fairy tales – Peaceful Reader

June book reviews for YOU (happy reading)

I’ve only read three books this month. They were really good books though. Technically I finished four but the Bill Browder book, The Red Notice, was a crossover from May. I’ll still tell you about it though.

1. The Red Notice; a true story of high finance, murder and one man’s fight for justice by Bill Browder (2015): Born into a communist-leaning family Browder grows up seeing what it is like to rebel against the norm but to rebel even further Browder chose a career path profession just to annoy his dad; he picks commerce. The first half of the book Browder tells his family story and how he rose to be the first major investor of Western money into Russia and the second half of the book deals with the downfall of this great plan and the imprisonment and eventual death of his friend and lawyer, Sergei Magnitsky. I enjoyed this memoir, even though I thought Browder wasn’t the greatest story teller. Reading this book gave me a clear mindset on why Putin felt the need to tangle himself into U.S. elections and will continue to torment and push buttons just because he’s found a way.

2. Eragon by Christopher Paolini (2003): Tristan read this years ago and devoured the series. I’ve always wanted to read it but who knows why? I didn’t pick it up until this summer after 2 teachers raved about it to me after a teacher meeting. They were shocked that I hadn’t read it; That was the push I needed so I brought it home that very last week of school. I loved it. I dig fantasy and this book was no exception. Eragon, Brom, Saphira, Murtagh and Arya were all interesting characters and I look forward to reading the next two in the series. Even though Paolini was young when he wrote this I think it stands the test of time.

3. The Girl who drank from the moon by Kelly Barnhill (2016): I loved this fairy tale {and that gorgeous cover art} in which Xan and Luna save themselves and change the world together. Centuries ago a world was created by evil people and the unwitting townsfolk believed the stories that were told to them about an evil witch who needs a sacrificial baby each year so as not to destroy the town. Xan is this witch but she rescues the babies and takes them to new families because she thinks they’ve been abandoned. And so it goes for many years until one family fights back and one mother doesn’t give up hope. A good reminder, from a fairy tale world, to not believe all that you are told! Read more great things about this book at NYT, EW, and the Washington Post.

4. American War by Omar El Akkad (2017): I read a NYT article about great new dystopian books and this one was at the top of the list. Like fantasy, I’m a big fan of the altered worlds created in good dystopian novels. This one lacks the gruesome gore of The Hunger Games but certainly lays out how a fight over energy and ravaged ecosystems could separate the North from the South in a way that causes longterm war within our own border. Read other great reviews here on NPR, SF Chronicle, and the Washington Post. I’m not quite finished with this one yet and plan to finish today.

In Madison I did purchase several books and I have stack of books to read for school. What are you reading this summer?

29 days of book love…

Inkheart

Cornelia Funke

(2003)

originally published in German

This book is a thrilling ride crafted for fantasy lovers and book readers of every kind. Imagine how it would change your reading style if your reading abilities could change the story as it does for Meggie and her dad Mo. Mo loves books and is good at fixing them. He was also a very good storyteller at one time. Soon after her mother’s disappearance though Mo won’t read to Meggie and she doesn’t understand why. Mo has such incredible reading abilities that even a few bad guys are interested in his talents.

What if, I as a librarian, read in such a way that my library patrons one-by-one began disappearing as I was reading? Would you want to send your child to the library anymore? Meggie and Mo’s journey and the unique cast of characters smattered along the way make this an incredible story worth sharing. I once read it aloud to a class of 5th grade students in Little Rock. Their teacher and I were friends and she struggled with readalouds so I agreed to help her by modeling. This is the book I chose, I went every afternoon to read to them, and they were mesmerized by the story. It was one of the best experiences I had of transporting children (and their teacher) to another land far, far away…

The movie is not worth it and even the second book not so much. This book is a stand alone for me. It’s so good it doesn’t need anything more.

Meeting Maggie.

I drove 1 1/2 hours last night because Maggie Stiefvater, author of Scorpio Races, Wolves of Mercy Falls and The Raven Boys series, would be speaking at Prairie Lights bookstore. I am a huge fan (already pre-ordered the next in the Raven series) and I thought it would be worth the drive even though I couldn’t get anyone to go with me. What a shame as they missed a very good show.

She was far more entertaining than I’ve ever seen an author be in a funny, grease monkey kind of way. I did not take notes but just enjoyed listening to her variety of stories that she transforms into mini-skits. This is what I remember:

1. She is fascinated with folklore and likes wolves over werewolves.
2. I think she wears black tank tops and black Doc Martens a lot.
3. She is rail thin but mighty.
4. She advised against the age old writer’s wisdom of “write what you know” and was eloquent in her idea that you can research and write way beyond what exists around you.
5. She’s learned to write anywhere now as she travels so much (even on airplanes).
6. She claims not to be a good writer so much as a good thief; stealing bits or parts from life.
7. Her purpose in writing Shiver was to make people cry, to write something that would be poignant like The Time-Traveler’s Wife.
8. She read Watership Down as a young person and then rewrote it with dogs instead of rabbits.
9. I shook hands with her and we had to shake twice, according to her, it needs to be done in equal amounts.
10. She lived for a short time in Hartley, IA but does not have good memories of the experience.

