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By: Stacy Dillon,
on 9/25/2016
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I was a kid running wild and free in the 1970s, and I find myself intrigued with the fiction written these days that takes place during that time period. It's a convenient time period, for sure. By this I mean that technology hadn't yet tethered us to our parents, and I'm assuming that most kids were like my sister and I -- running around the neighborhood and beyond with friends and coming home when we got hungry.
Raymie is a girl who isn't really noticed much by her parents. Her father has actually just up and left with a dental hygienist and Raymie's mom is spending her time staring into space. Raymie finds some comfort in neighbor Mrs. Borkowski who seems to know everything and always has time to talk to Raymie. She has also hatched a plan to get her father to come home.
Raymie has decided that she will enter and win the Little Miss Central Florida Tire 1975 pageant. This will result in her picture in the newspaper. Her dad will be so proud of her, he'll have to come home. When Raymie tells her dad's secretary her plan, Mrs. Sylvester says Ramie just has to learn to twirl the baton as her talent. This is how she ends up at Ida Nee's place for twirling lessons along with Beverly Tapinski and Louisiana Elefante -- two girls who couldn't be more different from one another.
Louisiana is a wheezy and delicate girl, prone to swooning, while Beverly is the tough talking daughter of a cop who swears that she's seen things. In between these two, Raymie Clarke is a steadfast girl just doing her best to understand others.
Over the next few days, Louisiana dubs their trio the Rancheros, and even though Beverly refuses to live by the moniker, it becomes clear that Louisiana often gets her way. As the girls search for Louisiana's beloved cat, perform good deeds, experience loss, and do a little breaking and entering along the way, they slowly reveal their worries to one another. They become tied together by the brokenness that surrounds them.
As always, DiCamillo leaves poetry on the page. But this book felt different to me. I was talking to a colleague about it and I noted that it felt like it had a big dose of Horvath in the pages. Some have said the girls are too quirky and almost derivative. I disagree. When you look closely, kids are weird. And if they allow themselves to be honest with who they are, Beverlys and Louisianas and Raymies are completely reasonable. Trying to mend neglect with toughness or fantasy is innately human. I really enjoyed this quiet and quirky summery read. I do wonder at today's kids sitting with the 1975 setting. I'm interested in their feedback.
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KidLitReviews,
on 12/23/2012
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5 Stars Don’t Feed the Boy by Irene Latham Illustrated by Stephanie Graegin Pages: 288 Ages: 8 to 12 ……………………. Back Cover: No kid knows more about zoo life than Whit. That’s because he sleeps, eats and even attends home-school at the Meadowbrook Zoo. It’s one of the perks of having a mother who’s the [...]
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on 5/11/2012
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Welcome Back to Kid Lit Reviews After last thirty days of wildly romping through April from A to Z, I needed to take a little rest. No kidding, my pinky finger on my writing hand went numb. The finger was totally and completely numb from the tip to the edge of the hand. Now that [...]
Waiting to ForgetSheila Kelly Welch
middle grade
Because of the age of the protagonist, I've tagged this as middle grade, as did the publisher, namelos; however, it seems wise and fair to point out that this is the story of a current day child-survivor of abuse and neglect. This isn't a light read. It's tough. It's a great book for talking through and exploring emotions, but I wouldn't send a child off to read this alone.
Basic plot: T.J.'s little sister, Angela, fell from the second story balcony into the entryway of their new adopted parent's home. While T.J. waits at the hospital to find out if his sister will be all right, he tells their story in flashback. It's a heartrending account of a mother who neglects her children, has a string of boyfriends, some nice and some less than nice, that ultimately lead her to abandoning her kids to follow her man, who has abused the children. The children then cycle through various foster homes until they're adopted. The transition to a new home is difficult, wrought with feelings of guilt and distrust and the fear of loving anyone again.
The story alternates between present tense for the here and now and past for the story leading up to the hospital. For a young reader, changing tense can be confusing. Yet another aspect of the story that makes it well-suited for group reading and discussion.
As I was reading this book, I asked myself many times "what's the point" of a story of this nature. I'll readily admit, I'm sometimes a bit slow in getting it when it comes to gritty fiction about scarring abuse for a young audience. I faced a similar paradox with the aspect of double dead parents in my own middle grade,
Dragon Wishes. For me, the theme felt too heavy as a stand alone. Thus I added a second story to the first, a fantasy, that broke up the heaviness of the main, present day story, while intertwining with it to push plot forward. That was my personal choice because the topic, death of both parents, just felt too heavy all by itself for a young audience. In
Waiting to Forget, there is no break from reality. The distant past is painful, the recent past is jumbled and painful, and the present is scary painful. Angela may die.
