The Fault is in Our Stars

Green, John.   The Fault is in Our Stars.  NY: Penguin, 2013.

Hazel Grace meets Augustus at a cancer support group that meets in the center of the basement of the local Episcopalian church -- in the literal heart of Jesus.   So their lives become intertwined because of this insidious disease – Hazel’s cancer began as thyroid cancer and metastasized in her lungs; Augustus’ cancer was a sarcoma in his leg. Yet they are truly brought together by a book --- An Imperial Affliction, written by an expatriated American, residing in the Netherlands.  Because Hazel Grace has burning questions concerning which she considers to be a bibulous ending, Augustus arranges for the two of them to have a meeting with the author. So they make their journey as Hazel is tethered to her oxygen canisters.  The meeting was more than unsatisfactory – not only did Hazel not get her questions answered; her literary idol was dashed to pieces. As they return home, cancer takes over their lives, and someone loses the battle. Once again their paths will cross with the arrogant author who in that interview gave more thought to what happened to the family pet than to the remaining humans.

My reaction to this book is that is truly an example of post-modern teen fiction. There is little hope; there is no locus of authority.  The irony that they meet in “literal heart of Jesus” and walk away cursing lost, and disillusioned.  This seems to be  a microcosm of the world at large. The movie will likely will make it immensely popular; however I am thankful for the PG-13 rating on the movie and would also advise parental guidance on the book for a younger audience.  I do think the book should be a part of the curriculum in YA literature classes, because it gives an inside look  into how death is approached in 21^st century literature.

The One and Only Ivan

Applegate, Katherine.  The Only and Ivan.   NY:HarperCollins, 2012.   Recommended: Grades: 4-6

I confess I was reluctant to read this book primarily because the protagonist was a silverback gorilla – I have vivid memories of King Kong rushing through various cities of America leaving death and destruction in his wake. However, Ivan is no King Kong … he is imprisoned in an Arcade Mall that barely functions as a circus/zoo. He was once a main attraction when he was young and cute. Now after 27 years, his claim to fame is that he can draw. Although his works are unintelligible – they sell, but it’s not enough.  The bright spot of his days are his conversations with Bob the stray dog, Stella the wise old elephant and Julie the daughter of the maintenance man.  However, Stella is unwell – her feet are infected and Ivan is rightfully worried.  Then one day a baby elephant named Ruby joins the team, but all is not well.  Stella dies, but in her passing she elicits a promise from Ivan that he will rescue Ruby from the life she seems doomed to face. Ivan doggedly pursues his promise, but at what price to himself?

This was actually an enjoyable read.  I was expecting PETA-related propaganda, but really found very little in the story line.  Instead, I discovered a story that bore the truths of friendship and sacrificial love.  Ivan is an enjoyable even likable character.  Stella is a wise old elephant. Ruby is a guileless, but fearful baby looking for someone to believe in.  Julie is a crusader ready to take up the cause.  Bob is the dog who has been beaten up life so much that he is afraid to trust.  All of these characters together give a different take in a different setting on the much loved Charlotte’s Web.

Christmas Tapestry

Polacco, Patricia.  The Christmas Tapestry. NY: Puffin Books, 2002.

                Jonathan Jefferson Weeks is devastated when his father accepts a call to a church in Detroit Michigan. After living most of his life in the South – Memphis, TN where his father pastored a church with a beautiful building, he is devastated when he sees the facilities attached to his ministry to which his family has been called. The snow and ice around Christmas only complicate matters. When, he and his father purchase a cloth to cover a glaring flaw in the sanctuary wall, interesting things begin to happen.  Jonathan and his father meet a woman on the bus. They offer her a ride home after they leave the  bus when they near the church.  As the woman views the cloth hanging there, she recognizes it as  the coverlet that was to adorn her bed many years ago, but tragic things happened.  She returns to her home.  When the plasterer comes to inspect the wall, he, too recognizes the cloth; they were ripped apart years ago by the events of the Holocaust. Jonathan and his father reunite the couple now well advanced in years.  As Jonathan sits in his Christmas Eve service, he sees with contentment and satisfaction why his family moved … they were part of a bigger plan.  

