Children's Books discussion

Come join us to discuss the Medal Winner,
Bud, Not Buddy by Christopher Paul Curtis

and/or the Honor books:
Getting Near To Baby by Audrey Couloumbis
Our Only May Amelia by Jennifer L. Holm
26 Fairmount Avenue by Tomie dePaola

And we're reading from this century! ;)

I have to say, I've never heard of Couloumbis' book. Nor have I read Curtis'. I don't remember the other two, but I'm pretty sure I did read them at some point. So, I'm looking forward to them!

I read Our Only May Amelia a couple of years ago and was in fact quite disappointed (and only rated the novel with two stars). Leaving my review with spoiler tags, but for me, one of the main issues I had with Our Only May Amelia is that the story does not sound very realistic for a historical novel set in late 19th century America and that the grandmother is too annoyingly cardboard thin stereotypically nasty.


(view spoiler)[So aside from the fact that both the general writing style and especially the frustrating and annoying lack of quotation marks found in Jennifer L. Holm's Our Only May Amelia continuously do manage to majorly grate on my academic, and yes, perhaps even a bit grammatically anal and obsessive nerves (and that this lack is both distracting and at times rather confusing), the constant and heavy-duty historical anachronisms that seem to abound in Our Only May Amelia are even more of an issue, are proving to be even more infuriating and annoying. For yes indeed, while our modern sensibilities might well desire (and perhaps even on some level appreciate) May Amelia and her brothers supposedly being such very good friends with Chinook Indians, at the time and in the place (late 19th century America, and the West, Washington State at that), this would most probably NOT have happened, as from historical information (and with that I mean actual historically documented details), not only would May Amelia and her siblings not all that likely have been friends with Chinook Indians, they would probably have regarded them at best askance if not as potential enemies and vice versa. And with that salient truth in mind, while on an entirely personal and emotional level, I might indeed enjoy reading about May Amelia and Wilbert being good friends with and companions to Jane, from a realism point of view, from a historical perspective, I actually usually if not always much prefer historical fiction that has not been sanitised and/or sugar coated and that does not therefore paint a wrong or at least a misleading picture of the past (like for example Laura Ingalls Wilder's Little House on the Prairie series, which although often and with reason faulted for being too negative and even majorly bigoted, stereotypical with regard to how American Indians are portrayed, at least shows the general and yes unfortunately accepted and condoned attitudes and practiced behaviours of the time and does not pretend them away or that the Ingalls family were somehow friends with and even accepting of Native Americans).

And actually, due to the above mentioned as well as other historical anachronisms located, occurring throughout the narrative of Our Only May Amelia (like the superimposed and often annoyingly constant modern feminism, the striving of author Jennifer L. Holm to I guess be so-called politically correct), and even though I know and realise that the plot, that the story of Our Only May Amelia is historical fiction and specifically takes place in 19th century America (as well as being supposedly even based on the author's own family history), there is really never all that much of a sense of actual and palpable historical time featured. For me, May Amelia's and her brothers' antics and behaviours, the lives of her family and neighbours, well they at times feel almost too modern and contemporary in scope, leaving the distinct and problematic, frustrating feeling that one is for all intents and purposes really reading a modern (a recent) novel that has somehow been artificially painted with a thin and cracking veneer of fake, of inauthentic historicism.

Nevertheless and my annoyances with writing style and historical anachronisms notwithstanding, I would probably have considered Our Only May Amelia a trifle more realistic and even somewhat enjoyable (and as such a low three star and not the rather grudgingly given two star rating I am at present considering), if the main antagonist of the novel, if Grandmother Patience had been conceptualised and drawn as a more strongly developed and nuanced character and not simply a stock and wooden rendition of the typical fairy tale witch of folklore and legend. As while there in fact is a bit of an issue with insufficient character development throughout Our Only May Amelia, how the grandmother is portrayed, how she is basically simply a cardboard like cartoonish rendition of a harridan, a witch, a monster even, this does for me really do take the proverbial cake so to speak, lessening if not removing most of the potential reading pleasure I might have experienced and basically much if not even completely suspending my belief that Our Only May Amelia is in any way a realistic portrait of 19th century America (and also making me even rather strongly wonder and question why and how this novel earned Jennifer L. Holm one of the 2000 Newbery Honor Award designations). Pretty much a major disappointment, especially considering that I tend to love historical fiction for children (for young readers) and was therefore really looking forward to reading Our Only May Amelia with much anticipation (and I will therefore also not likely consider the sequels, as I seriously doubt it would be any more to my liking). (hide spoiler)]

