Children's Books discussion

Come join us to discuss the Medal Winner,
Sarah, Plain and Tall by Patricia MacLachlan

and/or the Honor books:
Commodore Perry in the Land of the Shogun by Rhoda Blumberg
Dogsong by Gary Paulsen

I was able to get all three from the local (smaller) library. We're coming up on books that may have been newish in the lifetimes of some of our younger members. My oldest child was born in 1985, so this era will be of particular interest to me.

I have never heard of Blumberg's nonfiction title. The edition my library has seems untouched, but in a way it does seem appealing. It's somewhere between a coffee-table book and a picture-book. I don't have any idea, yet, whether the text will be engaging enough for me to read every word, but I am certainly interested in the photos and other illustrations.

Of course I've read MacLachlan's modern classic several times. It's short enough that one can do so about every time they hear it mentioned. I hope that I like it well enough on this revisit.

I've read a few by Paulsen, but never Dogsong, and I'm looking forward to it.

In fact, please understand, despite my expressions of hesitancy, I am looking forward to all three books this month and to your comments about them!

I hope that Dogsong will be enjoyable, but since Gary Paulsen has a pretty negative reputation on Debbie Reese's blog, I am definitely a bit worried.

But I really did love love love Sarah, Plain and Tall (and am planning on reading the sequels as well).

(view spoiler)[I never encountered Patricia MacLachlan as a younger reader (mostly because when MacLachlan was first becoming popular in the mid to late 1980s I was in fact no longer a younger reader but an undergraduate university student reading and also writing detailed term papers about German, French and English literary classics). And therefore, with Patricia MacLachlan (for whom we are doing a retrospective in the Children’s Literature Group in May and June 2022 due to her recent death), I also do not really have any fond and special memories perusing her novels as a child, and that yes, this might well have made me more critical in general approaching Patricia MacLachlan’s novels. For although I was hoping to greatly enjoy reading MacLachlan, I do have to admit that thus far I have been rather majorly disappointed, finding a writing style that is often removed and distancing and texts generally much too short and choppy, with huge story gaps, feeling more like outlines and sketches than finished tales.

And indeed, because of the above, I was naturally rather hesitant to even try Patricia MacLachlan’s Newbery Award winning Sarah, Plain and Tall (since this story seems to be rather universally loved by many of my Goodreads friends and I was definitely worried not finding it to my reading tastes, I was worried that the short number of pages for Sarah, Plain and Tall would also and once again mean that in particular with regard to the featured penmanship, I would be finding Sarah, Plain and Tall frustrating and gap filled). But no, I am happy to say that (even though I do find it a wee bit annoying that there is not more to be read and enjoyed in Sarah, Plain and Tall) Patricia MacLachlan’s writing for Sarah, Caleb and Anna’s story (and also of course for the father) is not only intensely beautiful and poetical, there is a delightful sense of completeness regarding Sarah, Plain and Tall and that everything that needs to be described within its pages (love, loss, homesickness, joy, laughter and acceptance) yes indeed Sarah MacLachlan manages to completely textually achieve this with Sarah, Plain and Tall and also in less than seventy pages.

Furthermore and finally, while Sarah, Plain and Tall is obviously meant for and geared towards young readers, I really both as an older adult and equally from the point of view of my inner child am delightfully happy that even though Patricia MacLachlan writes simply and concisely, her writing style and narration never in Sarah, Plain and Tall once feels in any way as though MacLachlan is trying to talk down to her audience, that Sarah's story never feels too childish with regard to style, syntax and penmanship (something that I do very much appreciate and that for me and my reading tastes, Sarah, Plain and Tall is even with the story being quite short and not overly expansive a piece of writing suitable and appropriate for both very young and considerably older readers listeners, and a wonderful and warmly recommended five star reading experience). (hide spoiler)]

Sarah, Plain and Tall is the best! I was old enough to read bigger books by the time I found it but I was deep in my Laura Ingalls phase so naturally I loved it. It's a nostalgic slice of life story based on the author's family stories. It's not meant to represent everyone's story. I love Sarah and her energy. Her aunts are eccentric, loving parent figures and did a great job raising her. She shows Anna and Caleb - and their father- how to take joy in small things. I appreciate how this isn't a conflict novel. Anna loves Sarah and wants Sarah to be their mother while also remembering her own mother. She doesn't feel like Sarah is going to replace her mother.

