Among the Hidden

I've read the book "Among the Hidden" by Margaret Peterson Haddix at least twice or so before I decided to read it again and write and blog on it for one of my last outside reading books. The book is about a young boy named Luke Garner who is the third child in his family, after his two older brothers Matthew and Mark. As a third child, poor Luke is forced to live in the attic, and is really never able to come out. The reason for Luke's confinement, or hiding is because of the population law. It states that no family should have more than 2 children in their household. As time goes by, I think Luke just considers living in the attic and hiding a way of life, and that many children in other households do it too. Luke indeed is right about other children having to hide. One day he discovers another child in the window of a house nearby. Letting his curiousity get the best of him, he sneaks over to the house next door and meets the child he saw in the window. To his surprise, the child is a young girl about his age named Jen Talbot who is also a third child. Jen seems a little more well off and confident compared to Luke. She even has a fake ID. With this fake ID, she is able to leave the house and go to the president's house to form a rally for all third children. Luke chickens out and doesn't go with her, and unfortunately finds out later that things did not work out in Jen's favor. Jen's father gives Luke a fake ID and sends him off to a private school in hope of more freedom.

I'm not completely sure, but I believe the whole third child/population law is based off of what has occured and what still does take place in certain places around the world. It's sad to think that parents have to risk their child's life in order to keep them alive. One thing that's kind of cool about this book is that all the Garner boys have biblical names. In fact, they're gospel names (the 1st three gospels) Matthew, Mark, and Luke. This idea makes me think that Haddix is trying to point out that these children, especially Luke, are children of God.... just a thought. This book is really good and I would recommend it to anyone. I'm pretty sure this book is part of a series dealing with shadow children. I haven't read any of the others, but might think about it. I'm sure they would be good too.

The Stinky Cheese Man

I don't really remember reading this book as a child, but I know I must have a least once. If not, I know I've at least heard of it. As the title of the book that this story is found in; "The Stinky Cheese Man and other Fairly Stupid Tales," "The Stinky Cheese Man" is definately a stupid story. This story is really short, and to me doesn't really have much of a plot to it. A little old man and a little old lady make a man out of stinky cheese, with a piece of bacon for a mouth and two olives for eyes. Once he comes out of the oven he escapes. Everyone he encounters as he runs away can't stand his stinky odor, and he yells to each one of them "Run run run as fast as you can. You can't catch me. I'm the Stinky Cheese Man!" As this line kept appearing in the story I recognized it from another fairy tale I'm familiar with: The Gingerbread Man.

I'm really not sure how or what the illustrations contribute to the text/story. The illustrations are quite bazaar. One thing I noticed was that the Stinky Cheese Man appears extremely large on the first couple of pages; but as he encounters the cow, the little girl and the fox, he appears rather small (tinier than them). And then, on the last page when he falls into the river we can only see his eyes and mouth, which make him appear big again. I also noticed as I read this story that the size of the text changed as well. It started big, gradually got a little smaller, gets bigger again, and then is the largest on the very last page. I'm really not sure what the author is trying to convey with the change of the size of the text and with the Stinky Cheese Man, but I'm sure it must signify something.

Peter and Max

Today in class we discussed many similarities and connections between Peter Rabbit and Max, and the two books they are found in. First off, they are both wild little boys who like to get into trouble and end up disobeying their mothers. And just like Peter is a little rabbit as well as a young boy, Max is a "wild thing"/wolf as well as a young boy too. Both of these typical little boys appear to rebel against each one of their mother's civilized nature when they disobey them. However, in the end after they both return from their journeys, both Max and Peter are left with tea/dinner and put to bed. The fact that Peter's mother gives him tea to feel better and tucks him in bed, and the fact that Max's mom leaves him a warm dinner, shows that their mothers still do love and care for them and they aren't going to really scold their children for disobeying them. I guess the mothers figure that the boys have learned their lesson on their own, and will hopefully make better decisions in the future. The idea of parent/child conflict is evident in these two stories, but the authors don't let it get out of hand. They simply show that the mothers both have rules for their sons to follow and warn them about bad behavior, but they still love them in the end. And it seems as though Peter and Max realize this in the end because they both return home after their wild journeys and become more "civilized." Max sheds his wildness (the hood of his costume), just like Peter sheds his wildness/"little boy-ness" (by taking off his clothes and shoes) in the end. The two both shed their wild, uncivilized character and return to civilization... better known as home to mom. I didn't really think about these two books relating so much to eachother as well as their characters, but after discussing it it's clear to see!

Where the Wild Things Are

This is some crazy picture book. I remember reading it when I was younger, but I guess now I kind of have a different perspective on the book. I find the main character Max to be really amusing. Again, he seems like the typical little boy who is wild and likes to get into trouble just like we saw with Peter Rabbit. From the very start of the book he is dressed in a monster costume. It's comical how he truly believes he is a scary monster throughout basically the entire book, especially when he's around the wild things. The fact that he believes he is the King of the wild things is even more amusing because he is so much smaller than them, and is obviously not a real monster. But, with some thought, it's clear that this is what many young boys do as children: They imagine themselves in some other world as some type of king, monster, bad guy, etc. who conquers the world.

The illustrations add so much to the story, and it obviously wouldn't be the same without them. The fact that the little boy Max is dressed as a monster in most of the story, makes it seem more real, even though its obvious its not. However, when children read this book or have this book read to them, I'm sure they can see Max as more of a monster than we as young adults can. The illustrations seem to start off somewhat simple, but as Max travels to the place where the wild things are, the illustrations start to become busier and more complex. This kind of gets the reader, especially a child, more into the story and almost "trapped" in this wild world the author and illustrator have created. One last thing before I just go on and on; In the beginning and throughout most of the book, Max is seen in his monster costume and all we can see is his face, but then at the end when he returns to his room, (after wanting to be where someone loved him best of all) we see his head and hair as well. It seems as though he is starting to take his costume off a little, or it is falling off. Some can maybe interpret this to mean that Max is growing up and losing that sense of childhood and imagination.

