July is Classics Book Month - Day Three

Anne of Green Gables was one of those books that I somehow missed out on when I was younger. I have no idea how this happened but it did. Thankfully I 'discovered' the book when I was an adult and I loved it. 

Anne of Green Gables
Lucy Maud Montgomery
Fiction
Ages 9 and up
Random House, 1982, 055321313X
   To the amazement of the good people of Avonlea, Marilla and Matthew Cuthbert have decided that they are going to adopt an orphan boy; Matthew is no longer as young as he used to be and he could do with a little help around the farm. The thing of it is, when Matthew goes to get the boy from the train station he discovers that some kind of mix-up has taken place, and there is a girl waiting for him at the station and not a boy. She's not just any girl either. This girl has flaming red hair, she never seems to stop talking, and what she says can be very peculiar and very funny.
Though Anne Shirley has had very little education, she has somehow picked up a lot of ideas, and she is a bottomless well of questions. At first Marilla is convinced that Anne should be returned to the orphan asylum as soon as is possible, but Anne, in just a few days, grows on her. Matthew is convinced that Anne should stay, and before Marilla quite knows what is what, Anne is settled into one of the gable bedrooms in the Cuthbert house.
Marilla with her sharp tongue and old-fashioned ideas, and Matthew with his gentle, quiet and generous ways, soon find themselves severely tried by the “scrapes” that Anne gets into. No matter how hard she tries, Anne still manages to ‘find’ trouble.
There is the time when Anne gets her best friend Diana quite drunk by accident. On another occasion Anne puts some very unexpected flavouring in a cake. She mistakes a bottle of iodine for a bottle of vanilla. The result is too dreadful to eat. One day Anne finds herself playing the part of a poetry heroine only to discover that the boat in which she is sitting is sinking.
When she is not getting into trouble, Anne is coming up with all sorts of ideas, the more “romantic” they are the better. Anne’s biggest asset, perhaps, is that she has an “imagination.” Of course this gift gets her into scrapes sometimes but it also makes her life endlessly amusing and interesting, and others find themselves gravitating towards her, wanting to hear her funny sayings, her stories, and her imaginings.
In what seems like no time at all, Anne is a very much loved member of the Avonlea community. There is no doubt that Marilla thinks the world of her, though she would never admit as much. Anne is a little bundle of sunny energy who gets many of the people around her thinking and doing things that are quite out of the ordinary.
Though this book was originally written at the turn of the century, and though the writing style and some of the ideas and sentiments expressed in the book are somewhat old-fashioned, there is no doubt that the irrepressible little redhead who decries “woe” and similar dramatic phrases is timeless in her appeal. Anne Shirley is funny, loveable, and at times she sets her world on its head with her antics. What she also does is she gives her love and affection freely, and she is generous and well-meaning. The little girl who never had a real family and who was starved for love finally has a home of her own, and we delight in her good fortune. We also enjoy sharing her various adventures,  seeing in her triumphs, and laughing out loud at some of her more outrageous mistakes. With grace and obvious affection, L.M. Montgomery shares her Prince Edward Island world with us, and shows us that good things can still happen to good people.

July is Classic Books Month on TTLG - Day Two

Another book that I had when I was little was The Story of Babar. I started with French copy, and then later was given one in English. It was a wonderful to share this book with my daughter when she was little. Funnily enough, when I went to university I wrote my dissertation about elephants.

The Story of Babar

Jean de Brunhoff

Picture Book

Ages 4 to 6

Random House, 1961, 0-394-80575-5

   One day Babar the little elephant is riding on his mother’s back when a wicked hunter shoots at the two elephants. Poor little Babar’s mother is killed, and when the hunter chases him, Babar runs away, running and running until he reaches a town. In the town Babar sees some very well dressed people walking in the streets and he begins to wish that he too could look like them.

   Luckily for Babar he meets a wealthy and kind Old Lady who takes him under her wing. She has Babar fitted for some very elegant clothes, and she invites him to live with her. Soon Babar is taking lessons, is driving a car, and is becoming a real town elephant. However Babar cannot forget his former life in the forest. He misses his friends and family, and when his two cousins Celeste and Arthur arrive in the town one day he is overjoyed to see them. When the cousins go back home Babar decides to go with them, and a thus begins a new and exciting chapter in his life.

