Childhood Challenge: I AM LEAPER

For this month, I chose to re-read I Am Leaper by Annabel Johnson.

From Memory
I honestly couldn't remember much about this book besides the fact that one of its main characters is a kangaroo rat that could speak through a computer and that I had enjoyed it as a young reader (I first read it when I was eight or nine years old). About the same time that I read this book for the first time, my mom brought home a computer from her classroom (she was a fourth grade teacher)--an Apple computer with a glowing green screen and a blinking box as its cursor.

I was infatuated with the computer--if for no other reason than I could play the Lemonade Stand game on the computer. Having a computer factor into the I Am Leaper book in such an integral way got me excited about the possibilities of what computers could do. The front of the book ties in its computer connection, using the old school computer font for its title, and all the numbers for the chapters are typed in the same font.

As you may have noticed, I remembered much more about the connections I made with the book than the book itself. I think most avid readers find themselves, at some point or another, remembering feelings or memories associated with books that really have nothing to do with what happens in the book.

After Re-reading
At least my memories didn't steer me wrong on this one--a kangaroo rat does indeed talk into a computer. What I had forgotten, though, was that the kangaroo rat (named Leaper) communicated through the computer to scientists, trying to warn them about a monster that was destroying her desert home. When the scientists realize she can speak, they turn from paying attention to her messages to wondering how they could best make money off their discovery of a talking animal. Leaper then turns to a young boy who works as a janitor for the building, who is able to communicate directly with animals. The book is an illustration of how the greed of humans can often get in the way of true understanding and that there is a purity in the youth that allows children to be better helpers (or at the very least understanders) than adults. It also strives to teach children the importance of being mindful of nature and knowing that what we as humans do can have disastrous effects on animals and their habitats.

There are some very deep messages embedded into a quick read, making it a good book for parents to read with their young readers. I'm not sure I got the deeper messages when I was a kid (or if I did, I didn't overtly associate them with the book). The book would be good for readers who are just starting out with chapter books that follow a single storyline because its chapters are short with text broken up by engaging illustrations.

Happy re-reading your favorite books!

Thank You, Pinky Dinky Doo!

First, I'm going to preface this post by saying I've got a four-year-old son. Second, his favorite channel to watch during breakfast is Nick, Jr. With those two things in mind, please read on.

This morning as I watched Pinky Dinky Doo with my son, I realized how incredible the show is for developing early literacy skills. If you've never seen the show before, it's about a girl, Pinky Dinky Doo, who uses stories to explain concepts or meanings of big words to her little brother, Tyler Dinky Doo. For example, in today's episode, she explained to Tyler the meaning of the word impetuous with a silly story. Introducing kids to new words would be enough to make me thankful for the show, but its benefits don't stop there.

At the end of each story, Pinky Dinky Doo does a review of the story for her younger brother (or, in reality, for the young viewers). She'll ask retention questions like "Which of these three events happened first?" or "Who said this line?" But she'll also ask broader questions like "What title would best go with the story I just told?" When she asks her questions, my son yells out the answers and laughs when Pinky shows something silly (like when she said, "Should this story be called 'The Underwater Underwear'?" he got a case of the giggles).

If you don't have a young child in your life, I wouldn't necessarily recommend that you run out and watch the show. But if you do have a young child in your life, I highly recommend that you watch this show with him or her. I have to say that this is my favorite story-focused show since Reading Rainbow.

Happy reading and sharing the joys of reading with a young reader!

Childhood Challenge: MANDIE AND THE HIDDEN TREASURE

First of all, I have to admit that this post is a little late--I wrote it early on in the month (and I was proud for having done it in such a timely manner), but then life happened, and it is now in the late evening hours on the last day of the month. The last day of the month wouldn't be such a horrible time to write a post if it weren't this particular post: My Childhood Challenge is to re-read one book from my childhood years per month (and blog about it). I very nearly missed my update on the challenge for the month. If only my schedule could operate around my blog posting...

This month, I chose to re-read one of the Mandie books by Lois Gladys Leppard. I loved the Mandie books when I was younger, and I owned quite a few from the series. My favorite of all the Mandie books was book #9: Mandie and the Hidden Treasure.

From My Memory
When I was 8, my family planned a road trip to Texas; for the road trip, I was able to get a new book. My mom took me to a Christian bookstore in Jefferson City and let me pick out any book I wanted from the shelves. The book that jumped out at me was Mandie and the Hidden Treasure. I was immediately attracted to the cover (shown above) because it featured three things that fascinated me: a Native American (I have, for a long time, been drawn into the culture and history of Native Americans), clothes that depicted a historical setting (i.e., the story took place a long time ago), and the words "hidden treasure" in the title. I think I fell in love with the book long before I even opened it to read the first page. It didn't matter to me that the book wasn't the first one in the series, as most the series that were published during the late 80s for younger readers were series that didn't have to be read from the beginning to end. In fact, I didn't start at book 1 for any of the series I read during my younger years.