The Cat in the Hat

"The Cat in the Hat" is an all time classic children's book by Dr. Seuss. Not only this Dr. Seuss book, but others such as "Green Eggs and Ham," "One fish, two fish, red fish, blue fish," and of course "How the Grinch stole Christmas" are popular books that many young children first learn to read from. Believe it or not, even though many children don't realize it, they're reading poetry when they read Dr. Seuss' books. "The Cat in the Hat" is a perfect example of poetry with the rhyming, rhthym, and play with words. The words that are used in this book are basic, primary words that children are first introduced to once they begin reading. The illustrations are somewhat basic too; well, at least the colors. The only colors that are used are red, blue, white, and black. The reason for this is probably in order to not get children confused and lost with the illustrations and colors as they begin to learn to read. And even though Dr. Seuss books contain a limited vocabulary, they become very popular among young children with their fun, outrageous characters and adventures. The crazy Cat in "The Cat in the Hat" and Thing 1 and Thing 2 appear to be the outrageous characters in this particular book who cause a lot of chaos and trouble. Surprisingly, the two young children don't really do anything about it. In fact, their fish is the only one who seems to have sanity and enough sense to know that their mother would not approve at all. The book ends with the mother not ever finding out about it, yet the children still and will probably never forget the nonsense that went on that rainy day when they didn't have anything to do.

The Tale of Peter Rabbit

As I was reading this picture book, I made sure I paid close attention to each and every illustration. Before I started reading the book itself, I read the publisher's note that talked about how this particular edition contained "reorginated illustrations and such." Using the very first edition as a guide, the goal was to "follow faithfully Beatrix Potter's intentions while benefiting from advances in modern printing and design techniques." It also mentioned how this edition contains six extra illustrations, as well as the text being "reset in a period typeface of the right weight to harmonise witht the delicacy of the pictures." When reading each page I did notice that the text complimented the illustration on the page beside it, and vice versa. The shorter versions of text seemed to pair up with the simple pictures, while the longer texts seemed to pair up with the more significant and complex pictures. I enjoyed the illustrations a lot. They were very lifelike indeed and added much to the text. It's been awhile since I've read this book, but in the beginning before we know what kind of trouble Peter gets himself into, we can see in the second illustration that trouble is going to sturr up. We can see this becuase Peter is not paying attention to his mother who is telling him and his sisters to stay out of trouble and to not go into Mr. McGregor's garden. Then, in the rest of the book the reader can clearly see Peter has gotten himself into trouble because he is by himself getting into something, or running from the evil Mr.McGregor; not anywhere near his sisters who seem to be behaving themselves. He not only is a little bunny, but he is a typical little boy.

Picture Books

I want to first start off by saying how weird it is that two of the books we discussed in class today were two of the picture books I read for my outside reading list: "Goodnight Moon," and "Make way for Ducklings."

I never realized just how important illustrations really are in children's storybooks. As we were discussing several picture books in class today it opened my eyes to the fact that illustrations are very important. The several times I've read "Goodnight Moon," I never really noticed what was missing in the text. The text just seemed to describe the setting, while the illustrations added to the setting, giving the reader a more in depth look at the setting as well as the characters. For example, in this book the reader is never told that the main characters are bunnies or that the little bunny is a boy; we have to determine this by looking at the pictures. When I read "Make way for Ducklings" the first time, I never really noticed anything missing from the text because the illustrations were right there to fill in the missing pieces and continue the story along. It's amazing to think that pictures can add so much to a story. In fact, illustrations can often times be more important than the text itself. From now on I will most likely look at the illustrations in picture books more in depth, in order to fully grasp what happens in the story.

Parents Weekend!

This weekend was A&M's 90th Parents Weekend. I think it's an awesome tradition we have here because it gives the students and university the chance to thank all the wonderful Aggie parents for all that they're done (esp. paying for our tutition... haha). There were several activities and events for parents to do with their children, but my mom and I kind of did our own thing. She came in on Saturday morning and we went to my co-chair's house (for fish camp) to have hotdogs and hamburgers and visit with all the other families. The weather was so nice and made the a lot more enjoyable. Of course, after we ate we went shopping!! haha. She bought me some things from the mall and the tent sale, as well as a thing or two for her. I bought myself a thing or two as well because I felt bad that she paid for a lot of things. That night we went to the baseball game, which just so happened to be my first one ever as well as hers. It was really fun, but long and cold too. We left the game early to go tryout Texas Roadhouse, which was AMAZING!!! And then this morning we went to church together and of course made sure we stopped by Canes and Starbucks before she left. Some college kids probably aren't too fond of hanging out with their parents, but I enjoyed it a lot and wished my dad and my sister could have come too. I loved being able to kind of show my mom the life I lived here, including dorm life; yes, she stayed with me and my roommate in our tiny dorm. This weekend not only showed me how much I appreciate my mom (and dad even though he wasn't here), but also how much I enjoy spending time with her. I know this doesn't have really anything to do with children's literature, but since I really didn't have the proper amount of time to do my second paper for this class cause of Parents Weekend, I thought I would share my weekend and let everyone know how much I love and appreciate my parents. Every University should have a Parents Weekend if they don't have one already; it would be wrong if they didn't.

Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants

The book "Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants" by Ann Brashares is a great book, especially for young girls. The 2005 movie Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants is in fact made from this book. I actually saw the movie before I read the book and enjoyed both of them, even though there were a few things here and there that were different between the two. Basically, the two are about four young high school girls who discover a pair of jeans that just so happen to fit all of them. The fact that the pants fit each girl so well is odd considering they are all different in size. With these "magical" pants, the girls make a vow to share these pants over the summer when they are apart from eachother. Each girl has the pants for so long and is then supposed to send the pants, as well as a letter of her adventures, to the next. Throughout the book each girl experiences much growth and maturation through their journeys of friendship, love, misfortunes, and family issues. It's with these experiences and witht the pants that the girls grow closer together as friends, even though they are apart from one another most of the book. This book can relate to a few things we've read this semester. It deals with growth and maturation, journeys/adventures, challenges and heartaches, as well as a sense of magic too. Even though this book and the three others in the series are meant for young teens I still enjoyed it. I wouldn't even mind reading the others, and I can't wait for the sequel to the movie to come out either!

