Fantasy & Love

Fantasy is best described as "a world unlike the one we usually call real" (Lukens, Smith, Coffel, 2013, p. 83).  There are several different types of fantasy that include: high fantasy, fantastic stories, and science fiction.  Typically when I think of fantasy books, I think of books such as Harry Potter or Lord of the Rings, but I forget about all the other books related to animals that talk or have feelings, such as, Charlotte's Web or Stuart Little.  For my fantasy books, I choose a classic children's story and a more modern young adult story, both about love.
The picture book I choose to represent fantasy and love is The Velveteen Rabbit by Margery Williams.  It is a beloved classic that kids of all ages can relate to.  This fantasy book can fit under the sub-genre category of fantastic stories; which means "they are about characters that are not people but talk or live in houses like ours, have feelings like ours, or lead lives similar to ours" (Lukens, Smith, Coffel, 2013, p.84).  I mean who did not grow up wanting their stuffed animal to become real? I know I wanted my stuffed cat, Twinkles, to be real!  So The Velveteen Rabbit is geared more towards younger elementary students, because they can most easily relate to the concept, but I definitely think it would be a good story for older readers to analyze and look in between the words for additional meaning.  The pictures in the book seem more representative of expressionism.  I think the author is trying to show the love and close bond between the boy and the stuffed rabbit through the pictures.


The story depicts a stuffed rabbit who arrives to a little boy on Christmas morning.  The rabbit is so excited to have an owner, and the boy is excited to have a new stuffed animal.  Eventually the rabbit gets pushed to the side as the excitement of new toys on Christmas morning takes over.  The rabbit is sent to the nursery to live with the other toys, and winds up living in the cabinet.  One night the boy is upset because he needs a stuffed animal to sleep with.  The nanny cannot find his usual animal so hands the rabbit to him.  From then on the rabbit is loved.  He sleeps and cuddles with the boy every night.  The rabbit was uncomfortable at first, because he liked his space, but now he loves to be held and cuddled.
I love the picture above because you can see the love in the little boy's eyes for his stuffed animal.  The rabbit goes everywhere with the boy, including outside to garden.  Eventually the rabbit starts to look worn and old, but it makes him feel "real", so he is not concerned.  The little boy falls sick one day, and the rabbit stays in bed with him day and night.  Finally, he has recovered, but the doctor has ordered that everything that was around the boy while he had Scarlet fever needs to be burned; including the rabbit.  He is devastated, and the boy doesn't even realize what is going on.  The rabbit is put in a bag to be burned, but saved by an angel.  The angel grants his request that he become a real rabbit.  He joins the other rabbits in the forest and is happy.  Occasionally he runs into the little boy out playing in the forest and watches him, but the boy has no idea.
This is a great children's book that shows true love between a boy and a stuffed animal.  It shows the type of dependence a child can form on an object; an object that makes them feel safe, loved, and comforts them.  It is a kind of love most everyone can relate to because once in their childhood I'm sure they had a toy or stuffed animal they felt the same way about.

My second fantasy book that falls under the theme of love is the second book in the Hunger Games trilogy, Catching Fire.  I choose this book because I really enjoyed the first book in the series, and was curious as to what happened in the next one!  This book is more of a science fiction novel.  Science fiction is defined as "a type of fantasy, since the events of the stories could not or have not occurred as they do in our world as we know it" (Lukens, Smith, Coffel, 2013, p.85).  It discusses world/events that have not happened, but could possibly occur in the future one day.  Catching Fire is a great example of a world that would hopefully never happen here; a world where children must kill other children in order to survive.  Because of the type of story, the audience is intended for young adults.  I do know many middle schoolers and younger students who have read the books and love them.  But mostly because of the violent content and the discussion of love/marriage it seems more fitting for upper middle school/high school age students.