During our family road trip that year, I sat in the fifth wheel with my sister as we drove to Texas (something I'm sure is highly illegal these days). We sat on opposite sides of the little kitchen table in the RV, bouncing down the highway, and I devoured the book. After reading the book, I became obsessed with finding a hidden treasure of my own and, within a year after finishing the book, became very attached to an old dilapidated building partially hidden in the woods that I saw on every trip to Jefferson City (we lived about 45 minutes away from Jefferson City and did all our "big city" shopping there). Every time I saw the building, it inspired me to daydream about my own adventures and what treasures I might find hidden in it. The daydreams usually ended up with me finding a locket: I remember there was a locket in Mandie and the Hidden Treasure, which makes me think that a locket is what was buried and was the hidden treasure Mandie looked for.

I loved the book as a kid, and I was excited to re-read it when I picked it up at the beginning of the month.

After Re-Reading
Sometimes I forget how redundant books can be that are meant for young readers--important details get repeated to help young readers keep up with the storyline. While that repetition is good for young readers, it can drive seasoned readers bonkers. If you are an adult wanting to read the Mandie books for the first time, I will warn you that you will need to skim in quite a few areas to get over the repetition. For example, the book starts out with three characters (Mandie, Joe, and Sally), who have found an old map that claims it leads to a buried treasure. The characters talk about the map, the locations on the map, and the distances between those locations as they are marked out on the map. In two pages, the directions are repeated three times. I don't remember ever having problems with the writing style of the Mandie books when I was younger, so I'm assuming the repetition didn't bother me then.

When I posted about re-reading Sign of the Beaver, I found it interesting that my one clear memory of the book had little to nothing to do with the overall storyline of the book. The same thing happened with this book: The locket I so fondly remembered played a minute role in the book and was not the hidden treasure Mandie was tracking down. That goes to show how memories are not pristine.

I have to admit that I was a little let down when I finished Mandie and the Hidden Treasure. The re-reading didn't live up to my expectations that had been built based on my original love for the Mandie books. The book wasn't well written, but its storyline did focus on topics that still intrigue me (who doesn't dream of finding an old map that will lead to a forgotten treasure?). I can see why I liked the book when I was younger, but the writing was a major roadblock to my enjoyment of the book as a more mature reader.

While I was disappointed, I did not--and still do not--regret re-reading the book. I don't have any immediate plans to re-read any of the other Mandie books, but I also don't have any plans to get rid of any of the Mandie books still gracing my bookshelves. I love the books for what they were--they were what I needed when I was younger to encourage my budding 'joie de lire.' Even the disappointment of not being blown away by the book as an adult reader cannot erase my memories of the joy I got when I read and re-read the books when I was younger.

Happy reading!

A Narnian Character that Won My Heart

While reading The Chronicles of Narnia, I encountered a character that quickly found a way into my heart and entered my top list of favorite literary characters. Perhaps (if you've read the books), you're wondering if I fell in literary love with Lucy or Aslan or dear Mr. Tumnus or Digory or any other number of fine characters you meet on your reading journey through Narnia. The answer to all the above is "No, that's not the one." This post is dedicated to my personal favorite Narnian figure: Puddleglum.

First, how could you not have at least a little crush on someone with a name like Puddleglum? Say it out loud a few times, and maybe you'll feel the same whimsical attachment I feel for the name alone. Then add to that a character whose appearance is so awkward that he has to be lovable, and you've got the makings of a memorable character.

Puddleglum, as created by Donna Sims

Puddleglum's name and appearance aside, his character is unassuming, yet valiant. Though he thinks nothing of himself (he is the humblest of humbles), he is the first to step into a dangerous situation to protect those he's with. While his motives for doing so are often along the lines of "It doesn't matter if anything bad happens to me," I felt a certain fierce loyalty he had for his traveling companions--even when he himself was scared beyond scared, he took care of his friends. I won't get into describing too many of the situations he and his friends find themselves in because there may be readers out there who haven't yet read the books but plan on reading them sometime in the future--I don't want to give away all the good stuff from the story Puddleglum plays a part in.

Puddleglum, as drawn by Dawn D. Davidson

Along with Puddleglum's character is his language. As his name suggests, Puddleglum is a glum character, and how he chooses to state things had me laughing and yearning to reach through the pages to give him a big hug. Here are some of the choice quotes I pulled from the story that helped to engrave Puddleglum on my literary heart:

Quote 1 (taken from page 581):

“Can you help us find Prince Rilian?”