Utopia

Yesterday in class we started discussing "The Giver" and what kind of world and society existed in the book. We discussed the odd characteristics of this book's world, as well as what it lacked. After reviewing the characteristics we were really able to see that this book's world was indeed that of a "Utopia," or imaginary world. Just like Professor Robinson pointed out, the song "Imagine," written by John Lennon in about 1971, really portrays this sort of "Utopia": no death, no heaven, no hell, no religion, no hunger, etc. ... just peace and happiness.

"Imagine"

Imagine there's no Heaven

It's easy if you try

No hell below us

Above us only sky

Imagine all the people

Living for today...

Imagine there's no countries

It isn't hard to do

Nothing to kill or die for

And no religion too

Imagine all the people

Living life in peace...

You may say that I'm a dreamer

But I'm not the only one

I hope someday you'll join us

And the world will be as one

Imagine no possessions

I wonder if you can

No need for greed or hunger

A brotherhood of man

Imagine all the people

Sharing all the world...

You may say that I'm a dreamer

But I'm not the only one

I hope someday

you'll join us

And the world will live as one

A Mother's Love

The famous line "I'll love you forever, I'll like you for always, as long as I'm living, my baby you'll be" is from the all time classic "Love You Forever" by Robert Munsch. This book is my all time favorite and I'm sure many other people's favorite too. I can't even count how many times I read this book as a child; I'd lose count. As well being a narrative story, this book could probably be considered poetic in a way as well, with the repitition of the oh so unforgettable line. The book is also fairly basic, but somehow everyone seems to fall in love with it after he or she reads it. Maybe it's the enjoyable, detailed, realistic illustrations that help the reader better relate the book to his or her life. I hope this book is still around when I have children because I would love to share it with them.

The Giver: Structured society

Within just the first couple of chapters I could already see how crazy of a society Jonas and his family live in. There's no doubt that this society is extremely structured with its numerous rules. The different ceremonies; such as the ceremony when you turn a certain age; when you get a bike; and when a family receives a new child or an elder, add to the strangeness of the society. This book is quite different and unique compared to what we've read this semester, but interesting at the same time. I believe it's considered a type of fantasy or even a science fiction work. The aspect that makes sense in a way is the fact that the "Commitee of Elders" rule the community. In fact, in our society today those who are older than us (our parents) are the people who run the household and make the rules. The book's elders, however, seem to be fairly old like our grandparents, making it seem a little strange that adults so much older than the rest of society are responsible for basically everything that happens. Right now this book doesn't make much sense to me, but I'm interested to know what happens next.

The hero within

It's interesting that when reading literature there are so many "heroes" found. This so called hero can be a little girl who saves her grandmother, a miner boy, or even a hobbit. It was kind of odd to consider a strang little hobbit a hero, but after reading over the stages of the hero in the article about "The Hero with a thousand faces," it was clear to see. It's weird that as a child we look at a hero being someone like Superman and Wonderwoman, but as we grow up and read different types of literature, our perspective changes. As young adult/educated student, we consider a hero somebody who is basically introduced into a different world than his or her own, called to take some kind of adventure, encouraged to stick it out by some man or woman older and wiser, passes through the first threshold, encounters tests but helpers as well, reaches the intermost cave, endures the ultimate worst or "supreme ordeal," overcomes the enemy or obstacle, takes the road back, "resurrects" from this second world, and then finally returns to their own world with some type of treasure.

What odd creatures...

This book has been very hard for me to read and to get into. I am not into this kind of fantasy whatsoever. Goblins, trolls and hobbits are just kind of odd and "freaky" to me. For one thing, they don't seem like the most attractive, nice creatures at all and they are basically animals; well, at least I see them this way. It's interesting how many stories and movies from the past and the present include these odd creatures. I've always wondered what brought them about in all these children stories. I would think that many children would be afraid of these type of creatures(I mean, like I said earlier, they're freaky), yet I guess they're not too afraid of them considering many movies and books today are extrememly popular with young children.

The Ghost of Fossil Glen

This awesome book by Cynthia Defelice is my all time favorite book that I read when I was in elementary school. In my school it was required we read a certain number of Bluebonnet Award books, so I chose this one. I was either in fourth or fifth grade when I first read this book. I wasn't big on reading and still aren't, but I absolutely loved this one. I'm really into the whole ghost story, mystery books and movies so it was no wonder I liked this one so much. But it wasn't your normal ghost story, it actually "left you hanging on the edge of your seat," as they say, dying to know what happens next. It's about an 11 year-old girl named Allie who is searching for fossils one day and next thing you know finds herself hanging from Fossil Glen. Scared to death, she doesn't know what to do and then hears a voice talking to her. Wondering who the voice was and where it came from, Allie discovers it belongs to a girl who died named Lucy Stiles. From here, Allie receives her diary and learns all about her life right before she died and learns who killed her as well. This is a great story and I enjoyed reading it again after all these years.

Enchanted!

Disney's newest movie Enchanted starring Amy Adams and Patrick Dempsey is probably one of my newest favorite movies. It's about a innocent princess who is tricked by an evil witch and pushed into a magical wishing well that brings her to the real world of New York City. There she must learn all about real life and forget about the easy, happy, magical fairy tale life she came from. And just like in any fairy tale/romantic comedy, she falls in love with a prince, but not the fairy tale one. When I first went to see this movie in theaters I was a little skeptical on whether it would be a good movie or not, but me my mom and my sister ended up loving it! It was happy, sad, and funny all at the same time. The music was pretty good too. I know this is weird, but I did ask for the soundtrack for Christmas...haha. Now I feel like a kid again when I watch it because I sing along with the movie my family bought for Easter. It's a great movie and I'd recommend it to anybody who hasn't seen it.

