Review - The Island of the Blue Dolphins by Scott O'Dell

 

This fine, short novel won the Newbery Award in 1961 and is O'Dell's most recognized work. As with most historical novels it maintains its relevance well.

The novel, like many of O'Dell's stories, is based on actual history, in this case the story of Juana Maria who was stranded on San Nicolas Island from 1835-1853. It is a story that showcases how close to the edge of mortality primitive societies live. It features sharp, painful loss as well as triumph and growth.

The main character, Karana, of necessity, assumes both the traditional roles of men and women. She builds a friendship with a woman who comes to the island with a band of Aleuts, a tribe with whom Karana's tribe had fought. She also finds companionship with the animals of the island, particularly two dogs.

Very well crafted, The Island of the Blue Dolphins is a highly recommended tale of adventure, adversity, resourcefulness and perseverance.

The Cricket in Times Square - Newbery Honor

This story has a lot going on - the main characters are a cricket, a mouse, a cat, a boy, and the boy's parents, quite a cast for a juvenile book. Further the book deals with themes of music, especially classical music, business, homesickness, and gaining acceptance, also quite a diverse chunk.

However, George Selden melds them all together in a very enjoyable and relatively short, story.

The cricket, Chester, finds himself in Times Square having gotten on a train in Connecticut. He is befriended by Tucker, the mouse, and Harry, the cat, and soon, Mario, the boy. Despite some early missteps, he comes to be accepted and brings prosperity to Mario's parents' newsstand. However, Chester misses "the country" and, in the end, his friends help him hop a train for home.

This is an excellent book, most editions have Garth Williams' superlative illustrations. Well recommended.

Today's poem:

Unique

Not like the others
They know,
Some earlier than others.
Once I hid the difference
But why?
I am who I am
Does it matter
What they think?
Once I thought so.
It made me sad.
I let them hurt me
With their words
And deeds.
But I am who I am
And there is nothing
Wrong with me.
So everyone else
Can love me
Or leave me
But I'm ok
Just like I am.

This is part of Conditions by Greg Schroeder. Available at Smashwords.com.

"I wrote this after being in town with a Comicon and watching the young people enjoying themselves and the older people (many of them) being taken aback by the costumes."

Happy National Poetry Month!!

I'll use the fact that April is National Poetry Month to be inspired to start blogging again. "Life" was a little too busy in March, especially with the never-ending winter, but it IS time to diversify again and get back to at least some writing.

That said, I am going to try to participate in Think Out Loud, Throwback Thursday, and Feature and Follow each week. Then I am going to try and run a feature each week of one Newbery winner (or should have won - young adult book), one romance novel, and one science-fiction/fantasy novel.

Finally, I will try to post a poem a day. This is all very ambitious, please let me know how I'm doing and send me suggestions for any or all of the above!

Today's poem (from my upcoming collection, Moments to be published in multiple eBook formats through Smashwords.com, April 5):

Spring Sky

Spring has come;

There are buds on the lilacs

The sun no longer is its weak

Winter self.

But the sky, the sky

This spring night

Harkens back to the winter.

Cold air gives a sharpness

The scarcity of clouds

An open vista

To thousands, nay, millions

Of tiny twinkling pinpricks.

Book Review - Caddie Woodlawn

Caddie Woodlawn by Carol Ryrie Brink won the Newbery Medal in 1936 and was an inaugural recipient of the Lewis Carroll Shelf Award in 1958. It is often compared to the Little House books of Laura Ingalls Wilder. This is unfair to both as the two heroines have a completely different approach to childhood.

Caddie is semi-biographical, based on Ms. Brink's grandmother's childhood in Wisconsin.

Our protagonist is 11 at the start of the novel in the summer of 1864. Caddie is a tomboy and most of the chapters deal with her adventures with her two brothers, Tom and Warren. There are historical events woven into the narrative - the Civil War rages far away and, closer to home, the Sioux uprising in Minnesota two years before inject tension between the local Native American (Indian) tribe and the settlers.

Two core themes drive through the book, from Caddie's perspective: she comes to terms with growing up and she realizes how precious being an American is.

Although Caddie will never be a "lady" she does come to value the traditional women's roles, and, in a twist unusual for the 1930s, her brothers take a turn at learning the "domestic arts". The other theme that is driven home is the egality of being an American; the idea that life is what you make of it not what is given to you by reason of birth.

Many of Caddie's adventures are typical frontier adventures, dealing mainly with the natural dangers that the pioneers had to deal with entirely with the resources at hand and their wits. Throughout the book we are given Caddie's perspective, realizing what motivates and causes the behaviors she notices in the people she cares about.

I really enjoyed the book both when I read it as an 11-year-old and as I re-read it now. It can be read as a simple adventure book but it can also be read as a relatively deep novel of realization; of growing-up and finding one's way in the world.

Do you have childhood favorites that you've reread as an adult? Leave me a note!

Women's Lit Event - Kick-off

I am so please to participate in the Women's Lit Event sponsored by Lost in Books.

Please hop over there to see my profile of children's author Beverly Cleary discussing her appeal to BOTH boys and girls for several generations.

A little later in the month my review of the classic Newbery winner Caddie Woodlawn by Carol Ryrie Brink will also be posted.

While you're there see what else Becca has planned for the Event which is in honor of Women's History Month. And stop back here and at Lost in Books throughout the month for new posts and interesting tidbits related to the theme.

Greg

P.S. Need a copy of one of Beverly Cleary's books?? We have a selection of pre-read copies here, all under $5, including shipping.

As of March 1 we had two used copies of Caddie for sale through Biblio.com, both under $4.25 including shipping.