                This story circulated around the internet several years ago and in varying forms as fact.  According to the snopes.com at that time, it is purely legend. In the back of the book, Polacco attributes the story to the Hour of Power and Robert Schuller, a well-known television preacher. Even though, it is most likely, purely fiction.  I think it is a remarkable story. It is illustrative of the verses in Psalm 37:23 … “The steps of a righteous man are ordered by the Lord …” God directs our steps as Jonathan and his father learned. Do not expect overtly Christian themes from Polacco’s works.  This work is more the exception than the rule.  Although, I believe it is possible to read any work redemptively and see God’s hand therein.

            Her illustrations are unique, as she is both author and illustrator.  She has a distinct style.  Perhaps that is one reason I am drawn to her writings. I feel like I know her characters. I know them by word and I know them by face.  There is a familiarity to her writings, and while there is a certain depth contained, I have to acknowledge that her work often brings  a level of literary comfort food to my bookshelf.

Dinosaurs for Kids

Ham, Ken.  Dinosaurs for Kids.  Green Forest, AR: Master Books, 2009.

    What child isn’t fascinated by dinosaurs, especially boys? Ham has done a masterful job introducing children to the various dinosaurs hand in paw/hoof with humans only thousands of years ago. Written from the perspective of a young earth scientist this volume is both a tool for apologetics and evangelism.  Using the F’s of dinosauria, Ham tells the story of dinosaurs and the world and presents the gospel in the process. God formed dinosaurs on days 5 and 6, depending on whether they were sea or land.  Regardless, they walked the earth along with Adam and Eve and other humans.  The fall and subsequently the flood likewise affected dinosaurs.   At the time of the Ice Age, many of them faded from the earth.  Scientific discoveries have led to dinosaurs being found and the realization that they were real creatures, not mythical beings, like Dino on the Flintstones. There is much fiction surrounding creation in evolutionary accounts, but the truth of creation is contained in God’s Word, which Ham refers to as the “history book of the universe.” Ham also provides “fast facts” and information about the major dinosaurs. This book is well illustrated.  Under the direction of a teacher, it could be used in any school setting, due to the facts contained in it.

The Lemomade Crime

 

Davies, Jacqueline. The Lemonade Crime. Boston: Houghton-Mifflin, 2011.  

Recommended: Grades 3-5

In the Lemonade Wars Evan and Jessie operated lemonade stands, and the deal was winner take all. However, Evan thinking he was being sly stole Jessie’s money, but he met his comeuppance, because when he went to swim at a friend’s house, ALL of the money was stolen. When one of their classmates brags about his new X-box 20/20, they are certain they have found the thief.  When they accuse him, he becomes defensive and angry. So they decide to hold court on the playground with each person assuming the role of a person in the courtroom.  As the trial progresses, the reader is introduced to trial proceedings even down to the act of perjury. As in The Lemonade Wars, each chapter opens with a vocabulary word related to the courtroom.

This is an enjoyable read for middle grade students. There is right balance of humor and tension. The author does leave one issue unresolved so that the reader is motivated to read the sequel. These appear to be “high end” series books.

Posted by CLC at 5:52 PM

Davies,   Jacqueline.  The Lemonade War.  NY: Sandpiper, 1997.  Suggested Grade Level: 3-4

Soon-to-be fourth grader, Evan Treski has just received the worst news of the summer. His younger sister, Jessie will be skipping third grade and him in fourth grade and in his class! Nothing could be more horrifying. The two decide to face off in a lemonade war – they each open a lemonade stand, and the winner, the one making the most money by the end of the summer will take all.  The strengths of each are clearly seen, i.e. Evan is people-smart, and he is good at emotions and getting people to work together. Jessie, on the other hand, is mathematically and linguistically smart – she’d not at all good with emotions. Tensions mount and underhanded schemes occur, and all of Evan’s money disappears while he is swimming; but the children are convinced they know who did it. The readers are advised at this point to stay tuned for the second novel.

Davies has presented a creative look at sibling rivalry without dragging her readers through the mud or tearing their hearts out.  Things do become intense between Jessie and Evan, but they are also resolved. For the most part the children work out the own problems, but there are adults looming in the background ready to step in. One of the neatest things about this book which teachers should appreciate is the business-related vocabulary word listed at the beginning of each chapter, broken into syllables, spelled phonetically with diacritical marks – a ready-made vocab list! 

