The Secret Garden

Now that we are back in school, it's Book Group time again. This year, rather than just do historical books, we decided to try a little bit different approach by going with a geographical theme. We had to stretch our imaginations a little to find classic children's books that were age appropriate but still covered different world wide geographical areas. For example, our first book this year was Frances Hodgson Burnett's classic, The Secret Garden. We decided that this book would count for both England and India as the main character, Mary Lennox, was born in India and often has memories about her life in India. Most of the book is set in England at the home of her uncle, Mr. Archibald Craven. I had read this book to Jared and Clarissa two years ago and they loved it. As with any good classic, they loved it again the second time and I hope they will read it again and again as there are so many layers of understanding to be discovered in it's pages. The day of book club, we met at a local park on a chilly, misty day in September; with weather not unlike that of the English moor, as one of the Moms pointed out. The Mom who was leading the group had several activities and discussions points prepared. The kids each colored their own secret garden spaces and then described how it made them feel and why they liked it. They also had the chance to spread wildflower seed all over the nearby butterfly garden in hopes of coming back in the Spring to see their flowers growing. The favorite activity by far was making their own miniature garden out of potting soil, moss, plastic animals, and any other items from nature they could find at the park. Jared, Amber, and Clarissa show off their gardens above (Krystal was there and made one, but wasn't in the mood for a photo).

Gods and Generals

Staying within the realm of the Civil War, but jumping to a non-fiction book, I just finished Gods and Generals - the saga of the war in the Virginia area during the first couple years of the war (when the South was still winning). It was excellent. It did take a little while to get into it as the beginning starts off with some background history of four different Generals. Each chapter is about a different man and at that point in the story their lives are not at all connected, so it is essentially like reading four different books at the same time (which I do frequently, but for some reason, this threw me off). Anyway, once I got to the part where their lives start to interact with each other, the story also became much more interesting. This in-depth look at the events behind the battles brought to ask many questions.
Growing up in California, far away from "The North" or "The South," I had only thought about this part of history as some abstract concept of a nation fighting over slavery. Furthermore, knowing that the North won and that slavery was abolished made it easy for me to assume that the cause of the North was obviously the right and just cause and that those fighting for the South were all misguided or ignorant. As I read about the lives of Thomas "Stonewall" Jackson, and Robert E. Lee and their complete devotion to God and all things true and just, I had to reconsider my previous notions. I began to ask myself, what were these two righteous men fighting for, if not for slavery? As I further read about the inner struggles they faced about the idea of secession, I began to realize that their conviction was founded in the concept of state's rights. It's a fact that it is unconstitional for the federal government to make laws that can and should be made by the states. This realization led to a discussion between Chris and I about what was more important, the country following the constitution, or following just and virtuous principles. We finally concluded that although the states should have individually abolished slavery, Lincoln knew they never would and he knew that slavery, not being a virtuous principle would most certainly tear this nation apart. So, at the risk of deviating from the nation's standard, he chose the higher law of virtue and took the chance at war to eradicate slavery from this land and eventually it worked.
Going back to the book, just when I told Chris that it wasn't about specific battle details, the content of the book changed as the battles of Fredicksburg and Chancellorsville were described in minute detail. However, even being a woman who is proned to enjoy things soft and kind, not bloody and mean, I was enthralled by every single detail and hung on every word until the very death of General Jackson, at which point I bawled like a baby in true female fashion. Now I look forward to reading the book's sequel, Fallen Angels, in which the victory will turn from the South to the North and I hope I will continue to re-evaluate the notions that I had previously formed about this part of our nation's history.
As a side note, Chris and I also watch the movie God and Generals and although I enjoyed the movie, as is usual, it was not nearly as good as the book and Chris actually fell asleep several times during the viewing.