The Marsh-wiggle sucked in his cheeks till they were hollower than you would have thought possible. “Well, I don’t know that you’d call it help,” he said. “I don’t know that anyone can exactly help. It stands to reason we’re not likely to get very far on a journey to the north, not at this time of the year, with the winter coming on soon and all. And an early winter too, by the look of things. But you mustn’t let that make you down-hearted. Very likely, what with enemies, and mountains, and rivers to cross, and losing our way, and next to nothing to eat, and sore feet, we’ll hardly notice the weather. And if we don’t get far enough to do any good, we may get far enough not to get back in a hurry.”

Quote 2 (taken from page 583):

“… They all say — I mean, the other wiggles all say — that I’m too flighty; don’t take life seriously enough. If they’ve said it once, they’ve said it a thousand times. ‘Puddleglum,’ they’ve said, ‘you’re altogether too full of bobance and bounce and high spirits. You’ve got to learn that life isn’t all fricasseed frogs and eel pie. You want something to sober you down a bit. We’re only saying it for your own good, Puddleglum.’ That’s what they say. Now a job like this — a journey up north just as winter’s beginning, looking for a prince who probably isn’t there, by way of a ruined city that no one has ever seen — will be just the thing. If that doesn’t steady a chap, I don’t know what will.”

Quote 3 (taken from page 647 and said while the characters were trapped underground):

“Courage, friends,” came Prince Rilian’s voice. “Whether we live or die Aslan will be our good lord.”

“That’s right, Sir,” said Puddleglum’s voice. “And you must always remember there’s one good thing about being trapped down here: it’ll save funeral expenses.”

Quote 4 (taken from page 658):

“Now, speaking of funerals,” began Puddleglum, but Jill, who heard the Centaurs tapping with their hoofs behind her, surprised him very much by flinging her arms around his thin neck and kissing his muddy-looking face, while Eustace wrung his hand. Then they both rushed away tot he centaurs, and the Marsh-wiggle, sinking back on his bed, remarked to himself, “Well, I wouldn’t have dreamt of her doing that. Even though I am a good-looking chap.”

The quotations show how gloomy, yet endearing, Puddleglum can be. When I write my own stories, I hope I can create such a character that will make readers want to jump into the stories themselves, if for no other reason than to meet a single character face-to-face. And, Puddleglum, I'd jump into Narnia just for you.

Happy reading!

Unread Book Challenge: CHRONICLES OF NARNIA

I just finished reading The Chronicles of Narnia--all seven books in the series. Now that I have finished reading the books, I have a confession to make: I was dreading reading The Chronicles of Narnia.

I never read the books when I was younger because I didn't much enjoy fantasy books. I remember watching a movie based on The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe when I was younger, and the story didn't appeal to me. I think my sister had the books on her bookshelf (she can correct me if I'm wrong, but I know I remember seeing them on someone's bookshelf...), and I remember thinking, "Why would anyone want to read books about talking animals?" At the time, I just didn't get it. It took me a while to come around to reading fantasy; in fact, I was in college before a friend convinced me to read The Complete Book of Swords, my first foray into fantasy. It wouldn't be until I read Harry Potter, though, that the true magnificence of fantasy would finally open my eyes to a genre I had been largely ignoring most of my life.

And so, it was with a bit of trepidation that I included The Chronicles of Narnia in my Book to Read Next Poll because I figured that would be the winner. My underlying motive was to read it early on in the Unread Books Challenge, though, so that I could get it out of the way.

I had started reading the books right after my son was born (a little over 4 years ago), and I still had my small paper bookmark, showing the place where I had stopped reading (right after the beginning of The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe). So I had made it through the first book in the series, but I couldn't remember a single thing about what I had read (which I find odd, seeing as how I can leave off for several years in the middle of other books and have no problems picking the storyline up again). I began at the beginning.

I flew through the series--not because I was skimming to get to the end but because I was so intrigued that I had to keep going. I wish I had read the books when I was younger because I'd like to know what I would have thought of the books as a younger reader; as an adult, I found I wanted to get out my red editor's pen and mark places that could have used a bit more detail (I've read that J.R.R. Tolkien, a friend of C.S. Lewis, felt the same way about the books), yet I still adored the stories. I adored the stories so much that I'll be dedicating at least two upcoming posts to stories of Narnia.

And so I thank my readers for giving me a gentle push toward finally reading the classic Narnia books by voting that book as the winner of the BTRN poll. In the next couple days, I'll post the next BTRN poll and continue reading my way through my own bookshelves.

Happy reading!

Childhood Challenge: MYSTERY AT PEACOCK PLACE

From My Memory
As soon as I decided to begin my Childhood Challenge, I sat down and started making a list of the books I wanted to re-read (and, in many cases, find and re-buy). One book in particular snuck into the back of my mind and stayed there, tickling my memories and giving me vague impressions of a book I used to love. The details that sporadically came to me were vague and not very helpful in my quest to find the book: a boy tried to help a woman trapped in a house; the police didn't believe him; the boy is a student; I was pretty sure the boy was searching for his teacher and found her locked in an old mansion. After frustrating searches, another--more helpful--detail popped into my head: The woman's name was Miss Peacock.