Clements, Andrew.  No Talking.  New York: Simon and Schuster, 2007.

The fifth graders are the most troublesome class at Laketon Elementary. The students are too sophisticated for cooties. Instead they fling, epithets such as "annoying" or “immature” and do so very loudly. In fact to restore order, the principal often walks about talking over a red bull horn. The ring leaders the latest fifth grade brouhaha are David and Laura. It all begins because of Ghandi. In preparing a report, Dave discovers that Ghandi spent one day each day in total silence, decides he has been talking too much.  He likes Ghandi’s challenge, but fails miserably when he insults a girl, Lyndsey, in the lunch room one day, when he said, “If you had to shut for five minutes I bet the top of your head would explode (10).”   As a result of that insult, Dave and Lyndsey lead their classmates in a battle of no words, i.e. it is against the rules to say any more than three words in a row. They set a designated time and set out to see just who the fifth grade blabber mouths are. There are twists and turns before a touching a surprising end.

Clements is endearing himself to a generation of readers with his school stories. He has created believable characters and interesting situations. The adults aren’t perfect, but are not created in such a way that children reading the story will lose respect for adults. Dave has created an awkward situation with his three word rule and seeks to help solve it.  Overall I enjoyed reading the book finding  it engaging and largely inoffensive.

#Readingroad #Booksforchildren

Moving Day

This was written, June 2014 and reflects my thoughts on moving day.

Moving Day

Moving Day … the phrase conjures up a plethora of emotions… excitement … happiness … a bit of melancholy and yes overt sadness.  I experienced my first moving day when I was 18 months old; it really wasn’t all that traumatic. I wasn’t that shaken by it. All that mattered is that Mommy and Daddy were going as well. We were moving from a tiny house at the end of a boulevard to a more developing neighborhood with children and the neighborhood school – standard of the late 1950’s and early 1960’s.  We remained in that house until issues with my health necessitated another move; so moving day came at the end of my first grade year. The plan was to sell and build. We sold, but then needed a place to live until our house was complete. In the ensuing months we moved traveling light – we lived in a basement apartment, in a house vacated by friends who were passing the summer in Canada, and ultimately with my maternal grandparents.  According to my paternal grandmother this move took its toll on my six year old emotions despite the fact the fact I was with mommy and daddy every step of the way. She reports that on one overnight visit with her, I drew a picture of a bluebird singing “Sweet Cathy Wants a Home.”  We were nicely settled in our home, but five years later in the providence of God it was time for another move.  I was not happy even though I would have my parents, but I was resistant to the change and upheaval in my life that I knew would result.  With this moving day I began to wall my heart closed.  When we finally got into the house, we passed a miserable winter. My mom began to show signs of her congenital heart disease.  My dad was miserable and somewhat fearful not only of her heath, but also of his own.  I had bought into lies about my relationship with God and was slowly imploding spiritually and emotionally. We blamed the house – erroneous thinking, but hurting people frequently need a scapegoat.  In all of the pain, God had a plan.  Our church had just taken on a second staff member and wanted a place for him and his family. Our property backed up to the church property. Would we consider selling our house and land to the church? We discussed it as a family – another moving day was in our future.  We lived in a trailer while we renovated a barn. That was home for the next for the next 30 years.  For my mom it was a few less – for she stepped straight into Heaven from her bedroom – now that was some moving day.  Two years  after her homegoing we sold our house to the church with an ever expanding staff. Packing up the memories … loading our stuff. Coming to a condo. Then Dad had his moving day from palliative care and ICU – I know he was glad to leave that baggage behind.  Now I’ve downsized again. Perhaps today was one of the most painful of all.  I’m letting go of stuff that has a lifetime of memories attached to it. I don’t have Mommy and Daddy to go through this with me, but I have someone better. Someone eternal. Anything I’ve left or lost in previous moves is transient – temporal and earthbound. My heart and eyes must be set on that ultimate move --- with no strings keeping me here.
#Roadofremenicing  #Memories