly enjoyed. But I asked her what she thought of it the day after we finished and she too had reservations, mumbling something about “parts of it” and giving it 3 stars out of 5.
To me, the plot shifted midstream. The events, taken one at time, remained interesting, but the sequence and direction took a turn that did not jive, not sure why but I think it would be a spoiler to dig deeper here. (view spoiler)[ The kidnapping did not make sense to me for too long. I know now how it connected but when I was reading, it felt less surprising than abrupt. (hide spoiler)] The writing was rich in similes, but they sometimes distracted me, making the voice just a little too self-consciously folksy. Some characters went missing before the ending, and I really think they needed to stick around. Without them, the ending was incomplete and less satisfying.
Finally, I loved Mo but agree with the reviewers who found her thoughts and utterances occasionally too, not too mature but, considering her age, too perfect-and-too-from-and-for-an-adult-perspective....more
My daughter and I started this last summer, but she’s getting older and often chose to skip the read aloud. She began reading the Harry Potter books tMy daughter and I started this last summer, but she’s getting older and often chose to skip the read aloud. She began reading the Harry Potter books this summer and this one begins slowly and, I guess, just did not compete.
I thought it began slowly too and was not so sure what I thought of the story’s throw-back-to-another-time feel, but I was enjoying it enough not to abandon it. I was curious about its quiet trajectory, so every so often we read some more. In the last week or two, we read the last half!
This is not a thriller. The Penderwicks are four sisters, their father, and a dog, Hound. They rent a cottage for three weeks one summer off the beaten path and meet Jeffery. They explore and have some adventures and end up worrying about Jeffery, because he does not share his mother’s plans for his future and it is kind of sad.
Each of the four daughters has turns as the focus, at various times, and I like how the author managed that. Rosalind, the oldest at 12 1/2, is a little bit of a mother and is on the look-out for romance. Jane is a writer. Skye is a blunt tomboy and Batty, the youngest, is, well, cute. They don’t get whole chapters, but parts, and it works. Elements of the book were too quaint or even too precious for my tastes, and maybe for my daughter’s, but I’m glad I found out what all the fuss was about. I may round up to four stars later....more
Over the years, I’ve read a few Jack Gantos’ articles or speeches in The Horn Book magazine and have really enjoyed them. One must have appeared thereOver the years, I’ve read a few Jack Gantos’ articles or speeches in The Horn Book magazine and have really enjoyed them. One must have appeared there when this book won the Newbury Medal, because I remember it stating where he wrote it: the Boston Public Library. That and many other things got this on my to-read list.
Gantos is a quirky writer, it seems, with a schtick and a suit and a lot of intelligence. He aims his books at boys, and teaches at Emerson College, or did. He also has a serious criminal conviction on his record, which is interesting too. I may read his nonfiction book about it next time I pick up something by him.
Anyway, Jack Gantos has written a lot of books, including the Joey Pigza books, which are about a boy with ADHD. On the back, Jon Scieszka praises this book, and Jack Gantos. I like what Scieszka says: “It’s funny. It’s thoughtful. It’s history. It’s weird.”
Unfortunately, it’s also a bit uneven. His portrayal of a boy named Jack Gantos is a great character sketch. Things happened, but the middle dragged. Jack Gantos the character is grounded for the summer but is allowed to help an elderly neighbor, Miss Volker, by writing out obituaries she dictates and delivering them to the local newspaper. Like Miss Volker, the Jack Gantos character is into history. She likes to tack it onto her obituaries. This history is excellent. I enjoyed its angle, but some readers who believe a critical perspective is unpatriotic may find it challenging at times. Jack’s father buys an airplane, Hell’s Angels come to town, but Jack rarely interacts with children his own age because of being grounded. That may have been one reason I had difficulty with the middle. The old folks dying off becomes something late in the game, but it is not integral to what may or may not be the heart of the story, which lies with Jack. That, and some things that happen at the very ending might be what Scieszka is referring to when he says it’s weird, and it is. Those abrupt moves, I guess, is what kept it from being weird brilliant for me and I think my son, though my son did laugh out loud a lot while I read to him....more
Before reading, I assumed I had seen movies or TV programs or other representations of this classic story, but maybe not. Surprisingly, it did not rinBefore reading, I assumed I had seen movies or TV programs or other representations of this classic story, but maybe not. Surprisingly, it did not ring a bell. That story takes time to hoist its sails. Thirteen-year old Jim Hawkins works for his parents at an inn. An old sailor takes up lodging there and eventually Jim ends up at sea, on a ship headed to an island where a hoard of treasure is buried. The straightforward expedition gets complicated, of course, and Jim is the narrative's hero. At times the action is quite vivid and exciting, but simpler than I had supposed. First published in 1883, the description and style is often challenging. I read it aloud to my son and was occasionally confused myself by dialogue and sailing terminology and description. I had to explain the gist of it at times, though my son was keyed in enough to be on the edge of his seat at the right times. He's a good reader, I believe, so it is hard to imagine a kid sticking with this on their own. I enjoyed all the detail. The island sounds beautiful and the pirates are not comical. They are undisciplined and savage drunks. Long John Silver deserves his fame, but you may be surprised by his actual stage time. Maybe I need to reread it for myself to really pick up on the nuances of Jim and Long John's relationship....more
Jacqueline Wilson is a best-selling author for children, though that is no guarantee of an enjoyable reading experience. Since I’ve noticed girls enjoJacqueline Wilson is a best-selling author for children, though that is no guarantee of an enjoyable reading experience. Since I’ve noticed girls enjoying her books, I decided to give one a shot. This one turned out to be a great read aloud choice for me and my daughter, who is going into second grade.
It’s a quiet story. From the start, my daughter was completely absorbed by the simple, everyday intricacies of Tina’s life, because the writing is detailed and full of voice. I was sometimes surprised by what made my daughter laugh or gasp, not realizing how her sense of humor and/or awareness of the world and relationships between people had matured. I grew a little bored in the first third, to be honest, because it was so very everyday: school, a mean girl, etc. I was beginning to wonder if my biggest pleasure would be watching my daughter’s.
But I can see why Ms. Wilson sells books. She's a subtle devil, at least here, and interesting. Tina and her sisters are in the same class. Tina is more delicate than her sisters, having been born with some complications, and their new teacher, an old soldier type, does not seem to be sensitive enough about it. Tina’s mother goes to talk to the teacher about letting Tina sit with one of her sisters but does not make much headway. In the end, the teacher manages the situation between Tina and the bully, a girl name Selma, very well. It’s a realistic fiction version of a twist, very well done, very believable, and very character-based. The biggest twist was in showing how Tina’s perception of Selma changed. Tina is not from a rich family - her father works at a supermarket, her mother works part-time, but her parents are protective and caring. Selma’s world is different, but not dramatically so, not tragically way over the top. My daughter’s perception of Selma changed with Tina’s - I heard and saw the proof in her very vocal outbursts as I read. I did not make her write or talk it out, but I think she learned something about how complex people are. Wow!...more
Loading...