I'm enjoying 26 Fairmount Ave. Opening with a hurricane. The house on the hill that keeps getting steeper. Kindergarten is a waste of time because you don't get to learn to read yet.

Yes, it's episodic, but that's only natural for memoirs, especially of early childhood.
...
And done. Yes, the wonderful pictures make it short. And it's a delight. But still, I don't know if I want to read more in the series. Turns out there are three from his early childhood and then three War Years, something like that.

Have any of you read any of the others?

I loved Amelia when I first read her years ago. I adore spunky girl stories and this one is based on the author's family history. It's not my favorite of her novels though.

We have several Tomie dePaola books and some were chapters from this longer memoir. I like them better in story form and wasn't all that interested in his personal story. I don't think my siblings read it and I'm not sure where it went. One story that stuck with me is his first impression of Disney's Snow White and how much he hated it because it wasn't the original tale he loved. The other story that I loved when I was a kid is "Nana Upstairs, and Nana Downstairs" which is an episode from his life included in the memoir if I remember correctly. If I can find the book I'll give it a reread.

Yes there is a cute chapter featuring Nana Upstairs in this book.

I only gave Our Only May Amelia three stars.

Reminded me too much of Caddie Woodlawn, which, although not my favorite pioneer story, is more interesting and better written imo.

This one frustrated the heck out of me. I really want to know how much is true. Certainly some of the photos are posed... and others, I dunno; is that Matti, or another young man? So many of the episodes seemed so convenient.

Why is the father so impatient and irritable? Not to mention racist and sexist. How nice to be able to get May to do hard, dirty work when an extra hand is needed, but then turn around tell her she needs to become a Proper Young Lady. And omg inflicting his terrible mother on his very pregnant wife who can't even keep house without loads of help from May.

If it weren't for the boys this would have been awfully depressing to me.

(view spoiler)[Baby Amy seemed healthy, what happened? (hide spoiler)]

Cheryl wrote: "I only gave Our Only May Amelia three stars.

Reminded me too much of Caddie Woodlawn, which, although not my favorite pioneer story, is more interesting and better writ..."

I only gave the story two stars and remember that I was also really frustrated with the text (and found much of the story historically inauthentic).

But it comes from family history, including 'May's' diary. And was researched. And some of the photos are authentic.

I did enjoy Bud, Not Buddy more than I thought I would. This one, too, has some inspiration from family hsitory.

I'm glad it's short and skimmed over the bad stuff pretty quickly, but there's more detail about that stuff, being African American, plus an orphan, plus during the Great Depression, in the end notes. I'm also glad for Bud; he is such a sweetheart.

Getting Near to Baby has a lot going for it, but kid appeal? Maybe kids will want to understand why the sisters are on the roof, and if/how they ever come down?

The 'readers will also enjoy' includes two by Katherine Paterson and the other three are by authors I know, two of whom have been recognized by Newbery committees. So, maybe the niche of young readers who do like it can find more, or vice versa.

The bits I liked best are near the end (so if you are planning to read this, you might not want to read on yet:

First Uncle Hob says:
"I might never have learned to cry. Which means I might never have known really what it is to pray or to laugh right down deep into my belly or to tell your aunt Patty how much I love her."

Then there's lyrics (to a familiar tune about a teapot that I hope you all know) that the girls' mother made up: "I'm a little rain cloud, dark and wet. Squeeze me tight and ring me out."