The JUV FIC Corner Presents "Tom's Midnight Garden"

Remember back when I used to do children's chapter book features called The JUV FIC Corner? Yeah, I barely do either - my last one was technically in June of 2013! I say "technically" because I think my overall reading habits have become a lot more juvenile in the past two years thanks to my job, so it's not such a rarity that I focus on children's lit anymore.

More to the point, I started doing those posts several years ago to feature some of my childhood favorites after re-reading them as an adult. It's always a lovely connection to check in with the beloved stories that were such monumental pieces of my reading history. It's difficult, as an adult, to recollect the kind of innocent wonder, intrigue, and impact that is an inherent part of childhood. Re-reading these favorite stories, I think, gives us back a piece of that feeling for just a moment.

I remember discovering Tom's Midnight Garden by Philippa Pearce while lying in my grandparents' floor watching Reading Rainbow. After hearing a teaser, I just had to read it. And I must have, at the time, but that time is so long ago, probably 20 years ago at this point, that I can't actually remember much beyond that random day in front of their floor console television set. Something suddenly inspired me to find this book again, and luckily the Nashville Public Library had an original copy available in their annex.

In this lesser-known story (at least to modern American audiences), Tom is sent to spend the summer with his aunt and uncle after his brother contracts the measles. Now living in an upstairs apartment with no garden in which to run around and play, Tom immediately bemoans his lost summer of adventure with his brother Peter. One sleepless night, though, he hears the old grandfather clock downstairs strike a thirteenth hour, and when he goes to investigate, Tom discovers the backdoor now opens into a huge, beautiful garden that definitely wasn't there before... Now, every night when the clock strikes thirteen, Tom escapes to this magical Victoria-era world where he befriends a girl named Hatty who becomes his steadfast companion and playmate.

It's so different from modern stories, yet so alike many classic stories in children's literature where fantasies are actualized. A boy steps outside when the clock strikes a mysterious hour and the whole world is different. The explanation doesn't matter, not yet at least; it's the discovery and exploration that cause the mind-racing, can't sleep kind of anticipation and excitement. This must be where I first fell in love with a time travel story, because the concept is so much a part of the best imaginings - a safe kind of adventure of discovery.

And like many childhood classics, the language is complex, never simplified for an adolescent audience. Pearce jumps a scene to different time, character, or perspective without any warning, in a way that feels apt to scene cuts on film, not narrative in a novel. It's surprising, and delightful, especially to an adult reader like myself, but I wonder about its 21st-century accessibility to young readers. (Most of my technology-dependent modern preteens, sadly, would probably not appreciate the simple imagination of this story.)

To me, though, it's wonderful storytelling and perfectly magical.

The JUV FIC Corner presents "Anastasia at Your Service"

Remember a couple summers ago when I started re-reading some of my childhood favorites and I called it the JUV FIC Corner? Yeah, I barely do either. It was a series of a posts I started, and I wrote a handful on them on such childhood classics as The Great Brain, Maniac Magee, and Anastasia Krupnik. Recently, I pulled out my e-reader for a book club book, and I saw the Anastasia Krupnik series available digitally, so I decided to add the next in the series for a quick, fun read.

Anastasia at Your Service is the third in Lois Lowry's series. By now, Anastasia is twelve and living that perpetual ennui that plagues pre-teens. She is stuck at home all summer and BORED. Her solution is to earn some money as a Companion to some old, rich lady, so Anastasia puts up flyers around town advertising her services. She gets a gig pretty quickly with the wealthy Mrs. Bellingham, only to find out Mrs. Bellingham expects her to be a maid. Anastasia—a maid! Though she's ready to storm out and quit on the basis that old Bellingham took advantage on her services, Anastasia accidentally threw a piece of silver down the garbage disposal and now has to pay off her debt.

Anastasia matures quite a bit in this one as she faces any kid's nightmare and learns the most valuable lesson of growing up: sometimes, you have to do things you don't want to do. (Ugh, I know, it's still terrible, no matter how old you are!) The Krupnik parents are fabulous and one of the most satisfying things about this series. They treat Anastasia as an equal; she's not coddled or babied at all. They teach her decision-making as an adult, have conversations with her as if she's older than 12, and it lends a lot to this character's upbringing. Anastasia is taken seriously by the adults closest to her, and I think that's how all kids and pre-teens want to feel. She's a relatable character because the reader learns lessons alongside of her, and ultimately, Anastasia is a person you want to emulate.

