The Books that Just Weren’t Right

Appetizer:

As fun as it is to talk about books that I liked as a child, I think talking through the books that I didn’t like is useful as well. Of course, there’s definite accounting for taste, but there are some books that just don’t fit into the conception of cultivating a moral imagination. Often, these books are moral in nature. In fact, many of them are not fun to read precisely because they are very direct in their morality. It can be easy to think that a book is good because it has very forthright, good lessons. I think there is perhaps a place for that, but, as you may have guessed by now, there are much more exciting ways to learn morality than through a straightforward story. Today, I’m devoting my time to listing a few of those books that didn’t capture my imagination and in fact, sometimes, made me want to almost act worse because their straight-laced characters had absolutely no fun.

The Main Course: The List

I know that many of you may have loved these books. That’s ok. I did not and perhaps your children will not either. I’ve endeavored to give the reasons why I feel like these books aren’t a great fit for that imaginative nature, but a few of my more biased opinions may seep in.

1. Pollyanna by Eleanor Porter. What list of books about good-two-shoes would be complete without Pollyanna. To be fair, Pollyanna is probably a well-written book. I don’t remember having an objection to the prose. But Pollyanna is such a shiny example of how a child would behave that it becomes impossible for the reader to imitate her. To an adult, her undying optimism might seem naive. To a kid, it’s just not real. If I skin my knee, sometimes it feels better to howl a bit. If my sibling annoys me, despite my better judgement, I will probably snap at them rather than being patient. Pollyanna goes wrong precisely because she’s too right. She’s not relatable. Though the character “struggles” to remain cheerful using her “Glad Game”, her very goodness is the reason her struggle annoys the reader. She always does the right thing, so there’s not really room to learn and grow from her mistakes. Part of the cultivation of a moral imagination is learning to identify bad behavior in a good person and hoping for that person to correct it or grow from their mistakes. Not only is that more relatable, but it’s a better teacher because it shows the way out of the mistakes we make and, if the book treats the subject correctly, can be a very powerful moral guide. Now, I will say that Pollyanna is considered a classic of children’s literature and has powerful social influence (optimism is colloquially referred to as being “Pollyanna-ish” sometimes). I don’t have quibbles with the prose used to write the book. I just never found it engrossing or exciting.
2. The Elsie Dinsmore Series by Martha Findley. The Elsie books were ones I loved to hate as a child. Similar to Pollyanna, Elsie is a moral girl faced with trying circumstances. While Pollyanna is an orphan, Elsie must endure scorn from her distant father for her strong Christian beliefs. Throughout the course of the story, Elsie breaks through her father’s hard exterior and even brings him to Christianity. The reason I don’t like this book is not because of the moral message. I think there could be great books that teach the moral imagination about such a subject and I’m sure that many found the tale admirable. But, much like Pollyanna, Elsie does not really show backbone. In fact, even when she’s standing up for beliefs, she faints, hits her head, and faces death’s door. This is all because she refuses to play the piano on a Sunday as she believes it to be morally wrong. I know this is a tangent, but there really seemed to be better ways out of the problem than sitting at the keyboard all day refusing to play. She could have played hymns instead of secular songs, for heavens sake! Most of famous classical music was composed for sacred settings!  But I digress. Elsie’s adventures continue as she patiently bares up to trial after trial and is eventually vindicated by her tormentors relenting and becoming her allies. As admirable as this story is, it’s just not actionable. Seven year olds typically are not that patient. I don’t think I’m that patient now. I have to say that Elise, rather than inspiring me to do good, really just made me spend hours exclaiming over how pointless the piano fiasco was. I sometimes still bring it up to this day (and don’t even get me started on who she marries later in the series…). Many people have fond memories of this series and I don’t want to take that away from them. However, if you’re trying to teach an impatient opinionated child a lesson in patience, I would try another tack.
3. Aesop’s Fables. Much like above, the morals of these stories are extremely clear. These stories do have a lot of literary value, but they are tough to read and appreciate. I would recommend holding off on the whole bundle and maybe introducing one or two of the more famous ones (the Tortoise and the Hare perhaps or the Fox and the Grapes) in the form of a well-narrated book on tape. These narratives can give the color that kids need and reduce the monotony of story after story. Again, these tales have a great deal of wisdom and literary value, but should be used sparingly especially among young children.

Pairs Well with:

It would only be fair if I close this post with a few books that I did like that teach similar lessons to the above. They aren’t a direct correlation, but here’s a quick list of suggestions. I won’t get into why here (because there’s much fodder for discussion on each of them), but here they are!

