Waxing Nostalgic

A recent post by Read-Aoud Dad about his difficulty talking to his twins when they were babies resonated with me. As a writer and bit of an introvert (okay, as a lot of an introvert), I spend hours wrapped up in my thoughts. Back then I often had to make a conscious effort to remember to speak to my young daughter. Don't be alarmed; she grew up just fine.

My taciturnity didn't extend to reading, thank goodness. I read to her frequently, and starting when she was a baby. Thinking back to those days, I remember some of the books that she especially enjoyed and that I read to her again and again and again. Luckily, she had good taste, so I didn't mind. (The exception was The Little Engine that Could, which one of her doting aunts gave her. Was that book long! The illustrations were fun, but I never bought into its moral. Sometimes, frankly, it's just better to call it a day and give up. But that's me. When my daughter handed me the book, my solution was to "read" a heavily abridged version of it.)

But that's jumping ahead. As a toddler she had three or four favorite books. Two were board books by Rosemary Wells, Max's Bedtime and Max's Birthday, a special favorite. Max receives a wind-up dragon for a present and is scared of it. Until it stops. Then he wants it wound up again. Hilarious stuff to an 18-month-old.

The Story of a Fierce Bad Rabbit was a gift from my mother, who presented all her young grandchildren with a copy of Beatrix Potter's tale. Unlike many of Potter's more famous works, A Fierce Bad Rabbit is short, with just one or two lines per spread. Its simple, direct story is what makes it so perfect for toddlers.

It begins "This is a fierce bad Rabbit; look at his savage whiskers, and his claws and his turned-up tail." The illustration reveals an ordinary bunny, nothing fierce or savage about it. Turn the page. "This is a nice gentle Rabbit. His mother has given him a carrot." The good rabbit is the mirror image of the first.

The bad rabbit proceeds to take the good rabbit's carrot, hurting the rabbit "very badly." A man with a gun mistakes the bad rabbit, now eating the carrot, for a bird, and shoots it (yes, shoots it). Off the bad rabbit streaks, unharmed except that it's missing its tail and whiskers.

The bad rabbit in the act of stealing the carrot.

This simplistic tale of good versus bad (which resides in us all, hence the brilliance of the two rabbits looking alike) enthralled my daughter. And, let's face it, keeping your hands off other people's carrots is a lesson worth knowing. Think of all the world leaders who would have benefited by having Potter's tale read to them when young.

I'll save my toddler daughter's other favorite book for another post. Stay tuned.

Ten Authors Who Deserve More Recognition

It's Tuesday again. Time for another Top Ten list. This week topic at The Broke and the Bookish is Ten Authors Who Deserve More Recognition. Doesn't every bibliophile think that her favorite authors deserve more play time, no matter how famous they already are? I know I do. Still, I tried my best to be impartial. Here are ten writers that I wish were better known or more well regarded. Some you may know; others not. No matter. Look them up. Check them out. You won't be sorry.

1. Diana Wynne Jones. Sadly, Wynne Jones died just this past week at the age of 76. A magnificent fantasy writer for children, she penned the Chrestomanci series, as well as Howl's Moving Castle, which was made into an animated film that is great in its own right. My personal favorites are Witch Week, Black Maria, and The Ogre Downstairs. She is nowhere near as well-known as England's current reigning fantasy writer, J. K. Rowling. But she should be. She's the better writer with a much wider range. (Sorry, Harry Potter fans.)

2. Peter Cameron. Have you heard of Peter Cameron? My guess is probably not. Yet he's a great short story writer; try his collection The Half You Don't Know (1983). He writes especially well of sensitive, aimless young men, as in his recent YA novel Someday This Pain Will Be Useful to You, listed in ALA's 2008 Best Books for Young Adults.

3. Joyce Porter. It was a happy day when I discovered Porter, an English mystery writer, and her mystery novels about Wilfred Dover, the most lazy, greedy, and unhygienic detective ever to flash a badge. Dover and the Unkindest Cut of All (1967) had me in stitches.

4. Jane Gardam. Gardam has been writing for many, many years, but I've only just discovered her. When I recommend her to writer friends and other bookish people, I'm often greeted with a polite, blank stare, which leads me to believe she's not as well known as she should be. She is a wonderful, wonderful writer of dazzling ability. Old Filth (2004) and its companion book The Man in the Wooden Hat (2009) alone safeguard her place in the literary canon. God on the Rocks (1978) and The Queen of the Tambourine (1991) are superb as well. Read them. Now.

5. Roddy Doyle. An Irish writer, Roddy Doyle won the Booker Prize in 1993 and several of his novels have been made into movies. So why is making an appearance on my list? Doyle is underrated as a novelist, in my opinion. Because his novels flow so effortlessly, he makes it look easy. But read--or reread--Paddy Clark Ha Ha Ha (1993) or The Woman Who Walked into Doors (1996) or its sequel (and my favorite) Paula Spenser (2006). Each one is so well-crafted and observed. Doyle is an incredible writer. Get to know him.