I really enjoy this series because it's intelligent, funny, and by no means dumbed down for the audience. It's refreshing to read a series for kids that isn't censored or simplified. Though it's not necessarily a bad thing, most JUV series treat the kids like they are kids; their tone recognizes a definite divide between kids and adults. The Anastasia series is unique in that this line is blurred, making it a perfect series for those kids who just need something a little more.


What were your favorite series as a kid? What enticed you to pick up a book?

The JUV FIC Corner presents Anastasia Krupnik

One of my favorite series in middle school was Lois Lowry's Anastasia Krupnik series. I remembered one very important covetous thing about Anastasia Krupnik—her room was in the tower of an old Victorian house. That was all I remembered about this series beyond remembering that I really liked the books.

I grabbed the first in the Anastasia series, the eponymous Anastasia Krupnik, from the Nashville Public Library when I was home last month. [Brooklyn PL, I cannot figure out what fills the shelves at my local branch because you NEVER HAVE WHAT I NEED!] I sped through it and...realized I don't think I'd ever read the first in the series before. I mean, I remembered NOTHING from this book. I didn't remember any plot points from this one, but it serves as an introduction...

Definitely the cover I remember.*

Anastasia is a 10-year-old only child living in an apartment in Cambridge, MA. She's a likable character, now and especially to my 10- to 12-year-old self. She's spunky (the good JUV FIC female characters always are!) and creative, smart and opinionated.  Her parents are just as smart and quirky (a professor father and artist mother) and treat Anastasia like a person and not just a kid—they sing opera and listen to classical music and read poetry, let Anastasia drink the first sip when they open a beer, and tease yet appease her childish whims.

Well, since I didn't remember the first one in the series, I moved onto the second, Anastasia Again. Now, Anastasia and her parents have moved to the suburbs (in the Victoria house with a tower! WIN!), she has a new little brother named Sam, and Anastasia deals with meeting new friends and keeping in touch with her old ones through a series of humorous hijinks that can only be signature of Anastasia. I read this one and it was exactly as I hoped it would be—all the memories came flooding back and I remembered all the silly things that happened!

There are several reasons I loved Anastasia Again this time around:

1. I can see how stories and characters like this deeply influenced me as a kid. Anastasia and her family lived in a very academic, cultured environment, and that's something I always strived for growing up (even as a kid). They listened to classical music and (probably) watched PBS. Anastasia and her parents had a relationship that was much more than parent/child; it was more equal, as a friendship, with some mentorship thrown in.
2. It demonstrates a worldly view that I think is really important, and fun, for kids to have growing up. Lowry describes the cultural diversity in the parks of Cambridge, the lifestyles of persons with different interests and of different ages. Aside from eventually having my own kids that I am excited to expose to new things, this is also one of the main reasons I am so excited to be a librarian and have books like this available to share with readers.
3. Anastasia is a JUV FIC series, but it's not written as if it's directed only towards kids. Lowry talks about things that surprised me a bit, things that only adults would get—mention of Playboy and pornography and curse words (though we know kids understand those). Frankly, I'm surprised they survived publication [though I have read a couple notes that Anastasia books have been challenged in libraries for their language].

I thought Anastasia Again was much better than the first, and I may keep on with reading the series since they're all available as eBooks from the Brooklyn PL (FINALLY, Brooklyn!). It's fun to see now, as an adult, how books I read in my childhood/youth have probably shaped my world view, and I'm certain that Anastasia had some influence somewhere in there.

*Note: When I write these JUV FIC posts, I try to use the cover images that I remember as a kid. Looking at the Anastasia covers, there are so many editions and I remember them all!

The JUV FIC Corner presents "Maniac Magee"

The Boy, The Myth, The Legend...I'm pretty sure that throughout my childhood, Jerry Spinelli's Manic Magee is one of the only books I read more than once. Surprisingly, though, I just realized during this 2011 re-read that I remembered absolutely NOTHING about it! Except for the fact that Maniac likes to run, of course. But you can pick that up from the cover.

