Where The Wild Things Are

This was so much more interesting than actually reading the book....it has sound effects and everything!

End of the Semester!!

This has been my favorite class this semester! I didn't realize there was so much to learn about children's literature! Now when I read children's literature or any kind of literature for that matter, I read it in a whole new light. I have learned critical reading skills and feel as if there is so much more to the story when I do so. Also, most of the books that we've read are ones that I have already and I learned so much more about them by taking this class. There have also been books that I have not read but have always wanted to. Come to think of it, I don't know why I never did, I just didn't. I have enjoyed this class immensely! I just hope other English classes are as much fun!

The Bad Beginning

• By Daniel Handler AKA Lemony Snicket
  
• The last name Baudelaire is a reference to Charles Baudelaire, a French poet. An excerpt from his poem "Le Voyage", from Les Fleurs du Mal, appears in The End.
• Mr. Poe's surname, Poe, and the names of his children, Edgar and Albert, are obvious allusions to Edgar Allan Poe.
• Klaus and Sunny Baudelaire share their names with Claus and Sunny von Bülow, who were involved in a famous court case of the 1980s; the district attorney who defended Claus was named Violet.
• Violet Baudelaire is also possibly a reference to a famous crime; she shares her given name with Violet Sharpe, a suspect of the Lindbergh kidnapping.
• Beatrice is likely a reference to Beatrice Portinari, the unrequited love of Dante Alighieri.

from: wikipedia

The Cat in the Hat by Dr. Seuss

As I mentioned in my previous entry, Seuss's works are very entertaining for children and allow the readers to use their imaginations. The Cat in the Hat is not any different. When reading this book it is clearly a story back in a different time. First of all, the two young characters are left home alone. It would not be considered wise nor safe to do these things this day in age. They also let a stranger come into their home who also encourages the children to do things they know isn't quite good behavior.
Often times children have powerful emotional urges that they sometimes suppress and at other times do not. These urges are strongly represented in the characters Thing 1 and Thing 2. They demonstrate people's nature of wanting to break away from everyday social restrictions and just be free.
The fish serves as the conscience while all of the mischief is about. It constantly reminds the children that their behavior isn't quite right and their mother would not approve.
In the end, after the house is clean and all of the mischief is done with, the children debate on whether to tell their mother of their adventure. Seuss leaves this open for the readers to think about and determine for themselves what the right thing is to do. This allows us to think about the value in good behavior, obedience and honesty.

Anne of Green Gables

Written by Lucy Maud Montgomery, this piece of fiction is for readers of all ages, but in recent decades has been considered a children's book. Montgomery found her inspiration for the book in a newspaper article describing a couple that were mistakenly sent an orphan girl instead of a boy, yet decided to keep her. Montgomery also drew upon her own childhood experiences in rural Prince Edward Island. One thing that I was not aware of about this book is that it was actually one of many in a series about the main character Anne.

The Cat in the Hat by Dr. Seuss (clip)

funny poetry

I can relate to the following poem because I am an aunt of two nieces and three nephews. I read it and thought it was too cute!


Dear Aunt Francis:

Thank you for the finger paints.
I like your gift so much!
I’ve painted everything in sight.
I’ve got the artist’s touch.

I’ve painted murals on the walls,
I’ve painted my dog, Rover,
Mom’s exercycle, Dad’s new shoes.
I’ve still got paint left over.

And here’s good news, Aunt Francis.
Mom says that I can stay
at your house any time I want
and finger-paint all day!

See you real soon,

Your loving nephew,

Vincent

The Tale of Peter Rabbit 1/2

The Tale of Peter Rabbit 2/2

Peter Rabbit

This is where the exploration of the text begins. The point is to use your fantasy to uncover hidden layers in the text. This is done by focussing on certain elements of the story in order to see if some of these elements fit in with other contexts. The contexts we then reveal, become new stories—as if having discovered a story within the story. But that's exactly what we have done!


