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Today’s review is a bit different from the usual fare here on Kid Lit Reviews. I received a young adult book last year, which I do not review, because I firmly believe YA does not mix well with picture books and middle grade fare. I set it aside. Last night, needing a break from reading kid’s books and packing boxes, I picked up that book, simply titled Crazy.Crazy is Linda Vigen Phillips debut into children’s lit. Written in verse, the story is a fast read. The story shines a light on mental illness and, though set in the 1960s, is every bit as relevant today as it was then. Crazy moved me and I hope it moves you.
“Laura is a typical fifteen-year-old growing up in the 1960s, navigating her way through classes, friendships, and even a new romance. But she’s carrying around a secret: her mother is suffering from a mental illness. No one in Laura’s family will talk about her mother’s past hospitalizations or increasingly erratic behavior, and Laura is confused and frightened. Laura finds some solace in art, but when her mother, also an artist, suffers a breakdown, Laura fears that she will follow in her mother’s footsteps. Left without a refuge, can she find the courage to face what scares her most?”[book cover]
Review 15-year-old Laura’s mother suffers from bipolar disorder and the family suffers right along with her, as most often happens. The author took parts of her own life, apparently having a mother who also suffered from mental illness. In the sixties, where the story takes place, mental illness carried much stigma so families kept this very secret. A lot of effort went into hiding the ailment from others. Kids never brought friends home to play or for sleepovers. If the family member was admitted to a psychiatric hospital, the family’s secret keeping went into high alert.
Now this may sound crazy in itself, but people outside the family secret did treat kids and adults with a mentally ill family member differently—poorly, often as if the craziness could rub off the family and onto them. Many people did not consider mental illness a medical disorder. Instead, mental illness was a problem of attitude, disposition, and a weakness of the will. Thus, mentally ill people could cure themselves by changing their attitude and their disposition by just acting normal. “If they would just do this or do that, they would be fine in no time,” was the basic attitude of most people.
The mother was a brilliant artist when younger, but gave it up. Laura encourages her mother to paint again, thinking it might help her mother regain her sense of self and thus act more normal. Instead, her mother has a “nervous breakdown.” Now Laura blames herself because she encouraged her mother to paint and, in her mind, the act of painting again caused her mother to collapse. Being a gifted artist in her own right, Laura is terrified that she will tumble into the same black hole her mother has. At one point, Laura even believes she is on her way, and in great fear and despair, refuses to paint, despite a contest deadline looming near.
NERVOUS BREAKDOWN
“If you’ve ever been there when a lightbulb gets real bright just before it blows out, then you know what it was like around here when things got extremely crazy, right before they shipped Mama off to the nut house.
“It’s all my fault for suggesting she take up painting again. That’s what she was doing that day I came home to such a mess. She was trying to paint on canvas, not ceramics, and maybe, well, maybe she just forgot how to do it and it frustrated her real bad. I could see she was beside herself with frustration.
“I never should have suggested it.
“Maybe that’s why she put her hand on the hot stove last night and didn’t even smell the burning flesh. Now on top of her craziness she has a bandaged hand.”
The problem in the sixties, as it was in the fifties, and every decade past, was a lack of information. Even today, though much enlightened, some still attach a stigma to mental illness. Books like Crazy help change these views by looking to the next generation. Laura, having been kept in the dark by her family (Laura is not old enough to understand), knows little about her mother’s illness. She understands mom is crazy, as she lives with the craziness each day. Laura watches her mother sit in a chair all day, staring at nothing in particular and worrying about everything (JFK’s assassination occurs), then watches her mother in crazed action, with energy that overflows and keeps her moving for days.
