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 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.

 

 

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).

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.

If Only I were an Orphan!

Appetizer:

Much to the chagrin of my long-suffering parents, I repeatedly told them that I wanted to be an orphan. What they heard was that their ungrateful daughter wanted them dead. But really, I didn’t want that at all. Aside from when I was suffering under their strict discipline (read: I justly deserved punishment for bratty behavior), I really liked my parents and still do. I just wanted the freedom and the mystery associated with orphan-hood depicted in children’s books. When you don’t have parents to take care of you in a book, you have the thrilling experience of being thrust in the word and taking care of yourself. Or, better yet, you have the possibility of being the long-lost daughter of royalty or some other wealthy society figure. And even if your parents are well and truly dead, well, book orphans inevitably have the option of being adopted by benevolent and/or eccentric billionaires who launch them into exciting worlds beyond their wildest dreams. Though I accept the reality of my parents being alive and well with joy now, I’ve always retained a fascination of orphan-hood as depicted by some of my favorite orphan books.

The Main Course: A Spunky Redhead

There are many notable orphan stories, including the famous redhead Annie, but nothing quite compares to the Anne of Green Gables series by L.M. Montgomery. Though this series stretches beyond junior fiction, the original Anne of Green Gables and arguably Anne of Avonlea are two books that defined my childhood. The plucky redhead (why is there such a connection between red hair and orphans?) is exactly what I wanted to be as a child: unquenchable. Anne’s imagination is contrasted brightly with the practicality of her adopted guardians Matthew and Marilla Cuthbert. Just like Marilla, and older reader of the stories can’t help but be charmed by Anne’s often foolish flights of fancy. For a young reader, Anne is a guide who doesn’t give up dreaming, even when pressured. Anne, though, isn’t the only memorable character from these works. Who can forget—some of us with lingering rage—the antics of that rogue Gilbert Bythe! Each character in this series is multi-faceted, from Gilbert (who suddenly becomes charming with time) to Marilla (whose early harshness slowly wears away). But perhaps the best character for understanding humanity is Mrs. Rachel Lynde. Throughout the book, Mrs. Lynde is shown as nosy and condescending. But as time goes on, Mrs. Lynde reveals herself as loyal and even she comes to love Anne Shirley. The fact that she and Anne go from sworn enemies to friends is a testament to the power of human connection. Though the world of Prince Edward Island seems to hold a magical beauty in this book, the characters throughout it seem real in their complexity. They are easy companions to love in one reading and become old friends with the inevitable return to reading this book again and again and again.

Pairs well with:

The Nostalgic: Constant re-reading. This book is one I love to visit every few years. That, and the mini-series is really spectacular. Though it does take a few liberties, it’s still worth a nice marathon watching on a cold, rainy day.

The Benefactor: Reading aloud! This is a great book to read on a road trip or at night. The vivid characters and the anecdotal nature of the writing make it easy to start and stop this book through a period of days or weeks. But beware! Several of Anne’s stunts, including her memorable walking on the ridge-pole of the roof, are very imitable. Depending on the height of your roof, this book pairs well with a lesson on caution.

Gone Away and Never Coming Back

Appetizer:

Its hard, even as a kid, to believe that magic is real. Obvious magic, that is. The kind that turns pumpkins into carriages or locks you in an epic battle of good and evil featuring monsters and dragons. I hated being practical, but it was always a bit easier when the magic in books was a bit more subtle. Like when only children can see the magical beings. Or, like in the book Gone Away Lake by Elizabeth Enright, the place of your imagination really does exist, it’s just tucked into a community in the middle of nowhere.

The Main Course: Swamps, Secrets, and a LOT of Old Houses

Gone Away Lake is that place you hope to discover every time you walk in the woods as a kid or wander down a road you’ve never explored: a forgotten community of old houses congregated around a giant swamp. It has everything I dreamed of as a kid: old houses, vintage fashions, and home ownership as an adolescent. Though that last part might have been particular to me, the appeal of a club house that’s really a run-down mansion is pretty universal among kids. This book is charming cover to cover, especially since it features the joys of summer as a child so prominently. But what really captivated me as is that this forgotten community is a way to make the past alive. It’s not as far fetched as a time machine (though I always rather hoped those were real too), but it’s just removed enough from daily society that you can pretend you can go back in time. It was the perfect compromise for me. I knew that it wasn’t likely that I would go back in time, but that didn’t diminish my desire to do it. But finding a community that time had passed by gave you the best of the past with all the conveniences of the present. It’s perfect! More than many other books, this one captivated my imagination because it bridged imagination and reality. It taught me to hope that I could create some of the elements of the world of my imagination in the real world. Not to be pedantic, but if that’s not a lesson we all crave to learn and hope our children should learn, well, you and I may disagree on the concept of the moral imagination. By believing that the two worlds can be melded, it makes it so much easier to understand that the subconscious, conscious, or even just delightful lessons learned in fantasy land can have a practical application in daily life. For an older reader, this can be a balm to those days when you know your era of dress up is ending, but you don’t quite want to give up the desire to live as someone else.

