by C. Merriman
|
"Survivor" meets "Seventh Heaven" and More!
Summer Page Turners for Young Readers
"She drank in the golden sunlight, the fresh air, the delicate fragrance of the flowers, and desired nothing more than to remain forever."
~ From Heidi, by Johanna Spyra
| |
Ah, golden sunlight! Children shine in that golden sunlight of summer. Splashing in the pool, Popsicle-slurping, baseball games, and fireworks - there is so much for kids to do in these dozen or so weeks of utter freedom. But when the sunburn hurts a little too much and they're bored with "I Dream of Jeannie" reruns, there's nothing like a good story to help them wind down. Digging into a new book or a comfortable classic in the cricket-clicking cool of the evening is a delight, as many of us older kids remember. Of course, reading will help sharpen kids' vocabulary, massage their imaginations, and give them a sense that yes, there are other worlds out there waiting!
These books, which are mostly set in the summertime, will get those little fingers turning pages. They also make great read-out-louds for Mom, Dad, caregivers, and grandparents. And many are available as audio books, which are wonderful for those long car trips or nights at the cabin this summer. Enjoy!
|
|
Heidi
By Johanna Spyri (1880)
Heidi is somewhat of an early prototype for orphan girl stories. Sweet, unfortunate Heidi, like many orphans in fiction (Anne Shirley, Sara Crewe), remains ever cheerful despite her predicament. This young girl touches the lives of the people around her -the young, old, the grumpy, and the giving, including the hermit Grandfather, the crippled rich girl, Klara, and the daydreaming goatherd, Peter. The story follows Heidi through her many trials as she grows up in the beauty of the Swiss Alps and learns about life through her fears, sorrows, and ultimately, her joy .
The Swiss Family Robinson
By Johann Rudolf Wyss (originally published in 1812)
"The cracking timbers, and the sudden rush of water which poured in on all sides, proved that I was not mistaken. Then the voice of the captain was heard in terrible tones, above the tumult, shouting 'Lower the boats! We are lost!'"
While we're still in Switzerland, classic adventures don't get much better than this. When a Swiss pastor, his wife, and four sons are marooned on a far away island, they are determined to persevere - making wise use of the resources around them. Think "Survivor" meets "Seventh Heaven"! With intelligence, faith, and staunch common sense, the Robinsons overcome many exciting challenges, build a new home, and remain intact as a strong family unit. Narrated by the father, this story gives an insightful look at parenthood; how some things never change from century to century, continent to continent. (Also a 1960 Disney film, The Swiss Family Robinson has Spielberg-remake written all over it!)
A Long Way From Chicago and
A Year Down Yonder
By Richard Peck, 1997 and 2000
"What little we knew about grown-ups, didn't seem to cover Grandma."
Vivid imagery, humor, suspense, history, and life's lessons can be found in Richard Peck's entertaining works for older children. Joey Dowdel is a Depression era teenager from Chicago who is sent to the country every summer to live with his curmudgeon of a granny. Joey soon experiences life "a very long way" from the city life he knows. Along with his younger bewildered sister, Mary Alice (A Year Down Yonder is her story), Joey must learn to behave as Grandma wishes, work hard, and adapt to Grandma's many talents - which includes sheriffing outhouse-tipping criminals and single-handedly "slaying" small-town gossips. Peck, who won Newberry Honor Medals for both books, handily makes his readers think they've got Grandma pegged, and then, watch out!
|
|
The Great Brain (Series)
By John D. Fitzgerald, 1972-
"When my brother Tom began telling people in Adenville, Utah, that he had a great brain everybody laughed at him, including his own family. We all thought he was playing some kind of kid's joke on us. But after he had used his great brain to swindle all the kids in town and fools of a lot of grown ups, nobody laughed at my brother anymore."
Mark Twain's Tom Sawyer may be the original good-hearted kid with mischievous ways, but John D. Fitzgerald manages to keep his fun-loving young schemers busy throughout a series of great reads for boys and girls. Starring Tom Fitzgerald as the subject and narrated by the younger over-swindled J.D., these books may give your summer-bored kids their own ideas ... parents beware. Illustrated by the beloved Mercer Mayer (Where the Wild Things Are).
The Trumpet of the Swan
By E.B. White, 1970
"Some people," continued the cob, "go through life chattering and making a lot of noise with their mouth and never really listen to anything - they are too busy expressing their opinions, which are often unsound or based on bad information. Therefore, my son, be of good cheer! Enjoy life; learn to fly … use your ears; use your eyes! And someday I will make it possible for you to use your voice."
E.B. White, children's author supreme, is best remembered for his endearing Charlotte's Web and triumphant Stuart Little. His The Trumpet of the Swan introduces us to another of those amazing animals - the ones who think and feel and reason. Here, Louis is a trumpeter swan who can read and write, but can make no sound. So he does what any voiceless swan would do - he learns to play the trumpet. The storyline is a bit loopy, but also imaginative, keen, and sentimental. White does his own fantastic reading on the audio book version (Bantam Doubleday 1992).
Mandy
By Julie (Andrews) Edwards, 1971
"Her desire to see over the wall became an obsession. She felt that just a glimpse of the other side might reveal what she always seemed to be searching for."
Madonna was certainly not the first celebrity/singer to pen a children's book. Julie Andrews, songstress and actress extraordinaire (Mary Poppins, The Princess Diaries) and most recently Shrek's mother-in-law, wrote this lovely story (under her married name) for her daughter Abbie. The story, a simple one suitable for 8-11 year olds, introduces us to another winsome orphan, Mandy. This would be an excellent book for Grandma to read aloud on your next visit!
***
Psssssssssssssssssssssst! My good friend Pixel says if you finish those books, try these great summer reads: Ruby Holler (Sharon Creech, 2002), Upchuck and the Rotten Willy (Bill Wallace, 1998), and The Silent Storm (Sherry Garland, 1993).
***
|
|
May Trivia: The question in last month's column was: How many of the "Mom-umental" films were adapted from, or based on, books?
The Answer: 12 titles. They are: Stella Dallas by Olivia Higgins Prouty, Mrs. Miniver, based on essays by Jan Struthers, Mildred Pierce, by James M. Cain, I Remember Mama, by Kathryn Forbes (Mama's Bank Account), Safe Passage, by Ellyn Bache, Sound of Music, by Maria Von Trapp (The Story of the Trapp Family Singers), Cheaper by the Dozen and Belles on Their Toes, by Frank Gilbreth and Ernestine Gilbreth Carey, Kramer Vs. Kramer by Avery Corman, Terms of Endearment by Larry McMurtry, Postcards from the Edge, by Carrie Fisher, and Freaky Friday by Mary Rodgers.
|