A Wrinkle in Time

 L’Engle, M. (1962). A wrinkle in time. USA: Farrar, Straus & Giroux.

(Copy of Lit Circle post for this title, part 1, first 6 chapters)

            A Wrinkle in Time is a chapter book of the modern fantasy genre.  Its events, settings, and characters are outside the realm of (known) possibility.  It is both science fantasy and a monomythic quest in which the beginning setting is a backdrop, establishing the at-first seemingly ordinary characters in an environment of home, family, neighbors, work and school, with real-world joys and problems.  Later, as the characters and story become more developed and involved, the settings change to unique fantastic locations integral to the plot, as the meaning of the foreshadowing tesseract term is revealed.  The story is told from the third-person-sympathetic point of view of Meg Murry, an awkward and “different” girl with a mouthful of braces who does not fit in with the herd.  She thinks of herself as ugly and unintelligent, and she is often at odds with herself and others because she is misunderstood for who she really is—a brilliant, caring individual who has beautiful eyes hidden behind her glasses.  Meg learns of real evil, The Black Thing, as she, along with her unusually intuitive little brother, Charles Wallace, and their friend, Calvin, are led by three mysterious space-and-time-traveling individuals, Mrs Whatsit, Mrs Who, and Mrs Which, on the quest to overcome IT, thus saving the world from the darkness of having everyone be the same as everyone else—and finding Meg’s father.

            I had not heard of this book before now, or if I had, I had forgotten.  Because the version I am reading was published in 2007 and 2011 by Square Fish, I did not notice until writing the reference note that it was originally published in 1962.  Ah!  That is why, being of a certain age, I felt a distinct familiarity beyond identifying with Meg’s adolescent angst: the fifth dimension (the dawning of the age of Aquarius, when peace will guide the planet and love will steer the stars), possibilities, non conformity, gender equality, rage against the machine, etc., and of course, ultimately saving the world from its own darkness.  (Where are my tie-dyes and flowered headband?)  It reaffirms that despite certain advances, young and old still face the same struggles compounded by new ones, and that the insight and wisdom--the spirit of the highest ideals in the radical paradigm shift that took place in the 1960s--still resonate.  I look forward to the rest of Meg’s journey through the coming chapters.

            Tweet for the end of Chapter 5: “And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not.” (p. 100)

(Copy of Lit Circle post for this title, part 2, final 6 chapters)

            In the concluding half of A Wrinkle in Time, the action escalates through the frightening encounters of Meg, Charles Wallace, and Calvin, on the strange and dark planet of Camezotz.  Their conflicts are multiplied, culminating in the ultimate universal conflict of good versus evil—evil in the forms of the strange robot-like sameness of the people, the man with red eyes, and ultimately the terrifying antagonist IT at CENTRAL central intelligence, where they finally find Meg’s father.  Using their respective gifts, all are able to tesser away from Camezotz except for Charles Wallace, who was left behind for his own immediate well being.  Meg is nearly killed by the blackness while tessering.  With her consciousness recovering sooner than her body, she is in a horrifying state of hearing and feeling but being unable to respond in any effective way, which seems analogous to adolescent anxieties arising from the desperately painful need to interact and be “normal,” but being unable to graciously do so.

            As are all of the main characters, the strange creatures that inhabit the new planet of Ixchel are described in detail so that their physical appearance can be imagined by the reader.  Interestingly, these creatures are sightless.  They embody wisdom, warmth and love.  One in particular, Aunt Beast, nurtures Meg as she regains her strength.  For Meg, the experience of being cradled in love flashes back to when she was a baby being rocked in her mother’s arms.  Meg often comes across as a brat who compounds problems with her rude and hurtful outbursts.  Luckily for her, she is surrounded by others who understand and are more or less patient.  She is overjoyed at finding her father, but she is angry with him because he does not live up to her unrealistic, childish superhero expectations.  A text-to-self connection is that there comes a time when children usually grow to accept their parents, however wonderful or not, as fellow human beings with strengths, gifts, flaws, and limitations.  Meg is beginning that transformation, alongside her realization that being the same and being equal are two different things, and that evil articulates our fears and doubts and tells us lies. She is finding her happy medium.  At the end of this story, the reluctant heroine Meg is able to rescue her little brother, and eventually all the travelers return safely home with the exception of the Mrs Ws, who are immediately off to the next (book?) quest.  Do you suppose IT is angry and vengefully bellowing for having been successfully defied?