To Teach Optimism: Calico Captive by Elizabeth George Spear

To Learn Patience: To be honest, I never really learned patience. But if I were to suggest a series about it, the amazing Chronicles of Narnia will cover that story and many more.

To Introduce Stories with Morals: The Princess and the Goblin by George MacDonald

 

A Titian Haired Girl Faces the World

Appetizer:

I’ve always striven to be multi-talented (that and a child prodigy, but neither of them have really worked out so well). I’m not sure whether this had a natural origin or was just influenced by an interest in a variety of things, but my dreams of being multi-dextrous all included absolute success in every venture. Tap dancing? I’m sure I could basically be Gene Kelley in no time. Tennis? The Williams sisters had better watch out. I never got far with these things, though. Tap dancing never happened and tennis, well, I took lessons but never showed significant progress. As an adult, I’ve put some of that behind me, but I’ve always been secretly envious of the one person who seemed to be able to tackle and master all of these various skills: Nancy Drew. Love her, hate her, or everything in-between, but you have to admit that our dear friend Nancy did provide an introduction to practical and impractical skills through her variety of adventures. How else would I have learned the color Titian–or why it’s named that? Or how to hold your hands in a certain manner so your bonds would be tied too loosely? Ok, I never actually mastered the latter one. But still, you get my point.

The Main Course: A Little bit of Mystery and a Whole Lot of Kidnapping

Ok, we can all agree that the Nancy Drew books aren’t the most well-written in the children’s literature genre. In fact, they’re written so formulaically that I could recognize the pattern even at age 10. Part of this is due to their origin: they were created by a series of ghostwriters under the pseudonym Caroline Keene, so of course they needed to follow a set pattern. Despite this fact, though, I can’t deny that I was absolutely obsessed with the stories for a good couple of years. Why? These books, especially the first 56 or so, are a great way for young readers to be introduced to the great genre of mystery. Though there is suspense, you know everything is going to turn out right. No ghosts are real and the heroes always win. You get all the fun of reading a book that chills your spine without the real fear that will keep you up at night. Also, as I hinted at in the appetizer, Nancy really did teach me a lot of things. Though she does get kidnapped in practically every book, you can’t deny that she and her three friends are very resourceful. Sure, it’s not likely that Nancy could trick horseback ride, tap dance, speak Chinese, translate ancient languages, and ski all at the young age of 18, but it’s kind of fun to believe that she could. After all, especially if you’re looking to gain confidence, it’s nice to believe that you can get out of any scrape imaginable. Many would probably argue that the Nancy Drew stories are the “girl version” of the Hardy Boys. Maybe that’s true, after all, female readers are much more likely to read books with a male protagonist than a male is to read a female protagonist, but I think these books are fun for all young readers. Especially if your young reader has an irrational fear of being kidnapped, which I may or may not have had, these books will prove to them that there are literally hundreds of ways to escape. Through book world, they can come to understand that if you keep your emotions from running too far amuck, you really can find your way out of many trying situations.

 

The Nostalgic:

Read a book or two! Especially at an older age, these books fall into the category that I like to read aloud because they’re just so funny at times. These aren’t the type of classics that grow with you; they definitely belong in the children’s section. Still, it’s fun to relive the memories of discovering the secrets of the book as a child. Even better, it’s great to try to make a tally of how many skills Nancy really has. Trust me, some of them are very amusing indeed.

The Benefactor:

Recreate mysteries around your house! Katie and I used to do this all the time in the heyday of our Nancy Drew phase. When we got together to play, one of us would prepare for the visit by creating a mystery plotline and then planting clues all over the house. It was only partially fun, since one of us new all of the clues, but it would be far better if facilitated by a parent or teacher. If you want to be even more adventurous and your reader is a little bit older, think about taking an easy self-defense class or learning a few tips from an online video. Use caution as this kind of training could make a sensitive reader more afraid, but if you make it into a fun way to be more independent, your reader will gain confidence and some useful skills.

Spies, Lies, and Harriet

Appetizer: Give me cake!

Everyone loves an after-school snack. Even now, I find myself craving a bite of something at 3:30 on the dot, even though I’ve been working in an office for several years now. But snack cravings as a child are so much better because calories have no consequence and you never have to think about spoiling your dinner. You’re hungry all the time! No snacks are quite as memorable as those consumed by Harriet the Spy. I always wanted her standard chocolate cake and milk (and longed for a housekeeper who both cooked that much cake AND allowed a child to eat it daily), but nothing sounded worse to me than tomato and mayonnaise sandwiches. Though I know not everyone shares my aversion to mayonnaise, I think we can all agree that Harriet’s sandwich preference is a less than ideal one. Still, as disgusting as that still sounds to me, Harriet the Spy is a great book partially because it features details that stick with you long after you close the cover. Especially for a child, that’s a great reason to keep reading.

