But I'll Be Back By Cynthia Rylant

In But I’ll Be Back Again, Cynthia Rylant tells us of her life experiences that profoundly impacted her as a writer and I believe as a person. She gives us an honest matter of fact perspective on her life based on her experices. She shares with the reader about her family, friends, pets, loves, even the Beetles. ( I am a music fanatic so people and their musical interests are facinating to me). It is easy to see that Rylant truly does put a piece of herself into all of her novels. This book ties it all together for you as a reader of her works and makes it easy to understand why so many of her characters ring true.

Studying Rylant as an author and learning about her as a person has made me interested in learning more about the authors I enjoy, their lives, motivations, and inspirations.

Rylant see herself as a "Writer". This book made me reflect on what label I would identify myself with if I had to sum it all up in one word. For me, the labels are numerous and shift in response to situations. Perhaps if I knew that one word that I could identify with or use to sum up my life then I would know what I want to be when I grow up.

long night moon by Cynthia Rylant

How fitting that Rylant should write poetry. It is the perfect genre for her craft. She is a master of description and this poem is no exception. Her use of language coupled with Mark Siegel's charcoal drawings is captivating. Phrases such as "In January the Stormy Moon shines in midst, in ice, on a wild wolf's back. Find it and find your way home" almost hypnotize you with their beauty of description. The poem is about the Native American tradition of naming the full moons throughout the year. This is a wonderful poem to use with children. Most children find the night and the moon mysterious if not a bit forboading. This poem is about a subject that is familar to children, the language creates imagery brilliantly captured by Siegel's illustrations. Additionally, as an extension children could mimic this poem by giving their own names to the moon or perhaps to the sun.
The cover is a picture of the long night moon that continues onto the back cover. In the hard cover edition the end papers encompass two pages of a continuous scene of a night sky but no moon. Each page within the book contains a two page illustration of a dream like night with all the background hazy and the moon distinct. Different colored cursive writing was used for the text.
This book is a work of art.

The Higher Power of Lucky By Susan Patron

There is a curious part of me that always wants to know what all the hubbub is about and of course I love a good book so, I decided to give The Higher Power of Lucky a whirl. I was completely engrossed from page one. In this novel, Patron has captured the curiosity of a ten year old girl who wants to know all about the world and everything in it. The story centers around Lucky and a host of quirky and vibrant characters that make the town of Hard Pan in the Mojave Desert home. In this novel, Patron has managed to use wit that does not patronize young readers while sending a message of hardship and hope addressing the difficult topics of alcoholism and foster parents. Patron writes as a kid for all the kids that live in such households and for other empathetic young readers who want to take the journey along with her.
Lucky is on a journey to find a sense of security and her higher power. Lucky's mother was killed by a lightening strike, her father left her mother because he didn't want children and Lucky's guardian misses her own family in Paris so badly Lucky is afraid she too will disappear.
I read Susan Patron's response to all of this hubbub about the word "scrotum" and her use of this word in her book and I loved what she said. "Tbere's a direct correlation between the fear of naming body parts and kids' interest in finding out about them. To figure out the world, children have to unscramble a mishmash of secrets, clues, overheard tidbits, half-truths, out of context information, and their own observations."
Anyone who has ever been a ten year old kid knows exactly what Susan is talking about:)

I Had Seen Castles By Cynthia Rylant

Up until now, I have not been a big fan of Cynthia Rylant's chapter books. Van Gogh Cafe and Missing May left me wanting something more. I Had Seen Castles was a well crafted, wonderfully written book. I could relate to the main character John Dante. I felt like we really got to know him and what makes him tick. I felt Rylant did a fantastic job capturing the thoughts and emotions of a 17 year old boy during World War II.
I also loved the way Rylant used the character of Ginny to present in a sympathetic way other opinions that existed during the war and then incorporated those ideas into life lessons learned by our main character during World War II.
Another aspect I found interesting about the book was the religious/moral undertones of this book, such as the conversation with Ginny about being religious and going to church. Ginny states she is very religious but doesn't go to church because "I just don't like God in a suit". Then later Ginny and John fight about going to war because Ginny doesn't believe in war and she asks John what has war got to do with religion.
Maybe, this book appealed to me because it was intended for an older audience, 12 and up or maybe it appealed to me because everything about the book rang true. My mother-in-law will be 83 this year. She often talks about the War and all her friends and boyfriends that were lost, pulling out old newspaper clipping and trinkets she had kept from that time. It is through those conversations that I have come to realize how everyone who lived through that time was deeply affected by its events and I think that Rylant has captured those feeling beautifully in this book.

