10

If I were to list the books related to this course off the top of my head that affected me, I would immediately have to say Kate DiCamillo's The Tale of Despereaux and Brian Selznick's The Invention of Hugo Cabret. I think the inventiveness on behalf of the author -- from DiCamillo's "unlikely hero with big ears" that made my heart swell twenty times the size of my chest a zillion times throughout the novel to Selznick's innovative method of story-telling through prose and illustrations -- is what make these stories unforgettable. Personally I am glad I have copies of these books in my possession since I hope I can share them with my children in the future.

I should also note that Judy Blundell's What I Saw and How I Lied also touched me as it made me think of the subtle and not-so-subtle power issues of anti-semitism prevalent in America even after World War II. This very adult matter (rather than the scandalous romantic entanglement[s]) struck me as unique. I've read reviews where people felt the theft from the Jews during the Holocaust was cliched, but I think anti-semitism is more than just her step-father's questionable actions. We see anti-semitism in how the Graysons are treated at the hotel and how Ruthie is treated by Evie's former best friend. By offering Evie (and the audience) that very up-close and personal encounter with anti-semitism helps shape the protagonist's future outlook.

Overall, I highly enjoyed the reading list for this course. However, if I had to name one book that left me underwhelmed, I think it would be Avi's Cross of Lead. I enjoy Avi and really enjoyed the video of him that we watched. But when it came to this particularly novel, I struggled to connect to it.

This class has helped me reconnect to a part of literary consciousness that I felt I missed out on. I was too busy reading "adult" books (Jurassic Park and the Hot Zone for example) that I missed out on such gems as these.

9

When considering cultural studies and intertextuality in regards to Sherman Alexie's Absolute True Diary of a Part-Time Indian, I cannot help but remember Alexie's acceptance speech and our class discussion regarding Alexie and African-American young adult literature. I do think that the themes presented in this novel can be appropriated toward other groups, but also that all students can feel that alienation and frustration that Arnold felt.

I also think of the concept of code-switching, where how you present yourself at home is different from how you may interact with your peers at school. I feel this has a universality to it, particularly for minorities. With Arnold's struggle to fit in but stand out, it can be a challenge to figure out how to present yourself and still feel true to yourself when in a different society.

Another thing I keep thinking about is this ableist mentality evident through prejudice shown against Arnold due to his brain damage. I haven't thought it out much more than that.

8

To deconstruct a novel is to "unravel" its "threads" -- by loosening something away from the tightly woven text, it will shed light on understanding the text in a different way.

If I want to think literally about threads -- as in fabric and thus clothes -- I can't help but think of the dresses and outfits that are described in Judy Blundell's What I Saw and How I Lied. Something seemingly insignificant gives insight into the female characters in this period drama. Bev, the protagonist Evie's vivacious mother, purposefully restricts Evie from wearing flattering or attention-getting clothes in an attempt to distract Evie from realizing she's actually very pretty. Bev herself wears these womanly clothes and has been known to be quite a flirt if not suspected (and convicted) of more. Mrs. Grayson and Bev walk in on Evie trying desperately to appear like a woman in one of Bev's dresses. When Mrs. Grayson gives Evie the means to dress herself more like a young lady, we see a more confident Evie that is not so fearful of her mother (and Bev is even in a more relaxed state when they first stay in Florida).

During the trial, it is made important that the Bev dresses more conservatively. Even more, Evie's perjured admission to wearing one of her mother's dresses in order to meet Peter is essential to the story as it was the clothing that was noticed by Walter the witness.

The more I think about it, I think that examining the significance of the clothes in Bludell's What I Saw and How I Lied would shed a new light onto Blundell's text.

7

When thinking of a feminist approach to Paul Zindel's Effects of Gamma Rays on Man-in-the-Moon Marigolds, I immediately want to start with Tillie and Ruth's mother Beatrice. One way to approach a text using feminist theory is to examine how the characters react to women within the story or how readers react to the female characters. By focusing specifically on Beatrice, a self-loathing abusive mother who bred a toxic environment in which she raised her two daughters and a slew of elderly people in her charge.