 

The Main Course: Spies and Lies

Snacks aside, this book is a memorable one. Unlike many of the stories discussed on this blog, Harriet’s tale is primarily cautionary in nature. The behaviors that Harriet sees as acceptable are ones we should teach children to avoid. Convinced she is a budding professional spy, precocious Harriet spends her days spying on her friends and classmates and candidly writing about them in her notebook. As could easily be foreseen, this leads to a world of hurt for Harriet when the notebook is found, her less-than-kind observations are shared at the school, and an entire club is formed dedicated to combatting Harriet. If that’s not bad enough, Harriet must cope with the sudden engagement and marriage of her beloved Nanny. The story is written as a first person narrative, so it’s Harriet guiding the reader through a world she perceives as unfair and punishing. This makes Harriet an unreliable narrator, perhaps one of the first that a child might encounter. To an adult, her bias is fairly obvious, but it takes a while for a child to start sorting through the fact that they may disagree with this opinionated, spunky character. The brilliance of this book, however, is that Harriet is likeable despite her faults and, through her perspective, the reader does encounter the way to right the mistakes Harriet has made. It is through Harriet’s Nanny that Harriet is given a final choice: she must apologize for what she said in the notebook or she must lie, two things that Harriet hates doing. Harriet chooses to apologize, but the author ensures that this road isn’t depicted as easy work. Harriet may win in the end, but the repair of her relationships isn’t immediate.  It is precisely because Harriet is an unreliable narrator that a child can start to sort through right and wrong for themselves. Do many of Harriet’s actions turn out to be the wrong course of action? Yes. But does Harriet’s experience teach the reader that there is a way to right even what seem insurmountable mistakes? Definitely. That’s a powerful lesson in a book and perhaps part of the reason this book is just so very memorable.

 

Pairs Well With:

The Nostalgic:

Though not a very fun task, re-reading this book does pair well with thinking through the way we interact with other people. If we, as adults, find Harriet’s behavior stubborn or petty towards others, does her behavior teach us something about our own? Perhaps, after reading this book, it would be good to examine your relationships, especially those shallower relationships we easily dismiss as less important, like coworkers or acquaintances. Are we keeping a notebook of our own? Take a week to pair negative observations with positive ones. You might discover that it leaves you with a little more grace to give in moments of tension.

 

The Benefactor:

Have a discussion about the book. What does your reader like about Harriet? What don’t they like about her? Instead of jumping into moral questions, maybe relate a similar experience you’ve had in rectifying a mistake. Having multiple examples may help your reader recognize the lesson without being too anchored to the specifics of the story. This conversation just might be a good one to take place over a nice thick slice of chocolate cake. Or maybe your reader can create a distinct sandwich preference or afternoon snack of their own.

Attics are a Kid’s Best Friend

Appetizer: 

I grew up in a house built in the 1880s. It was 3 stories of Victorian drafty glory in the middle of a Minnesota town. When we moved in, we had a few troubles with bats in the attic and we never really got rid of the spiders in the root cellar. It was the perfect place to explore on a rainy day, play hide and seek, or pretend the world outside remained the same as when the house was built. One place I refused to explore, though was the attic. Oh sure, the attic in a house like that is the holy grail of exploring. But, after hearing soon after we moved that it was empty, I refused to ever confirm. I still haven’t seen that attic. Why? Because if I never saw the attic, all its potential mystery remained. I could imagine that the attic was full of trunks of old dresses or forgotten jewels. I still half-believe that something amazing lurks in that attic, if only I could go back and find it. One of my favorite books for keeping such imaginative dreams alive is The Castle In the Attic.

Main Course: Adventure is up there!

Elizabeth Winthrop’s The Castle in the Attic is a great for many reasons, but one perk of the book is that it’s just as enthralling for a young male reader as a female one. Where Mandy attracts a young girl longing for a home to customize, The Castle in the Attic calls to the adventurer in all of us. The book opens to William receiving a model castle from his housekeeper Mrs. Phillips who gives it as a gift before she leaves his family. Not only is this castle realistic and highly detailed, it also is a family heirloom that boosts a curse on it’s small lead knight. The knight, Sir Simon comes alive, though his size remains diminutive, and William is thrust into a world of adventure. William’s quest isn’t just Medieval, though there’s plenty of that to go around, the book also focuses on the issue of losing what we love. Though Mrs. Phillips is only moving away, William’s love for her leads him to drastically prevent her from leaving. Though he sees this as a natural solution to his jealous desires, his adventures teach him that he must be selfless to really gain his heart’s desires. In the end, Mrs. Phillips still leaves. Just like adult reality, William has to face a new reality that’s painful and unfamiliar for him, but is what’s best for Mrs. Phillips. This understanding is something many adults have to wrestle with, whether it’s a friend moving away for a job or a relationship ending because it’s not meant to be. These realities are tough, but they’re easier learnt in stories. Hearing that others have made it through a difficult time is one of the reasons support groups are so effective. For kids, those support groups are often found in books and clouded by story. William’s adventure is about more than love and loss, in fact, the book is another great example of practical magic. There’s magic to be found in the attic, but it’s not unlimited and operates under strict rules. Not only is this fun for the reader to explore, but it hammers home the similarities between William’s experience and the readers’ own. And, of course, along the way, you’ll learn a lot about the Middle Ages. And who doesn’t love a good way to make history come alive?