Missing May By Cynthia Rylant

Missing May is another Newberry Award book by Cynthia Rylant. Like many of her other stories such as Van Gogh Cafe, the story was beautifully written but for me there was something lacking. I felt the novel ended somewhat abruptly and for me there wasn't the character resolution for Ob that I wanted. The book left me saying to myself, "Is that it?"
Missing May is driven by the theme of grief and the grieving process. When Summer and Ob lost May all they wanted to do was "hold onto each other and wail in the trailer for days and days." But, "there are certain ways people expect you to grieve." I remember when my mother died. I was just graduating from college. I was horrified to learn that after the funeral we were suppose to entertain everyone who had come to funeral at our house afterwards. I remember thinking to myself when do I get to grieve.
Initially, Summer and Ob cannot accept May's death. Both of them in their own ways were in a state of denial after May's death. Ob believe he felt her presence and that she was still with them.
It was only after their return from Putnam county that Summer was able to finally cry or grieve. "Her body emptied of those tears and [she] was [no longer] burdened"
But with Ob we never know for sure if he has gained acceptance of May's death or resolution.

The Giver By Lois Lowry

As a closet science fiction reader, there was a lot for me to like about The Giver. The book was a breeze to read and I found myself immediately sucked in. It is impossible to imagine living in a world of "sameness", no color, no snow, no sunshine, no individuality, no choice. The thought of a group of elders choosing my mate, my children, my job...
This story explored many complex themes. Of primary importance to the story, are the exploration of the role memory plays in who we are and the importance of the individual over the "community" or the whole. Memories are both a blessing and a curse to us as human beings. Memories bring not only pleasure but pain. In the absence of memory, the society cannot prevent mistakes. So they give the memories to the Reciever so that he may guide them when they are confused. It is through memory that Jonas learns what love and family really are. To be void of memory is to be void of feeling.
The importance of the individual is explored when Jonas shows the power that an individual has. Jonas is able to change the lives of Gabriel, the Giver, and the community as a whole by returning their memories to them in the end.
The book presents many thought provoking questions. A pivital moment in the book comes when Jonas is given his rules and asked himself, "What if they all had been instructed: You may lie". Jonas was raised in a society where you did not lie. His world was shaken. If he was given those instructions, what if others had been too? He no longer knew what the truth is. The climax of this discovery occurs when he asks to see the "release" of one of the newborn twins. He watches in horror as his father takes the life of the newborn and disposes of him down a shute. I believe it is this one event that shapes the decisions that Jonas will make through the end of the novel.
Then, there is the end. Lowry has skillfully left the end up to the reader. What happened to Jonas and Gabriel? Did they discover the "Elsewhere" or was it an echo of a memory from the Giver and Jonas' and Gabriel's fate is to freeze to death in the snow.
What a powerful novel for middle school aged children. Just as Di Camillo does in her works, Lowery was able to capture the darkness within and without each of us.

The Tale of Despereaux By Kate Di Camillo

I usually do not spend alot of time looking at the presentationof a book. After our discussion in class last week, I decided to take a closer look at the packaging of The Tale of Despereaux. I have the hard back edition of this book. On the front of the cover is a beautiful watercolor of Despereaux scampering across the castle floor with his sword tid to his side. The back of the cover is the staircase leading down to the dungeon. The spine of the book is adorned to look like a classic collector's book. It is red and black with gold writing and it contains a small picture of Despereaux and the caption, "The Tale of Despereaux being the story of a mouse, a princess, soom soup, and a spool of thread". The cover pages are a mint green with a scroll design all over the page making the pages appear to be part of an old book. The book itself is printed on a parchment, linen like paper with the edges of the pages appearing to have been chewed by a mouse. All in all it is the perfect set up for what is too come.
The story itself is absolutely magical. I love the convention of the author addressing the reader periodically throughout the test. I also like Di Camillo's use of unusual vocabulary, such as perfidity, and the explanation she provides.
The characters are well developed and each have their own distinctive personality. The plot is well crafted and perfectly meshed together. I also, thouroughly enjoyed the use of humor and irony throughout the book. One of my favorite parts is when Despereaux is being taken to the gallows by the two hooded mice and he asks is he might have one final word with the princess to which one of the mice replies, "Cripes. You don't learn, do you?" and Despereaux realizes one of the mice is his brother , Furlough.
I feel this book firmly establishes Di Camillo as a force in children's literature. Despereaux is so different from her other Newberry Award book, Because of Winn Dixie. But, each of these books is perfectly crafted for its particular genre.
This is a book I will definately recommend.