Laura gives up her own artistic talent to maintain her sanity, but it does not work. Laura feels herself falling deeper into a hole she cannot comprehend. Despite asking what is specifically going on with her mother, no one will explain. Not understanding, Laura’s mind works herself into her own despair. Overloaded with a sick mother, keeping secrets, and normal teen angst Laura works herself into believing she is beginning the slow descent into craziness. Her father has closed himself off, in his own attempts to deal with an ill wife he dearly loves, so Laura does not get the support she needs from him. Her older sister is busy with her own family, having married young. Laura’s friends are in the dark, though would most likely be a great support system for her, if she was not so afraid to tell them.
Crazy does a great job describing mental illness fifty years ago and an even better job of describing a kid who must live with a mentally ill parent. The writing is easy to read and a fast read, since most of the verse deals with Laura and her thoughts, rather than visual descriptions. It works. I think an advanced middle grader could read Crazy and enjoy the story along with a new understanding of mental illness. Crazy was difficult to put down, even for an hour. I read the 314 pages in one evening. The story is that compelling and that interesting. I needed to know how Laura was going to deal with her mother’s illness. Would she ever return to painting? Could she ever tell her friends? Would Laura really descend into darkness, herself, as she imagines is happening? Will anyone ever speak truthfully and answer Laura’s questions? I just had to know.
Laura tries to protect herself from a mother she does not understand and friends who might abandon her if they knew her secret. I enjoyed this emotionally stirring story. Crazy drew me into the story immediately with the powerful writing. The author does a great job leading the reader down the path she wants them to walk. Laura is a credible character and one in which many kids will see themselves. Laura will have your empathy, but it will take time to understand the other characters’ motives. The story rolls out perfectly. I know this because I have a brother with bipolar disorder. In a group setting, Crazy can easily lead to a great discussion. I recommend Crazy for advanced readers age 12 and up, including adults.
“Exciting results rom recent studies show the powerful effects of reading to babies in utero: a rhythmic, repetitive story read regularly during the last trimester will soothe your baby after he or she is born. It’s also been sown that sharing storied with pretern aies familiarizes them with the voices of their parents and other family members, and that babies can even absorb elements of language while in the womb. Such discoveries inspire the Belly Book Collection.”
Opening
“Hello in there, baby! I’m thinking of you
As you’re curled up inside me so small
Every joy we share
All my loving care
And I can’t wait to show you it all!”
Review
Can’t Wait to Show You consists of one poem of 10 5-line stanzas. The poem begins with one stanza on the first spread, two stanzas on the second spread, and alternates from there until the final one stanza spread. The rhyming scheme notation is a-b-c-c-b. If not for the first line standing alone, the 5-line stanzas are close to the limerick form.
The authors base their book on the idea that in the last trimester, the child can hear the voices outside of the womb and can remember those voices. This familiarity helps the child relax, find a happy mood, and may help the child at birth. Singing the poem will intensify this, as newborns can recognize repeated songs, which also has a calming effect. The process of reading to their yet-to-be-born child also helps the parents’ transition into parenthood and enjoy the nine-month gestation period.
The poem is event centered. Parents anxious to meet their child is the on-going theme consistently stated in the fifth line.
“Oh, I can’t wait to show you the . . . “
In the second stanza, they cannot wait to show their child the light of the sun through rainbows, suncatchers, and sunbeams. In the final stanza, the parents cannot wait to show the child their love. The poem is easy to find a nice consistent rhythm by which to sing the verses or simply read them aloud with ease. The meter is consistently perfect.
One of the most interesting features of Can’t Wait to Show You is the book’s shape. The edges and corners curve making the rounded book smooth and perfect for a baby-belly. The book is designed to comfortably sit atop the pregnant woman’s belly and, later, the child, as she or he sit in mom or dad’s lap listening to the now familiar poem.
The illustrations are beautiful. Each new spread advances the age of the child from third-trimester to toddler and then flows full-circle back to a newborn on the final spread. The babies and toddlers are happy bundles of baby fat and smiles; images that will be irresistible to most. The pages are thick, perfect for children’s grips. The weight of the book as a whole should help it stay in the given belly position.