Rossetti's Sing-Song

As I read Christina G. Rossetti's sing-song nursery rhyme book, I noticed it was a lot different than Robert Louis Stevenson's "A Child's Garden of Verses." Stevenson's children verses were happy, imaginative, adventerous, and "feel good;" while Rossetti's nursery rhymes weren't. I was very lost and confused as I read Rossetti's collection of nursery rhymes. None of them had titles so I never could tell if they coincided with the one on the next page or if it was just by itself. Also, Rossetti's book contained topics that weren't so happy and that dealt more with adults as opposed to young children. I also liked the illustrations in Stevenson's book a lot better too. Overall the main things discussed in her book were marriage, babies (birth), death, seasons, and women. I definately enjoyed Stevenson's writings much more than Rossetti's.

"Make Way for Ducklings"

As I was looking through childhood books with my friend at her house, I thought this would be the best because it kind of relates to Easter in the since that the ducks are the main characters and because the story is about them. This book by Robert McCloskey was awarded the Caldecott Medal as "The most distinguished American picture book for children" in the year it was published according to the title page. The illustrations were pretty impressive indeed. The pictures were black and white, antique looking, and very simple yet very detailed. I imagine the pictures were black and white because most t.v and movies were in black and white at the time the book was published. I liked this story a lot. It was cute how the parents made sure they had a nice, safe home for their children before even laying the eggs. And once they were born, they took care of them and taught them many things just like any good parents would. I thought it was also kind of interesting how the father duck wasn't as involved and present in the story as the mother duck (like we have seen in most of the fairy tales we've read). However, in the end the father not being there through a majority of the story is somewhat forgotten because he is waiting for the mother duck and the baby ducks on the little island.

"A Child's Garden of Verses"

This book is quite enjoyable. As I was reading it, I kind of remembered my childhood days. This book brings out the imaginative mind that most people have as children. It was a very happy and "feel good" collection of verses. These verses were separated into four different sections: the first one didn't really have a name, the second was entitled "The Child Alone," and the third was entitled "Garden Days," and the fourth one was entitled "Envoys" which he dedicated to people in his family. I don't really understand why the collection was called "A Child's Garden of Verses," but I guess it has to do with the image of children young and innocent playing in a garden, using their imagination to create whatever, and to explore and take adventures as well. The use of the word garden in the title and in one of the section titles could also refer to the innocence and growth of children just like life in a garden. I think its interesting how he incorporates so many stories and aspects of his childhood into the poems he writes. It seems that writing about his own life basically was an easy thing to do, but he was clever in creating themes and other figurative devices at the same time.

Easter time!

Easter time is usually a pretty, happy, as well as a religious time of the year for my family and I. This year, however, is a little different. Tomorrow is the one year anniversary of my Aunt's death, so this time of year isn't as joyous as usual. I love remembering the great times I've had with her, but it still is sad knowing she isn't here with us.

Easter not only reminds me of the religious side to it, but it reminds me also of Spring and happy children... as funny as that may sound. And indeed, thats what it seems like every Easter we go to Louisiana. All the little cousins go on a Easter egg hunt, we eat crawfish on the porch outside in the nice weather, and everyone enjoys everybody's company. I remember when I was a little kid and loved taking pictures with the Easter bunny at the mall and then waking up Easter morning to see what he had left me in my basket. My mom still fixes me and my sister little Easter baskets with candy and stuff, but it's not the same. I love being in college and older now, but it would be nice to go back in time and be a child again sometimes.

Lyric Poems

I've never really thought of songs as lyric poems, because the truth is I've never really dealt with or learned about lyric poems much in school. But as I was thinking more and more about it, it makes since that the songs we hear day to day are indeed lyric poems; some of them rhyme, some repeat, some contain figurative language, etc. Many of these songs that we could consider lyric poems are narrative poems as well that tell a story. As we are continuing to look at different types of poems in children's literature, I've realized that poems aren't so bad afterall. And all poems don't have to deal with Shakespeare either, unlike the ones I read all through high school. I think poems, especially nursery rhymes, are great to introduce to young children as they begin reading. It's poems/sonnettes like those of Shakespeare and other poets that cause students to dispise poems or the thought of them.

Nursery Rhymes

I never really considered nursery rhymes to be poems when I was little. I always thought of them as just fun sing alongs and stories, but now that we're beginning to discuss nursery rhymes in class I've realized exactly what they are: poems for children. It's weird to think that I knew "poems" before I could even read because of t.v shows like Barney, and also because of books that were read to me in school and at home. Another thing I've never really thought about is why the popular nursery rhymes that we all grew up with and loved are referred to as "Mother Goose" nursery rhymes. As we discussed in class the other day, Mother Goose isn't a real person so where did this popular name come from? It's also quite interesting that these nursery rhymes have been around for many many years, and will most likely continue to be even when my children are at the age to be introduced to them.

Poetry

When I hear or see the word poetry I think, oh great! The poetry that I have dealt with throughout my high school years the most is poems/sonnettes from Shakespeare and other poets that make it hard to grasp the "message" in their work. When I found out we were doing poetry in this class I was a little discouraged at first. However, I'm sure the poetry we read can't be that bad; I mean it is children's literature. I'm kind of looking forward to it actually because Dr. Robinson said on Wednesday that we would be reading the "fun" poetry on Friday. Whatever poetry we do read and discuss the next couple of class periods I'm sure will most likely be fun and enjoyable. And if not I'm sure we can make it be, especially if it has to do with children!

The Princess and the Goblin

The Princess and the Goblin has been kind of hard for me to follow along with and understand at times, especially when I first started reading the book. It's also my picture of a typical fantasy story like Cinderella, Harry Potter, etc. The more we discuss the meaning behind the characters and what takes place in the book, the more I understand and like the book. I really like the grandmother. At first, she seemed a little weird and somewhat scary, but as the story went along she became more magical and enchanted. I really like how she watches out for Irene in different ways, without Irene even being aware of it most of the time. She's your typical grandmother who cares and loves for her grandaughter; making sure she stays out of trouble, is always safe, does what she is told, and stays clean and healthy. Overall, this book isn't bad, but I think it would be more enjoyable for older children, ones who could maybe analyze the light aspect in it and understand the message behind the story itself.