I love this picture in representing the book because it shows the love triangle between Katniss, Peeta, and Gale.  This book, yet violent, is full of love.  The love between Katniss and her family, the love between Katniss and her best friend Gale, the love she is supposed to have with Peeta, and the love for all the people in District 12.  All the actions in this book are done out of love (most of them!).
The second book starts where the first one left us hanging; Katniss and Peeta have returned to District 12 as victors.  They are happy and relieved to be home, but live in fear that they have angered the Capital.  Katniss is back home with her mom and Primrose (her sister), hunting with Gale daily and trying to figure out her love issue with Peeta.  Eventually the Capital retaliates out of anger towards Peeta and Katniss.  They are holding another Hunger Games, this time with past winners only from each district.  Obviously, Katniss and Peeta are required to go, as Haymitch is the only other victor from their district.  It is decided it is best for him to stay back and help get sponsors while they are out playing the games.
So once again, they are taken to the capital and put back in the wild arena of the Hunger Games.  Katniss and Peeta team up with two other people from different districts; an older lady who has no chance of winning and a former friend of Haymitch's.  Together they survive all the harsh obstacles the Capital is throwing at them.  Many getting hurt, injured, and killed throughout the whole game.  The older lady eventually dies, which is terribly sad to the others since she didn't deserve to die this way.  Haymitch is working with 2 other people in the Hunger Games to find a way to escape and take Katniss and Peeta to safety so they won't be put in the position of having to kill each other again.  Katniss and Peeta know nothing of this plan, so they are shocked one day when suddenly they are captured and taken away.  Haymitch has finally figured out a way to deify the Capital and set them free; he wants to cause an uproar.  Unfortunately before they can grab Peeta, he is captured by a hovercraft of the Capital's and taken there.  The book ends with Katniss being taken to a doctor along with 2 other Hunger Games competitors and flown to safety in District 13, that was previously thought to not exist.  Peeta has been captured by the Capital and they no nothing of his whereabouts.
The author leaves us hanging here, waiting to grasp the 3rd book and figure out if Peeta will be reunited with Katniss.  One must wonder though, is their love real? Or is it simply they have become dependent on each other in order to survive and their love has grown from that?  Was it so faked at the beginning that now they are starting to believe it themselves?  Does Katniss truly love Gale, or is she confusing the love of a brother type figure with the love of a boyfriend?
Many questions can be asked about the world they live in, the idea of the Hunger Games, and about the love between Peeta and Katniss.  There are a great many things about love that can be discussed with high schoolers since they can all relate!

Overall, these were great fantasy books to read!

Collins, S. (2010). Catching Fire. New York: Scholastic Press.

Lukens, R.J., Smith, J.J., & Coffel, C.M. (2013). A Critical Handbook of Children's Literature. Boston: Pearson.

Williams, M. (1983). The Velveteen Rabbit. New York: Henry Holt and Company.

Love in Traditional Literature Books...

My theme for the next few days of books I am going to read is love.  You can find love anywhere, so I thought it would be a good, positive theme to look for in books!
The genre of these two books are traditional literature, which means "that the form comes to us from the ordinary person and exists orally rather than in writing-at least until some collector finds, records, and publishes the stories or rhymes" (Lukens, Smith, & Coffel, 2013, p.78).  Some examples of traditional literature are fables, folktales, myths, legends, heroes, and folk epics.  Both of my stories I have chosen for today are legends/hero tales.
The first book is a chapter book, The Iliad and the Odyssey.  The book is divided in two parts, and I choose to read The Odyssey since the main characters, Odysseus and Penelope represent a true love.  I thought this book was a perfect example of traditional literature while keeping in my theme of love.  It is a true, classic story that has been told for many years, read over and over in classrooms, but yet the one thing that drives Odysseus to return home is to be with his true love, Penelope.



The story begins where The Illiad left off; the war is over and Odysseus is heading back home to Ithaca.  He is trying to sail back home with his crew, but Poseidon, God of the sea, did everything he could to punish Odysseus.  On his way sailing back home, Odysseus and his crew encountered many adventures and challenges, including meeting up with a Cyclops.  Odysseus killed Cyclops, who happened to be the son of Poseidon; so from then on, he was out to get revenge on Odysseus.
For almost 10 years Odysseus was kept on an island, Ogygia, by Calypso.  Calypso was a nymph, who finally released Odysseus because Zeus, the most powerful God (the father of everyone), demanded that he be freed.  Odysseus was on his was back home!
It took him many more years to get back to Ithaca, and he had to go through many challenges.  But he had Athene, his protector, at his side.  Odysseus eventually made it back home, but was disguised as an old, beggar man to see if his people and his wife had been faithful to him.  His wife, Penelope, had not taken any suitors in the 20 years Odysseus had been gone (although she had many waiting for her hand), and most of the country had not given up hope that he was still alive.  Odysseus finally revealed himself to his son, Telemachus, and Penelope.  She gave him a quick test to see if it truly was her husband.  It was truly Odysseus.  Penelope, Telemachus, and the whole country were happy that their king was finally back to rule their country.  Towards the end of the book, Odysseus sums up his love for Penelope and his country by saying, "But from the day I left to go to war, I kept my heart one land and one woman.  The land was my country and the woman was you, Penelope" (1991, p.149).
This book represents a true love between Odysseus and Penelope; one that even after 20 years of not seeing each other cannot be broken.  It also shows the love of Odysseus and his people; they never gave up hope.
The age group that would probably benefit best from this book is older elementary all the way to high school.  This version of the book was slimmed down for younger readers (it still had chapters), but the concepts are somewhat hard to grasp for very young readers.