6. Margaret Drabbler. Drabbler is certainly well-known, in England, if not here. However, in most literary circles she's placed below her older sister, the writer and critic A.S. Byatt, winner of numerous awards. That has to rankle. Having read both authors, I prefer Drabbler. Her novels resonate with me, especially The Witch of Exmore (1996) and The Seven Sisters (2002).

7. W. Somerset Maugham. Although very highly regarded--and popular--in his day, Maugham has fallen out of favor with modern-day readers. I'm not sure why. He's an excellent writer and his short stories are well-crafted and absorbing. Consider how many of his work have been made into movies (and excellent ones at that): Of Human Bondage, The Painted Veil, The Letter, Rain, The Razor's Edge, Being Julia, and many, many more. Will Maugham's reputation rebound? Time will tell, but I hope so.

8. Alison Bechdel. I love Alison Bechdel. A talented cartoonist, she illustrates and writes the long-running comic strip Dykes to Watch Out For, now published as a book. I'm also of big fan of her graphic memoir, Fun Home, which tells the story of her complex relationship with her emotionally-distant and--as she discovers--gay dad.

9. Elizabeth Gaskell. You might have heard of Gaskell from the Masterpiece Theater program Cranford, a serialization about life in a sleepy English town in the 1840s. Gaskell, a contemporary of Dickens (who published some of her work in his magazine), is little known today. I read her novel Wives and Daughters years ago, and found it well-plotted with strong women characters.

10. Sylvia Townsend Warner. If you read nothing else of hers, treat yourself to Lolly Willowes, Townsend Warner's first novel, published in 1926. Not only is it a hoot--a middle-class spinster takes up witchcraft after breaking free of her family--the novel frequently appears on authors' best novels lists.

Now it's your turn. Which writers do you feel need more respect. Or, better yet, which ones already have more than their fair share? Let us know!

Sign Language for Kids

For the past several months I've been writing a book on American Sign Language (ASL) for beginners. Am I qualified? Absolutely--I'm a complete beginner. When I started this project I didn't know one single sign. That's what I like about being a freelance writer. It introduces you to subjects you know nothing about, and before long, you're a semi-expert in the field. In my quest to learn ASL, I've enrolled in a class and, naturally, I've done a ton of research. Since my book will be geared to adults, I've focused on adult sources. However, one day in the children's section of my local library, I browsed the 400 section and found Lora Heller's Sign Language for Kids: A Fun & Easy Guide to American Sign language. It was published by Sterling in 2004, and it is, without a doubt, one of the best introductions to sign language that I've found. Why learn ASL? Even if they don't know someone who is deaf or hearing-impaired, many kids enjoy learning new languages, which ASL most definitely is. In fact, ASL has become so popular that it is now the fourth language studied in the U.S. Pretty impressive!

Sign Language for Kids features six engaging child models demonstrating the signs. The close-up photographs are sharp and clear, making them easy to follow (which is more than I can say for some of the adult books). The text begins by teaching kids how to form the manual alphabet and numbers up to one hundred.  The following chapters are organized according to a child's interests, such as home, family, pets, school, favorite foods, sports and hobbies. When applicable, Heller explains the reasoning behind a sign and offers hints to help remember it. For instance, to form the the sign for "learn" you mimic picking something up from your open palm and touching your fingers to your forehead. This symbolizes taking knowledge from a book and putting it into your brain. To help remember the sign for "summer" (you draw your index finger across your forehead), Heller advises pretending you're wiping sweat off your brow. The book concludes with a section on linking words and instruction on how to form sentences. By the time a child has reached the final page, he or she will be able to express simple thoughts in ASL, quite an accomplishment.

This week's Nonfiction Monday is at Practically Paradise.

Quote of the Week

"Ideas are like rabbits. You get a couple and learn how to handle them, and pretty soon you have a dozen."
~ John Steinbeck

Horrid Henry the Movie

Bad boys have always been popular, in books and on the screen. The poet John Milton recognized this. After all, it's the devil who steals the show in his epic Paradise Lost. Children are no exception to liking characters who misbehave. Think of Rotten Ralph, Bad Kitty, and Bart Simpson to name a few. Across the pond, the Horrid Henry books by Francesca Simon sell like hot cakes and have been doing so since the first book came out in 1994. Fifteen years later, the books were finally published stateside for the first time. I've read a few, and I can certainly see their appeal.

Now a movie based on the series is about to be released. Judging by the trailer, it looks like a kiddie version of Ferris Bueller's Day Off, a movie I didn't particularly care for. On the other hand, Anjelica Huston with her posh British accent appears to be having a ball playing the teacher. Take a look for yourselves:

Top Ten Bookish Pet Peeves

Who doesn't like to complain? Not me. This week's topic over at The Broke and the Bookish is pet peeves of the bookish variety. Here are my top ten.

1. Marginalia
Marginalia is hot these days. I've read several articles singing its praises, such as this New York Times article. Sorry, I disagree. Except for textbooks, I don't mark up my books and I don't appreciate when other people do. I don't want to check out a library book and find some unknown reader's scribblings. If you're Alice Munro or J. M. Coetzee, go ahead and write in my books. Everyone else, hands off!