As people got their books and posters signed by her she chatted easily with each person. There were people there that had written her letters and received responses, tweeted, emailed, tumbler’ed her and all received responses. One young man had a brand new Raven Boys tattoo to share with her. The love was big and real all around. She asked many what books they were reading that were great and when it was my turn we chatted about folklore and what a great avenue this was to look at wolves over werewolves and so she didn’t ask me but if she had I would have told her to read Donna Tartt’s The Goldfinch as it is filled with struggling, badly-behaving characters that are still somehow likable, something I think she would appreciate.

It goes so quickly those brief moments of greeting someone that you admire that I wanted to say “Can we meet at the pub for a Guinness after all these other people leave?”

My cache of signed goods:

{Posters Maggie created herself for fans}

If you haven’t read her yet you should…

Breadcrumbs by Anne Ursu

Anne Ursu

2011

312 pages

I consumed this book.
I finished it last night and even though the story ends wonderfully I just wanted it to go on. Hazel is an astonishing girl heroine!

Things to know and love:

It took place in Minnesota.
It made me miss snow.
It is a retelling of the fairy tale The Snow Queen.
The two main characters, Jack and Hazel, are lovable.
The two symbolize the difficult journey of growing up.
The parents are odd and generally not helpful (typical).
Anne Ursu makes some wonderful references to other great literature.

I read this beautiful retelling of The Snow Queen by Amy Ehrlich and Susan Jeffers to Groovy Girl tonight just to compare with what took place in the book and it is pretty accurate. Ursu has lengthened it by adding many adventures to the forest but it only makes the story more enticing. I am extremely pleased I purchased a copy of this book as I love the front cover and it is worth rereading. I will also want Groovy Girl to read it in her own time. I rated it five stars on Good Reads. Thank you, Anne, for this beautiful tale.

Just a minute…

After completing all my chores for the day for work and home and the list is long-I feel like Santa with a list curling out for miles-I have just a few minutes to write. Breathe.

The Secret Lives of Princesses by Philippe Lechermeier and illustrated by Rebecca Dautremer is a joyful tongue-in-cheek look at princess behavior. There’s Princess Molly Coddle who’s a real handful and Princess Claire Voyant who sees far into the future. Each page is a full spread of information if not about a princess then about a princess’s garden, friends, forest (where many a princess has hidden) and a guide to determine true princess behavior. Groovy Girl and I poured over each illustration and the corresponding notes. I’m glad I was there to explain a few words and why it made each character funny or interesting. Eco Princess was one of our favorites:

The court of the Eco Princess is made up of amazing subjects: snakes, zebras, tigers, cheetahs, and panthers. She is at home in all parts of nature-jungles, savannahs, rainforests…She ties up her beautiful hair with vines from trees. It is a very elegant look. Birds nest in her gorgeous hair and whisper secrets to her of princesses of long ago. She spends her evenings chatting in her tree palace with her closest confidantes and animal protectors. She will only accept a prince who is not afraid of heights, lightning or beetles. (48)

After we’d read most of the book Groovy Girl came up with her own, Princess Miss Alainy; one who does a little of this and a little of that as in miscellaneous. I thought she was pretty clever. This book would make a excellent holiday gift for every princess who is extraordinary!

(Princess of the Sands)

The 1st daughter reviews it at There’s A Book.
The Secret Lives of Princesses website.

(Princess Quartermoon)

(Princess For-A-Day)

What Really Happened to Humpty?

[from the files of a hard-boiled detective]

by Joe Dumpty as told to Jeanie Franz Ransom

Illustrated by Stephen Axelsen

(2009)

Kids will love the humor in this book. It begins: “Humpty Dumpty sat on a wall. Humpty Dumpty had a great fall. Humpty Dumpty was pushed.” At least I think so. Who am I? I’m Joe Dumpty, Humpty’s younger brother.

Joe, the P.I., goes on to explain his case as to why he thinks his brother was pushed off the wall and step-by-step the mystery of Humpty is solved. The book is a cross between a regular picture book and a comic book, using a whole slew of fairy tale characters to retell the story. Groovy Girl loved identifying her favorite fairy tale characters in a different light. Low carb diets, power walks, binoculars and cell phones give this tale a modern, fresh snap.

By the way…the culprits… Little Miss Muffet and the Big Bad Wolf -the wolf says “I’m bad. It’s my middle name.” That pretty much says it all. I can’t wait to use this book when we talk about fairy tales. This would be a perfect look at how to fracture the story and make it into something new. We checked this out from the public library.

Jeanie Franz Ranson’s website.
The Reading Tub review

the Three Snow Bears by Jan Brett

Jan Brett is excedingly talented both as a writer and an illustrator. Many illustrators have their own hook but she goes beyond that with her side panel foreshadowing illustrations. A few monthes ago I did a small Jan Brett unit with first grade students. We read a bunch of her books and explored the freebies on her fabulous website and then we moved on and read other stuff. Forever those students will know a Jan Brett illustration when the see it as they showed me this past week when we read The Three Snow Bears, Brett’s retelling of Goldilocks and the 3 bears, set in the Artic. We were reading it because we’ve been reading books about snow, snowmen(people) and this amazing book fit with that and it was a great mini-quiz.