   Though this book was first published in 1937, it still has a great deal of appeal for today’s young readers. Jean de Brunhoff’s artwork is unique with its simple lines and delicate colorization, and his story of how a little elephant finds his place in the world is full of understanding and hope. 

July is Classic Books Month on TTLG - Day one

For the month of July I am going to post reviews of some of my favorite books. Some will be picture books or board books, and some will be titles for older readers.

When I was a little girl, my mother had a book that she grew up with that she shared with me. It was called Eloise, and I loved it. Many years later, Simon and Schuster sent me a copy of this same book and I was thrilled to see that Eloise is still going strong. Not long after reviewing this new edition of the the first Eloise title, I went to New York City for a SCBWI conference with my husband. Rather than staying in the hotel where the conference was being held, we stayed in the Plaza Hotel and I was able to have tea in the Palm Court in the hotel, and to whisper a friendly "hello" to the portrait of Eloise every time I went by it. Just a few months ago I took my daughter to the Plaza Hotel, and she paid her respects to portrait of the little girl, just as I had done.

The Absolutely Essential Eloise

Kay Thompson

Drawings by Hilary Knight

Scrapbook written by Marie Brenner

Picture Book

Ages 5 and up

Simon and Schuster, 1993, 0-689-82703-2

   If you go to the Plaza Hotel in New York City you may be lucky (or unlucky) enough to meet Eloise. Eloise is six and she lives at the Plaza - on the top floor - with her Nanny, her dog Weenie, and her pet turtle Skipperdee. You will soon find that Eloise loves to "talk talk talk," that she has the most vivid imagination, and that she can, at times, be a real pest. For the people who work and stay at the Plaza, Eloise is mostly a pest.

For example, Eloise invites herself to the parties and weddings that are hosted at the hotel. Then there are the times when she rides the elevators up and down, and the times when she goes to "help the Switchboard Operators" by pulling out all the wires on the switchboards. Even Nanny and Eloise's tutor Philip are tried almost beyond the point of endurance at times. Poor Philip is "always glad to go home."

There can be no doubt that Eloise is one of the most fascinating, entertaining, and delightful picture book characters ever created, and this first book about her is a classic. Hilary Knight has created the most wonderful illustrations that perfectly compliment the text. Kay Thompson wrote her story from the point of view of Eloise, which means that the story is full of very long sentences, odd descriptive words, and verbatim accounts of conversations she has had with the people in her life. Nanny likes to use words like "rawther" and "mawning," and Eloise often says "for Lord's sake" which she has clearly picked up from Nanny.

At the back of this special edition there is a "Scrapbook" in which readers will find the story of Kay Thompson, Hilary Knight, and how Eloise came to be created. Naturally, Eloise herself makes comments in some of the captions to the photographs. After all, "me Eloise" is the hero of this tale and deserves centre stage. Readers will be delighted to learn that there is a large portrait of Eloise in the Plaza Hotel in New York City, and that the Plaza is one of the places listed in the "Literary Landmarks Register" - all on account of the precocious six-year-old who loves to drive grown-ups to distraction.

To find out more about Eloise, take a look at her website. 

The new issue of Through the Looking Glass is now online

Dear Book Lovers:

The July and August 2010 issue of Through the Looking Glass Children’s Book Reviews is now online. I have put together a wonderful collection of reviews for you for this issue, and I hope you enjoy reading the reviews as much as I enjoyed writing them.

   For this issue I have chosen to focus on books about Zoos. Most children love visiting the zoo, and these days zoos are not just places where one can look at animals from around the world. They are also places where we can learn about animals and their habitats. In addition,  many zoos have programs to help visitors better understand why so many animals around the world are in danger of disappearing, and what we can do to try to reverse this trend. This feature has a delightful collection of books of various kinds for zoo lovers of all ages.