One fish, two fish, red fish, blue fish

One fish, two fish, red fish, blue fish is a pretty popular book by Dr. Seuss, just like basically all of his books. I'm pretty sure I read them as a kid because they were an easy read and I enjoyed the rhyming. The pictures were pretty funny too. The characters in the book were nothing I had seen before; quite unusual. Actually, when I was little I probably just laughed at them, but now I wonder how Dr. Seuss came up with these unusual beings. The beginning of the book is rather normal as far as plot goes; the words are everyday words that children could easily recognize. The use of these everyday words, I believe, are quite helpful to children who read them, and the rhyming helps as well. As children read this book they can become familiar with everyday words as well as words that rhyme with one another, all while enjoying a rather funny story. However, the second half of the book seems a little silly with all the made up words and things like a "Whump," a "Nook," and "Zeds." I guess you can say this is the part of the story that really brings the "fantasy" side out. If you think about it, this world Dr. Seuss creates is somewhat magical, silly and "out there." Some may disagree with my outlook to the fantasy side of Dr. Seuss' stories, but everybody has their own opinions.

Disney and fantasy

After discussing Alice in Wonderland, it made me think of the Disney version I watched as a kid as well as all the other Disney movies I watched then. My two favorite Disney movies as a kid would probably have to be "Beauty and the Beast" and "The Little Mermaid." My mom told me when I was older that I would sit in front of the televison and watch Disney movies all the time, over and over again. Beauty and the Beast was probably the one I watched the most. I'm not sure why it was my favorite at the time, but maybe it had to do with the immense amount of fantasy in it. It may have been the talking teapots, candlestick, clock, etc.; the magical rose; or even the ugly beast who turned into a handsome prince in the end that attracted me to it the most. The magical and enchanted essence to the story has made Beauty and the Beast a huge success. Its been a movie, a musical/broadway show, a ballet, a book, television show, etc. It has even led to midquels such as Beauty and the Beast: The Enchanted Christmas, as well as Belle's Magical World. It has also won two Academy Awards for its outstanding music. I think its such a great fantasy story with a fun aspect to it, as well as a great plot. And now that I reminisce about Beauty and the Beast, I realize it was a big part of my childhood. I watched the movie all the time, I went to the Beauty and the Beast on Ice show, and I even named my Golden Retriever Belle after the main character because of her golden coat like Belle's famous golden dress.

Alice in Wonderland

When I first found out that Alice in Wonderland would be one of the stories that we would be reading this semester for children's literature I was excited. When I read the first six chapters it was a fairly easy read, enjoyable for the most part, and brought back childhood memories. I never read this story as a child, but I did see the movie at least once or twice. After reading the last six chapters of the story, I found it much harder to read and understand all what was going on. And when I got to the end and found out that it was all a dream (or was it real?), I was disappointed. However, it did kind of make since for Wonderland to be all part of a dream because so much nonsense and peculiar things occurred. After discussing all the different aspects, ideas, symbols, motifs, etc. found in this story; I felt like the story of Alice and Wonderland I knew as a child became diminished. In fact, I don't really care for the story so much anymore.

Heather, Belle of the Ball

When I found this book in my room at home a couple of weeks ago it brought back many childhood memories. This book is part of a series of the Magic Attick Club books that I read when I was in elementary school. I even owned one of the dolls, Heather, who just so happened to be the main character of the book. I don't remember reading this one when I was little because to tell you the truth I don't think I really read any of them.... haha. Anyways, this book is a typical "girl" book. It's about a girl, Heather, who is faced with the choice of whether to attend the "cool/popular" girl's party, or hang out with her friends who weren't invited and who decided to have their own party. She ends up getting into an argument with her friends and runs off to a neighbor's house who has a magical attic with a trunk full of outfits and a mirror that transports you into a different place, usually in a different time period. Heather finds a beautiful pink gown and accessories, and is immediately taken to the turn of the century in England where she ends up going to a charity ball. While at the ball Heather is confronted with somewhat of the same issue she was dealing with at home with her friends, only now it's between her cousin and her cousin's friends or her orphanage friend Lisbeth. Just like in most children's books and fairy tales, the story ends happily as Heather realizes who her true friends are. She ends up having a better time at her mom's benefit dinner with her friends than she would have had at her so called friend Tiffany's party. I think any young girl could relate to this story and the issues faced in it: whether or not to worry about impressing and becoming friends with the cool kids or spending time with your true friends who like you no matter what. Also the part about dressing up and traveling to an unkown place and feeling like the Cinderella of the ball is many girl's dreams when they are young. It's the magic attic, the adventures each girl takes and the lasting friendships that makes the Magic Attic Club books so enjoyable for young children, especially young girls.

Oh Alice...

As I started reading the first six chapters of "Alice In Wonderland" I began to just laugh and roll my eyes as I went through the story. Alice is a very curious, spunky, playful character. From the very beginning we see her peeping over her sister's shoulder curious as to what she is reading. Then, almost immediately she notices a white rabbit and is suddently drawn to what he is doing, what he is wearing, and where he is off to. Another thing I found quite amusing about Alice is that she thinks she is quite intelligent when she, in fact, is not intelligent at all. As she is falling down the well, she starts talking about how deep the Earth is and wonders where she is pertaining to latitude and longitude. As I was reading I also noticed that Alice loves to talk and always seems like she has something to say about everything, whether she be talking to herself or to some other character. It's also commical how she cries a lot when she doesn't know what to do, but not a second later she is telling herself there is no use in crying. It almost seems that Alice is what we would call "ADD." She's always talking, or crying, or thinking about things. She also tries to talk or help others and ends up making things worse most of the time. I think she is a fun, cute, "ditsy" character so far. And I'm sure many children could relate to her because they are a lot like her. In fact, many people see children just as Alice is: hyper, talkative, curious, etc.

What is fantasy?

The definition of fantasy in the dictionary is 1: imagination, fancy 2: a product of the imagination : Illusion 3: fantasia. This is probably the same words that come to my mind when I hear the word "fantasy." I also think of things like Harry Potter, Cinderella, magic, wizards, enchantment, happy things, etc. Different people have their own view of fantasy, whether it be positive or negative. In fact, in class today we had four or five students who didn't really care for fantasy because they thought it was hard to follow, not believable, and didn't really make since. Most of the class, on the other hand, enjoyed fantasy because they believed it brought excitement, imagination, and a world that they would like to live in but know they never could. Russell defines "fantasy" in a very broad sense saying it's "any story of the impossible" (194). There is no actual definition of "fantasy." It's defined differently by everybody; it's basically the definition a person's imagination creates for him or her.