            Not being a fan of “scary” stories, and well beyond my time of intrigue with monsters (if ever I had one), the second half of A Wrinkle in Time, with the menacing red-eyed man-creature and the terribly repulsive IT, almost lost me—even though stories need contrastingly dreadful characters to motivate and illuminate the good.  One of the things that helped to maintain my perseverance was that the possessed, sinister Charles was embodied in the lovable Charles.  I trusted that Meg’s special little brother was still there and would eventually prevail.  This realization also enabled Meg to demonstrate her love of Charles’s essence to the degree that she overcame self-conflicts, mustered courage, and risked her life to save him, knowing he was an unwilling medium for the evil force--and if she did not save him, no one could.  She knew Charles, beyond his appearance when he exhibited strange-eyed evil.  I suspect that Calvin, who became more and more quiet in this part of the story, will realize a similar knowledge of Meg, if he hasn’t already, with his assigned task of taking care of her.

            Another text-to-self connection was that the Bible quotes throughout the story not only were profound but comforting.  They resonate with the story’s overarching theme of the power of Love.  For believers, the essence of our Biblical God is Love.  Biblical inclusions foreshadow that evil will not triumph.  It might be ironic that we are reading this book together with multicultural themes.  Non Christians would perhaps not appreciate and relate to Biblical references, in some instances exhibiting extremism to the point of having the book blacklisted in a “free” and multicultural (or totalitarian) society.  I feel certain that IT would do exactly that.  Contrastingly, if non Christian readers are open-mindedly seeking to understand things different from themselves, the resounding wisdom and beauty of Biblical (as well as other literary) quotes might lead to further investigation.         

            Some text-to-text connections are: 1) The dark planet of Camezotz reflects a more sinister revisiting of 1984, the adult novel written by George Orwell in 1949, in which the main character resists being controlled by the “mind police,” the totalitarian government and Big Brother, 2) Camezotz is an ironic name for the dark planet, a contrasting play on Camelot, the home base of Britain’s beloved King Arthur, who won loyalty from his subjects by loving and protecting them from evil rather than by controlling them with fear, and, 3) On a lighter note, a text-to-movie connection is that Camezotz inhabitants are not unlike those in The Truman Show, where all the people in Truman’s community except for himself are actors with scripts.   

            The big idea in this story might be Mrs Whatsit’s similie that human life is like the iambic pentameter of a sonnet, having strict form but complete freedom of choice regarding the content within the structure.  Question: What will you write in your life’s sonnet?

            Mark My Words: anticlimax, myopic, precipitously, propitious, talisman, pedantic, ominous, inexorable, omnipotent, miasma, periodic table, trepidation, despondency, permeating, reiterating.

            

            

Titanic; Book One; Unsinkable

Korman, G. (2011). Titanic; Book one: Unsinkable. USA: Scholastic.

            A modern historical fiction chapter book for readers in the middle grades, Titanic is the first in a series of three.  The primary character is Paddy Burns, a 14 year-old orphan in Belfast, Ireland, where the Titanic was built in 1912.  Paddy and his best friend, Daniel, are street smart pickpockets and thieves of food who make their home in an abandoned building.  Their adventures and misadventures lead to their lives becoming entwined with those of Mr. Andrews, the Titanic’s builder, Gilhooley, a notoriously ruthless gangster, Sophie, the daughter of an American suffragist, Julie, the daughter of an English Earl, and Alphie, who claimed to be older in order to become a junior steward aboard the Titanic.  Paddy’s conflict is multifaceted with his fighting for survival against others, against society, and at times against himself.  Believing that Daniel has been murdered by the gangster because of something he did, Paddy escapes as a stowaway aboard the Titanic, where he progressively encounters the other characters, including the gangster who boards the ship at its stop in Queenstown.  Paddy’s only possession is one of Daniel’s drawings, from when Daniel had been challenged by Mr. Andrews to think of a way the Titanic could be sunk.  Daniel’s drawing shows the ship with a long gash down its side, foreshadowing the actual event.  Paddy often flashes back to memories of Daniel and he carries the drawing next to his heart.  In the integral setting of the magnificent ship, which is described in detail, there is great suspense at every turn, including the discovery of a scrapbook that leads to the prospect that Jack the Ripper is aboard.  Managing many narrow escapes, through luck, his wits, and help from others, Paddy eludes the authorities (and stays alive) through this first book.  The final chapter leaves the reader in hopeful anticipation for the next volume.