I read and reviewed this when we did the Patricia MacLachlan retrospective following her death earlier this year.

If you like this, you'll enjoy the American Girl books. The historical books are similar in feel and tone and don't shy away from tough topics like death and slavery. Readers should graduate from Sarah to Little House in the Big Woods and Farmer Boy to AG and back to the rest of LHOTP.

Manybooks wrote: "But I really did love love love Sarah, Plain and Tall (and am planning on reading the sequels as well).

I never encountered Patricia MacLachlan as a younger reader (mostly because wh..."

Speaking as a writer of fiction, my one word response to this book was : perfection.

Steve wrote: "Manybooks wrote: "But I really did love love love Sarah, Plain and Tall (and am planning on reading the sequels as well).

I never encountered Patricia MacLachlan as a younger reader ..."

I agree, and in particular so because Patricia MacLachlan manages to write a detailed and also a nuanced story with developed and engaging characters without needing a lot of pages.

Cheryl wrote: "Come join us to discuss the Medal Winner,
Sarah, Plain and Tall by Patricia MacLachlan.."

I need to reread this. It was definitely of my childhood but I remember it not appealing to me as much as some of the others we read (i.e., Little House). I'll see if I can fit it into this month since it's a fairly quick read.

Kathryn wrote: "Cheryl wrote: "Come join us to discuss the Medal Winner,
Sarah, Plain and Tall by Patricia MacLachlan.."

I need to reread this. It was definitely of my childhood but I..."

I read both the Little House novels and Sarah Plain and Tall as an adult and do have to admit that with regard to how Sarah Plain and Tall is written, I prefer Patricia MacLachlan's writing style to Laura Ingalls Wilder's, but that considering contents, the Little House novels certain present considerably more detail.

SP&T is one of my 5 or 10 favorite children's books. I translated it into Portuguese and my dear wish is to find a Brazilian publisher interested in it. Some editors loved it, but love's not enough, is it? It's a very quiet, very quaint story, so I won't hold my breath.

Yes, it's quiet, quaint and American, but it deals with fundamental themes to the human existence, such as abandonment, uprooting/displacement, family togetherness, the sense of belonging, the strength of women and children, in short, how heroic our common, miserable little lives are. Beneath the apparent simplicity of the plot and characters, there is a torrent of deep emotions: loss, heartache — but also joy and availability for affection and understanding. Dear God, Caleb breaks my heart when he looks for signs that Sarah will stay!

I'd love to read Patricia's Newbery Medal acceptance speech. My editions of the book don't feature it, only the 30th anniversary edition.

If anyone's willing to take pictures of the speech and send them to me, I'd appreciate it.

I don't suppose the audio would work? I found this: https://alair.ala.org/handle/11213/8039 but I suppose you did, too.

And there are snippets in this 'obituary':
https://bookriot.com/patricia-maclach...

Thank you. I had no idea those speeches were recorded! I'll have a field day with this.

Someone kindly sent me a PM with a link for the written speech. It's here: https://archive.org/details/newberyca...

God bless Open Library and Patricia. I cried when I learned she had died.

Thank you. I don't know why I didn't remember to look at internetarchive; after all, I do donate to it monthly.

So, I've now reread for the, um, maybe fifth? time, Sarah, Plain and Tall. There sure is a lot in a book that's actually shorter than some picture books. Not just the themes, or characters, or history, but the writing style itself is so mesmerizing... other authors should definitely take note.

Cheryl wrote: "So, I've now reread for the, um, maybe fifth? time, Sarah, Plain and Tall. There sure is a lot in a book that's actually shorter than some picture books. Not just the themes, or chara..."

I think that is what impressed me the most about Sarah Plain and Tall, how deep and nuanced and how wonderfully written it is for such a short novel.

Dogsong is beautifully written, with some important themes. The one signaled by the title is the most important, imo... not the survival story itself, really. I can see why some reviewers didn't like the ambiguous ending, but the point is that the young man's 'quest' has concluded, and now there will come all the challenges of a long life.

But I'm troubled. Nowhere can I find any indication that Paulsen does or does not know anything about the culture of the "Eskimo" people of whom he writes. I could not find any indications of controversy, but nor could I find praise, or evidence of research. There are quotes, used sort of like chapter headings, but the "old Eskimo" people quoted are not named. Nor is their actual Nation named. I don't want to recommend something that is disrespectful, inauthentic, or appropriated.