Beatrice is the omnipresent female in Zindel's play. We see how Beatrice reacts to the off-stage Mr. Goodman, the positive male role-model in her daughter Tillie's life, through phone conversations. The implication is Mr. Goodman tries to appeal to Tillie's mother, and though he might be getting frustrated when her attitude and answers interfere with Tillie's interest in school and namely the titular science experiment, he is persistent. Beatrice's reactions to him imply that he must be somewhat level-headed when he phones her in an attempt to be on Tillie's side. Beatrice reveals much of her coniving and destructive attitude to the audience during these phone calls. (Alternatively, Mr. Goodman tries to be a positive role model in Tillie's life and even gave her that pet rabbit that both Tillie and Ruth adore, so his attitude toward women is implied through the female characters reaction to him.)

As a reader, Beatrice illicits a sour reaction from me. Her intrusive and passive- (or-not-so-passive) aggressive behavior grates on my nerves and I immediately feel sympathy toward her daughters who receive the brunt of her behavior. I find her outlandish, indecent, and disillusioned. However, I do feel that the other women in the play, specifically her daughters, balance out the negative views on this one female character. Tillie, which in her quiet manner and scientific aspirations, is acting against what her mother has in mind for her daughters -- subordination as a way to completely control her world. Ruth succumbs to her mother and almost appears to be her mother's best friend or delegate and to me, seems to go to school more because she isn't an embarrassment to her mother.

Beatrice is the villain of this story but she is necessary to create the "radiation" (the environment) that Tillie (the marigolds) grows in.

6

Judy Blundell, author of several books under pen names, chose What I Saw and How I Lied as the first which she would use her own name. It won the National Book Award. I strongly suspect -- or hope -- because of the subtle societal issues and the psychological transformation of the main character.

To me, the book isn't about the scandalous parts (though there are plenty), but how the protagonist Evelyn "Evie" Spooner processes all the information surrounding her. This is a book about how Evie, with her eyes now open to the lies around her, puts the pieces together despite the adults in her family treating her like a child. She knows what it looks like and how it looks bad, even she cannot deny that. She admits to herself that she doesn't know what kind of people her parents are or what they are capable of doing.

Her testimony during her parents' trial also does something else -- it places her parents in debt to her. They were always scared that she'd tell the truth but in telling the lie to get her parents off, it reveals that she had an understanding of the events surrounding her parents. This is how little Evie Spooner grew up -- not from the unfulfilled relationship with Peter Coleridge but by processing the very grown-up situation and making decisions the would change her and her family. She no longer sees her parents as her parents, but as deeply flawed people that she no longer aspires to be.

I appreciated Blundell's attention to detail regardining anti-Semitism still prevalent in America after the War. The Graysons -- discovered to be Jews due to his mother Mrs. Garfinkle calling the hotel in Palm Beach where Jews are very unwelcome -- and Ruthie Kalman -- the Jewish girl who is seen early in the book with Evie's school crush and the target of Margie's bullying -- are two examples of anti-Semitism that Evie experiences first hand. The experience in Florida has opened Evie's eyes to the injustices of it and she makes a conscious effort to not take part. She had developed a closeness to Mrs. Grayson while in Florida and contacts her again when she returned to New York. The ending also hints at a budding friendship with Ruthie. She may not have brought justice to Peter during the trial, but she tries to separate herself from anti-Semitic acts.

I further reviewed What I Saw and How I Lied on goodreads.com.

5

By reading a novel written in verse, as is Virginia Euwer Wolff's Make Lemonade, I cannot help but initially try to analyze it for its poetic merit. Personally, I am not fond of novels of verse. While Make Lemonade has very enjoyable episodes, reading for pleasure is difficult for me. With YA novels, so many genres are lumped into this marketing category -- romance, poetry, adventure, et cetera. If this book was geared toward adults, it would have been marketed as poetry rather than a YA novel in verse. I read poetry differently than I do prose and the whole time while I read this, I kept trying to think of ways I had to make sense of it. However, I do feel that the most enjoyable aspect was listening to people read it out loud in class as it allowed the poetry to leap off the page.

I do appreciate what Wolff has done with these books -- as an artistic venture, her novel in verse allows individual episodes strikes a chord independently from the rest of the novel, if need be. I still hold that 12 is my favorite, as I felt very connected to the idea of LaVaughn's anxiety being represented by Zimbabwe taking away the points from her. I think there is something relatable about Make Lemonade -- the teenagers can related to the verse. I do tend to think of all the writing teenagers can do, even if it's angsty poetry about high school. In that manner, I do think there is something appealing to teenagers about this book.