Pairs well with:

The Nostalgic: Read this book and it’s sequel The Battle for the Castle. They are both a great way to spend a couple rainy or snowy afternoons. Bonus points for reading in an attic or forgotten nook in your house. Then, maybe follow this up with a trip to the flea market or antique store. Treasure may not be waiting in your attic, but that doesn’t mean you can’t profit from the contents of someone else’s. Bring something small home to remind you that adventure may be closer than you think.

The Benefactor: It’s well known in my family lore that my brother loved this book. In fact, one year he went so far as to buy a small lead knight of his own and give it to my mother for Christmas. I think he felt like the gift would increase the likelihood that the knight would come alive. Though the knight is still around in my parent’s attic somewhere, as far as any of us know, he hasn’t come alive. But for your little reader, this kind of whimsy is plenty of fun. Maybe give them a little lead knight or a model castle. But what’s really fun is creating your own castle! Supply your young reader with the tools to make a model as well as some books about the Middle Ages. Encourage them to make the model as authentic as possible and talk about the comparisons between then and now. This is a fun way to absorb history. In another stroke of family brilliance, my mother filmed my sister and I detailing a model castle of our own (we’d spent hours trying to make it as authentic as possible, even creating characters for ourselves so we could give a realistic tour). Trust me, gems like this will amuse you for years to come.

The Perilous Gard, by Elizabeth Marie Pope

Appetizer: Why St. Patrick’s Day is the new Halloween

My home state of Minnesota claims the distinction of fitting two Octobers into the span of one year. Except for their respective symbols, the pumpkin month and the shamrock month are nearly indistinguishable. Both are cold, drizzly, and foggy. Big, glaring moons fill the nights that aren’t overcast. In the mornings, the mist rising off the ground makes you want to wear your bed quilt to work.

All of this gloomy weather has one very enjoyable effect: it makes me want to reread all of my Gothic literature. What’s that? I’m glad you asked. If you’ve ever deliberately scared yourself by watching Stephen King’s killer clowns, or purposefully puzzled yourself by viewing sparkly teenage vampires, you are enjoying the fruits of the Gothic genre. Typically, this includes heavy doses of supernatural forces, awe-inspiring nature, madness, personal torment, and terror. If this doesn’t sound like your usual cup of tea, don’t worry — authors can pick and choose the elements they enjoy most to create thrillingly atmospheric adventures perfect for those spooky autumn — I mean, March — days.

Main Course: Things That Go Bump in the Castle

According to Ms. Pope, Elizabethan England was also a drizzly place. Her iron-spined heroine, however, is more than a match for frigid fortresses, icy draughts, and much else. Noblewoman Kate is blessed with determination and common sense while her younger sister Alicia inherits all the beauty. When Alicia unthinkingly insults Queen Mary, Kate is the one who is blamed. Shipped ignominiously off into exile at a remote country stronghold, Kate wants nothing more than to keep her head down until all the fuss is forgotten. Unfortunately, at a castle where secrets and silence are the rule of the day, any outsider may fall into an unsuspected trap. No one will explain how the lord’s daughter went missing, or why Christopher, the lord’s angry, silent brother is suspected of having a hand in her disappearance. Neither will they discuss the Fair Folk, whose unseen dealings clearly have more influence on the countryside than England’s ruling class does. When Kate and the lord’s brother are kidnapped, Kate must find a way to free them both, or end up vanished forever.

Grab  a few pillows and turn up the lights for this one — Ms. Pope deftly mixes suspense and history for a chilling but heartwarming tale about self-doubt, self-respect, and what it means to do the right thing. Kate and Christopher’s needling banter provides a happy dose of levity and will-they-won’t-they speculation, while the mix of sinister Druidic practice and fairy lore create a one-of-a-kind climax.

