Newbery Honor Books – Book Buffoonery

The Great Gilly Hopkins by Katherine Paterson

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Title: The Great Gilly Hopkins by Katherine Paterson

Notable: Newbery Honor Book, 1979

Premise:

Gilly Hopkins is in foster care and about to enter a new home. She wants nothing more than for her mother to swoop in and reclaim her, but alas, it’s not to be. Gilly’s new home is with a large, motherly woman named Trotter and her foster son, William Ernest. Gilly’s prejudices come to the forefront when she realizes that she’ll be expected to interact closely with African Americans, and when she passes judgment on Trotter and W. E. Eventually though, Gilly realizes that sometimes our dreams aren’t what they’re cracked up to be, and making the best of our current situation can turn out to be a blessing in disguise.

My thoughts:

This is a really intense book! Don’t expect to sit down and just float through it like you’re riding on a big, fluffy cloud. Paterson doesn’t take shortcuts with her characters and she’s definitely not afraid of giving them flaws. The main character, Gilly, is one of the most judgmental kids you’ll ever meet in a story, but it’s hard not to root for her. She’s so miserably unhappy, that Gilly spews her vitriol on everyone around her, picking out traits in others to belittle and make fun of.

She doesn’t like Trotter because she’s overweight; she doesn’t like W. E. because she thinks he’s stupid; she doesn’t like her neighbor or new teacher because they’re black. In all of these relationships, we see Gilly gradually progress into a new understanding about who they are. She comes to value each of them and realizes that love and acceptance are possible with people who are different, and not part of your nuclear family. She never thought she’d come to love these people, but they found a way to infiltrate her heart. There is no easy fairy-tale ending to the story, but readers are left with the message that we should make the best of our situation in life and look for joy and contentment in what we have today.

As a parent, I have to warn you about the offensive bits in this story. I wouldn’t want my younger child picking it up and thinking that it’s okay to copy Gilly’s language. She uses totally inappropriate phrases to talk about Trotter, W. E., Mr. Randolph and Ms. Harris. In one part the n-word is very clearly implied. By the end of the book, Gilly’s language has become much tamer, but a child has to be old enough to realize that Gilly’s language is not something to emulate.

I recommend The Great Gilly Hopkins to those who enjoy coming of age novels which tug at your heart strings and are kind of edgy.

Possible Objections:

Offensive language (degrading those who are obese, African American, have special needs, etc.)
Mild epithets (d-word & hell)

Rating: 4 Stars

Until next time…

Lori

Ella Enchanted by Gail Carson Levine

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Title: Ella Enchanted by Gail Carson Levine

Notable: Newbery Honor Book, 1998

Premise:

When Ella is born she is given the “gift” of obedience by a well-meaning, but clueless fairy. No matter the order, Ella must always obey. After Ella’s mother dies, her father eventually remarries and Ella must go to finishing school with her two obnoxious stepsisters, Hattie and Olive. When Hattie gives Ella a terrible order, she runs away so that it won’t have to be fulfilled. Eventually Ella finds her true love and escapes the curse.

My thoughts:

This book was so much fun! A number of years ago I watched the movie “Ella Enchanted,” without every having read the book. I thought the movie was really cute, but now I have to say that I like the book even more. As with most books which have been made into movies, the book far surpasses the movie. The character development in the book was much more satisfying.

Ella’s character in the book is just so darn likable! She’s spunky, funny, down-to-earth, affectionate, compassionate, and knows her own mind. Even though she suffers a lot because of her curse/gift, Ella doesn’t give up and keeps trying to exert her own will. Her relationship with Char was very satisfying. It’s deep and meaningful, without any hints at inappropriate conduct between the young people. It’s so refreshing to see a love interest for young people which maintains its innocence. That’s a rare thing nowadays.

I recommend Ella Enchanted to anyone who enjoys a good fairy tale! It’s a unique take on the Cinderella story.

Possible Objections:

Some talk about ogres eating people

Rating: 4 1/2 Stars

Until next time…

Lori

The Cricket in Times Square by George Selden

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Title: The Cricket in Times Square by George Selden

Notable: Newbery Honor book, 1961

Premise:

Chester cricket is accidentally transported from his rural Connecticut home to the Times Square subway station in New York City. A friendly cat and mouse help Chester fit into this new and foreign environment, and a boy named Mario Bellini adopts Chester as his new pet. Chester is instrumental in saving the Bellini’s struggling newspaper stand.

