Ella Minnow Pea: A Novel in Letters

Ella Minnow Pea: A Novel in Letters
by Mark Dunn

This was my second book of the day.  I must admit, my first birthday book turned out so well that I decided to read the other one I bought at the same time.  Just as good!  But completely different. 

This book features the fictional island country of Nollop and the people who live there.  It is definitely a dystopian society, but I hesitate to use that word because of the image it provides.  This dystopia is not similar to anything Upton Sinclair or George Orwell wrote.  As a matter of fact, for the most part this book is cute, light, and funny.  However, as things progress it does become more and more distressing.

"A curiously compelling...satire of human foibles, and a light-stepping commentary on censorship and totalitarianism." -The Philadelphia Inquirer

This work is epistolary (a novel of letters), takes place around a pangram (a sentence composed of all the letters of the alphabet), and as it progresses becomes a lipogram (a written work composed of words selected so as to avoid the use of one or more letters of the alphabet).  I won't say more about the plot except that "it is a hilarious an moving story of one girl's fight for freedom of expression and a linguistic tour de force sure to delight word lovers everywhere". 

Let me know if you decide to read this one - I'd love to have a good chat about it.

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Remembering Isaac

Remembering Isaac
by Ben Behunin

I woke up this morning with a terrible headache and a sore throat.  So, I decided to spend my resting and recovering.  I have to admit that feeling pretty lousy but not so sick that I was incapacitated left me looking forward to a quiet day to catch up on some reading.  I can't remember the last time I spent all day in bed with a good book.  It has been far too long.

First, I finished this book that I have been reading for the past few days.  It was so good - a little laughing, a little crying, inspiring, and uplifting.  The thing that makes me sad is this:  I ordered this book for myself at my last birthday (June 2011) on recommendation of a cyber-friend whose recommendation of books is always appreciated.  It has been sitting on my shelf for all these months being pushed behind books for classes, assignments, or opportunities to read what my children are reading.  A couple of days ago I decided that I was ready to read something fun of my choosing.  Wow!  I wish I would have done so many moons ago. 

"This is more than a book; this is an experience- a chance to be a voyeur into the life of Jake Kimball, the newest potter in a three-hundred year old town in western Pennsylvania. This is Jake's sketchbook, and as you might imagine an artist's sketchbook to be, it is full of pictures, doodles, journal entries and other artistic enhancements. This book also comes with a built-in self-propelled movie, entitled "The Little Potter Makes a Bowl." (You provide the soundtrack). Jake, a soon to be college graduate stumbles upon an ad in an art magazine. The town of Niederbipp is looking for a new potter to replace, Isaac, the seventh potter in a long string of potters reaching back to 1717. For the past 8 years, Jake has dreamed of being a village potter. He applies for the job, despite his plans for the summer and to his surprise, is awarded the Pottery, an apartment and a vast collection of old pots. As Jake begins his work in the old studio, he becomes aware of a unique collection of mugs hanging from an overhead beam. These mugs hold the keys to unlocking Jake's undertstanding of the man he has come to replace. With the help of his new friend Amy, Jake begins to piece together the secrets of life Isaac lived by and shared with all who knew him. Fall in love with Niederbipp and its people as they remember Isaac. Explore the complexity of human nature and the yearning we all have for love, hope, truth, purpose and especially joy. Discovering Isaac is a series of tales within interconnected tales that all grow from the nurturing wisdom and love of a simple man who truly undestood the universal and eternal secrets that lead to a happy life." (Amazon's book description)

I recommend this read to anyone who wants to be reminded of the most important things in life, of the reason we dream and we love, and of the One who orchestrated this plan.  I can't wait to read the rest of this trilogy.

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Geography

I am not even going to divulge the name of the book that inspired this blog yet.  I am afraid it will be too 'ordinary' and nobody will read any further.  Let me start at the beginning.....
Our family has found a new passion for geography.  This isn't the first time this has happened.  We love to travel!  All of us have created our own personal map of the United States, coloring in the states we have each visited.  Even the little children are getting to have quite a beautiful map.  Our goal is to someday visit them all.  None of us has yet.  Benjamin, 8, and I are flying to South Carolina in May, and he cannot wait to color another state.  (He literally can't wait - he already colored it!)  Anyway, besides this, we have decided to learn more world geography by drawing and labeling maps everyday.  We only spend about 15 minutes doing it, but we are learning so many great things. 