The second book I read was a picture book, intended for much younger readers.  The concepts are a little easier to grasp, but it still could be read to upper elementary students.  The second book, The Yellow Star: The Legend of King Christian X of Denmark, discusses the love a king has for his country and the love a country has for its king.  The picture book is more of a realistic type of book.


The book is based on a legend that may or may not be true.  It leaves readers hoping this legend was actually true.  The story is based on the time when King Christian X ruled over Denmark during World War II.  It starts by talking about how all of the Danes are the same, and its hard to tell the difference in any of them; they are all united in their love for King Christian X.  He is so loved, that he is able to ride safely through the streets on a horse without guards; just speaking to the people.
Eventually the Nazis come to Denmark and try to force them to fly the Nazi flag.  King Christian X refuses, and the Nazis threaten him.  The Nazis force all of the Jewish people in Denmark to wear a yellow star so they will be identified.  All the Danes were scared, but had faith in King Christian X to take care of them and do the right thing.
Eventually, King Christian X realized the best way to handle the situation was for everyone to be united.  He decided that if the Jews were required to wear a yellow star to single them out, he was going to do the same thing. King Christian X rode the streets proudly with his yellow star, and inspired the other Danes to proudly wear a yellow star, no matter if they were Jewish or not.  The country united, and the Danes ended up saving thousands of Jews in the Holocaust.  Because of King Christian's love for his people, he was able to safely get thousands of Jews to Sweden.
This book focuses on love, but in a different way than The Odyssey.  The first book shows love between a husband and wife, but the second book shows love and loyalty through a king and his people.

Both of these are great legend/hero tales.  They leave a lot open for the reader to interpret.  Looking back at our reader-response theory by Stanley Fish, there are many ways the reader can understand both these books.  Especially The Yellow Star because readers may look at the pictures and interpret different meanings.

Both of these books were great to read, especially The Yellow Star.

Deedy, C.A. (2000). The Yellow Star: The Legend of King Christian X of Denmark.  Atlanta: Peachtree Publishers, LTD.

Homer. (1991). The Iliad and the Odyssesy: The Story of the Trojan War and the Adventures of Odysseus. Milano, Italy: Dami Editore.

Lukens, R.J., Smith, J.J., & Coffel, C.M. (2013).  A Critical Handbook of Children's Literature. Boston: Pearson.

Golem

Golem is a book that takes place in the 1500s that focuses on religious persecution during that time.


This book is a picture book, but is more for mature readers; 5th grade or older.  The ideas that the book presents would be a hard concept for young readers, although they would enjoy the pictures.  The book starts with two rabbis working together to save the Jewish people in Prague.  People are out to persecute the Jewish population, and one of the rabbi had a dream where God told him to use his spiritual powers to create a character that will help them.  The two rabbis go one night to create Golem, from clay, from the Earth.  Golem is designed to stand guard all night and watch out for the Jews.  The town cannot truly know who Golem is or where he came from so the rabbis call him "Joseph".
Since Golem has been guarding the Jews, many people have been captured and punished for hurting the Jews.  Eventually, the rabbis decide Golem is not needed; the Jews are safe.  They are going to have to put him back in the Earth.  Golem tries to stop them because he is enjoying being alive, especially watching the sunset.  He tries to stop the rabbis, but they quickly return him to the ground.  All is good again in Prague, and Golem waits silently in the ground to be created again.
This book was really interesting, and brought a lot of history to the table.  It should be noted that the pictures in the book are made from pieces of cut paper.  The author, David Wisniewski, took a lot of time to hand cut each piece of paper and a lot of talent.
A great book to read to upper elementary students!

Wisniewski, D. (1996). Golem. New York: Clarion Books.