Walt Disney

The famous Walter Elias Disney (Dec. 1901- Dec. 1966), otherwise known as Walt Disney, had accomplished many things throughout his life. Many of these things dealt with "fantasy" so to say. Disney was an Academy Award-winning American film producer, director, screenwriter, voice actor, animator, entreprenaur, and philanthropist. Being known as "one of the most innovative figures in the entertainment field during the 20th century," he was known for creating many fictional characters such as the famous Mickey Mouse, and was also credited and was the namesake for Disneyland and Walt Disney World. It's crazy how one man is responsible for being a part of so many children's lives; from movies, to cartoons, to books, and to two of the most famous theme parks in the world. What would we have done without the great Walt Disney? What would our childhood have been like without him?

Writing, oh what fun!

Writing papers is probably one of the most things I dislike when it comes to schoolwork. One of the main reasons I don't really like it is because I don't consider myself the best writer. When I sit down to write a paper it usually takes me quite some time to get started, unless it's a topic that interests me or that I love to talk/write about. After I've taken time to read over, get suggestions from teachers and friends, and really put time into it my paper usually turns out pretty good. I remember my junior year we did a big research paper that was a two or three month process. When we got our grades back (which were like 2 major grades and 4 or 5 daily grades) I was the only one in my class that got A's for both of the major grades. I was extremely surprised, but very proud of myself at the same time, and I had a pretty tough teacher too. I know the papers I write for this class won't be graded and checked for each part of it, but I hope to do well on them and hopefully impress whoever reads them as well.

What do Children think?

After taking the test today and after studying over my notes last night I really began to think; we have discussed several different images and ideas in class that authors have created in their fairy tale versions. A few of these points we've discussed were somewhat surprising to me. I probably never would have thought about them if we hadn't talked about them in class. I'm usually not one to deeply anaylze what I read because I guess I don't really have that analytical mind, but I feel like I've kind of "grown" more or less in really thinking about what the author is trying to convey as I continue to read more things. If I don't really see these points of the authors at first as I'm reading, then what do children think about as they read these fairy tales? Do do they just see them as pure entertainment, or entertainment with some insight to it? I would think that most children read these fairy tales for enjoyment, so why do authors convey so many messages, themes, symbols, ideas, etc. Are these fairy tales really for children, or are they more for the parents of these children who are usually reading them to their children? It seems as though most authors are trying to relay messages to the parents in order to teach their children. The authors could even be pointing these messages just to the parents themselves.

Reveille VII

Today it was finalized and announced that Reveille VII was retiring after being the Aggie mascot and highest ranking member of the Corps of Cadets for seven years. I had been hearing of Reveille planning to be retired for awhile but I didn't know when it would happen or if it actually would. Even though this is only my second semester here at A&M I was kind of sad when I heard this. Reveille and two of her caretakers are in my POLS class on Tuesdays and Thursdays, and I always love to see her! She has never barked before except for one time right as class was dismissed. It was hilarious! Everyone just started laughing. I know Reveille VII will be missed by many people, and I hope she is taken good care of. I think its great that our mascot is able to interact with the Corps and other students, faculty, etc. as opposed to just being someone who is willing to dress up in a silly costume at games. She participates in much more than just games. I love our traditions here at A&M, epecially our lovable mascot and past mascots that we continue to honor each year. A&M really is the place to be!!!

I know this doesn't have anything to do with children's literature, but I thought it had a lot to do with our University and our University's history. And I thought it was rather important to discuss. I'm sure many people can't wait for the next Reveille to join the Aggie family, but Reveille VII will be missed greatly!

Aquamarine

Today I read the "magical tale" Aquamarine by the New York Times bestselling author Alice Hoffman. Before reading this book I expected it to be a little corny and kiddish. I felt this way after remembering seeing previews for the movie that was based off of this book. But, surprisingly, I enjoyed this book. It was a simple, short and sweet story, but it had a good plot and great aspects to it. One thing I liked about this story was how close the two main characters Hailey and Claire were and how they would spend every last moment with eachother, just knowing that it wouldn't be long till Claire had to move away to Florida at the end of the summer. I also liked the fact that this story could be considered a sort of "fairy tale" in a way because it involved a cute boy and beautiful girl (well mermaid in this case) falling in love, a sad but at the same time a happy ending, a character overcoming her fear in the end, and also magic so to say involving the mermaid. In fact, when I read the "About the Author" section at the end of the book it said that Hoffman loved fairy tales as a child, especially from the Brothers Grimm to the folk stories she heard from her Russian grandmother, which just so happens to be what we have been reading this semester. It even said that "Many of the books Alice has written as an adult contain doses of fairy-tale magic. She is known for writing stories that weave the wondrous and unexpected with the commonplace." And I believe that is exactly what she did in Aquamarine.

"Stealing Cinderella"

Earlier today I heard the new hit "Stealing Cinderella" by country artist Chuck Wicks. I hear this song all the time and love it, but my attention was really drawn to it today because we've been discussing Cinderella in class a lot. As I was listening to the chorus I could just picture this happy little girl who loved life playing in the sprinklers (which is basically what the chorus says). And as I thought about this picture that had been created in my mind, I realized that most of the Cinderellas, if not all of them, we have been reading about were not like this "Cinderella." They were poor, unhappy young women who were ordered around and usually dressed in rags and covered in dirt. In the end they were usually happy though. Why is this song called "Stealing Cinderella" if this girl isn't really like the real Cinderella? Is Chuck Wicks perceiving Cinderella just as the beautiful happy women she is in the end of all the Cinderella stories? And if so, why?
Here are the lyrics and music video. What's your opinion on why he casts "Cinderella" as happy and with a great life? Do some people these days just refer to Cinderella as the beautiful girl who marries the handsome prince, forgetting about the unhappy, peasant life she lived before that?