Students could tell within several pages that it reminded them of another story they knew…Goldilocks but as many said, she has different colored hair! Well, yes, in this one she is Inuit with dark hair and a huge snowsuit on it. Many loved the dogsled, huskies and igloos…that was new to them. When I explained to them what an igloo was, one student exclaimed “Oh, yeah-I live in one of those!” They love to assimilate, don’t they. I haven’t used any of Brett’s materials with this book before but I notice she has a whole Arctic mural you could use with a class. By the way students passed their author recognition “quiz” as I heard many comments like “Oh, look I can see what’s coming next” as they see in the end panel picture. That and they loved staring long and hard at the detailed illustrations.

Find Jan Brett’s website-here.

Have you read this one or others of Brett’s? Which are your favorites?

Happy Friday!!!

I came home early from work, scratchy throat, monster headache. Dear Daughter made me a snack of honey toast, a chocolate kiss and a glass of rasperry-flavored Emergen-C all on a tray with a note that says she loves me. Now she is going to read to me for storytime instead of the me reading our book, Evangeline Mudd, together. I need to sleep really well tonight so I can go back to work tomorrow. I have Vick’s Vapor Rub all over me, I’ve tea’d myself with Gypsy Cold Care and I made myself some onion, garlic miso soup when I first stumbled home.

I hope it is enough to scare away the cold germies!!

It is rather nice to have my children take care of me and I did finish A Curse Dark as Gold by Elizabeth C. Bunce.

Good things abound.

Fairy Tale Fridays

     Okay yes, I know Friday is almost over but I have had a very busy day! Not quite a Cinderella kinda day but busy. I didn’t get home until after seven and my first assignment was to finish Three Wishes so I can give it back to my friend, Tina. I can cross it off my list-check.
     Tif at Tif Talks Books hosts Fairy Tale Fridaysand she wrote about Three Billy Goats Gruff, one of my very favorite tales. She talks about how that story just begs to be read aloud and I agree. My son-you know, the 15-yr-old, when he was little, loved acting out that very tale at a nearby park that happens to have a wooden bridge over part of the playground. He would giggle uncontrollably as we traipsed over the bridge taking turns as the troll. Oh, the good old days when he was easily amused!!
     My fairy tale project with second graders is winding down with several dramatic re-enactments of Little Red Riding Hood talking place in the library this week. We have two more stories to cover from There’s a Wolf at the Door but I do plan on fitting in Three Billy Goats Gruff at the tail end. Acting them out I think, has really helped students remember the sequence of events. I don’t have a favorite version of this and I think that is because I prefer one that you might find in a big, old, dusty fairy tale book. I did find this toe-tapping, hip hop video…too bad I can’t show it to students. They would love it.

Little Red Riding Hood/Trina Schart Hyman/Fairy Tale Fridays

Tif Talks Books hosts Fairy Tale Fridays and as I’ve been spending my Springtime immersed in fairy tale discussions with 2nd grade students I love to play along.

This week I believe she is discussing The Three Bears, which I did read with students. They thought Goldilocks was pretty rude for breaking and entering and then breaking more things. They said she should have apologized!!

I’m going to focus on a different fairy tale though as it is one very dear to my heart. A few months after moving from one state to another it was my daughter’s birthday and an amazing friend sent her a handmade red cape and a copy of Trina Schart Hyman’s Little Red Riding Hood. If my scanner worked I would show you the very first illustration which has Red Riding Hood sitting on a bench, reading a book. It starts in the familiar way transporting us immedietely “Once upon a time there was a little girl named Elisabeth who lived with her mother in a house on the edge of the village.” Red Riding Hood is being raised by her single mother…is this why the wolf picks her? These were, after all, early tales of morality.

I love the illustrations in the book and the story is very well-told but I always question this tale (and other fairy tales as well) because it can be so gory with the whole gutting of the wolf at the hands of the male woodcutter, which then leads to Red and Grandmother being “reborn.” Fairly dramatic, yes. This version does all that but somehow Hyman’s whimsical illustrations make the grimness fade and in the end Grandmother and Red sit down and have some afternoon refreshments after the woodcutter rescues them. (Note: In the earliest versions of Little Red the girl is able to outwit the wolf herself but later centuries believed it was important to have a male figure come and rescue the helpless little girl.)

Red Riding Hood reminds herself, as she is walking back home, “I will never wander off the forest path again, as long as I live. I should have kept my promise to my mother.” She is comforted by the fact that she has “minded her manners, and had always said ‘good morning,’ ‘please,’ and ‘thank you.” So she could have been killed by the predator wolf but thank heavens she was always polite!! See why I love this retelling-it has such spunk and I truly love this illustrator. She has illustrated other fairy tales but this is her only retelling.

My Little Red Riding Hood girl with the handmade cape from Verda!

Trina Schart Hyman’s site

Click here for her long bibliography.