 

Pairs Well With:

The Nostalgic: I would say this pairs well with home buying, but that is most likely impractical, if not downright foolish, advice. But, if you’re like me and have always dreamed of living in a dilapidated mansion that you’ve restored to glory, well, this book will definitely put you in the mood for some fixing up. Short of expending a lot of cash, though, this book is a great jumping off point to remember that melding magic and reality is possible. Maybe that means wandering out in the woods and hoping to find something entirely new. Or maybe that’s flea market shopping to find that much smaller gem to restore. Maybe it’s just adding a sense of magic to your daily life. Whatever the case may be, let yourself believe that magic is real for a few days. Who knows what will happen? Maybe you’ll just find your own Gone Away.

 

The Benefactor: This book is fundamentally important to let breed some silliness. Let those little ones in your life believe in magic! If that’s just giving space for some fort creation or wandering in the woods, let that be an opportunity! Giving space and time to explore is vital for indulging in this book. Maybe engage in some magic making yourself by joining in the pretending or telling a folk tale. Luckily too, this book has a tremendous sequel, Return to Gone Away that can continue to spark the imaginative fire. And, if you’re particularly generous, well, you can always plan a trip to a living history site with re-enactors or tour an old mansion. Even understanding that such places exist can be a balm to an imaginative young soul.

The Magic of Stuart Little

Appetizer:

Reading position is very important. Whether you prefer to take your book into the bath with you, read flat on your stomach or curled in a chair, or read before bed each night all say a great deal about you as a person. As a child, I often built book hideouts, a practice that started with my reading of Stuart Little. Often, like a cat, I sought patches of sunlight, either on a couch or a pile of pillows. Even now, I like to close my door and curl up on my bed to read, shutting out the outside world so I can better concentrate on the magic within. Tents and canopies are always good too—there’s nothing like a good canopy to make you feel transported far, far away. All you need to do is climb in, hunker down and prepare for a good long read.

The Main Course: 

I vividly remember the first time I read Stuart Little. It was a sunny day and I curled up in the remotest patch of sunlight I could find in my house. At seven or so, I was adept at hiding for an afternoon to read a book or go on imaginary adventures. I’d even go so far as to ignore my name being called by my mother and siblings. This is a very dangerous game if you know my mother. But Stuart Little was a very special book. It made you want to finish it in one setting, no matter the costs. It was engrossing and felt adult. I could grasp reading it as a real chapter book, but it didn’t feel like my effort laden previous attempts to branch beyond early readers. My memory isn’t perfect here, but Stuart Little was as much as story as an experience for me. It was the book that started my ownership of reading. The story is great too! Stuart is a fascinating, feisty mouse that you want to root for. Where else but in this book do you follow a mouse adopted by a family of humans through New York City on a toy car and a boat? The book is charming. It also was really meaningful for my family because I have two adopted siblings. My siblings were born later, but this book gave me a casual acquaintance with the concept that family can be broader than birth. It wasn’t preachy. The book certainly doesn’t have an agenda. It just tells a story that in a subtle way makes you understand that love isn’t just bloodlines.

Pairs well with:

The Nostalgic: Charlotte’s Web! Most likely, this book will be the subject of it’s own post, and maybe this is just my experience, but these two books are linked in my mind. I must have read them at the same time, but they just fit together. Also, relive that childhood wonder of falling into a book. Go to your public library, thumb through the shelves of children’s books, and then block an afternoon to tuck yourself away to indulge. Phones are banned, no obligations are allowed. Just read.

 

The Benefactor: Suggest that your reader try this on their own. Don’t assign it, don’t read it aloud just recommend it as a good book. And then give them space. Maybe this book is the start of their ownership of reading. Maybe it’s not. But it might be the place to encourage them to take a leap and create a reading style of their own.

Mixed Up Files? Art? Generous Benefactresses? Count me in!