Flat Stanley
by Jeff Brown

So....on to the book review.  Benjamin is required to read to me for at least 20 minutes every day.  Believe me, he loves books.  But, he would so rather be read to than read.  Sometimes we have a quandry finding something he will maintain interest in to the end.  "Frankie Pickle" by Eric Wight was a great little series, but it is only three long so far and didn't take us long.  His latest choice was "Flat Stanley" by Jeff Brown.  I know, I know.  You all know about Flat Stanley.  And he is cute, don't get me wrong.  How can you not laugh out loud at a little boy 1/2 inch thick being mailed in an envelope by his parents?  It really is a great book.  It has been around for several decades (since 1964) and thousands of children have enjoyed his antics.  However, did you know that he has had a recent come back?  Maybe many of you did.  Sara Pennypacker (favorite author of the "Clementine" book series) has revived Flat Stanley in a travel-themed series sending him around the world.  Now do you see the connection?  Considering Benjamin's current love of maps, this sounds like a perfect match.  Flat Stanley goes:
     #1 The Mount Rushmore Calamity
     #2 The Great Egyptian Grave Robbery
     #3 The Japanese Ninja Surprise
     #4  The Intrepid Canadian Expedition
     #5  The Amazing Mexican Secret
     #6  The African Safari Discovery
     #7  The Flying Chinese Wonders
     #8  The Australian Boomarang Bonanza
     #9  The US Captital Commotion

I am sure this is not the end for two reasons: #1 The last book was published in December 2011 and #2 Flat Stanley has yet to visit any place in Europe.  That can't be the end. 

The end (of the beginning) of the story is that Benjamin and I spent some time last night creating a four-page world map glued onto posterboard with all the places that Flat Stanley has (or will in our case) visit before he is done.  Benjamin is illustrating the edges as we read.  And most importantly, he is excited to read everyday!

Flat Stanley's Worldwide Adventure #1

The World of Flat Stanley according to Benjamin

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Some of Our Favorite 'Little Girl' Chapter Books

The Milly-Molly-Mandy Storybook
by Joyce Lankester Brisley

I forgot about this little treasure until this evening.  I should have mentioned it when I was blogging about Raggedy Ann.  These books were published in 1925 and are still going strong.  Amanda, 11, read our entire series of four books when she was 8 or 9 and they were her favorites then.  I think they have been sitting our bookshelf since then.  Bethany, 6, was looking for a new bedtime book for us to read together this evening and pulled this off the shelf.  I was so excited to read it to her.  As we started in on the first chapter, Amanda meandered in and sat and listened.  She immediately remembered Little-Friend-Susan, her favorite character. 

Milly-Molly-Mandy's full name is Millicent Margaret Amanda.  Since her family can't say "Millicent Margaret Amanda" everytime they need her, they have shortened her name to "Milly-Molly-Mandy".  Bethany thought that was quite hilarious: her 'short' name.  Once again, this is a favorite because of the good old-fashioned stories about a sweet little girl and her adventures with her family and friends. 

The Middle Sister
by Miriam E. Mason

When the Glosbrenner family decided to move west, each child was given the opportunity to choose something special to bring along.  They are moving in a covered wagon, so there isn't much room, but everyone gets one item.  Sarah Samantha, the middle sister, chooses a small apple tree named Miss Appleseed.  Her goal is to eventually make an apple dumpling from an apple from Miss Appleseed's branches.  As Miss Appleseed grows, so does Sarah Samantha.  She learns that she can be brave and she shares her adventures with her tree-friend.  Because we couldn't read so much about apple dumplings and not try them, we learned to make this delicious dessert several years ago.  It is still a favorite in the fall when the apples are ripe.

All-of-a-Kind Family
Sydney Taylor

Ella, Henny, Sarah, Charlotte, and Gertie live with their parents in New York City at the turn of the century (the twentieth century).  They work and play and celebrate together all year round.  They are a Jewish family, so it is especially fun to hear about how the family celebrates the Sabbath, Purim, Passover, and Succos.  But, we also get to come along as they celebrate Papa's birthday, the Fourth of July, and have family vacation because, after all, they are also very much Americans.  My favorite story involves dusting while searching for hidden buttons.  I have got to remember to use that trick with my own children!  But the best surprise of all comes at the very end of the book......

I really do continue to read adult books, too.  I have several in the process right now-that is the problem.  When I feel really busy and I have a lot of different projects going on I get books going on all different topics all over the house.  I really will get a few wrapped up here soon and blog about them, too.  And, someday I'll talk about my favorite 'boy books' as well...

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Charles and Emma: The Darwins' Leap of Faith

Charlies and Emma: The Darwins' Leap of Faith

Wow!  What an interesting couple.  My hat goes off to Emma Darwin and I have much better understanding of Charles Darwin, too.  I respect them both.

First, let me address why I liked this particular book.  The author, Deborah Heiligman, wrote a true biography which is a difficult find in young adult literature.  The information in the book is not a historically accurate story, it is a step by step explanation of the Darwins' lives taken from their own words (books, diaries, and letters) and from other people's accounts of them.  The author uses primary sources to construct her story.  At the same time, it is not dry.  She weaves an interesting account of them in a way that is instructive and entertaining.  Short of studying primary documents myself, this is the kind of biography I enjoy reading.

Next, let me share my feeling of the Darwin couple.  I was initially intrigued and motivated to buy the book because of the balancing act their lives must have been.  I want to understand more clearly how a couple, one religious and faithful and the other at best agnostic, could maintain a loving relationship.  And not just a difference of faith, but in a very real sense much of Charles's work was considered heretical.  I have to admire people who can see beyond that and maintain love and respect.  What I found was a very unique relationship that I can certainly learn from.  Emma was always worried about Charles's soul.  As they lost and buried three babies, she worried about her family's eternal welfare.  But, what I didn't understand was the Charles was equally worried.  He literally suffered for his beliefs.  He wanted to remain faithful, but his work showed him evidence that would not allow him to continue in a belief of a higher power.  The mental torment of that almost killed him. 