I came to see her daddy for sit down man to man
It wasn't any secret i'd be asking for her hand
I guess that's why he left me waiting in the living room by myself
with at least a dozen pictures of her sitting on a shelf

- Chorus -

She was playing Cinderella
She was riding her first bike
Bouncing on the bed and looking for a pillow fight
Running through the sprinkler with a big popsicle grin
Dancing with her dad, looking up at him
In her eyes i'm Prince Charming
But to him i'm just some fella
riding in and stealing Cinderella

I leaned in towards those pictures to get a better look at one
When I heard a voice behind me say "Now, ain't she something, son?"
I said "Yes, she quite a woman"
and he just stared at me
Then I realized that in his eyes she would always be

Playing Cinderella
Riding her first bike
Bouncing on the bed and looking for a pillow fight
Running through the sprinkler with a big popsicle grin
Dancing with her dad, looking up at him
In her eyes i'm Prince Charming
But to him i'm just some fella
riding in and stealing Cinderella

He slapped me on the shoulder
Then he called her in the room
When she threw her arms around him
That's when I could see it too

Playing Cinderella
Riding her first bike
Bouncing on the bed and looking for a pillow fight
Running through the sprinkler with a big popsicle grin
Dancing with her dad, looking up at him
If he gives me a hard time
I can't blame the fella
I'm the one who's stealing Cinderella

"Cinderella"

A diamond in the rough.

A princess in disguise.

A stepmom with no love.

A family full of lies.

Until a royal someone

holds a ball of fancy scene.

A princess in his arms.

A dance of young love's dream.

Time will tell to end the spell

When hands, they face the sky.

Soon she must run away

in order to preserve disguise.

The prince he finds her slipper;

Orders foot be found to pair.

Many ladies try,

But only one foot fits so fair.

Her royal beauty shines

Between the rags and through her eyes.

A final dream come true

To flee the family she despised.

The prince then takes her by the hand,

They ride away in carriage.

Soon to take her hand again

to join in holy marriage.

"The Perfect Guy"

I just finished reading Ella Enchanted earlier today in my chemistry class. I had trouble putting it down as I got closer to the end. I actually had trouble putting it down at like 2 in the morning right after I read the letter Prince Char wrote to her confessing his love for her, but I knew I had to get some sleep. Later, I got so upset when she wrote the fake letter from Hattie and then the letter about her getting married and becoming wealthy. I wanted to put the book down then, but I knew it would only get better, it had to. And as I predicted, it did indeed get better, much better! I was so happy that she finally broke the curse, not even realizing it at first. It killed me again when she was telling him that she couldn't marry him in the end, but then at the same time I thought it was sweet because it showed how much she cared about him. After she realized she had broken the curse for good I loved the way she basically asked him to marry her saying, "I'm older now, so much older that not only can I marry, but I can beg you to marry me." And as she went to kneel he pulled her up and kissed her. I just melted inside! I thought this was the sweetest thing ever and wanted my future husband to do that to me. They finally got married and it was laughter and love that helped them live happily every after. What a great ending!

This made me think; could this happen in realy life, could something like this happen to me in the future with the guy I end up marrying? Or is it things like this that just happen in fairy tales? Is there a "perfect guy" out there for me? Who knows... I guess I will just have to wait and see.

Ella Enchanted

This weekend before starting to read Ella Enchanted I went and rented it at Blockbuster. I actually read half of the book before I started watching the movie. And as always, the movie is different from the book. However, the movie seemed very different from the book. In the movie Ella doesn't go to finishing school like she does in the book. She also seems to be a little closer to her dad in the movie when she hugs him as he leaves sincerely saying she will miss him. Also, in the movie Prince Char stays with Ella at the giant wedding, but he drops her off in the book. I haven't finished the book yet, but I'm sure there are many more differences between the two. And so far, I'm enjoying the book more than I did with the movie. I love Anne Hathaway, and the prince in the movie was cute, but I thought the movie was rather silly and weird. Its crazy how many different versions of Cinderella tales there are today and from the past; whether they are books, movies, tv shows, short stories, poems, songs, etc. Who knows what type of Cinderella story we will come up with next, .... maybe I could write the next best hit. :)

Goodnight Moon

The classic, all-time favorite "Goodnight Moon" written by Margaret Wise Brown and illustrated by Clement Hurd has been read by many for nearly 60 years. I remember reading this book when I was little. In fact, when I found it recently I said, "Awww...Goodnight Moon."

Most parents will read this book to their children right before bed to calm them down. The short sentences, distinct illustrations, and the colors in the book keep children interested, wanting to read it over and over again. Even though this is a very simple text everyone, especially children, just fall in love with this story. For children it can be seen as a learning device; something simple yet something they can follow along with and remember. After reading some reviews, parents like to go throught it with their children pointing to different pictures asking them what each is and what color. They also like to whisper, especially at the end, to add to the affect of the story and of course to help their children fall asleep. One parent even commented that her child has a hard time falling asleep without someone reading "Goodnight Moon" to him.

I think this is a great bedtime story for all children. Even though it's short, simple and easy to read, it is calming, enjoyable and relaxing at the same time. It's odd to think that a book so old and so basic has become such a favorite for both children and parents. I guess it's hard to explain and to understand unless you've read it yourself. I love this book and can't wait to read it to my children!

Helping One Student to Succeed

Last semester in my TEFB class I was required to attend a school every week for two hours and help students one on one with reading, spelling, and writing. So, every Wednesday from 10 to 12 I went to Navarro Elementary in Bryan. I would work with one little boy for thirty minutes on a writing excercise, spelling flashcards, then reading if we had time. After that group of students left, I would go to a certain teacher's classroom and help her with anything she needed, often times working with some of her students individually with anything they were struggling with. I stayed there for about fourty-five minutes and then had to tell the kids I had to go, which they didn't like to hear. I'd then go back to the HOSTS room to work with another little boy for thirty minutes, doing the same three things. The second boy I worked with struggled much more than the other with reading and recognizing letters and words. However, I saw much improvement each week with him, as well as the other little boy. At times, I would also "sub" for those who's mentors weren't there, so I got to work with even more children. It was a great experience for me and I think it helped me get a better feel on how teaching elementary students will be once I become a teacher.