For example, is this wonderful section from Paulsen's imagination, or from respectful research?

"We used to have songs for everything, and nobody knows the songs anymore. There were songs for dogs, for good dogs or bad dogs, and songs to make them work or track bear. There were songs for all of everything. I used to know a song that would make the deer come to me so that I could kill it. And I knew a man who could sing a song for whales and make them come to his harpoon."

"Russel frowned. 'Could I get a song?' Oogruk thought for a time. 'It is not like that. You don't get songs, you are a song.'"

I don't have any idea how many stars to give the history book Commodore Perry in the Land of the Shogun.

Fat picture-book size. Lots of illustrations, most of Americans as drawn by Japanese witnesses. Sufficient margins and back matter, therefore not terribly intimidating. This would have bored me to tears when I was young... unless a teacher or parent who valued it read it aloud to class or family. Even then, I'd not have absorbed much of it and would have needed it to be only one part of unit.

Now, I am able to appreciate Blumberg's writing and I am managing to find it engaging enough that I did finish it. However, I am not sure just how objective is the history. I get the impression that Blumberg firmly believes that it was a very good thing for Japan to open to the West. She seems to be leaving out more information that would show a contrary perspective.

Otoh, it seems as though Japan was ready for the upheaval. Perry's first visit was 1854. By 1872 all classes were abolished, including the samurai. There were no longer rules about where people could live, how they could earn a living, what they could wear. Emperor Meiji adopted Western dress. Wow. And now (well, at least as of 1985) there are annual Black Ship festivals celebrating Perry's accomplishment of opening Japan to the West by negotiated treaty. (All this according to my best understanding of Blumberg's text.)

Is it worthy a Newbery Honor? I don't know. Probably. Showing kids primary history sources is important. Showing them a key point in the history of the country that brought Hello Kitty to their homes is important. Did any of you know about this book when you were in school?

There are Black Ship festivals here in the U.S. sponsored by The Japan-America Society chosen by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Japan.
https://www.blackshipsfestival.com/about

They still do them in Japan too, at least they did before COVID.

Thank you for that information!

Cheryl wrote: "Dogsong is beautifully written, with some important themes. The one signaled by the title is the most important, imo... not the survival story itself, really. I can see why some revie..."

I have only started with Dogsong, but the fact that Gary Paulsen has a not so stellar reputation with Debbie Reese and that according to my research, much of the details regarding Inuit culture and dogsledding do not really represent reality, this sure does annoy me.

Sources? I mean, the dogsledding itself should have been right, because Paulsen did participate in dogsledding himself. Inuit culture, sure, that's what I suspect he didn't understand as well as an actual Inuit person would probably have. And I did not find anything about the novel on Reese's site.

Cheryl wrote: "Sources? I mean, the dogsledding itself should have been right, because Paulsen did participate in dogsledding himself. Inuit culture, sure, that's what I suspect he didn't understand as well as an..."

Some reviewers seem to claim that what Gary Paulsen writes about dogsledding is more based on his own experiences training sled dogs, but I honestly do not see that this is necessarily a negative in my opinion. I have not found any negative reviews regarding Inuit culture, and although I personally now cringe at the world Eskimo being used, in 1986, Eskimo was still considered unproblematic and it is also true that in the USA, even today, Eskimo is often still considered fine, but in Canada, Inuit is used and Eskimo is considered increasingly unacceptable.

Well, as I understand it, "Eskimo" is mainly out of favor because it's just too broad. This statement is fascinating & enlightening: http://theveganeskimo.com/index.php/b...

Actually, it seems that Eskimo also means Eaters of Raw Meat and was supposedly a derogatory term another First Nations group used to describe the Inuit. But I do not remember where I read that.

That's a myth. Follow the link that I posted please.

Heads-up - next month's books seem to be a little more difficult to get. Of course they're on openlibrary, but if you want a library copy you'll want to start looking now, it seems.

Cheryl wrote: "Heads-up - next month's books seem to be a little more difficult to get. Of course they're on openlibrary, but if you want a library copy you'll want to start looking now, it seems."

I've heard The Whipping Boy doesn't hold up so it might be hard to find. My 6th grade teacher read it to my class but I don't remember much about it. The other two are about boys and I never read books about boys. Boys had cooties eww gross! I have no problem locating any of the four books at the library. They have tons of copies, just not at the branch I walk to or the large city library.