Let's illustrate. This tale is about a little rabbit-boy whose choice of actions is restricted: "don't enter the garden". But this is exactly what Peter wants to do. The trespassing is very exciting, and also rewarding, should he get a chance to nibble at Mr. McGregors vegetables. A typical 5 year-old will no doubt identify himself with Peter. Just like Peter, the average 5 year-old get to learn about himself by exploring and trying to master the world despite all explicit and implicit restrictions limiting his or hers exploration. In fact the child can only be fully aware of (internalize) the laws and regulations by actually breaking them! To develop maturity involves being familiar with the existing limits to one's actions. And to reach such a familiarity, the limits must be broken. Or must they? Let the children discuss this!


At least Peter himself breaks several rules: he enters the garden (violation of the law of private property), he gorges himself (violation of the law of temperance), he defies "the law of the jungle" as he opposes Mr. McGregor, who has the power to kill him (a power Peter knows very well that Mr. McGregor had used before, i.e. when he killed Peter's father—isn't it likely that Mr. McGregor would use his power again, and to the same purpose?).


Hence Peter risks his life to try out the limits and thereby to find out more about himself as a human being (or rather, as a rabbit!). Now, this can be said to represent a developmental narrative in the story.

The Giver Book Trailer

This is someone else's take on the book but I thought it was a very good representation of the book.

The Giver

The Giver is a novel written by Lois Lowry and published on April 16, 1993. It is set in a future society which is at first presented as a utopian society and gradually appears more and more dystopian; therefore, it could be considered anti-utopian. The novel follows a boy named Jonas through the twelfth year of his life. Jonas' society has eliminated pain and strife by converting to "Sameness", a plan which has also eradicated emotional depth from their lives. Jonas is selected to inherit the position of "Receiver of Memory," the person who stores all the memories of the time before Sameness, in case they are ever needed to aid in decisions that others lack the experience to make. As Jonas receives the memories from his predecessor—the "Giver"—he discovers how shallow his community's life has become.

From: Wikipedia

Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See?

The repetition and colorful illustrations in this classic picture book by Bill Martin Jr, make it a favorite of many children. On each page, we meet a new animal who helps us discover which creature will show up next. "Brown Bear, Brown Bear what do you see? I see a redbird looking at me...". This pattern is repeated over and over, until the pre-reader can join in with the reader, easily predicting the next lines. Giggles and raised eyebrows will accompany the story as the animals become stranger and stranger (a purple cat!?). There is also a sequel called Polar Bear, Polar Bear, What Do You Hear? It was a favorite of mine as well!

John Tolkien on "The Hobbit"

Tolkien on how "The Hobbit" came to be.

The Hobbit

From Wikipedia:

The central character, Bilbo, is a modern anachronism exploring an essentially antique world. Bilbo is able to negotiate and interact within this antique world because language and tradition make connections between the two worlds; for example, Gollum's riddles are taken from old historical sources, whilst those of Bilbo come from modern nursery books. It is the form of the riddle-game, familiar to both, which allows Gollum and Bilbo to understand each other, rather than the content of the riddles themselves. This idea of a superficial contrast between characters' individual linguistic style, tone and sphere of interest, leading to an understanding of the deeper unity between the ancient and modern is a constant recurring theme throughout The Hobbit.^[34]

The Hobbit may be read as Tolkien's parable of the First World War, where the hero is plucked from his rural home, and thrown into a far off war where traditional types of heroism are shown to be futile^[35] and as such explores the theme of heroism. The theme of war portrayed in literature as an anti-pastoral is also seen in The Hobbit; in "The Desolation of Smaug," both the area under the influence of Smaug before his demise and the setting for "The Battle of the Five Armies" later are described as barren, damaged landscapes.^[36]

The Jungian concept of individuation is reflected through the theme of growing maturity and capability, with the author seen to be contrasting Bilbo's personal growth against the same stunted development in the dwarves.^[6] The theme of a character entering into enclosed spaces (such as the various hills, caves, dungeons) has a Freudian dimension, with the additional analogue of the "underworld" and the hero returning with a boon (such as the ring, or Elvish blades) which benefits his society is seen to fit the mythic archetypes regarding initiation and male coming of age as described by Joseph Campbell.^[30]

Greed plays a central role in the novel, with many of the episodes stemming from one or more of the characters' simple desire for food (be it trolls eating dwarves or dwarves eating Wood-elf fare) or a desire for beautiful objects, such as gold and jewels.