Serving Suggestion: Mostly Thrills with a Dose of Chills

If you enjoy Kate’s battle against dark caverns and overwhelming odds, why not delve a little further into the rich vault of Gothic stories? The Brontë sisters’ Jane Eyre and Wuthering Heights are excellent starting points, as is Jane Austen’s satirical Northanger Abbey, but children’s literature is also swimming with examples. Frances Hodgson Burnett’s The Secret Garden and L. M. Montgomery’s Emily series are both technically Gothic in tone due to the former’s use of the “dark secret” trope to draw the reader into the story, and the latter’s heavy employment of inexplicable supernatural events. Diane Stanely’s The Mysterious Matter of I. M. Fine is a more lighthearted descent into the thrills-and-chills aspect of apparent craziness. Finally, the delighfully-named Lemony Snicket’s Series of Unfortunate Events is about as Gothic as you can get. Just prepare yourself, because as its title suggests, the series is a huge downer — although the author proves that a downer can still be gut-bustingly funny.

 

The Boxcar Children!

Appetizer:

If we are to set aside the love of orphan books for a moment, a large influence on my childhood was the mystery story. Especially ones where the heroes and heroines were kids. Oh, sure, I enjoyed my fair share of Sherlock Holmes, but I liked it when kids my age were the ones solving the mysteries. Even Nancy Drew was too far removed from the type of sleuthing I was capable of, like the ability to drive (well, if we’re being honest, Nancy Drew has a great number of “convenient” talents that can be discussed at a different point). Give me a kid on a bike and we’re in business. Perhaps some of the earliest sleuths I fell in love with were The Boxcar Children! They had it all: orphans, lived in a boxcar, a penchant for uncovering mysteries. Though they ultimately find a home, they begin the series by making their way in the world with only their wits and each other as resources.

Main Course:

Though this is a series, I contend that the best Boxcar Children books are the first five. If you’re familiar with the Nancy Drew series and their authorship, this series suffers from the same problem. The original few books are well written and thought out, but as time goes on either the author shifts or the quality of the story suffers due to the desire to pump out volume after volume in the series (I think there are upwards of a hundred, all told). The first book is my favorite, though the only mystery is the identity of the children themselves. The book centers the four orphaned Alden’s who are trying to their way in the world. They make a home for themselves out of an abandoned boxcar and find work to keep them afloat. Though the children meet with some trials, they generally encounter kind people willing to help them and their story ends with them finding a comfortable permanent home. Even the villain of the story turns out to be generous and loving! Unlike some of the other books I’ve recommended, this book doesn’t grapple with the interplay between good and evil in individual humans. It has a sunny outlook on the world and the trials that the children encounter. As the series goes on, there are mysteries to solve, but none that branch into grislier or darker crimes that characterize books for adults. Rather, they serve as a way for the children to solve problems on their own. Especially in the first books in the series, this results in a pleasurable read and an inspiration for a child trying to gain confidence in their ability to face the trials of the world around them. After all, if a boxcar can be made into a hospitable dwelling place, anything is possible!

Pairs Well With: 

The Nostalgic: Take a dive into a couple of the series that you grew up with. You might be surprised that those first chapter books you read, like these, are so remarkably short! These books are definitely ones that will remind you that the depth you require in a storyline know is much greater than what you demanded in first grade. Still, this is a great inspiration to revisit the attitude you had as a child. Face a day or week with a carefree spirit. Remind yourself that ingenuity and a sunny disposition can resolve at least a portion of the every day problems you face. Who knows, you might discover after a week that the world is a more optimistic place than you once believed. Even if it’s not, perhaps this nostalgic attitude shift will help you give others the benefit of the doubt just a bit more.

The Benefactor: This is one of those book series that can turn a casual reader into an avid one. Though I think only the first few books are really good, the fact that the series boasts so many titles allows your young reader to devour them at a rapid pace. Though the later books start to get into more formulaic plots, it will be a good way for your reader to start to discover things they enjoy in a book beyond the characters. When I was young, I remember identifying a point in reading this series where the plots weren’t as satisfying as they had been earlier on. If you reader hits this same point, capitalize on it! Use it as a means to ask them critical questions about their reading. What changed in the series that made them lose interest? What elements of the books they like stand out as superior?

This book also pairs well with some good old fort making. Though you may not have a handy abandoned boxcar to refurbish, allowing your reader to build a fort of clubhouse or even start a club is a great way to get their creative juices flowing. Maybe they can even start a mystery club and you can plant clues around the house or neighborhood. If they’re anything like Katie and I, they’ll latch onto the idea and start creating mysteries for each other to solve. This mystery solving not only is a fun way to get them out of the house, its a great way to develop critical thinking skills without those boring logic puzzles.