I am a Christian, a creationist, and firm believer in a God that loves me and guides my life on earth.  I believe he loves all his creations and that he is the great organizer of that creation.  However, with my modern-day faith and beliefs I can now more clearly see how Charles, faced with the close-minded theology of his day, felt he had to reject the religious teachings of his day.  I also do not believe in that point of view.  The thing that makes me truly sad, is that I can see how Charles Darwin was so very sincere and so interested in finding the truth.  I can also see and believe many of the things he proposed such as natural selection.  However, I can pair that belief with the guidance of a God.  The largest thing we disagree with is the extent to which he took his belief.  While natural selection seems very supported by fact, true evolution, the changing of one species into another, does not have scientific basis in fact in my opinion.  I have not seen anything that leads me to believe that there are creatures mutating into other creatures.  Cross-breeding is not evolution.  Natural selection or survival of the fittest is not evolution.  I have never seen a mutation that was beneficial; mutations always turn out an organism of lesser quality, weaker.

I highly recommend this book as an accurate, educational jumping-off point to understanding the Darwins and their beliefs.

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Natalie's Study of China

For the past six weeks, Natalie and I have had an agreement about her reading.  She is a voracious reader.  (Hmmm....)  Anyway, she loves to read the same favorite books over and over.  I can understand that to an extent.  She doesn't read junk either; she reads good books.  And they are definitely within the reading level of a 14 year old.  But, I want her to expand her horizons.  So we made a deal.  She chooses a book and then I choose a book for her.  It has worked out fantastically. 

Now, before I tell you what I have chosen for her I want to explain to you my philosophy behind reading and the reason I have chosen what I have chosen.  I am not trying to trap her into reading what I like, or in studying what I want her to study.  I am trying to expand her reading to include things that she might not otherwise have chosen within the bounds of her interests.  I have 11 children and they all have their own interests and genres that they prefer.  However, excepting the child with the learning disability, they all like to read and most read a lot.  So, I have had experiences in a lot of types of books. 

So Natalie told me that she had loved reading about Lang Lang and wanted to read more like that.  My first questions were, "More like what?  Music?  Musicians? China? What is it about Lang Lang that you enjoyed?"  Through the conversation I realized that she was very curious about China's culture, especially the Cultural Revolution.  So, I suggested she read "Red Scarf Girl: A Memoir of the Cultural Revolution" by Ji-Li Jiang, "China's Son: Growing Up in the Cultural Revolution" by Da Chen, and "My Name is Number 4: A True Story From the Cultural Revolution" by Ting-Xing Ye.*  These books each bring a different perspective to the phenomenon that the Cultural Revolution was.  After she read these (one of her own choice between each of mine), we discussed them and I felt that she had a pretty good handle on what happened in China during this time period.  She thought so, too, and wanted to see this fascinating country from another point of view. 

We had read about Lang Lang, and he is certainly contemporary, but his also a very unique story.  It is reading about a celebrity.  A celebrity's life is hardly 'ordinary'.  I remembered reading a book several years ago that I had checked out of our local library about a more modern Chinese schoolgirl who sacrificed much for her education.  This book was published in 2004 and is the story of a contemporary young girl.  I couldn't remember the name of the book, though, so I called the librarian.  She suggested the books she thought it could be, but none of them sounded like the right one.  I got on Amazon and searched for key works, "schoolgirl", "China", and "journalist" because I remembered that a French journalist had discovered this little girl and had been the one to publish her story.  Hurray!  I love modern technology and I love Amazon Prime.  Two days later Natalie was reading "The Diary of Ma Yan: The Struggles and Hopes of a Chinese Schoolgirl" by Ma Yan.  This gave her a better perspective of life in China for a rural young girl today.  By this point, Natalie was about done with China, but I wanted her to see one more side. 

The last book she read on this subject was called "Young Fu of the Upper Yangtze" by Elizabeth Foreman Lewis.  Unlike the other books, this one was fiction (a Newberry Medal book).  However, it takes place in a China before the Cultural Revolution happened. As a matter of fact, this story takes place in 1920 Chungking.  Fung Yu moves from a rural farming village to the 'big city'.  I think the book does a good job of portraying the Chinese culture before the Cultural Revolution. 

All this said, I am not expert on China; neither is my daughter. Our study has certainly not been exhaustive. But she has a handle on some issues and points of view that she did not have before.  She has been introduced to a culture and a way of life that is far outside of her own experience.  And, I have tried to give her a balanced picture of this culture from several time periods.

Now she has moved onto the Civil War.  I wonder how long it will take her to read "Gone With the Wind".................

*FYI, "My Name is Number 4" is $2.08 new on Amazon.

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