Matilda

I actually read the book before I watched the movie! Surprise, I know! This was one of my favorites as a child. Matilda was such a bright young girl with so much to offer but her dreadful parents held her back from reaching her full potential until her teacher Ms. Honey came along. Throughout the book Matilda and Ms. Honey discover that they have a lot in common and both have their problems. In the end they help each other to resolve these problems and live happily ever after.

Surfing the web

So I was searching on the web for neat interactive stories and this is what I found...
You can basically name your own characters and decide who the hero is. It was a lot of fun.

http://www.storyplace.org/

Revolting Rhymes by Roald Dahl - Episode: Goldilocks

Doll Trouble

I have had this book as long as I can remember but I have no clue how I got it and I actually forgot that it existed until I started looking for some outside readings. It was written by Helen V. Griffith. Holiday is a live doll -- the only one in the world, so she thinks. Only Caitlin, who surreptitiously "traded" her old doll for her at the resale shop, knows her secret. These are delightful books, full of convincing child/doll interaction and fashion doll priorities, and demonstrates that a doll need not be old to have personality. There really is no moral or anything. It's just a fun fictional book.

Native American Culture in Children's Literature

My grandmother is Mexican-Indian so I take much pride in my Indian Heritage. The following is an article I found on Native American Themes in Children's Literature that I thought was pretty interesting.


"Overall, children's and young adult books with Native American Indian characters and themes have improved dramatically since I was a kid. We have a lot more to pick from than the Sacajewea and Pocahontas biographies, the tales of "savagery" on the Prairie.

Looking at those writers who've focused a significant portion of their work in this area, Native authors as well as non-Native authors with strong community ties (or those who did their homework), it's clear that there are some quality books now available.

However, stereotyped depictions persist. Contemporary settings are in short supply (and almost exclusively targeted at picture book readers). Certain well-known Nations like the Navajo (Diné) and Cherokee are highlighted while others don't appear to exist. Groups like Urban Indians are almost ignored. Few biographies focus on Native people known for their service to their own communities.

And Native authors and illustrators are represented in very low numbers (factoring out of the numberous books by Abenaki author-poet Joseph Bruchac, community representation is slight, especially in trade books).

For example, I recently noticed a book about Muscogee Creeks at my local branch library. Flipping to the last chapter, I was surprised to learn that the author had stated the Creek Nation no longer exists — especially given that it is one of today's largest Indian Nations. The book had been on the shelves for some thirty years, and it was the only resource available there to children researching the tribe. Today, I opened a major publisher's fall catalog and cringed. Native American creation stories were marketed boldly as "mythology" on one page. The Christmas story was marketed as "fact" on another. Granted, there are Christian Indians, just as there are Native people of various religious beliefs. Each should be respected. But traditional Native religions are still practiced by many tribal members. Would a publisher market Christian or Jewish beliefs as "myths"? I hope not."

Quotes

The following are a few quotes that I like that are about children and children's literature.

"One person cannot dictate to another what he or she ought to perceive as high quality"

“Poems for children help them celebrate the joy and wonder of their world. Humorous poems tickle the funny bone of their imaginations.”

"Good children's literature appeals not only to the child in the adult, but to the adult in the child.”

"Fairy tales are more than true: not because they tell us that dragons exist, but because they tell us that dragons can be beaten."

"There have been great societies that did not use the wheel, but there have been no societies that did not tell stories."

"Adults are only obsolete children."

Because of Winn Dixie

As with many other stories, I first discovered this one by watching the movie. I did not even know the book existed until a while after I had already watched the movie. The first thing that strikes me in this novel is Opal's compassion from the very beginning. When she discovers this scruffy stray dog that is bound for the pound, she claims the dog as hers and names him Winn Dixie. Winn Dixie becomes friends with everyone he encounters, which in turn encourages Opal to befriend the people as well. Through these relationships with older adults and peers, Opal gains wisdom and the different points of view of life while growing emotionally as well. I feel as if I can relate to Opal quite a lot. I have found that I have many friends that are much older than me too. They are full of wisdom and are great to go to for advice. I have learned so much and have matured so much as a person just by having older friends. I can also relate to her wanting to save the dog from the pound. I think I would have done the same thing! I hate to see poor animals suffer.