Love & Porcupines

After reading all the teenage love triangle books, I tried for something lighter and simpler today...still related to love!
Porcupining: A Prickly Love Story is a really cute children's book about finding love!  It starts with a lonesome porcupine, ironically named Cushion, living in a zoo.  Cushion feels lonely and left out because he lives in his big cage all by himself.  He wants to find true love, and he also is able to play the guitar!!
He searches all the other animals for his one true love.  He sings to the rabbits, beavers, and pigs, but no one likes his love song and no one wants to be in love with someone as prickly and ugly as Cushion.
Cushion has finally given up when he hears a voice saying I'll be your friend.  It is a hedgehog!  Barb, the hedgehog, is just as prickly as Cushion and would love to live with him in his cage at the zoo.  Cushion finally is able to sing new, happier love song about his true love Barb!
The book is simple and cute.  Kids will love the colorful pictures, and the thrill of Cushion on his journey to find true love.  The author incorporates some poetry/prose into the book through the song Cushion sings on his guitar.  There are great themes for units in this book including: love, friendship, and looking beyond appearances.  Overall a fantastic book for kids!  The illustrations are by Janie Bynum...lots of color in this book!

Wheeler, L. (2002). Porcupining: A Prickly Love Story. New York: Little, Brown, & Co.

Matched!

Matched is a young adult science fiction book written very similar to the Hunger Games.  Since I enjoyed Hunger Games, that might be the reason why my fingers were so drawn to finding this book.  Matched is about a make-believe world where everything is controlled by the Society.  Everything, right down to how much you eat a day and when you die.  Everything is managed and controlled by the Society, including who you will marry and how many children you will have.
The book starts out at the matching ceremony for Cassia, a young 17 year old girl.  She has worn the most beautiful dress (a green one, like the girl in the bubble picture), and is awaiting to hear whom she is going to be dating for the next couple of years before she is married.
Surprisingly, she is matched to someone in her region; her best friend: Xander.  Cassia is ecstatic! She has been matched to someone in her own city! That practically never happens, and Xander is her best friend so she is elated.
Once matched, each person receives a microcard with all their mate's information available for them to review.  Cassia figures there isn't much for her to review since she and Xander grew up together and know everything about each other; but she decides to look anyway.  She inserts the card in the computer, and the face that appears for her match is not Xander; it is Ky Markham.  Cassia is stunned and scared.  She quickly pulls the card out, and tells no one.
Later, an official pays her a visit at school to discuss what has happened.  Again, Cassia has told no one, but the officials know everything.  They convince her it was an accident, and there was no way Ky could have been entered into the matching pool because he is an Aberration.  There are four different levels in the Society: matched, single, Aberration, and Anomalies (who have to be separated from society).  Aberrations are people who have committed an infraction against the Society or have a close family member who has committed one.  In this instance, Ky's uncle, who he lives with, had committed an infraction against the Society years ago, and now Ky is being punished for it.
The official leaves Cassia to mull this over, and now it peaks her interest in Ky.  She has known him since they were little, but he is a quiet boy who is average in everything.
Throughout the book, Cassia becomes more intrigued with Ky and eventually falls in love with him.  She learns what it is like for him to be an outsider all these years, and how he plays a game of his own against the Society; living unnoticed.  Their love is forbidden because of the different levels as matched and Aberration.  Cassia is torn between disobeying the Society and following her heart.  Her family suffers because of her actions, and are eventually forced to move to the Farmlands by the Society.  Cassia comes clean with Xander and tells him the truth, that she truly loves Ky.  The officials have taken Ky away from his aunt and uncle to somewhere unknown.
As the book closes, Cassia and her family have been moved to the Farmlands, and Ky's whereabouts are unknown.  Cassia is determined to find her true love, Ky, no matter what risk she may have to take.
The author leaves you wondering at the end of the book if Cassia will be able to find Ky in the next book.  This first book Matched is part of a trilogy.  It was a good book, that easily connected with young readers about falling in love and having your life controlled by someone.  I can see how the book would resonate with middle or even high school students, talking about a love triangle, rebelling against the powers, and escaping to find true love.

I enjoyed reading it, and the author kept my attention throughout the whole book.  Although it was incredibly similar to the Hunger Games, it was less violent, but followed along with the theme of forbidden love.  You should note that this book was published after Hunger Games.
I look forward to reading the next book in the series, Crossed.



It also looks like a movie is going to be made from the book!!


Condie, A. (2010). Matched. New York: Scholastic.