I love the poem Can’t Wait to Show You. Here is my favorite spread; the fourth spread:
“If you try some bananas and peaches
Lick the spoon so they don’t go to waste
For your birthday I’ll make
Chocolate angelfood cake
Oh, I can’t wait to show you the taste!
.
“Your blanky is warm, soft and snuggly
The splashy bath suds make you squeal
A kitten will purr
When you snuggle her fur
Oh, I can’t wait to show you the feel!”
The love of reading is acquired best when started early. Reading to your child in the womb is the best start, as long as reading to your child continues through the years. The beauty of the words and illustrations make Can’t Wait to Show You the perfect baby shower gift. It would also be a unique gift as unique as the poem inside the pages.
Can’t Wait to Show You is not a novelty book. Nor is it just for mothers. Fathers can and should read to their baby; getting to know the one person who will wrap him around their finger for a lifetime. Can’t Wait to Show You is destined to become a family favorite that lasts many years, and then becomes a cherished heirloom passed down to succeeding generations.
The Shark Whisperer, a new middle grade series by Ellen Prager, with illustrations by Antonio Javier Caparo, released yesterday, May 1, 2014. To help promote this incredible ocean tale, Scarletta Junior Readers, an imprint of Scarletta Press, has released a sneak peek for Kid Lit Reviews’ loyal readers, visitors, and friends. “Follow Tristan Hunt and his …
I am very excited to be part of the Prodigy Blog Tour! I have an excerpt of the book and author Marie Lu's thoughts just for GreenBeanTeenQueen readers!
PRODIGY Excerpt: Stretching out before us, peeking through the gaps between the military buildings, is a city: tall, shining skyscrapers reaching up through the low clouds and delicate snow, and each building illuminated by beautiful blue lights that pour from almost every window and every floor. Fighter jets line the skyscrapers’ rooftops. The entire landscape is aglow. – Day, page 282
Marie’s thoughts: It wasn’t a huge stretch for me to envision the world of Prodigy and Legend as our own world, and that in itself is a little disturbing. Everything dystopian in the books was pulled directly from reality: the Republic is not a far cry from North Korea’s regime, for example, and the plagues in Legend were inspired directly by the eugenics movement back in the early 20th century. When I first started writing Legend, in fact, it was late 2009 and we’d already started seeing our country split off into extreme, twisted versions of our political parties. That extremism was part of what inspired Legend’s world, and now it’s a little eerie to hear all these calls for secession after our most recent election. After all, the Republic and the Colonies are the broken remnants of a once great United States. Let’s hope that doesn’t happen in real life.
About Prodigy: June and Day arrive in Vegas just as the unthinkable happens: the Elector Primo dies, and his son Anden takes his place. With the Republic edging closer to chaos, the two join a group of Patriot rebels eager to help Day rescue his brother and offer passage to the Colonies. They have only one request—June and Day must assassinate the new Elector. It’s their chance to change the nation, to give voice to a people silenced for too long. But as June realizes this Elector is nothing like his father, she’s haunted by the choice ahead. What if Anden is a new beginning? What if revolution must be more than loss and vengeance, anger and blood—what if the Patriots are wrong? In this highly-anticipated sequel, Lu delivers a breathtaking thriller with high stakes and cinematic action.
Download the FREE Marie Lu digital sampler to your e-reader and start reading Legend and Prodigy right now!Kindle Nook iBookstore
Read Marie’s e-special, LIFE BEFORE LEGEND: STORIES OF THE CRIMINAL AND THE PRODIGY for only $2.99!Kindle Nook
To follow up from yesterday's post on the art of Ritva Voutila: I'm having trouble attaching a longer excerpt of Poppy's Path on my site, so for Jill and anyone else who wanted to know more, here it is.
One wild wet morning, high in the hills and far away, a baby was born.
Her mother wrapped her in a new red scarf and laid her in a carved wooden cradle to keep her warm and safe.