4

In Julia Watt's Finding H.F., I found the titular character, a lesbian teenager H.F. (short for Heavenly Faith) the most likeable.

The traits that drew me to the character was her disarming laid-back attitude. As a reader, I can immediately connect to her feelings regarding her first big crush (Wendy) and how she processes any little action toward her from the object of her affection. Wendy describes H.F. as a storyteller and any reader can agree with the description. It makes H.F. the perfect person to tell this story -- while it may have been interesting from Bo's perspective, I cannot say I'd be interested to hear it from Wendy's. H.F.'s voice is what kept me reading as well as her frank emotions.

The pleasure I take from the book and the character can be attributed greatly to Watt's writing -- from H.F.'s perspective, we truly see the world as she sees it. Her voice is very strong and vivid and at once, charming.

3

I've had a discussion recently with my boyfriend about homosexuality in children's and young adult literature. While we had varying views on homosexual protagonists in children's picture books, he was not surprised by my adoration of Julia Watt's Finding H.F. and my desire for my future children to read books like it.

To me, books are about being introduced to new ideas -- even ideas that may be far outside your worldview. My feeling as a future parent would be that I would like to run a household that open and frank about discussing issues that may be taboo in the South (such as race and sexuality). Young adult literature would be a great introduction for teenagers to understand what someone like H.F. experiences in her small, rural community as a lesbian.

So I would feel completely comfortable with teenagers reading such a book -- in Finding H.F. the most striking thing to me was the sincerity of the vulnerability and the realness of H.F.'s reactions. It makes it more approachable and you can relate to it -- no matter what your sexuality may be.

2

When considering the Caldecott Medal and its honor toward illustrators (which may or may not be the author as well), I can't help but think about the different types of modes of illustration. In class alone, we have seen cut paper, mixed media, scratch board, and regular pens and pencils. With an award that focuses on the artwork of the book, I do think like it is hard to judge between so many different types of artwork.

Obviously, the illustrations must fit the story. Even if the story is a simple tale, the illustrations can make the story pop. I also feel that innovation is a very important consideration when deciding the winner. In a world where there are so many more forms of art that are being represented in children's picture books, it is getting harder to move through nominees that are so vastly different from one another.

So should the Caldecott only honor the illustrator? In the cases where the illustrator and author are not the same person, I do think it is necessary to recognize that the author's words did help inspire the illustrator; however, the illustrator does take those words and make the story come alive through their art. Additionally, when the award itself is named after a famous illustrator, it's hard to award the book for something else other than the artwork. Of course, you could get into the whole debate about describing 'illustration' if you want -- whether the art is hand-drawn or painted rather than cut from paper or glued together. But if you think about illustration in the sense that is a visual aid, many forms of art can be included.

Having an author's words illustrated by an award-winning artist brings attention to the author's work even if the award does not honor the author. It is honor by association, even if the author and the illustrator were assigned to each other by the publisher. There are a few things that come to mind when I think of this situation: one, it will be great for the author's sales, obviously but two, everyone might be so preoccupied to look at the art that they forget to focus on the story. But then I thought about it some more, and I think that any award winning illustrations would bring more depth to the story and the author's words that maybe even the author did not realize.

1

When people scoff at children's picture books, I feel that they are often underestimating the effect that these books have on children and that it must be easy to write children's books. I could wax poetic about them losing the imaginative spark that would connect them to Neverland, but I won't do that. However, there is something disheartening about people referring to children's illustrated literature as inferior.

Contemplating on why they would call it lesser, perhaps they are thinking with the briefness of the written narrative and the quality of the illustrations. Maybe they underestimate the skill it requires to create children's books and forget the imagination that is needed as well. It easy to write off something that appears that it requires little skill. However, when consideration is taken with the work involved and the effect on children, it might take the most heartless people to call children's picture books "lesser". I still remember some of my favorite illustrated books -- Disney's Sleeping Beauty and Beauty and the Beast are examples off the top of my head.

I cannot say that I haven't had similar reactions to books that I might think are of lesser "value" than the books I remember as a kid. I also tend to think lesser of YA books that are widely popular (except for Harry Potter if only because I remember my youngest brother reading it while we grew up). Perhaps I am just a book snob and I consider some books -- picture, chapter, or even "for grown-ups" -- to be not worth their ink on the page. But overall, people who make broad sweeping generalizations about children's picture books to be lesser literature perhaps don't remember what makes them special.