            The third-person-sympathetic writing style is fast-paced, with 24 chapters averaging about six pages each.  In the Prologue, there is foreshadowing of coming events as Titanic survivors, now passengers aboard the Carpathia, stare out at the dark water.  The Epilog has the ship’s captain carelessly slipping into his pocket the note from the wireless operator containing the message that ice had been reported ahead. 

            Some terms that might merit further examination are: cravat, klaxons, cacophony, suffragist, truncheon, shillelagh, and Marconi room.  An ongoing theme of the story is friendship--relying on others, while simultaneously being resourceful, self-confident and capable.  The story provides many glimpses into contrasting social classes through scenarios that reveal the characters’ humanity, often transcending their differences.  This engaging book is recommended for readers of both genders around the ages of its main characters, 13-15 years.  Sample question: Can you recall a situation in your life when a friend (or a stranger) made all the difference for a positive outcome?    

            

The Invention of Hugo Cabret

Selznick, B. (2007). The invention of Hugo Cabret. New York: Scholastic Press.

            This intriguing hardcover trade book blends several genres: picture book, graphic novel, flip book, comic book, and movie. It is realistic fiction brimming with mystery and suspense, based on actual personalities and historic events. Appropriate for readers from grade 4 and up, its 526 pages have nearly 300 pages of doublespread pictures, including 3 early movie stills, with several drawings and film stills by pioneer French film maker, Georges Melies, whose life and work inspired the author to write the novel. The illustrations develop the plot through imagery, frame by frame, page by page, much like a silent movie, with the third person text revealing intricacies. It is literally a “page-turner” whose words flow as easily as the pictures.

            Except for red endpaper and flyleaf, front and back, the pages are black with black and white illustrations, creating the imaginative effect of the reader sitting in darkness watching a black and white movie. Each page of text is bordered in black, like a movie screen. The author’s realistic drawings were executed in graphite pencil crosshatching on Fabriano watercolor paper. Real people were his models, including Remy Charlip, writer and illustrator of children's books, dancer and choreographer.  His likeness is the central character, Georges. Typefaces used throughout are modern adaptations of attractive historical fonts and styles of handwriting.

            The story’s integral setting is Paris in the 1930s. Twelve-year-old Hugo Cabret, whose mother had already passed, lived with his father, a clockmaker, horologist, who worked part time in a museum. Hugo and his father spent happy times together going to the movies, reading, working on clocks, and talking about the connection between horology and magic. Hugo’s father had found a broken automaton (aw-TOM-ah-tan), a mechanical man, stored in the attic of the museum, and was trying to restore it, creating a detailed notebook in the process. One night while he was working after hours, there was a fire at the museum, in which Hugo’s father died. Hugo was taken in by his only living relative, a gruff alcoholic uncle whose job was to keep all the clocks in the large Paris train station wound and running smoothly. He taught Hugo the necessary skills, including how to steal food, then progressively abandoned the tasks to Hugo, until one night he didn’t come home at all. Hugo secretly continued to tend the clocks, collecting his uncle’s unopened paychecks so no one might miss him. He feared that if anyone found out, he would be forced to leave the small room at the station where he lived, be moved to an orphanage or locked in prison. Hugo had his father’s notebook, and the automaton that he salvaged from the ruins of the museum fire. For survival, Hugo had become a thief of food, then of other items, particularly from the toy stand in the station, where an unpleasant old man made and sold mechanical toys. Mystery after mystery unfolds as Hugo works to survive, keep his secrets, and restore the automaton, believing it will eventually write or draw an important message from his father. He befriends Isabelle, goddaughter of Papa Georges, the fearsome old toy maker, and others, in his never dull drama of unraveling the questions.