 

 

Mara, My Favorite Nile Daughter

Appetizer:

As a child, there were a lot of things I wanted to be. But one dream that always allured was the possibility of being a spy. You have to be quick witted, read people carefully, and there’s that thrilling danger of being caught. I always felt like the opportunity to try on new identities, so needed by spies, seemed like a logical extension of my propensity for dress-up. There are so many things I could say about this story. After all, I’ve probably read it approximately 40 times. Mara is an enthralling character due to her contradictions. She can read, but only because she grew up a slave and was taught by a benevolent master. She passes herself off as a fine lady, but she has the Egyptian equivalent of a sailor’s mouth (don’t worry, none of the Egyptian curses she spits would be concerning for today’s young readers). The most compelling aspect of her character, though, is that she’s a spy who makes mistakes. She’s no slick James Bond; she’s a young woman attempting to determine right from wrong. Mara is interesting because a young reader can’t clearly place her in the column of hero, but they root for her all the same.

The Main Course: Tombs, Intrigues, Arranged Marriages, Oh My!

I should start by saying this is not technically a book for very young audiences. A great deal of the layer and nuance will be lost on a young reader. The book, however, is such a great follow up to the Golden Goblet and brings history alive in such a way that I think it’s worth it for young readers to hear. McGraw is an enthralling author and this book brings together threads of history in a way that made it much easier for me to understand a Judeo-Christian, Greco-Roman heritage. For example, the arranged marriage between a Babylonian Princess and the Egyptian Prince brings together too ancient cultures that existed during the same time, but one seemed locked in the pages of the Bible while the other seemed to occupy the very separate world of mythology. More than that, though, this book explores the ideas of slavery, freedom, and loyalty in a very human manner. As I’ve said before, these lessons are strongly important to the development of a moral imagination. But Mara is definitely not a history text. It’s a nail biter that takes you from a river boat on the Nile to the heart of Queen Hatshepsut’s palace. And don’t forget the dark journey into the Pyramid of a Great Pharaoh! Mara, a double agent for warring parties, sneaks in and out of the palace, weaving a complicated web of stories and half-promises as she tries to appear to serve all while only serving herself. Just like the reader, Mara begins to see the merits of one side of the other, making a choice with her loyalties. Mara, however, doesn’t make the choice unscathed and the book closes on the heels of a gripping denouement. Suffice it to say, if you haven’t already, you need to read this book immediately. But Mara isn’t the only compelling character. With the same mastery that animates The Golden Goblet, McGraw moves the story forward through the perspective of several key characters, including Innani the Babylonian girl, Sheftu the palace advisor, and Nekonkh the river captain. Each of these characters stand out on their own right and serve as foils against which to test Mara’s character. Innani especially surprises with her depth. Though initially betrayed as backwards and ignorant, Inanni in some ways is the hero that pushes Mara to confront her own actions. This book, in its complexity and spendor, is truly a great read each and every time you take the dive between its covers.

Pairs Well With:

 

The Nostalgic: Reading and re-reading and re-reading. This book is incredible. But as I said in my earlier post, spend some time reading McGraw’s other works to keep the joy going. This is a great jumping off point to creating every day adventures for yourself. Go to a park and imagine a story for each of the characters you past by, a story as vivid as McGraw’s characters. Imagine that you’re an entirely different character and try on the personae in an unfamiliar setting. Though you probably aren’t going to be recruited to be a double agent, add a little bit of thrill to your day!

 

The Benefactor: This book isn’t one to just give to young readers. They’ll enjoy your reading with them or two them to provide the context that makes this book so rich. Though they might grasp it on their own and does not contain objectionable content, it’s a great one to use to start a discussion and understand your reader’s comprehension. This book also works well with all manner of Egyptian crafts. If you can, find a way to take your reader to a Museum with some Egyptian art so they can put color around this world. Use a map to help them see where the different countries mentioned are today (Babylon is especially tricky to place). Ask questions about how your reader feels about the different actions or sentiments held by the various characters in the book. Who do they sympathize with? Who are they not sure about? By adding context to the story, your reader can gain more from the book and dive deeper into the moral quandaries presented by the characters.

The Magic of the Nile

Appetizer: 

I am quite convinced that every child goes through an Egyptologist phase. Personally, mine was much stronger than the horse phase, in part because I felt that there were much better books about ancient Egypt than there were about horses (sorry Black Beauty, I just don’t like books about animals dying). Egypt holds the charm of the Nile, various animal headed gods, and the mystery of pyramids, so the empire is one that lends itself well to children’s books. Though it never charmed me, there are endless facts about the grossness of embalming and potentially curses associated with mummies. No books about Egypt, however, top the mastery of Eloise Jarvis McGraw in her books Mara, Daughter of the Nile and The Golden Goblet. Based solely on the amount of time I spent reading each of these books as a child, I must devote a post to each book separately. The Golden Goblet is much more suited to the Junior audience than Mara, so it’s surely the best place to start.