Across Five Aprils

This Newbery Honor book written by Irene Hunt is a historical fiction novel written during the time of the Civil War. It is excellent. I would recommend this book for ages 9 and older (having said that, I'm not sure I would have a 9 or 10 year old read it on their own, it might be a good read-together book just so that things could be discussed). Although any book about war is going to have some dark details, I think this book does a great job of dealing with the heavy issues surrounding the war and yet does not go into the gory details of battles. This is written from the point of view of a boy who is 9 years old at the beginning of the war and follows the hardships and growth that he experiences as he comes of age during this difficult time. It is set in Southern Illinois which setting promotes views from both the South and the North to be explored. I enjoyed how real the characters in the book were to me as I read it. I could feel the pain and the confusion of Jethro as he struggled with the issues at home while his brothers were off fighting. The historical details also seemed to be rather accurate and the author writes in the back of the book that most of the family events are true stories that were related to her by her grandfather. One of the things that really stands out for me is the sense of how far away from the rest of the world people were during the 1860's. With today's technology, we really do take for granted how difficult it was for families back then when it was months before they might hear news of their family members who were off in the war. Ultimately, I appreciate the authors reverance for an event that has affected Americans so deeply and took the lives of so many who fought for what they believed was right, in a time when it was difficult to tell which side was right or which was wrong.

The Penderwicks: A Summer Tale of Four Sisters, Two Rabbits and a Very Interesting Boy

My friend recommended this book, otherwise I never would have found it as it's not on any of the reading lists I look to for book recommendations. This is a children's novel that my three oldest really enjoyed. As the title suggests, it is about four sisters and their adventures while on summer vacation with their father. I was a little nervous that Jared would not like a book that has four sisters in it since he often has his hands full with three, but he loved it. The setting is a quaint cottage that is owned by the heartless Mrs. Tifton and shares the same land as her mansion, Arundel. Thank goodness for Jared, the "Very Interesting Boy" is introduced in the first chapter and plays an integral part in the story. While talking about this book to a friend, she asked me what genre it was and my answer was, "It's like Family Fun and Values". While I'm positive that's not an official literary genre, maybe it should be, because I've found that books that fit into this category are often the ones my children enjoy the most. Although there are some hints at fairy-taleish comparisons like: the prince, the wicked step-parent, the witch, and the impoverished townsfolk who eventually find themselves in the castle - this is a modern day story filled with things kids can relate to. My kids especially enjoyed the adventure with the bull, not that they have ever had a close encounter with a bull themselves, they just liked the suspense. A bonus for me is that I only got choked up once toward the end. It's so difficult to do a read-aloud when you're crying all the time. I recommend this as a fun summer read, or maybe a good winter read to chase away the blues. Oh, and as for the "Two Rabbits" mentioned in the title, I barely even noticed they were there, but it makes for a fun title.

more indians and dolls

In the spirit of Island of the Blue dolphins and Sing down the moon, I decided to try another native american novel. this time I chose the newberry honor book, anpao by jamake highwater. I don't remember how many pages I read, I know it was past 50, but I still have no idea what this book was trying to do. I got from what I read that it's about two brothers who want to marry a girl who claims she is married to the moon. the two brothers set out to find the moon and ask if they can marry the girl. in the process, one of the brothers ends up making the moon angry and things get bad. there was something about a swan who gives anpao a ride across a lake to find the cave where the moon lives. now, I love literature. I love analogies and symbolism, but somehow I couldn't see beyond what was actually happening in this story to get the underlying meaning. I'm pretty sure that there is more meaning to this book than I was able to glean from it. Maybe in a literature class with discussion help from others, it might mean more, but in my busy life of children and gardening and housework, I needed to read something not quite so complicated. Or maybe this book really is confusing and the critics who read it just gave it an honor because they too felt that there must be more to it than what they themselves were understanding. either way, I did not finish reading this book and I don't plan on it.

on a good note, after such a good experience with reading Patty Reed's Doll, I decided to read another story where the heroine is a doll, namely "Hitty, Her First hundred years" by Rachel Field, author of calico bush. hitty is a doll who writes her own memoirs and tells of the adventures that she has over one hundred years. I loved this book from beginning to end. her adventures begin when she is crafted out of mountain ash wood from a peddler in colonial new england. she enjoys her life and little mishaps there, but after a time she finds herself on a whaling boat, and then on an island being worshipped by natives, and then in the basket of a snake charmer in India, and then and then. you just wouldn't believe the people and places that one small wooden doll could visit in one hundred years. This is a story that will delight both young and old alike. Another thing I like about the story is that it eludes to several events in history, without divulging too much information, which could then prompt the reader to do some personal research into those historical moments that have defined our lives. Last, but not least, not only have I found a friend in Hitty herself, but I now have another new favorite children's author to add to the list of scott o'dell and clyde robert bulla.