Is this a story worth telling? Absolutely. However, it's probably one that's best read and shared together for the story to have its true effect, i.e. helping children either to cope with abuse in their lives or to understand abuse and its effects on their peers.
For other great reads, hop on over to
Barrie Summy's site. They're in full bloom!
Normally I review chidren's or YA books on this blog, but during my recuperation period I've been catching up with some adult reading. What a treat, really. I love kid lit, but occasionally I miss, you know, fat paragraphs, long sentences, bigger vocabulary. So I'll be reporting on those good reads for awhile, some as reviews, and some simply as musings on what I've read.
Recently I had the pleasure of reading
J. L. Campbell's fine book,
Dissolution, set in contemporary Jamaica.
Sherryn and Reece (short for Maurice) have a nice home, a passionate relationship, and five children that brighten their lives. Reece owns his own business. Sherryn has her own home business baking and decorating cakes. Life is good. Then one day the doorbell rings, and Sherryn opens the door to find a scantily clad, bejeweled woman who thrusts a young boy into the room -- a boy who looks exactly like Sherryn's husband and is even named Maurice. Thus begins a painful journey for both Sherryn and Reece as they struggle with the unintended consequences of a festering and prolonged quarrel that led to Reese's sole one-night stand five years earlier.
Both Sherryn and Reese are likeable characters with a mixture of sterling virtues and all too human flaws. Reece grew up in a ghetto, abandoned by parents, semi-raised by another tenant, and determined to make something better of his own life. He's a good father, a devoted husband, a proud businessman. But he can't break ties to friends in his old neighborhood, especially Rodney, who seems always in trouble. And his early life has made him controlling, wanting to keep his wife dependent. Sherryn has a big heart, loves her husband and family and friends. But, when angry, she shuts down and won't communicate, resorting to the cold, silent treatment. And she's very independent.
Gloria, the one-night stand, has been blackmailing Reece for years. She has two other children by another blackmail victim, vindictively delivering the children to their fathers when they don't agree to her higher priced silence. Rodney proves a complicated friend: He's the one friend Reece can talk to, but solves many of his own problems by violence and gives very poor advice.
All of the characters are beleveably portrayed, including the children. I feel I would recognize any one of them were I to meet them in person.
As for plot, the author keeps things moving: Stunned by her husband's infidelity, Sherryn is nonetheless filled with compassion for the little boy, Maurice Jr., who has obviously been neglected and mistreated. She can't help nurturing him, while still torturing herself about what kind of relationship exactly her husband had with Gloria. Their children accept the situation, but even as Maurice is welcomed into the family, Sherryn cannot forgive her husband. All of this is just for starters! Then, when things seem to be getting better, they get worse. Just when you think they can't get any worse -- they do. Lots worse! Before the books end someone is murdered. Who is the victim? And who did it?
You'll have to read the story.
No doubt, I am an official Catherine Ryan Hyde fan!
When Bill is taken by their grandparents but she is not, Cynnie is devastated and starts to implode. She sinks farther and farther into an abyss. In her reappearance she discovers how she is like and unlike her mother, a difficult discovery. The ending is perfect!
Another great story from the author of Pay It Forward!
ENDERS' Rating: 5 stars!
Catherine Ryan Hyde's Terrific Website
Oh yes. I have moved into Cliche Territory. But no one loves a good Jewish Mother joke as much as... a Jewish Mother.
This is a guilt-free post. My first and last. Guilt is my middle name. It's in the DNA.
Yes, I've been neglecting you, Live Journal. But that doesn't mean I don't love you.
Okay. I am guilty. Live Journal has allowed my wings to stretch and my words to soar. Why do we always hurt the ones we love best?
Yes. It's true. As much as Twitter and Facebook have become integral facets of our writers' community, I will always think of Live Journal as my child. And a Jewish mother will never turn her back on a child. You can never do anything wrong. It's our fault you went crazy, robbed a bank, cheated in school, cut your beautiful hair into that unattractive mullet, got a ticket for talking on the cell phone while driving (because of course you were talking to your mother at the time, darling, blame it on me).
And so now I will tell you All that Is True: Live Journal, you are my favorite child. DON'T TELL YOUR SISTER! May G-d Strike me dead if she ever finds out! ;>
If Guilt is a foreign object to you, if nothing ruffles your feathers-- how do you live like that? I have no idea-- let me invite you into the Twitteleh world. This is what Jewish Guilt feels like: Don't worry about me. I'll be all right. That's right. You don't have to call your mother. Don't write. I'll live. I don't want to obligate you.