Reading List

I have decided to create a reading list separate than the one listed at the very beginning of this blog. We are only required to do 10 outside readings for this class but in taking this class, I have discovered so much more children's literature that I never read and would like to. The following books are what I plan to read with this semester is over.

Louisa M. Alcott. Little Women

James Fenimore Cooper. The Last of the Mohicans

L. M. Montgomery. Anne of Green Gables

Anna Sewell. Black Beauty

Johanna Spyri. Heidi

Robert Louis Stevenson, Treasure Island

Mark Twain. The Prince and the Pauper

Jules Verne. Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea

Royal Diaries:Anastasia:The Last Grand Duchess

When I first heard the story about Anastasia Romanov it was actually through the animated movie from 1997. I was 9 when it came out and it was one of my favorite movies. Little did I know that Anastasia was a real person and the true story about her is absolutely heartbreaking, unlike the movie; the movie had a happy ending. The author, Carolyn Meyer, agrees that the true story of Anastasia is rather heartbreaking, but while writing her book she decided to embrace the romantic fantasy that there is a possibility that Anastasia escaped from execution. I am a major history buff and always have been! When I was young I always loved reading books like these that intertwined real history with fiction. The fiction bit just enhances the actual historical events a little more. What I love about this book is that it is actually set up like a diary. We are reading Anastasia's journal entries. It reminds me a lot of the Diary of Anne Frank. The book begins with a twelve year old Anastasia. Being a grand duchess of Russia, she seems to have everything. Her life is great until Germany declares war on Russia. From there things just go down hill and her family is eventually forced to move to Siberia where they are held prisoners. Her life is then turned upside down and lives a lot less luxuriously than before. From there she can only wonder what will happen to her and her family but still remains hopeful.

the princess and the goblin

I didn't even know this book existed, much less the movie. But now that I've read the book I fully intend on watching the movie! It looks cute!

Alice in Wonderland

I am so happy that we have finally made it to Alice and Wonderland. And I do not say this because I have read it before. On the contrary, I have never read the whole thing and am excited about doing so. I pretty much already know the story because I watched the movie as a child but I never actually took the time to read it. I thought the story of how the work Alice in Wonderland came to be was quite interesting. It, like a lot of other children's literature, was actually an oral story first and then transferred to paper. Alice in Wonderland is best known for its complete and utter nonsense, but that is what makes it so popular. The tale is filled with allusions to Carroll's friends and enemies, as well as the lessons that British school children were expected to memorize. The crazy and confusing dialogue is what kept me reading it. I'll admit that at times I was utterly confused but yet I couldn't stop reading it! I can't wait to discuss it in class!

The Magician's Nephew

Although this is the first installment of The Chronicles of Narnia series, I actually started off the series by reading the second installment, The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. After reading it I decided I wanted to read the rest of the series as well, but I was going to go back to the beginning. I have now read and own all of the books in the series. C.S. Lewis is now one of my favorite authors! I have actually seen The Magician's Nephew performed on stage as well. Peers from high school performed it for One Act Play. The play was just as good as the book so I was very excited to hear that they were also making the series into movies. A major theme throughout this book is Christianity. I myself didn't recognize the parallelism until someone showed it to me. In this book Lewis illustrates themes of creation, original sin, temptation and primal innocence. The Lion Aslan acts as God while the evil Queen Jadis acts as satan. Later in the series readers can notice the parallelism with the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus Christ too.

Poems and Prayers for the Very Young

My mother bought this book for me when I was a very young girl. There was always a strong Christian influence in my home so we would read the prayers included in this book. The following are some of my favorites.

Dear Father, Hear And Bless
Dear Father,
hear and bless
Thy beasts
and singing birds:
And guard
with tenderness
Small things
that have no words.
-Unknown

A Child's Prayer
God, make my life a little light,
Within the world to glow,
A little flame that burneth bright,
Wherever I may go.