My thoughts:

This book was completely new to me and I’m happy to report that it was an enjoyable read. The story is very basic, but the animal characters are charming and really the focus of the story.

My two favorite characters are Chester cricket (of course) and Sai Fong, the Chinese gentleman. Chester is so good-natured and you can’t help but feel sorry for him. This poor little country cricket finds himself dumped in the big, loud, dirty city without a soul to help him. Thank goodness Tucker mouse and Harry cat step in! It’s fun to imagine the scenes when Chester is giving his concerts in the subway and all of the people are standing there rapt. The child in me wants to go find a cricket now just to listen to their song. (Incidentally, we had a cricket infestation in our house several years ago, and I can assure you that it’s not too fun hunting loud crickets in the middle of the night when all you want is to get some sleep.)

When we are first introduced to Sai Fong, the man who owns a Chinese laundry and trinket shop, I was afraid that it was going to be another stereotypical portrayal of a Chinese person, hinting at our American superiority. Thankfully that was not the case. Sai Fong is a lovable character who is ecstatic about Mario’s lucky pet cricket. He helps Mario get a cage for his cricket (really a beautiful pagoda), has them over for dinner, and supplies Mario with mulberry leaves to feed Chester. Although his character doesn’t step outside the bounds of the typical Chinese character, he is presented with a loving eye.

Overall, I enjoyed this book. Though it has not become one of my favorites, I still think it’s a great chapter book for kids. The story would need a bit more than pure fluff to put it on my list of cherished books.

I recommend The Cricket in Times Square to elementary-age kids or as a cute family read-aloud.

Possible Objections:

Chinese man’s language is garbled and spelled phonetically (if you’re particularly sensitive, you might find this offensive)

Rating: 3 1/2 Stars

Until next time…

Lori

September 23, 2017 by Categories: Newbery Honor Books, Novels - Juvenile & YATags: adventure, animals, book, cat, chapter, chester, cricket, elementary, family, mouse, music, new york, newbery, review, subway Leave a comment

The Sign of the Beaver by Elizabeth George Speare

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Title: The Sign of the Beaver by Elizabeth George Speare

Notable: Newbery Honor book, 1984

Premise:

Matt and his father have claimed a homestead in the Maine wilderness, but Matt’s father must return to civilization to bring the rest of his family back. Does Matt have what it takes to protect their claim and survive until his father returns? When Matt experiences misfortune, a couple of members of the local Penobscot tribe help him survive. But how do white settlers and Native People coexist?

My thoughts:

I’m really conflicted on this book. I enjoyed the story, Matt’s fight for survival, and the blossoming friendship between Attean and Matt. On the other hand, there were aspects of the book which I really disliked–the dumbing down of the Native Americans, the offensive language, the almost too subtle social commentary.

I’m not a prude when it comes to offensive language in a book, but this is a book aimed at children. They won’t know that some of the words are outdated or downright offensive. If it were just a couple of instances it would be easier to overlook, but it’s pretty pervasive. I most certainly wouldn’t want my child to think that it’s okay to call a woman a “squaw” or a Native American a “savage”. Okay, rant over.

Apart from that, there are several passages when Matt’s accepted way of thinking is challenged and he comes to a new understanding. He entertains the idea that perhaps slavery is wrong…maybe Native Americans aren’t as “savage” as he thought…perhaps the white man’s priorities in life are not always superior. I appreciate that Matt has those crises of thinking, but I think that they are not always spelled out clearly enough that a child would pick up on them. I hesitate to introduce racist ideas to a child without a very clear follow-up that shows the child why those ideas are wrong.

I suppose the only way I can recommend this book is if you read it with your child and have some very candid discussions about what you are reading. Some of the issues that will need addressing are slavery, racial terminology, gender roles and terminology, and a more in-depth look at Native American culture. You can learn more about the Penobscot tribe here. Also, this link has some helpful curriculum discussion points to address the issues I mentioned.

Possible Objections:

Outdated and/or offensive racial language (i.e. Indians, savages, heathen, squaw)
Outdated modes of thinking (racism, slavery is normal, Native Americans are uncivilized, etc.)

Rating: 3 1/2 Stars

Until next time…

Lori

March 9, 2017 by bookbuffoonery Categories: Newbery Honor Books, Novels - Juvenile & YATags: adventure, book, chapter, child, elementary, frontier, indian, juvenile, kid, maine, native american, newbery, novel, review, settler, story, survival, united states, wilderness Leave a comment