Pigeons and Buses!

This post is for June 2nd; my second book reading!  After finishing up the Hunger Games yesterday, my fingers decided to take me over to a lighter reading section, where killing children was not a part of it.  I scanned the early children's book section and found one with an interesting title: Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus!  I thought that was quite interesting, and pulled it out to read.
It is more of a picture book geared toward children ages 2-6 years.  It was really cute though.  The author (Mo Williems) does an excellent job of having a book that will make kids giggle, and feel as though the book is really talking to them.
The book starts out with a bus driver leaving a pigeon alone by his bus.  He asks that no pigeons drive the bus (the author makes the reader feel like the bus driver and pigeon are talking to you the entire book).  So the pigeon does everything possible to convince you, the reader, to let him drive the bus.  He begs, pleads, and tries to make a game out of it.  In the end, the bus driver comes back before the reader is able to make a decision, and the pigeon does not get to drive the bus.  Although the book closes with the pigeon spotting a tractor trailer and having thoughts on driving it.
This book is just really great and silly for young readers.  It gives them the power to be really involved in the book, and be a part of the decision making process to see if the pigeon should drive the bus or not.  There are excellent illustrations and great words/phrases that would be easy for young kids to repeat or get involved with.
Overall, great, fun book!!  This book was also a Caldecott Honor Book.

Willems, M. (2003). Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus!. New York: Hyperion Books for Children.

And May the Odds be Ever in Your Favor...

This post is for yesterday's book reading, June 1st.  I am a little late in getting this online, but I just finished up the first book of the Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins.  I have to admit I was a little hesitant to read it; I had seen all the magazine covers about the book/movie, and seen the movie previews.  I knew all my friends were reading it, and of course all my middle school students at school.  I felt the same way about Twilight too...I was a late bloomer on the Twilight saga as well.
I will admit though, I really enjoyed this book! It was a fairly easy read, as it is targeted to teenagers, but it kept my interest.  The Hunger Games focuses on Katniss (pictured above) and her life in District 12.  Each district is run by the Capital, and each year 2 players are chosen from each district (12) to fight in the annual Hunger Games.  It is a big event attended by everyone in the Capital, and there is only one survivor.  The Capital creates a "world" where things may attack you, people attack you, and you might not be able to find water.  They control the "world" that the players live in until someone wins.
Because most of the districts are very poor and hungry, everyone who is of a certain age must put their name in the running to be chosen at the annual Hunger Games.  Every time you enter your name you get a certain amount of food.  This is the first year Katniss' sister, Primrose must enter her name.  And she gets chosen! Kat volunteers to take her place as tribute, and is paired with Peeta, a kind, quiet boy whom she grew up with.
As soon as the tributes are chosen, they are whisked away to the capital and shown a world they've never known.  They are dressed in the finest clothes, given the best food, and then sent out on their own to survive.  You are not supposed to pair up in the games but Peeta, Rue (from District 11), and Katniss do.   The author shows readers how the relationship between Peeta and Katniss grows.  Katniss is super tough, so she has had to show a softer side to the Capital in order to gain popularity and sponsors.
Their mentor, Haymitch, encourages Peeta and Katniss to develop a romantic relationship (something Kat is torn up about because she is partly in love with her best friend at home, Gale), to help keep them alive and people interested in them.
Eventually almost all of the contestants are dead, and Katniss and Peeta are wounded, exhausted and dirty.  They try to deify the Capital by winning as a team, but the Capital announces there can only be one winner, so they plan to both kill themselves (sort of a Romeo and Juliet type reference).  Before this can happen the Capital stops them and declares them both winners.  They are saved and have survived.
Now they must face punishment from the Capital for defying them, and Katniss must determine if her kisses with Peeta were real, or if it was just for show?  Does Katniss have feelings for Peeta, and does Peeta truly have feelings for Katniss?  The author leaves readers wondering what will happen to the two of them as they return on the train to their district.
I liked the way the author just ended the book: End of Book One.  She left you intrigued, and curious about the fate of Peeta and Katniss.  The writing in the book was not the best, but the story kept you going.  The author did a great job making you feel like you were actually in the Capital watching the Hunger Games.
Overall, this book is a good one, especially one for young readers.  A fantasy/science fiction, futuristic book that most all students would enjoy.  Although the thought of kids killing other kids for survival is repulsive.

Collins, S. (2008). The Hunger Games. New York: Scholastic Press.