God, make my life a little flower,
That giveth joy to all,
Content to bloom in native bower,
Although the place be small.

God, make my life a little song,
That comforteth the sad,
That helpeth others to be strong,
And makes the singer glad.
-M. Betham-Edwards

All For Thee
All for Thee,
Dear God,
Everything I do,
Or think,
Or say,
The whold day long.
Help me to be good.
-Unknown

Table Blessing
God, we thank you for this food,
For rest and home all things good;
For wind and rain and sun above,
But most of all for those we love.
-Maryleona Frost

Bedtime Prayer
Now I lay me down to sleep,
I pray Thee, Lord, Thy child to keep:
Thy love guard me through the night
And wake me with the morning light.
-Unknown

The Science of Fairy Tales

I found this article a few days ago on Yahoo News. I thought it was very interesting and insightful.

Chris Gorski
American Institute of Physics
LiveScience.com Mon Feb 11, 4:05 PM ET

Kids of any age love to read fairy tales because the storyline never limits the possibility that anything could happen. Curses, spells, and handsome princes reign in worlds beyond the reader’s imagination.

But are the most magical moments from some of our favorite stories actually possible? Basic physical principles and recent scientific research suggest that what readers might mistake for fantasies and exaggeration could be rooted in reality.

So suspend your imagination for a moment, and look at the following fairy tales as a hard-core scientist might.

Rapunzel

In the Brothers Grimm story of Rapunzel, a witch holds a beautiful young woman captive in a tower. Rapunzel is blessed with a lovely singing voice and long, long blond hair. One day, her voice enchants a prince passing through a nearby forest. They fall in love, and Rapunzel lets down her hair so that the prince may use it to climb the tower to meet her. This chain of events begs readers to ask a question. Can human hair support the weight of another person?

On average one strand of hair can support about three and one-half ounces, or about the weight of two candy bars. Each strand of dark hair is generally thicker, and therefore stronger, than blond hair.

But, alas, Rapunzel must make do with blond locks. Given that blondes generally have about 140,000 hairs on their heads, her hair should easily support the weight of many, many princes. However, there is more to this story.

If Rapunzel simply let down her hair and the prince started climbing immediately, her hair would not break, but it might rip out. Also, the rest of her body might not be able to support the weight. Thankfully, there are strategies that she can use to help reduce the strain on her head and body.

Nathan Harshman, Assistant Professor of Physics at American University in Washington, DC, suggests Rapunzel would be safer and more secure if she tied her hair around something before lowering it. “The whole idea is that you can use the friction of the hair against itself in the knot, and whatever it is tied around will support the weight of the prince.” That is a much better idea than making Rapunzel’s scalp the anchor point.

The Little Mermaid

In the Disney version of Hans Christian Andersen’s The Little Mermaid, Ariel (the mermaid) asks a witch to make her human because she has fallen in love with a human prince. The witch bargains with Ariel and takes her voice in exchange for performing the transformation. For a considerable part of the story Ariel cannot speak, which is a problem because the prince can only recognize her by her incredibly beautiful singing voice. Later, she recovers her voice and wins the love of the prince (sorry to spoil the ending).

In the story, Ariel loses her voice because of a curse. However, a less skilled sorceress could use a different method to silence a singing mermaid. Scientists have figured out a way to bend sound waves around an object and, can even prevent the escape of all sounds created inside a given area (important for keeping a transformed, singing mermaid from being heard).

Recently, Steve Cummer, Associate Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering at Duke University announced that it is theoretically possible to create such a sound shield. Building on research demonstrating how light waves can be bent around an object to make it appear invisible, Cummer and his collaborators used mathematical analysis to show how to do the same thing with sound. They established that it is possible to create a material that bends sound waves around walls, pillars, or any enclosed area, where the sound waves emerge as if nothing had been in their way. It would be like someone in the bedroom being able to hear what someone in the living room said, but as if there were no wall between them.

A side effect of this discovery is that sound waves generated inside the enclosed area would never escape. If the witch had been extremely clever, she could have built this material, and there would have been no need for a curse. Or maybe she did, and a transparent sound shield based on these principles was what enveloped Ariel until her love for the Prince melted it away, finally releasing her melodious voice for the Prince to hear.