   In July and August most schools are closed for the summer vacation and children all over the world get ready to enjoy family holidays, days at camp, and many other summer activities. When I was growing up, we would escape the heat of town by going into the mountains for a few weeks, or we would camp at the seaside. These camping trips were wonderful, and I still remember the hours I spent snorkeling, looking for pretty stones on the beach, and watching the fishing boats chug past. You will find a large collection of books about going to the beach on the Days at the beach page.

   For this month’s Editor’s Choice title, I selected Keeping the Moon written by Sarah Dessen. This young adult novel beautifully captures a young woman’s uncertainty about who she is.

Don’t forget to look at the Bookish Calendar page for reviews about Henry David Thoreau, volcanoes, the moon landing, Amelia Earhart, and much more. This calendar is a great tool to use at home and in the classroom to help children incorporate books more fully into their lives.

   At the beginning of this year, I launched the new website, and all the new content for every issue is on this new website. However, a large part of the old content is still on the old site. You can still get to this content, but it is not integrated into the new site. Moving the 4,000 reviews over is going to take some time, and I appreciate your patience while I work on this. 

   I hope you enjoy this new issue, and I look forward to hearing from you.

Lunch Lady and the Summer Camp Shakedown - A Blog Book Tour

Today I have a treat for you. A review of Lunch Lady and the Summer Camp Shakedown and a letter and some art from Jarret. K. Krosoczka. Here is the letter.


Hi Marya,


Thank you so much for having me on the Looking Glass blog! In the fourth installment of the Lunch Lady series, Lunch Lady and the Summer Camp Shakedown, we find the gang at a summer camp that may or may not be haunted by a swamp monster. As in all the Lunch Lady books, Hector, Terrence and Dee find themselves in the middle of the action. I decided to analyze, for your readers, what decisions go behind designing the panels for a graphic-novel. I took two spreads from my newest Lunch Lady book and created a diagram that explains just exactly what I was thinking when I laid out this scene.


Enjoy!


JJK

Here are the diagrams that Jarret created for us:

I know that the text looks small here. Just click on the pictures and you can view it full size!

Here is my review:

Lunch Lady and the Summer Camp Shakedown

Jarrett J. Krosoczka

Graphic Novel

Ages 7 to 10

Random House, 2010, 978-0-375-86095-9

   Summer is here and the Breakfast Club – Dee, Hector and Terrence – are off to camp for two weeks. None of the three are thrilled to find out that Milmoe the bully and his sidekick are going to camp as well. Two weeks in the middle of nowhere without electronics and with Milmoe for company; things are not looking good. Then there is the swamp monster. Apparently - according to Milmoe (who is not the most reliable of sources) - there is a swamp monster that hangs around Camp Fun Times. Dee scoffs when she hears the story, but when the monster appears on the first night around the campfire, everyone is profoundly shocked.

   The Breakfast Club are surprised to find out that Lunch Lady and her techno wiz assistant, Betty, are at the camp. Not surprisingly, Lunch Lady sets about trying to find out what the swamp monster is. Is it a real monster or is there a something shady going on at Camp Fun Times.

   This fourth book in the Lunch Lady graphic novel series is sure to give readers a laugh. With her deliciously outrageous gadgets and her trusty (and somewhat sarcastic) assistant by her side, Lunch Lady is as entertaining as ever.

The next stop on the blog book tour is www.dadlabs.com. Enjoy!

The Secret Lives of Princesses - An interview

After I got my review copy of The Secret Lives of Princesses, Derry Wilkens - the children's publicity manager at Sterling Books - told me that the book had an interesting story. I decided to find out a little more about the book and how it came to be published in the United States. Here is an interview that I had with Frances Gilbert, VP and Publisher for Sterling Children’s Books

1. How did Sterling end up publishing this book? What attracted you to this particular title?

I saw this book at the Hachette booth several years ago at the Bologna Book Fair. I was initially attracted by the beautiful and weird princess on the cover, then by the lush artwork in the book, and finally by the fact that the characters are all “alternative” princesses. The book is a work of art – and a refreshing new look at the world of princesses.

2. I understand the authors and illustrators are French and that the book had to be translated into English for this edition. Was it hard to do the translation?