            Hugo imagines the world as one big machine. “Machines never have extra parts. They have the exact number and type of parts they need. So I figure if the entire world is a big machine, I have to be here for some reason. And that means you have to be here for some reason too.” (p 378) The author explained that he chose the book’s title, The Invention of Hugo Cabret, because it refers to something that Hugo builds, and also to the fact that Hugo invents himself. In a way, we all invent ourselves, making ourselves into the person we want to be. Hugo invents a life for himself, and he even invents himself a family. Those concepts could be the big ideas of Hugo’s story. Other ideas include creativity and imagination and overcoming obstacles. Sample question: How might you overcome a particular obstacle that interferes with something you want to accomplish?

            The Invention of Hugo Cabret has earned high accolades, and is highly recommended.

            There has evolved a surrounding culture including its having been made into a 3-D major motion picture by Martin Scorsese in 2011: http://www.deadline.com/2011/10/video-martin-scorsese-introduces-hugo-tonights-nyff-surprise-entry/.

            A picture book about the making of the movie is also available: http://www.scholastic.com/teachers/article/about-hugo-movie-companion.

            Several excellent curriculum connections and lesson plans are provided in links from the author’s web site: http://www.theinventionofhugocabret.com/index.htm; http://www.scholastic.com/teachers/book/invention-hugo-cabret; http://www.scholastic.com/teachers/collection/vitural-field-trip-teaching-resources; http://www.scholastic.com/teachers/lesson-plan/internet-field-trip-simple-machines.

            Another main inspiration for The Invention of Hugo Cabret was a book called Edison’s Eve: A Magical Quest for Mechanical Life, by an author named Gaby Wood, about the history of automata.

Tuesday

       

Wiesner, D. (1991). Tuesday. New York: Clarion.

        When at first I quickly flipped through the pages of the children's picturebook entitled Tuesday, I was intrigued by the beautiful illustrations, so I borrowed the book.  After a closer look, I realized there was very little text, which only occasionally told the time of day and day of the week--and pictures, lots of pictures.  On the way to “read” the story to an almost-3-year-old, I thought this book might be a challenge or a let-down.  I was wrong.  At her request, we read the book 4 or 5 times, eventually with her telling the story to me, including dialogue.  She loved the book, and it was a delightful visit.

        Tuesday’s illustrations are printed from meticulously detailed watercolor paintings on Arches paper.  The style is realistic with a touch of whimsy and imagination, particularly in the human-like expressions on the faces of the animal characters.  Through his use of value, intensity and choice of hues, the artist achieves appropriate atmospheric effects for different times of the day and night, setting the stage for the action.  

        Fittingly described as a visual burlesque of the improbable, the plot opens with an expressive turtle observing something astonishing above its perch on a hollow log in a pond as the sun sets and the full moon rises.  We and the pond fish soon see an incredibly unusual sight: The frogs are sailing through the air on lily pad leaves!  They look like they are having a very good time.  The night air is filled with flying frogs floating over top of the town and houses.  Birds perched on the wires are not amused as they are frightened and chased by flying frogs.  At 11:21 P.M., a man sees frogs on lily pad leaves outside his kitchen window while he eats a sandwich.  The frogs' adventures include floating through an open window and down a chimney (luckily no fire) into the living room where a grandma, lap blanket, fuzzy slippers and all, has nodded off to sleep in her overstuffed chair while watching television.  A frog operates her remote control with its long tongue.  The frogs continue with their adventures until the morning sun’s light begins to show.  Then they leap from their lily pad leaves high in the treetops, letting the leaves fall where they will.  The frogs hop back to the pond and into the water.  Back in town, people and various officials gather to apparently try and solve the mystery of the pond leaves and water droplets scattered around on the streets.  The sandwich-eating man in his pajamas and robe gestures to the sky while talking to reporters. Then, “NEXT TUESDAY, 7:58 P.M.,” a different, no less incredible event takes place.   

     

        I recommend Tuesday for young children and early readers--and this adult thoroughly enjoyed the beautiful illustrations.  A big question from this story might be, “What if…?”  In addition to providing playful aesthetic entertainment, this book can encourage imaginative thinking, to ponder distinctions between what is improbable and what is not.  Another big question can be, “What program was the frog turning to with the remote control--or do you think it was turning the TV off?”
  