1,001 Arabian Nights

One of the most exciting objects found in fairy tales is the flying carpet. In tales from a wide variety of cultures, including 1,001 Arabian Nights, these tangled tapestries take flight to carry people vast distances. Flying carpets are clearly impossible, right?

Three scientists recently published a paper in the journal Physical Review Letters showing that there are conditions under which a carpet could fly. They used the basic laws of physics to show that a small, thin carpet could fly if the air were vibrating at the right frequency, much like how a piece of tissue paper floats softly to the ground when it is dropped. Their calculations showed that small waves of air in repeated fast pulses could steer a carpet at a speed of around one foot per second.

Don’t expect to see Aladdin flying by anytime soon, but the scientists write that all of their conditions “are within the realm of possibilities in nature and in technology. Making a heavy carpet fly would, of course, require a much more powerful engine, and our
[calculations] suggest it will remain in the magical, mystical, and virtual realm as it has existed for millennia.”

Perhaps some fairy tales are more grounded in reality than others. Or maybe these precious stories are exactly what we thought they were. An idea is fertilized by the imagination and expanded beyond what seems possible. Or maybe science has come so far over the years that scientists are looking beyond the problems of the physical world and into the imaginations of children for their inspiration.

What could be next? Perhaps a scientific debate over the temperature at which porridge is considered “just right.”

A Morbid Youngster

When I was a preteen, I absolutely loved mystery and horror stories. I loved reading the Goosebumps books and whenever I checked books out of the library, it always had to do with ghost stories or famous murders. I was especially fascinated with books based on events that had happened close to my hometown or at least in the state of Texas. Most of it was fiction but some of my readings were also supposed to be somewhat true, which made the stories creepier. But I felt the creepier, the better!

In the spirit of Valentine's Day. . .

Oh My Darling, Valentine

(to the tune of "Clementine")

In a toystore
on a Sunday
with a dollar forty nine
I need something
just a dumb thing
for my brand new
Valentine.

Oh my darling.
Oh my darling.
Oh my darling
Valentine.
I'm uneasy,
kind of queasy,
but you're still my
Valentine.

Yes, it happened
in the classroom
when you said
"Will you be mine?"
I was muddled
and befuddled,
so I answered,
"Yeah, that's fine."

Then you called me
in the lunchroom.
You had saved a
place in line.
And I knew that
it was true that
I was now your
Valentine.

I went shopping
for a present
and I saw this
blinking sign:
"Here's a pleasant
little present
for a brand new
Valentine."

So I bought it
and I brought it
in my backpack
right at nine.
Do you like it?
It's a spy kit
with a flashlight
you can shine.

I could tell you
didn't like it
when you said I
was a swine.
How exciting!
I'm delighting.
I have no more
Valentine.

Till another
person stopped me
and they asked
"Will you be mine?"
This is crushing.
Oh, I'm blushing.
I've another
Valentine.

--Kenn Nesbitt

Critical Reading

I have discovered that I get much more out of the books I read now that I have learned to read critically. I took a college English course in high school and that is really when I began to analyze stories and look at them in different aspects. Of course then I really didn't care; I just wanted to get credit for the class and move on, but in this class it is different. I have thought about and discovered things in our readings that I had never found before. I have read many of these books before, yet look at them in a whole different view now. I find myself analyzing stuff outside of class, and not just readings. I think critical reading helps a person develop skills to be more contemplative about different things in life, or at least for me.

Green Eggs & Ham

One of my favorite books to read when I was a child was Green Eggs & Ham by Dr. Seuss. Whenever I had to go see our family doctor (which was quite a lot because I was sick a lot as a child) there was a corner in the waiting room devoted especially to kids. Books, toys and puzzles were supposed to keep us entertained while waiting to see the doctor. Well, whenever I went to the doctor I always always read this book. I pretty much had it memorized by the time I was in second grade. The interesting thing about this book is that there is no internal dialogue or narrative analysis. It is a very simple book in that there are only two characters, one of which is not even given a name. I interpret it as a story that encourages people to try new things and in turn, gain the benefits from those things.