Appetizer:

Hi! My name is Leah and I’m a hopeless lover of children’s literature in her 20s, foolishly thumbing her way through the Junior Fiction shelves and cherishing memories every time I visit my local library (a trip that is probably more frequent than my ventures to the grocery store). Rather than just dwelling in nostalgia, I wanted to do something productive with that love. I’m a firm believer that good books cultivate the moral imagination, particularly in young children. Good children’s literature is out there, but sometimes it’s hard to remember the books that defined us as children once you’re an adult. Rather than letting those memories fade, I want to aggregate those books, those memories, and the great things I think those books taught in one space. I’m not a teacher and I’m not a parent. In fact, my only qualifier is a bachelor’s degree in English Literature and a collaborator (more on that later) who is a Librarian. My purpose isn’t to create lesson plans or tell you how to raise your kids. Rather, my purpose is to aggregate books both for the Nostalgic (like me) and the Benefactor (more on that below) to use as they see fit. Books are an essential part of daily life for me. Not everyone feels that way, especially with the advent of technology. As much as I love my iPhone, movies, and a good Netflix binge, I don’t think imagination can be cultivated by the screen in the same way it grows out of the page. Let me provide the books in a menu fashion, along with an activity “pairing.” Keep an open mind, and maybe you’ll come to agree with me. Or maybe you’ll just have a good time remembering all those books you loved growing up.

The Main Course: The Mixed Up Files of Mrs. Basil E Frankweiler

I loved this book from the second I opened the first page. Why? Because Claudia is a planner just like me. She created adventure and independence that seemed plausible, even for a child who grew up in the Midwest, far from the wonders of the Met and public transportation. Claudia isn’t a heroine who has adventure thrust upon her. In fact, Claudia very forcefully throws herself into adventure by planning for weeks, choosing her allies, and laying out the objectives for her adventure well in advance. Claudia is the heroine every type-A child has been craving without realizing it’s even possible to be a type-A heroine.

Though this book is delightful and imaginative, it is also practical. One of my most vivid memories of this book centers around harvesting coins from a public fountain. Not only do the Kincaid children have the fun of splashing around in a public fountain (something I still long to do every time I pass one in a park), but they use this bath time as an opportunity to replenish their dwindling budget. Brilliant! Jamie and Claudia also experience hardship throughout their adventure. They mention many times how hungry they are as they spend the night in the Museum. Their laundry grows grey as it’s washed all together in a Laundromat washer, a lesson we all learned in the book rather than having to encounter it dismally in a college dorm building.

Surely, with all this practicality, this book has to be about as boring for an imaginative child as cardboard, right? Not even close! When paired with the magic of art, the practicality of this book is a vehicle to creating adventure in daily life. Art and history are exciting in the world of E.L. Konigsberg’s Metropolitan Museum of Art. The beautiful angel, barely described, becomes real in the mind as the eager reader heads to the Internet or the library to aquaint themselves with Michelangelo’s magnificent sculptures. They won’t find the angel statue, but they will find themselves falling in love with one of the greatest examples of mankind to turn stone into living flesh.

I chose to start this blog with this book because when I think about books that defined my childhood, this one was one of the first that came to mind. It’s a book that makes life adventurous, which is something I continue to search for every day. These are the books that raised me, enhanced my imagination, and instilled in me an appreciation of beauty. In the tapestry of that imagination building, The Mixed Up Files is the thread that ties practical me to the possibility of a grand adventure. E. L. Konigsberg wrote this book 50 years ago this year (2017), yet the story remains vibrant and readable today. Isn’t it time to pass it along to the next generation?

This Blog doesn’t want to just tell you about good children’s books, we want you to create your own adventure for each book. Each book will be accompanied with two pairings: one for the Nostalgic and one for the Benefactor. The Nostalgic is reading each book to rekindle the feelings they felt about books in childhood or just discovering excellent Children’s Literature for the first time. The Benefactor is reading to pass this book on to others, be it the students in their classroom, their child, or any other children upon whom they feel like imposing great literature.

Pairs Well With:

The Nostalgic: A good old fashioned romp through the internet to see what’s fact and what’s fiction in this book. Track down the mystery for yourself. Is there an angel? What inspired the book? Take it to the next level by visiting an art museum in your area (or the Met if you’re able) and imagine what you would do if you lived in the museum like Jamie and Claudia. Maybe use the book as an opportunity to do something creative like painting a watercolor or trying your hand at some sculpting. Or, if you’re like me, just spend an evening listening to a book on tape and working your way through an adult coloring book.

The Benefactor: Start with reading the book and then encourage your reader to do what Jamie and Claudia did and head to the library! Either online or in a real library, check out books, look at pictures, and read articles on the Italian Renaissance, Michelangelo, and Sculpture. Practice your own sculpting skills by trying to copy a sculpture using clay or Playdough. Take it to the next level and visit an art museum in your area. Ask your reader what they would do if they were staying the Museum like Jamie and Claudia. Encourage them to take Claudia’s idea about learning everything about a topic and focus your tour on a particular work of art or collection. Just be sure to keep an eye on the kids when you get near a fountain. Nabbing a coin or two is a very tempting prospect, especially after hearing about it in the book.