Then the valley rocked and the mountains thundered. A roaring river burst from the heart of the hills, sweeping fields and forests, carts and cottages, down to the sea. The baby’s cradle became a boat, and she laughed as it leapt down the raging waters.
An eagle plunged from his crag. He skimmed so low that the river splashed his feathers and when he rose again, a red scarf dangled from his beak and in the scarf was a baby.
He flew over the mountains to the village in the valley and laid the baby on the doorstep of a red-roofed cottage. Inside the cottage, an old man and old woman heard the wings and wondered, and came out to see. They did not expect to see a baby on their doorstep, but the villagers often brought them lost animals and birds fallen from their nests, so they were not surprised, but they were very, very happy.
They looked out to see where the baby had come from, but all they saw was an eagle high overhead, and a field of poppies glowing red and bright as the sun came out after the rain.
‘We’ll name her Poppy,’ said the old man.
‘She can be our grand-daughter,’ said the old woman and held her tight.
****ILLUS****
Poppy soon grew tall - ‘like a giraffe,’ teased the boys;
smart - ‘like a monkey,’ laughed the girls,
and brave - ‘like a lion!’ said her grandfather, his eyes shining bright with pride.
Poppy’s hair was red and her eyes were bright; her legs were quick and restless and brown from the sun.
‘I’ve never,’ sighed the teacher in the tidy white school,’ known anyone quite like Poppy.’
Because when everyone else was walking or running or skipping straight from their homes to school every morning, Poppy was having adventures.
‘Do you know what happened?’ she’d ask, when she finally got to the school, opening her eyes round and her arms wide, ‘I found a baby dragon in the cows’ field!’
‘It was a lizard!’ said the boys.
‘A baby dragon,’ insisted Poppy. ‘I picked him up – and then I saw the mother dragon, watching us from high in the air; her scales were gold and red, and her breath was pink.’
‘A cloud in the sunrise!’ said the girls.
‘She bellowed and roared!’ said Poppy. ‘She swooped down beside us so the baby dragon could crawl on her back. They took off again with a great Whoosh!, withthe baby dragon squealing and the mother hiccupping flames, then the cows started mooing and the calves started bawling – and the dragons chased the cows round and round the field!’
‘Oh, Poppy!’ said everyone. ‘You’re such a story teller.’
****ILLUS****
Poppy could jump higher, skip longer, whistle louder and run faster than anyone in the village.
‘It’s not fair!’ said the boys. ‘No one can whistle so loud.’
‘Or skip so long!’ said the girls. ‘Not fair!’
‘Why not?’ asked Poppy, jumping over the white school fence and running home before anyone else had time to get out the gate. Because sometimes Poppy wanted to run for as long, as fast and as far as she could from everyone who knew where they belonged and the path that their lives would take.
****ILLUS****
All the other children in the tidy white school knew exactly what they would do when they grew up; the girls would do the work that their mothers had and the boys would follow their fathers. But the raging river had taken Poppy’s mother and father, and she did not know what her place in the world could be.
‘You’ll find it one day,’ said the teacher, but she did not say how.
Sometimes the teacher read them stories from old books of the world outside the valley, of animals they had never seen and people that lived lives they could not imagine. ‘Tell me more,’ begged Poppy.
‘We don’t need stories that aren’t real!’ said the boys.
‘We want stories about us and our village!’ said the girls.
‘Those are all the stories I have,’ said the teacher to Poppy. ‘But I think there must be more, out in the world where there are people to tell them and people to hear.’
‘Maybe if I hear all the stories there are to be heard,’ thought Poppy, ‘I’ll find the way that my life should be.’
0 Comments on Poppy's Path excerpt as of 12/8/2012 9:17:00 PM
Crazy
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Can’t Wait to Show You is not a novelty book. Nor is it just for mothers. Fathers can and should read to their baby; getting to know the one person who will wrap him around their finger for a lifetime. Can’t Wait to Show You is destined to become a family favorite that lasts many years, and then becomes a cherished heirloom passed down to succeeding generations.
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