Dr. Seuss

As silly as it may sound, Dr. Seuss is one of my favorite authors, mainly because his works are so simple but very entertaining for children and adults. His books are particular favorites for beginning readers because they are simple and very entertaining with the rhymes, illustrations and the silly characters.
My favorite of his books include Cat in the Hat, Green Eggs and Ham, and How the Grinch Stole Christmas. His books are so popular that two of my favorites have also been made into film. If you know anything about these films, you know that the main characters were played by very humorous actors such as Jim Carrey and Mike Myers. They were perfect for the roles, if I do say so myself. In my opinion the movies were just as wildly entertaining as the books. Although he wrote in a way that was entertaining to readers, he also wrote so that readers could recognize the morals without feeling as if they were being preached to. If you've ever noticed, his illustrations of his characters all look alike, just with minor adjustments. His landscapes are noted for their creation of distance. His rhyme schemes are simple, but he creates a variety of strange and crazy names and places at the same time. All in all, Dr. Seuss is a talented individual and I dare say that there's not another author out there like him.

Ella Enchanted

I was in the fifth grade when I bought Ella Enchanted at a book fair. It was one of my favorite books! A few years later I heard that an Ella Enchanted movie was in production. I was so excited! Once I saw the movie I was kind of disappointed though because it was a lot different from the book. The movie was still good nonetheless. I think one of the reasons I loved the book so much is because I admired the character of Ella. She is different from the other young maidens in that she is independent, rebellious, intelligent and witty. She is very friendly and is easy to build a relationship with. These are qualities that I myself would like to possess. The story contains characteristics similar to those of Cinderella. For example, the mother is dead and the father is absent, leaving room for an evil and controlling stepmother. And of course there is a fairy godmother and a prince with whom she falls in love with. The biggest difference between this story and the other Cinderella tales is that Ella is cursed, which brings about her weakness.

"Enchanted"

The tale follows the beautiful princess Giselle as she is banished by an evil queen from her magical, musical animated land--and finds herself in the gritty reality of the streets of modern-day Manhattan. Shocked by this
strange new environment that doesn't operate on a "happily ever after" basis, Giselle is now adrift in a chaotic
world badly in need of enchantment. But when Giselle begins to fall in love with a charmingly flawed divorce
lawyer who has come to her aid--even though she is already promised to a perfect fairy tale prince back home
--she has to wonder: can a storybook view of romance survive in the real world?
Yahoo Movies
-http://movies.yahoo.com/movie/1809426456/details

Not too long ago I watched the movie "Enchanted". It was absolutely delightful! Because I am now in the children's literature class, I took the liberty of taking a few notes while watching the movie. The main character is a beautiful young girl named Giselle that finds herself helpless and in need of saving. She also is madly in love with a prince and is to marry him. The antagonist is the prince's stepmother, the evil queen. Conflict occurs when the evil queen is unwilling to give up the throne to Giselle. All of these characteristics make up a classic fairy tale, but the fact that the evil queen sends Giselle to modern-day Manhattan gives it a new-age twist. Giselle is lead to believe that after marrying her prince she will live happily ever after but the evil queen sends her to the "real world" which is believed to be a place with no happily ever afters. During one scene we find out that Robert, the handsome lawyer she ends up falling for, doesn't believe in telling his daughter fairy tales because he thinks by doing so, she won't be prepared for the harsh world ahead. This made me so sad! I believe fairy tales are good for children. It gives them hope. Happy endings may not always go exactly like the fairy tales but I think true happiness can be attained in the real world if we work for it. During the course of the movie, Giselle's character steadily changes from the helpless young girl to a brave heroine who, in the end, attempts to save Robert from the evil queen. Yet, at the very end she becomes helpless again and can only be saved by true love's kiss. Giselle, and most of everybody else gets their happily ever after, just with a real-world twist!

I'll Love You Forever By Robert Munsch

This book has sentimental value in my life because it was actually the first book I ever owned. I bought it at a book fair when I was in pre school. Almost every night for a year or so I would crawl in my mother's lap before bed time and read it to her. Sometimes she would read it to me. Now whenever we sign letters or cards to each other we always sign off with the song from the book:

I'll love you forever,
I'll like you for always,
As long as I'm living
My mommy/baby you'll be.