2. Teeny-tiny text
Okay, the eyes are going, but I do wear progressive lens. And I'm nowhere near ready for large-print books. In most books the font size and leading are just fine. But for others you need a magnifying glass.

3. Super-realistic book covers
I'm not a fan of illustrated book covers that look like photographs. Especially when they replace a perfectly wonderful original jacket. Case in point, Harriet the Spy. The original, which I read as a child, showed a pen-and-ink illustration by its author, Louise Fitzhugh. Cut to the late 1990s, when I bought the novel for my daughter to read. The super-realistic cover showed a modern girl who looked absolutely nothing like Harriet! Ugh. Today, I'm happy to say, Harriet the Spy has been reissued with its original cover, albeit in blue not orange.

4. Spoilers
Ever read a review, blurb, or back cover that gave away too much of the plot? I sure have.

5. Typos
I've worked as a copyeditor, so I know, none better, that it is impossible to catch every typo. Errors slip in and, slippery as fish, they are hard to catch. Still, when I'm reading a published book I don't expect to find more than a couple. Otherwise I begin to think that the book wasn't properly edited, that it's an orphan no one cared about. So why should I?

6. Magazine articles turned into full-length books

We've all read them. The author had a great idea and wrote a magazine article about it. Much applause followed, as well as a book deal. Turns out, though, that the author doesn't have much more to say than he did in the original article. So you read a book that's crammed with filler. This often happens with blogs. A great blog does not necessarily make a great book. 

7. Novels with "huh?" endings

Don't you hate getting to the end of a good novel and you're left with all these loose ends, or, worse, an ending that comes out of nowhere? I sure do. I read a lot of mysteries and this genre is especially guilty.

8. Celebrity-written children's books 

Madonna. Billy Crystal. John Lithgow. Sarah Ferguson. Kate Couric. The list goes on and on. It seems than anyone who's anyone can pen a children's book. They make it seem so easy. Except it's not. Most children's book authors will tell you how many years of hard work it took before an agent or editor looked at their manuscript, never mind signing them to a contract. To add insult to injury, most celebrity authors books are not very good. 

9. Chain bookstores with children's sections crammed with more toys than books
I'm seeing this more and more. My local Borders has a children's section that is packed with toys. And I mean actual toys, not toys packaged with toys (although they have plenty of those as well). The books are shoved against the back walls, almost apologetically. And of course the kids gravitate straight to the plush animals and gizmos and doodads, not the books.

10. Martin Amis and others who disrespect children's literature
In a recent interview the British novelist Martin Amis said only brain injury could make him write for children, adding "I would never write about someone that forced me to write at a lower register than what I could write." Well! A lot of ink has been spilled commenting on his remarks. I'll add that this belief, that children's literature can never be as serious, as important, as worthy, as adult literature is prevalent in our culture. Yes, there are plenty of children's novels that are middling or even not very good. Guess what? The same can be said for adult novels. But the best children's novels certainly deserve the name of literature. I wonder, what books did Amis read to his kids?

Whew! It felt good getting all that off my chest. What about you? What ticks you off?

Spring Has Sprung!

Awake, thou wintry earth -
Fling off thy sadness!
Fair vernal flowers, laugh forth
Your ancient gladness!
~ Thomas Blackburn, "An Easter Hymn"

Sunday was the Spring Equinox. As if on cue, a robin made its first appearance in our backyard in eastern Pennsylvania. To celebrate the longer days of light, here are five books about Spring to share with young readers.

Spring: An Alphabet Acrostic
By Steven Schnur
Illustrated by Leslie Evans
Clarion, 1999

This book is out of print but well worth searching for. Starting with A for April (After days of/Pouring/Rain, the last/Ice and snow/Leave the earth.), each letter of the alphabet gets its own acrostic poem celebrating Spring. Vibrant linoleum-cut illustrations showcase Spring in all its glory.
 

A New Beginning: Celebrating the Spring Equinox
By Wendy Pfeffer
Illustrated by Linda Bleck
Dutton, 2008

This book explains in lyrical prose the science behind the Spring Equinox and shows how different cultures celebrate its arrival. Hands-on activities, such as growing a pot of wheat or barley as Iranian families do when celebrating the growing season, round out this informative book.

The Spring Equinox: Celebrating the Greening of the Earth
By Ellen Jackson
Illustrated by Jan Davey Ellis
Millbrook Press, 2003

Beginning with the Mayans of ancient Mexico, Jackson examines how different cultures throughout history have welcomed Spring.  Included are the familiar holidays of Easter and Passover, as well as lesser-known ones, such as No Ruz (Iranian) and Holi (Indian). And of course there is our brand new celebration of Spring: Earth Day.  

It's Spring!
By Samantha Berger and Pamela Chanko
Illustrated by Melissa Sweet
Cartwheel Books, 2001

Spring has arrived and all the animals are spreading the joyful news. Beginning readers can share in their excitement for the season.

Spring Is Here
By Lois Lenski
Random House Books for Young Readers, 2005

First published way back in 1945, this delightful pocket-size book was reissued in 2005. The rhyming text and charming illustrations show young children delighting in Spring.

This week's Nonfiction Monday is being held at The Children's War.