*Modern Cinderella*

Substitute a cell phone for a glass slipper, a classic convertible for a magic pumpkin, and the busy suburb of L.A. for a kingdom far, away and what do you end up with? A happily-ever-after twist of the Cinderella fairy tale!!! The 2004 Warner Brothers Entertainment movie featuring Hilary Duff and Chad Michael Murray is today's version of the classic Cinderella fairy tale.

I absolutely love this movie and watch it all the time! I grew up knowing and loving the original Disney classic Cinderella too, so it was easy to follow and compare the two when first watching this movie. Just like the Disney Cinderella, there was an evil stepmother and two stepsisters, a prince (or cute, popular boy), and a dad that wasn't shown much in the movie, and of course a "cinderella" (unfortunate teenage stepdaughter). And even though the dad only appeared at the beginning of the movie, he was basically present in spirit and remembrance through Sam ("cinderella") the entire movie. I won't give too much detail about the movie cause you have to see it for yourself if you haven't already!

And after reading the early Cinderella versions from the Brothers Grimm, Perrault, Jacobs, and others, they seemed very different than what I grew up knowing as the "Cinderella" fairy tale. In addition, as I've grown up there have been numerous renditions of Cinderella with movies, books, tv shows and so much more. They've even had a movie with superstar Brandy playing Cinderella. Who knows what our society will come up with next as we move into the future....????

The Three Little Wolves and the Big Bad Pig

"The Three Little Pigs and the Big Bad Wolf" is a children's classic written and read all around the world. There are so many versions out there, including the mixed up version know as "The Three Little Wolves and the Big Bad Pig." This version is about three innocent little wolves who are just trying to build a house for themselves. However, the big bad pig keeps destroying their work. Eventually though in the end, the pig realizes how violent and rude he was to them, befriends them, and they all live "happily ever after."
This twisted children's story is very cute and entertaining. It's nice to see the wolves as good characters (after being seen as the antagonist(s) in "Little Red Riding Hood" and the original "Three Little Pigs and the Big Bad Wolf"). It's also entertaining to see the pig as "big" and "bad." Usually, in real life and in children's stories, pigs are seen as cute and cuddly. Another thing I took a liking to with this story was the fact that it ended with EVERYONE living happily ever after. In the most fairy tale stories, only certain characters live happily ever after while another character may end up dying or just incredibly unhappy. And not only did this story have a good plot and a happy ending, but it had nice illustrations to add to it and make the story more enjoyable and real. Helen Oxenbury did an awesome job with her illustrations.
It's stories like these that children fall in love with and want to hear over and over again. It's stories like these were children enjoy telling to their friends or whoever wants to listen. And, it's stories like these that I can't wait to read to my students as well as my own children. They're so easy to add excitement and character to as you read them whether it be to yourself or to a group of students!

Stepmothers, Children, and Food

After reading various versions of the classic Hansel and Gretel in "The Classic Fairy Tales" book as well as the comments and critiques made in the beginning, I noticed a lot of the same characteristics in all of them.

First off I noticed the presence, as well as the absence, of food. Not only does it possess a great deal of importance in Hansel and Gretel, but also fairy tales such as Snow White (when the wicked witch insists on eating the heart and liver of the beautiful Snow White), as well the favorite Little Red Riding Hood (when the wolf eats the grandmother and then wishes to eat Little Red as well). Food also seems to be rather important in society today too.

Another thing that appeared the same throughout the different versions was the evil stepmother (well except for Perrault and Jacob's versions). For some reason the "evil stepmother/witch" is a recurring character in many classic fairy tales of the past as well as the present. Again, we see her in Snow White and Cinderella as well. And not only is she evil, but she is usually older and not the most attractive person. With children reading fairy tales that have stepmothers portrayed this way it's only obvious that they would most likely perceive their stepmothers (if they had one) in a similar, if not the same way.

One more thing found recurring in the various Hansel and Gretel versions is children who are victims of the story most of the time. It's possible that these fairy tale writers place these children as victims because they are infact victims in our society today. They are blind and naive to several aspects in life; and fairy tales are usually responsible for making them this way most of the time.

Red Hot Riding Hood

Today in class we watched a video of another version of Little Red Riding Hood called "Red Hot Riding Hood." I had never seen this before and it is quite commical. Even though it is quite a bit different than the traditional LRRH and the other versions we read in "The Classic Fairy Tales," it shares some of the same aspects at the same time. This short video has some sexual aspects to it just as "The Story of Grandmother" version and Perrault's version does. Both the wolf and the grandmother in the video are turned on by the opposite sex and act upon it. In addition, the video is a satire just like Dahl's and Thurber's versions of LRRH are. The wolf just gets himself in trouble by beating Red to grandmother's apartment and can't seem to get away from grandmother. In fact, he seems to be the victim as opposed to most versions were Little Red Riding Hood is the victim.






Outside Reading List:

Book#1: The Three Little Wolves and the Big Bad Pig
Author: Eugene Trivizas
Picture Book? Yes
Post date: 1/27/08

Book#2: Goodnight Moon
Author: Margaret Wise Brown
Picture Book? Yes
Post date: 2/3/08

Book#3: Aquamarine
Author: Alic Hoffman
Picture Book? No
Post date: 2/12/08

Book#4: Heather, Belle of the Ball
Author: Sheri Cooper Sinykin
Picture Book? No
Post date: 2/23/08

Book#5: One fish, two fish, red fish, blue fish
Author: Dr. Seuss
Picture Book? Yes
Post date: 3/1/08

Book#6: Make Way for Ducklings
Author: Robert McCloskey
Picture Book? Yes
Post date: 3/24/08

Book#7: The Ghost of Fossil Glen
Author: Cynthis DeFelice
Picture Book? No
Post date: 3/30/08

Book#8: Love You Forever
Author: Robert N Munsch
Picture Book? Yes
Post date: 4/6/08

Book#9: Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants
Author: Ann Brashares
Picture Book? No
Post date: 4/10/08

Book#10: Among the Hidden
Author: Margaret Peterson Haddix
Picture Book? No
Post date: 4/25/08