But let me ask you before you run off to be with your, sniff, new little friends:
Are you hungry? Can I get you something? You're schvitzing. Are you hot? Here. Sit closer to the air-conditioner. I'll sweat. It's all right. I'm your mother. What? You're cold? I don't need my three sweaters. You do. Put them on right now. Over my dead body will I let you shiver. Tired? Sit down so I can rub your toes. Take a nap. I'll watch the kids. Better you should rest. You don't want circles under your eyes, do you? So tell me: Is there anything I did right today?
I'll be back. I'm JoNoWriting!
By:
Laurel Gaylord,
on 1/11/2008
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Not far from downtown there's a rusted, old abandoned space-metal building sitting in a state of decay from neglect. There are several block shapes spray-painted in random colors as though graffiti artists used the side of the building to test their new cans before tagging the local businesses and schools.
In spite of the blacktop surrounding this building, a small tree pushed its way through the asphalt-covered ground several years ago. The part of the building behind the tree makes such a beautiful backdrop, like a giant patchwork quilt sewn together stitch by stitch, always there to embrace this tree.
It's Redbird's favorite place, especially in the afternoon when the sun glows on the warm colors of the quilted metal. It's as though Redbird gives the tree a reason to stay alive with the promise of her daily return.
What some may perceive as decay and neglect, Redbird finds a sacred space that welcomes her with warmth, grace and beauty.
Done for Illustration Friday's prompt: Stitch. Acrylic and colored pencils on scrapbook paper.
I'm off on the edge of the world with almost no internet connection. It's raining, and my hair has gone peculiarly curly. I've got a sore throat of the kind I get when I've been travelling too much for too long, and have slept for much of the last 48 hours, like I do when I get a sore throat and it's time to sleep it off. I just drove to civilisation where I bought lemons, honey and ginger. And, for some reason that made sense when I bought it, but which now seems increasingly distant celery. And am now internet cafeing.
I'm working on The Graveyard Book.
Jason Webley's new CD The Cost of Living, is mostly playing in the background while I'm working, and his song from that, Almost Time to Go is sometimes on repeat (Here's the first minute from his website.) Up there with the wonderful strangeness of the Amanda Palmer-Jason Webley Elephant Elephant by Evelyn Evelyn. (http://www.jasonwebley.com/music_elephant.html but it is sold out, alas.) He's having a sale -- http://www.jasonwebley.com/index.html -- until the end of December.
Also listening to the new Thea Gilmore CD, but seeing it's not released yet there's not much point in linking to it. But she's started a Youtube channel (http://www.youtube.com/user/TheaGilmore), with, so far, one video of her playing a song on her sofa on it. (Also nice picture taken by Thea's husband-and-producer-and-terrific-songwriter-in-his-own-write Nigel Stonier of Thea and me before Beowulf premiere on her myspace blog.)
Here's a summary of what's going on in the Writers' Strike right now.
Charles Vess has just finished the wraparound cover for BLUEBERRY GIRL...
and finally...
I wrote to you earlier to advise that there was far too much fun being had reviewing Bic pens on Amazon (http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B000JTOYLS/ref=cm_rdp_product). There seems to be even more fun too muchly had reviewing Tuscan milk by a factor of approximately 25 (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00032G1S0/ref=cm_cr_pr_product_top).
What intrigues me most though is through this page, I now know that if I ever need Uranium Ore, a JL421 Badonkadonk Land Cruiser/Tank, or simply a Fresh Whole Rabbit, Amazon will be my first stop.
To which I can add nothing.
By: Rebecca,
on 8/17/2007
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Okay, I am two days early but on Sunday, August 19, it will be the the 151st anniversary of Condensed Milk. To celebrate this product which everyone under-appreciates we searched Oxford Reference Online and found this great profile of the Borden company in The Oxford Encyclopedia of Food and Drink in America. Be sure to read the whole thing to find some neat tidbits about Elsie The Cow.
At one time the Borden company was America’s largest dairy business. Gail Borden Jr., the founder of the Borden Condensed Milk Company, was born in Norwich, New York, in 1801. He died in 1874, leaving behind a thriving business, two sons, and a host of inventions and patents. (more…)
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It's wonderful to know that you read the book and got everything I was trying to convey about the characters and why they are the way they turned out. Sherryn and Reece became my children while I bled, cried and sweated over them. Thanks for posting this review!
Elizabeth, you've made me want to read the book all over again! Thank you very much for this excellent review. Now I'm hoping to read an interview with J.L. Campbell. :)
Joy, your characters and their back stories were clearly drawn. I know what you mean about MCs becoming your children?
Michelle, glad you liked the review.
The deleted comment was mine, as I accidentally posted the same comment twice.
Joy's book sounds great. Would love to read, especially as I know her so well. Thanks for the review.
Rachna, the good news for you is that it's an ebook. You can download it. Good luck.