The translation and editing process was intense! Interestingly, our manager of foreign rights at Sterling, Toula Ballas, translated the book. Toula is one of those fabulous Europeans who put us all to shame by being fluent in a dozen languages. And, of course, she is extremely well-read and knows a great deal about children’s books. It was such fun to work with my brilliant colleague Toula in an entirely new capacity. She provided a “straight” translation with copious detailed notes about the French idioms and word play. It wasn’t until we had the entire book translated that Toula and I realized we would have to heavily rewrite many passages, as the French references simply didn’t translate to English. It was more like working with poetry in translation than with prose, and certainly the most challenging and rewarding editing job I’ve ever done.

3. I imagine that many of the princesses mentioned in the book would have to be renamed for the English edition. How were these names chosen?

Almost all the princesses had to be renamed. The one I remember most was “Poisson D’Avril”, which means April Fish. Toula explained that the French version of April Fool’s Day – Poisson D’Avril – is when the French surreptitiously stick paper fish on people’s backs. I called a Parisian friend of mine who lives in New York and asked her what she did on April 1st, and she said, “Well, of course, I stick paper fish on people’s backs! Why?” I loved that she’d been doing this for years in the United States, entirely unaware that no one got the joke. We renamed this character “Princess Eelizabeth”, (we are not afraid of bad puns) and she became our underwater princess, sister of “Alba Core” and “Anne Chovy”.

Even more fun, there were many princesses that had us stumped, so we posted their images in our editorial department, along with write-ups of their characteristics, and invited the Sterling staff to come and add their ideas for names. Our department was swamped! Our contracts manager, Brooke Barona, named the princess who couldn’t stop talking “Babbling Brooke”, which makes a lot of sense if you’ve ever met Brooke. And Josh Mrvos from our trade sales department named the princess who loves to read “Princess Paige.” Not coincidentally, Josh’s baby daughter is named Paige, and he did guarantee it would bring in sales from the Mrvos clan. It was truly a company-wide effort, which was extremely exciting.  

4. The format for this book is very unique.  Why did this appeal to you?

It’s the kind of book you can dip in and out of for years, and you’ll always find something new. The large size and extent of the book make it feel even more like a mysterious tome brimming with secrets.

5.Young princess fans will be instantly attracted to this book.  Why do you think adult fans will embrace it as well?

My 40-year-old friends with kids in Park Slope are huge fans of this book! They read it with their daughters but the intricate word play and wry humor certainly appeals to adults. This is truly a multi-generational read.

The Secret lives of Princesses

When I was growing up, I was given countless books full of fairy tales. I enjoyed the ones about dragons, monsters, ogres, witches, and wizards, but I really did not like the ones about princesses that much because the princesses in the stories were always so helpless and, to my mind, rather pathetic. These days there a quite a few books about princesses who are tough, brave, creative, and resourceful, and I am always on the lookout for princess stories with a twist. I was therefore delighted when the children's publicity manager at Sterling Books contacted me to tell me about Sterling's new princess book. Here is my review of the stunningly beautiful and very unique title.

The secret lives of princesses

Philippe Lechermeier

Illustrated by Rebecca Dautremer

Picture Book

Ages 10 and up

Sterling Books, 2010, 978-1-4027-6677-0

   Many of you are experts on princesses. You have read about Cinderella, Snow White, Sleeping Beauty, and all those other princesses who fill fairy tale books. You know all about princess fashion sense, and you know that the best way to be sure that a girl is indeed a princess is to ask her sleep on a pile of mattresses that has a pea under the bottom one. In short you are absolutely sure that you know all there is to know about princesses.

   Unfortunately, you are wrong. There are lots of princesses stories that you have never even heard of. There are essential princess facts that you don't know. Thankfully you can now read this book to fill the gaps in your princess knowledge. There are wonderful stories about princesses of all kinds throughout the book. Among many others, you will meet Princess Babbling Brooke, whose endless chatter drives everyone around her to distraction. Princes are scared off by her verbosity, and even her parents "avoid her." However, on the battlefield her volley of chatter is very useful. Not only does it drive away "even the oldest of enemies," but it also forces reluctant soldiers back onto the battlefield. 