The Main Course: Boy-Hero

Ok, ok, I know I have a thing about orphans. Ranofer, though, isn’t just a charming orphan. He becomes a hero far before our good friend Harry Potter when he uses his time as apprentice to the goldsmith to stop a sinister plot impacting the royal family. Set under the reign of Pharaoh Thutmose, The Golden Goblet lays bare both the mysticism of ancient Egypt as well as the harsh realities of the impoverished life of an average Egyptian citizen. Working in the Goldsmith’s forge, Ranofer spends his days surrounded by the valuable substance while going hungry each night. Often beaten by his older brother, Ranofer has every excuse to crawl into himself as he faces the moral test of shedding light on the shady business that occurs around him. Rather than giving into his baser nature, Ranofer steps forward, faces his fear, and brings about justice. Though the backdrop may be entirely foreign to the child cracking open the book, Ranofer’s experience colors the mundane moral choices that children make each day. When faced with the next conundrum of childhood, how much easier can it be to face the trial if you remember Ranofer’s courage under the hot Egyptian sun? Then, that choice isn’t just the blandness of “doing the right thing.” It’s aspiring to the behavior of your heroes. Even if it feels uncomfortable or false at first, by employing the imagination, a young reader starts to see that seeking justice—whether in a small way or a large one—is nothing short of exciting and heroic. This book isn’t preachy. It’s brilliant, it’s engaging, and it never gets old.

Pairs Well With:

The Nostalgic: McGraw isn’t an author that fades with age. Her target audience is all those interested in a good story, rather than aiming directly as young children. Again and again, as I fall into this book, I find the prose incredibly engaging. It’s the type of book you’ll start to add to a rotation of re-reading once you’ve encountered it. Aside from a good long reading-binge, this book pairs well with taking a deep dive into the author. McGraw didn’t just write for children and her Greensleeves also serves as an interesting, engaging read. If you’d like to stay in Egypt for a while, do a quick google search for conspiracies related to the ancient culture and you’ll find yourself down a very bizarre and fascinating rabbit hole.

 

The Benefactor: An Egyptian Feast! Ok, you don’t have to eat roast rat or any of the more—uh—exotic staples of Egyptian cuisine, but it’s always fun to try the food of a culture you’re reading about. Maybe try making your own pita bread or tasting ripe figs. Another great project is building your own sugar cube pyramid. If your reader can resist eating the sugar cubes, the project gives dimension to the massive creations erected by this “primitive” culture. Really, there are no end of Egypt projects, but here a few more quick ones: 1) Try writing on papyrus or a similar rough paper scroll 2) Create your own hieroglyphics 3) Try your hand at an Egyptian wall mural 4) Melt down some old gold and try the goldsmithing skills you learned from this book (TOTALLY kidding on this one. Please, please do not do this at home. Or anywhere. Unless, of course, you are a trained goldsmith).

Greetings from Witness Protection!

Appetizer: Tom Cruise I Ain’t

Okay yes, when I was a kid I wanted to be a spy, or a double agent, or a special operative, or at least have some kind of job that necessitated changing my name, wearing reflective sunglasses, and reporting to a shadowy boss. I still do want that, a little. Some ninja training would also be nice. The inconvenient truth is that I would be terrible at special ops. I tend to drop things a lot, and get sneezy when I’m supposed to be quiet, and you can forget about teaching me how to disable a ticking bomb. Playing that retro Operation game has left me psychologically scarred.

Main Course: If Ethan Hunt and Catwoman Had a Baby

In light of my own ineptitude, reading about Jake Burt’s main character in his debut novel Greetings from Witness Protection! is the best kind of wish fulfillment. Nicki is a smart and streetwise foster kid with a pickpocket grandma and a felon dad she can’t help wishing would come to find her. After months of being unable to “stick” with a foster family — and not for lack of trying — the U.S. Marshals contact her with an unusual job offer: Help keep a family safe from the Mob. Nicki must blend in with a witness family and use her unique skills of observation and, um, creative truth-bending to save her new mom, dad, and cranky younger brother from being shanked in their sleep.