Little Britches

I finished this book a couple months ago and loved it so much that I suggested that Chris should read it to Jared after the girls go to bed. This started a new tradition in our house that will not quickly fade. Growing up in a house full a girls, Jared often feels left out and misunderstood. He has always loved golfing because that was something he could do with Dad, but golfing isn't always convenient. Reading a good book, that's convenient. And this book is more than good.

Little Britches was written by Ralph Moody and it is an autobiography. Unlike many autobiographies, it is riveting. From the first line to the last I was interested in this story about a young boy and his adventures and trials while living on a ranch in Colorado. It's not so much the context the story is set in, but the lessons that are learned that make this timeless. Early in the book, Ralph learns about building character in a way that is unforgettable. After lying to his mother and doing a very dangerous thing, his father is left to discipline him. This is a little of what he says, "A man's character is like a house. If he tears boards off his house and burns them to keep himself warm and comfortable, his house soon becomes a ruin. If he tells lies to be able to do the things he shouldn't do but wants to, his character will soon become a ruin."

This true story teaches lessons such as earning trust, earning respect, and giving a good day's work. A review on the book's cover reads, "Ralph Moody's books should be read aloud in every family circle in America," and I would have to agree. I will consider this a classic on our bookshelf and read and re-read it. I think our future generations would be full of strong leaders, parents and teachers if they could be raised with the same character and morals of Ralph Moody.

The Liberation of Gabriel King

I finished this book a while ago and just loved it. It was a real quick read that really struck home with me. It's about a boy and girl growing up in the 70's in a small southern town. They are best friends, against all odds considering that he's white and she's black. Together they devise a way to help him overcome all his fears, the worst one of which is attending the fifth grade. They spend their summer conquering bullies, spiders, and the KKK. It is a wonderful story of friendship, morals, and strength. What I most enjoyed about it though was that I felt like I'd been transported back to that time in my life when I was enjoying similar adventures with my brother Jonathan, albeit at a younger age.
Before I went to Kindergarten, my family moved from Simi Valley, California (which is a city much like you imagine when you think of southern California; you know...the palm trees, big houses, important jobs, etc.) to a very small community in central California called Greenfield. Greenfield is on the outskirts of the San Joaquin Valley. It is, or at least was back then, a farming community. My grandparents lived nearby and owned a tire yard (I think my Dad was working for my grandfather and that's why we moved there). To the mind of an adventurous five year old, a tire yard is almost as magical as a fairytale castle. On this huge piece of cemented property that my grandparents owned were hundreds of rows of every size of tires imaginable. The rows were stacked so high that to my eye, they reached the clouds. Jonathan and I spent countless hours running in and out of the stacks, playing hide-and-go-seek and looking for 'treasures'. I remember one particularly exciting time when we found a barrel of some sort of acid that would disintegrate anything we put in it. Now that was fun. To this day, I cannot think of what sort of liquid would actually be lying around in an open barrel that would have such a chemical property, but would not melt the container it was in.
Some of the other adventures we enjoyed were running through the cotton fields that were close to our house and particularly looking for crop dusters. Crop dusters are the low flying aircraft that spray chemical pesticides on crops, but we called them 'our friends' because whenever we would be running through the cotton fields and they would come, we would eagerly wave to them and they would always wave back. We also called tumbleweeds 'our friends', I guess because they were always blowing in to say "Hi". I remember many times that we took Mom's kitchen spoons down to the irrigation ditches to catch tadpoles. We discovered that if we bent the spoons where the handle meets the spoon part, it was easier to hold. I don't remember if Mom ever found out what we were using the spoons for, but I remember her being upset that all of her spoons were bent.
It's not like we had a KKK clan in our small community like they did in the story of Gabriel King, but I do remember some prejudices. One night as Jonathan and I were coming home from some adventure, we saw the wild lights from ambulances parked across the street from our house. We were small and crept into the dark corners of the neighbors yard for a better view of what was going on. To my recollection what we witnessed was the aftermath of a bloody fight, most likely alcohol induced. I remember seeing blood and thinking there was a gun involved, but I can't be sure. The part that I remember most was knowing (or being told) that they were Mexicans and for some reason that seemed to explain everything. I am grateful to have matured and outgrown such feelings and beliefs, but it just goes to show that even though southern California may not be "the south," prejudices still abound there as well as in many other parts of the world.
Ultimately, I think that "The Liberation of Gabriel King" would ring familiar to most of us were we to examine the recesses of our minds for those sometimes fun, sometimes scary, and sometimes wrong moments in our childhoods.