   In addition to a very colorful collection of stories, this book is packed with princess facts that you are sure to find intriguing. Did you know for example that the best way to grow a princess is to plant special seeds in the palace garden? Did you know that princesses love to travel, and that many of them get from place to place on elephant back? If you want to know if a girl is a true princess you don't have to use the old pea trick. Instead, there are certain things that princesses do, or don't do, that will help you to be sure. Real princesses always sing in the bath, they rarely take off their crowns, and they never wear socks, “even in the middle of winter.”

   For readers who are interested in all things princess, this book is a must. The presentation is truly delightful, and the whimsical and often beautiful illustrations are a joy to look at. Readers can dip into the book at random, and they are sure to find something of interest to suit every moment. 

  

You might like to visit the Secret Lives of Princesses website where there is more information about the book, a portrait gallery, and several games to play.

Poetry Friday - A Family of Poems

For Poetry Friday I have a wonderful book for you. Readers of all ages will enjoy this title.

A Family of Poems: My Favorite Poetry for Children

Caroline Kennedy
Illustrator: Jon J. Muth
Poetry
For ages 3 and up
Hyperion, 2005   ISBN: 0786851112

All too often, as we grow up, we forget how much of a role poetry has played in our literary lives. How could we forget how much we enjoyed hearing “The Tyger” and “The Mock Turtle’s Song” for the first time; and what about Edward Lear’s “The Owl and the Pussycat” and Clement C. Moore’s "A visit from St. Nicholas.”

Caroline Kennedy delighted the world when she published her mother’s favorite poems,  and now she is taking her own trip down memory lane to share her own best loved children’s poetry with us. The collection is divided into seven topical sections: “About me,” “That’s so silly!” “Animals,” “The Seasons,” “The Seashore,” “Adventure,” and “Bedtime.” Caroline has not only chosen some of the more familiar favorites but she has also chosen sections from the Bible, sections from Shakespeare’s plays, and there are several poems that were written by her own mother.

This is a very special and personal collection,  and with introductions written for each section we get a real sense of how much poetry has played a role in Caroline’s life and how much of a gift she is giving us. We are encouraged to laugh, to think, and perhaps to cry, by the words we read, and we are encouraged to remember how powerful poetry can be.

Jon J. Muth has created a wonderful collection of funny, touching, and often beautifully evocative watercolor paintings to accompany the poems.

In the back of the book, readers will find the non-English poems written in their original language, and they will also find a list of the first lines from each of the poems in the collection.

A short animated movie from Barefoot books

Every so often, Barefoot Books comes out with a charming little animated movie based on one of their books. Here is their latest.




You can visit the Barefoot Books website to purchase a copy of The Journey Home from Grandpa's,  which comes with a music CD.

The first day of summer

Today is the first day of summer for us here in Oregon, and though it is not exactly hot, at least it isn't cold anymore. I have some great summer books on the TTLG website. For children who are specifically interested in the summer solstice and what it is, there is this title to read. Enjoy.

The Summer Solstice

Ellen Jackson
Illustrator:  Jan Davey Ellis
Nonfiction Picture Book
For ages 7 to 10
Millbrook, 2001   ISBN: 978-0761319856
   Because the sun is so important to life on earth it was greatly venerated by the ancient peoples who lived on this planet. Often it was considered to be a god and thus on the day when the sun was at its highest point in the sky, the summer solstice, special rituals and celebrations were often held.

   Both in the Americas and in Europe circles of stone marked the passage of the sun in the sky and special spokes in the circles "pointed to the place where the sun rose on the summer solstice."

   In Europe and Great Britain people would roll burning wheels down a hill to symbolize the blazing sun sinking in the sky. There would be great feasting, dancing, and merrymaking and people would get dressed up in outlandish costumes.

Today remnants of these old traditions can still be found in some countries in Europe. In Ireland, Wales and Cornwall people still light bonfires on hill tops on Midsummer Eve and in Sweden tall poles are decorated with leaves, colored streamers and flags and placed in a central place. People then dance around the pole in celebration of the longest day of the year.