To refresh your memory, Jeffrey Lionel "Maniac" Magee is a legend. His parents died in a trolley car accident, and he's pretty much been on the run ever since. And kids know Maniac. He's the guy who sleeps with the buffalo, who can slam home runs off the best pitcher in town, who can outrun anyone, who can untie any impossible knot. But Maniac is also this: he's the kid who's not afraid to cross the town lines between East and West—black and white. The book's strongest message, and I had completely forgotten about it. Go figure.

In a small Pennsylvania town that is racially segregated, Manic is the only person who crosses the racial line. His belief in equality is his strongest characteristic—he ran away from his aunt and uncle's because they always fought and shared nothing; he doesn't go to school because (in my opinion) he doesn't want to pick a side, East or West. Maniac likes being the floater, able to enjoy everyone and everything, and he just doesn't understand the "black" and "white" of race:

“For the life of him, he couldn’t figure why these East Enders called themselves black. He kept looking and looking, and the colors he found were gingersnap and light fudge and dark fudge and acorn and butter rum and cinnamon and burnt orange. But never licorice, which, to him, was real black” (p. 51).

On the whole, the story of Maniac Magee is presented as a folk tale; his outstanding feats will amaze his audience but his story has a lot more seriousness underneath. The fact that I didn't at all remember the racial tensions of this book kind of alarms me, but at the same time, doesn't surprise me. By that I mean, it must not have been a new concept to my 10-year-old brain at the time; if it was, I probably would've remembered that part of the book. I can't conclude whether this is a good or bad thing, but it made me think about how I would've constructed my own world views as a kid based on the stories with which I surrounded myself.

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One thing I've noticed now, after reading just TWO books as part of this JUV FIC spotlight, is that children's books are a lot more complex than I would've presumed. Look at the two main characters:

1. The Great Brain is a trouble-making swindler.
2. Maniac Magee is a homeless truant. 

I guess I'm surprised these are defining characteristics, because children's entertainment feels so censored now. This just feeds my theory that kids are so much smarter and understanding of the world than adults give them credit for. I find myself now, at 25, starting to think like an adult, and I have to force myself to remember how I felt as a kid, knowing much more than I let on or that adults gave me credit for.

What do you think about the way JUV FIC broaches more serious topics? Have the messages stuck with you through adulthood?

The JUV FIC Corner presents "The Great Brain"

I loved reading when I was a kid just as much as I do now. You're looking at (the webpage of) the Electronic Bookshelf/Accelerated Reader class champ from grades 4 to 6. I used to check out more books from the public library than I could carry! So needless to say, JUV FIC holds a special place in my heart, because it's what led me to love books.

During my most recent library visit, I decided to take a stroll down the children's aisles and pick up some of my childhood favorites. And because I'm perpetually in a blogging rut, I decided this blog needed something new. So here begins a special feature, in which I will post every now and then on some awesome JUV FIC, new or old, and we can discuss!

• Did you read these books? 
• What do you remember most about them? 
• Do you think these books would stand the test of time if you read them again? 
• What JUV FIC books do you want to read/re-read? (The glorious thing about reading JUV FIC as an adult is that you can read them pretty damn fast.)

The first on my list is The Great Brain by John D. Fitzgerald. The Great Brain is the first in an eight-book series (though I seem to recall they can each stand alone). Set in Utah in 1896, these books follow J.D. and his older brother Tom (aka, The Great Brain) and their day-to-day hijinks as Tom consistently tries to swindle his friends and neighbors and solve problems with elaborate plots thought up by, yes, his great brain.

One thing that struck me now that I didn't notice then...these stories take place in a very unique setting. Most of the townspeople are Mormon, but there are a number of Catholics, Protestants, and Jews as well. Basically, it's a very diverse town in terms of religion and lifestyle, and I never noticed as a kid how big of a role that plays in the stories.

I recalled these books containing some kind of moral objective for rambunctious kids who eventually "learn their lesson," but they're definitely not has obvious as I remember! In fact, I was a little surprised at how sly and scheming the Great Brain is...and he usually gets away with it. I didn't expect this since we live in a society that initially criticized "The Simpsons" because Bart disobeys his parents. But in reality (like it or not, parents!), kids think this way. And I think The Great Brain books are really accessible for their target audience. They're written from a kids' perspective; they're funny; and yes, they have some personal growth and lesson-learning involved. There's value there for readers, and this one was still entertaining to me, 15 years later.