That aided in my search, and yet, you might find it surprising how many books have peacock and disappearance in their titles (I was convinced the book was called The Disappearance of Miss Peacock or some similar title). It took some patience and a lot of searching on Google and Amazon before I found the book I was looking for: Mystery at Peacock Place by M.F. Craig.

It was a good thing I remembered the cover of the book and that I recognized it when I saw it because I was off by a few details. Miss Peacock was not the boy's teacher, nor did the boy being a student have anything to do with the plot. After thinking about my confusion, the only thing I could come up with was that I was mixing this book with Matilda by Roald Dahl (Matilda's teacher is held captive by the mean principle).

At any rate, I was looking forward to re-reading this book, if for no other reason than I couldn't remember what actually happened in the book.

After Re-Reading the Book

As an adult reader, I have to say that the book is a bit contrived in places (e.g., Hobie, the main character, is trapped at one point, and his best friend and sister show up at midnight--on a horse, no less--to save him), but I think younger readers would get a kick out of the mystery and suspense of the story. As I was reading it, I could see why I had liked it so much when I was younger because it moved at a quick pace, had some intriguing twists, and had suspense without being anywhere close to "horror" or "scary." It was a safe sort of suspense.

My adult mind got a bit in the way of being able to just enjoy the story, though. One example is that Hobie often comments on his babysitter's cooking and how it isn't as good as his mother's cooking. He would then go on to describe the dishes his mother prepared and how she did it. The primary thought going through my head is that Hobie's mother's cooking is a heart attack waiting to happen. I got a little queasy reading some of those descriptions, but if you're not a health nut, then it probably wouldn't bother you.

It also gets distracting that so many key points are repeated, which gets redundant for adult readers but could be necessary for younger readers to remember certain important details. Another thing that bothered me is that some descriptions were not thorough enough to truly understand the context; for example, there is a fight scene at the stable, but it was elusive. I wasn't quite sure who was doing what and how Hobie ended up where he did. I would've liked more detail in the fight to bring it to life, but, then again, too much detail could scare younger readers (especially if they read before going to bed).

I have my adult issues with the book, but I wouldn't hesitate to tell a young reader to borrow it from the library (or buy it on Amazon, where copies are selling for as little as $0.50). The reviews I found online tend to be on the negative side for the book, which leaves me wondering if I was able to connect with the story because I remember liking it when I was younger or if it’s just a story you’re either going to like/dislike. I don't think it deserves a negative review, but I would say it is for younger readers and not more mature ones.

What have you re-read lately?

Happy re-reading!

Why I Love Paige Turner

Amanda Matetsky writes the Paige Turner mystery books, a series that follows the fictitious Paige Turner as she blazes her way through solving crimes in New York City in the mid-1950s. So far, there are five books in the series, and I own every one of them.

Today I finished reading the fifth (and latest) book in the series: Dial Me for Murder. My love affair with Paige Turner continues.

I originally discovered the books quite by accident--I was bored one afternoon and decided to spend my time perusing the shelves at my local Borders store. I saw Murderers Prefer Blondes in the mystery section and fell in love with the cover. Anyone who knows me knows that I have a sort of fascination with the 1950s that stems from my love of I Love Lucy. The book cover and its description fit in nicely with my 1950s fixation, and at the time, I was looking for fun mystery/suspense books (not grisly ones).

After finishing the first Paige Turner book, I went back to the store and bought the second book: Murder is a Girl's Best Friend. After that, I had to wait until Amanda Matetsky wrote more books, and over the last few years, I regularly check Amazon to see if she's written more books. Needless to say, I'll buy the sixth as soon as it comes out.

I like reading the Paige Turner books primarily because Paige Turner (the female lead of the series) is so darn cute. She blunders her way into solving cases often before the police are able to figure them out, she holds down a job at a magazine and is trying to work her way into often-uncharted territory for a woman in the 50s, and she's fierce and loyal and isn't afraid of going against the grain. At the same time, she's still a woman. She has emotional meltdowns that make me roll my eyes or laugh out loud (depending on the meltdown), and even though she's determined to do everything herself, she often has to reach out for help from side characters who are just as lovable as she is.

While I like reading books that are deep and delve into topics that really make me think and question my own beliefs, sometimes I need books like the Paige Turner books that are on your shelf simply because they make you smile. Paige Turner and her plucky red beret make me smile.

Here's a big thank you to Amanda Matetsky for writing a series that puts a smile on my face.

What books have put a smile your face lately?

Happy reading!