Nicki’s first-person narration is at turns wry and unexpectedly sweet; she is a master of sass, and impressively talented, but also has enough real-life concerns to make her an endearing protagonist. Sure, she enjoys flexing her mental muscles and irritating her Marshal handler, but she wishes she could tell her potential new friend her real name. And she worries that she’ll be sent right back to the orphanage if her new foster mother — to whom she’s growing increasingly attached — finds out about her compulsive stealing. All the different plot threads wrap together in the end to create a truly nerve-wracking climax with a satisfying conclusion.

Serving Suggestion: Your Mission Should You Choose to Accept It
Sign up for spy school! Not literally (unless you really, really want a drastic career change). What were the topics that fascinated you as a kid? Do any of them still capture your interest? From the CIA to pirates, Oregon Trail to dinosaurs, there is a wealth of literature and documentaries on your once-favorite subjects. Refresh your interest and feed your curiosity on a subject that still leaves you wanting to know more.

A Cottage of My Very Own

Appetizer:

I always liked to play house. Not just the game where you and your friends mimic the daily lives of adults, but actually play that I owned a house that I could decorate however I wanted. My benevolent parents had a playhouse built for our backyard and my siblings and I spent hours and hours arranging it as various abodes: a cabin in the backwoods, the proper parlor of a well-to-do British family, the cabin of a pirate ship, and a million other things. Sometimes, I found that I didn’t even want to play the game we were pretending because I just wanted to focus on the joy of creating a warm home environment out of that little playhouse. It was a blank canvas for my artistry. It’s no surprise, then, that part of the reason I loved Mandy was because Mandy herself was fascinated with the process of making an abandoned house her home. In fact, thought the book has many charming elements to it, it’s the little house with its bizarre and lovely shell room that always flashes to mind when I think of this book.

The Main Course: Over the Wall

I don’t know if its coincidental or just adds to the magic that Mandy is written by Julie Andrews. But the book certainly holds the warmth she brings to her acting as you follow the little orphan Mandy on her adventures. Mandy is a well-treated orphan with a kindly Matron and even a friend, Sue. She finds that her life lacks something, though she can’t quite pinpoint what it is. She continually seeks solitude, much to the chagrin of Sue. She wanders around the grounds and finally makes the determination to scale the back wall of the garden. Once outside, she finds a whimsical abandoned cottage, quaintly small and in a perfect state of dereliction. Not only is the cottage abandoned, it’s also mysterious with its peculiar room covered in sea shells. Though the entire book is charming, this is where the reading starts to get really good; Mandy starts to make the house into a home. Her adventures of tidying and “borrowing” (re: stealing) items from the orphanage to beautify the cottage obviously lead to trouble, but the reader is solidly on Mandy’s side. The cottage has a magnetic quality. Often, I would wander around my neighborhood in search of secret abandoned cottages that I could similarly renovate. Unfortunately, there weren’t any. As the book continues, Mandy’s troubles escalate as she starts getting sick on top of the heaps of trouble she’s gotten herself in. The cottage has also been purchased by someone who starts leaving notes for Mandy to find inside. No spoilers here, but the book ends just as charmingly as it begins. It’s a delight throughout. But really, the best part is the cottage decorating. There’s just something so human an elemental in Mandy’s innocent desire to make a place of her own in the world.

Pairs Well With:

The Nostalgic: Chances are, by this point, some of your surroundings at least are under your control. Find a way to spruce your own “cottage” to make it new and exciting again. Rearrange furniture or add an easy DIY project to remind yourself of your power to create something beautiful and unique. Or take it one step beyond and imagine or draw that dream home of yours. If you were to create something new and wonderful for yourself, what would it be like? How would it connect to your deepest desires?

The Benefactor: If I had to venture into being a moralist here, I would say that I think this story is primarily about ownership and responsibility. In the short term, Mandy is not rewarded for stealing or altering what is not her own. However, the results remain positive for her. I won’t try to get into Julie Andrews’ mind here, but I think that there’s a lesson in that. We all crave ownership and we desire stewardship of our things from others. If my book is going to be lent to a friend, I would hope it would return without jam on it as it is property that’s important to me. I want to share it with another because it brings me joy to provide joy for another person, but I want it to be respected as my property. Similarly, if my room is my own, I want to make it reflect the fact that it’s owned and cared for by me. I’m proud when my surroundings reflect care and my values. Give your little reader a chance to express this sort of ownership and discuss the importance of stewardship. Maybe this is allowing them to decorate their room just as they see fit. And be aware that their ideas may or may not be in good taste. That’s not the point. They will find joy in its being a reflection of their desires. I can’t say that decorating my own room led me to make my bed every day without complaint, but I generally kept my room straighter and neater because of it. More importantly, though, I’ve found that that early desire to make a structure a home has allowed me to see hospitality, stewardship, and charity in the adult world as something joyful and elemental.