Curious George Goes Camping

Rey’s, M. & H.A. (1999). Curious george goes camping. New York: Houghton Mifflin.

        Many of us are already familiar with Curious George, the precocious little monkey, and his friend, the man with the yellow hat.  George’s stories have survived decades alongside many other wonderful children’s books, and remain as popular as ever.

        One of the Curious George series of picture books, the plot of Curious George Goes Camping follows George’s adventures at a campsite and in the woods, after he naturally gets distracted from his assigned task.  He finds himself lost and all alone, far from camp.  Distracted once again, he tries to pet a black and white kitty…  Next, he must try to get rid of the awful perfume the “kitty” left with him, which evolves into his being in a treetop where he spots smoke that is not from the campfires.  Once again, George emerges as an unlikely hero.

        The delightful pictures, line drawings colored in, illustrate the narrative on every page, and include many details not mentioned in the text, for example, an array of forest animals and scenery.

        An ongoing question for the George stories could be: What if he had asked permission first?  Of course then he probably would not have so many adventures, or they would be of a different kind, but it merits discussion.

        Based on my experience as a mother and grandmother, I recommend any of the Curious George books for babies, preschoolers, and young readers.  Not only are the stories informative and humorously entertaining, each one includes a related activity. 

Good Night, Gorilla

Rathmann, P. (1994). Good night, gorilla. USA: Putnam Juvenile.

        Good Night, Gorilla, is a picture storybook full of brightly colored painted illustrations. Appropriate for the very young, it is available as a board book. It has been one of my granddaughter's favorites.

        The mode of delivery is primarily visual--every page is covered edge-to-edge with delightful illustrations. There is very little dialogue. The pictures not only have aesthetic appeal, they have cognitive value as well. They tell the story, providing opportunity for description, questions, explanation, imaginative conversation, original dialogue, and playful additions--or more quiet contemplation.

        The plot opens with an unobservant, tired zookeeper checking on the animals, telling them good night as he is preparing to leave for home. Good night, Gorilla... Good night, Elephant... Good night, Giraffe... Good night, Hyena... Good night, Lion... Good night, Armadillo... He does not notice that the rather small and friendly gorilla has taken his keys and is unlocking cages, creating an entertaining subplot. The animals follow the zookeeper to his house, inside to his bedroom where his wife is sleeping...

        The several recognizable animal characters appear and reappear throughout the story. The animals have toys in their cages, and apparently are not keen on being left alone at bedtime. Curiously, the animal that is not actually mentioned in words, the faithful little mouse, can be as interesting and amusing as the star gorilla. What is he doing? And why?

        I highly recommend this book for babies and preschoolers--and further recommend that the adult reader audibly “walks” with fingertips across the board-pages when the animals are marching single file behind the zookeeper through the neighborhood. That has been a special feature of this storybook for at least one little girl, who now does the same as she “reads” it to others. Sweet.

Awards

• ALA Notable Children's Book for 1994
• Bulletin Blue Ribbon 1994
• Horn Book Fanfare 1995 selection
• Parenting Magazine "Best Children's Books of 1994"
• New York Public Library 1995 "Children's Books 100 Titles for Reading and Sharing"


Reviews

"The many amusing, small details...as well as the tranquil tone of the story make this an outstanding picture book."
- Horn Book, starred review

"A clever, comforting bedtime story."
- School Library Journal, starred review

"The amiable cartoon characters, vibrant palette, and affectionate tone of the author's art recall Thatcher Hurd's cheerful illustrations. Delightful."
- Kirkus Reviews, starred review

"Is Good Night, Moon too sedate for you? Well, here's a livelier bedtime goodnight."
- BCCB, starred review

http://www.peggyrathmann.com/goodnightgorilla.html

Mia telling good night gorilla:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MVpGyBYelF8&feature=related

Introduction

            Hello, I am Geraldine Allen.  I have taught in the Art Department at University of the Cumberlands since 1995.  This course in Children’s Literature is one of the final electives toward completion of an Ed. D., which with a lot more work and luck, might be finished next year.  Much of my reading is related to various courses that I am teaching or taking, but I do occasionally find space for some pleasure reading as well, particularly with my granddaughter, who has renewed my interest in high quality children's literature.