This is the type of book that is great for all ages. It especially relates to parent/child relationships. It begins with a mother rocking her new born baby and singing the previous song. It then goes through and shows the growth of the child and how the mother continues to sing the song as her child grows. The book then takes us to a point in time where the child is now a grown man and the mother is an elderly woman and the situation reverses. The mother is unable to finish the song so the son holds his mother and sings the song to her. That same night the son goes to his own baby and sings the song to her. For such a simple book it has such a powerful effect on its readers. It's just so surreal and shows the passing from one generation to another and how families tend to pass many things onto their children and they pass it on to their children and they pass it on to their children and so on. To some this song may just seem silly but I think when a parent shares this with their child it shows the child love and comfort. These are two things that they can pass down to their children too. It shows the child that their parents will love them no matter the situation and as long as they're alive. I believe it is a story of love and hope.

Humorous Poetry

I Should Have Studied

I didn’t study for the test
and now I’m feeling blue.
I copied off your paper
and I flunked it just like you.

-Bruce Lansky, reprinted from If Pigs Could Fly


Mary Had Some Bubble Gum

Mary had some bubble gum.
She chewed it long and slow,
And everywhere that Mary went
Her gum was sure to blow.
She chewed the gum in school one day,
Which was against the rule.
The teacher took her pack away
And chewed it after school.

-by Anonymous, reprinted from Peter, Peter Pizza-Eater


Tummy Bubble

A burp is just a bubble
that forms inside your tum.
But if it goes the other way,
say nothing, just play dumb.

-by Bruce Lansky, reprinted from My Dog Ate My Homework

It's amazing how much laughter can come from such simple poems. These poems are not only humorous to children, but for adults as well. A lot of children's literature is the same way. In some instances, there's underlying humor in children's literature that only adults can appreciate. These, however, are pretty blunt.

A Whole New World

When I first realized that I would be taking a children's literature class, I was ecstatic for many reasons. First of all, I've always loved to read as long as I've been able! Secondly, this class gives me an excuse to read children's books! Reading children's books takes me to a place where no other literature can. It brings back that same feeling of youth and not having a care in the world. Having nieces and nephews also gives me an excuse to read children's books! I especially love it when they ask me to read with them or to them. Reading may seem to some as such a trivial thing to share with children but seeing the smiles on their faces and their eyes lighting up as we open a book just makes my heart melt! Another reason I enjoy this class is that we go under the surface of the stories and find that there is much more to be learned from them! This class allows us to see children's literature in a way most people would not. Reading the different versions of the stories from different backgrounds and cultures opens up a whole new world into children's literature. I am looking forward to learning as much as I possibly can from not only the literature we read in this class, but from my outside reading as well.

My List of Children's Books

Book 1: Love You Forever
Author: Robert Munsch
Picture Book? Yes
Posting date and/or number? Jan. 27

Book 2: Green Eggs & Ham
Author: Dr. Seuss
Picture Book? Yes
Posting date and/or number? Feb. 8

Book 3: The Magician's Nephew
Author: C.S. Lewis
Picture Book? No
Posting date and/or number? Feb. 22

Book 4: Royal Diaries:Anastasia:The Last Grand Duchess
Author: Carolyn Meyer
Picture Book? No
Posting date and/or number? Feb. 29

Book 5: Because of Winn Dixie

Author: Kate DiCamillo
Picture Book? No
Posting date and/or number? Mar. 5

Book 6: Doll Trouble
Author: Helen V. Griffith
Picture Book? No
Posting date and/or number? Mar. 21

Book 7: Matilda
Author: Roald Dahl
Picture Book? No
Posting date and/or number? Mar. 28

Book 8: Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See?
Author: Bill Martin, Jr.
Picture Book? Yes
Posting date and/or number? Apr. 2

Book 9: Anne of Green Gables
Author: Lucy Maud Montgomery
Picture Book? No
Posting date and/or number? Apr. 17

Book 10: The Bad Beginning
Author: Daniel Handler
Picture Book? No
Posting date and/or number? Apr. 21