“We talked about other things, too. About how the town seemed to have come back to life. All the Remember When stories in the paper had folks talking about the way Manifest used to be. And all the fine memories they had. And how people used to take care of each other.”
Reading this book made me yearn a bit for my childhood. In the very first chapter, Abilene jumps from the train that is taking her to her new town. She wants to see it ‘before it sees her.’ I’ve never jumped from a train, but back in the old days in the 70′s there were only 4 TV channels and kids were made to play outside and find adventure on their own. I was blessed to have such a childhood, and Abilene’s childhood summer made me remember that.
While Abilene’s story is set in the 1930′s, part of her adventure takes her into the past of 1917 and 1918 as well. Abilene is shipped off by train by her father to the town of Manifest, Kansas to live with Shady, one of the town’s ministers. She attends the last day of school, makes a couple of friends, and discovers some letters and artifacts in her new home. She takes these discoveries to the town diviner, Miss Sadie, who tells her stories of the town’s past, with two boys in particular being the stars.
This started out just to be an average read for me, but I liked it more and more as I read on. With old newspaper clippings from the ‘Reporter About Town’ interspersed throughout the book, and stories of drought, immigration, World War I, bootlegging, and the Spanish Flu, I could clearly imagine this book being turned into film. I can just see the dusty old town now. Recommended for MG and YA historical fiction fans.
Summer of the Swans by Betsy Byars won the Newbery Medal in 1971. The title of the book refers to a little boy’s fascination with the birds. Charlie (who is mentally handicapped) and his sister Sara live with their Aunt Willie. The story begins with Sara’s dissatisfaction with herself and her life, but when Charlie goes missing, she puts all that behind her to help find her brother.
While I appreciated Sara’s growth in the book and the tenderness between Sara and Charlie, it definitely isn’t one of the stronger Newberys that I’ve read. It is positive in its illustration that family relationships are more important than selfish concerns, but the book just didn’t grab me. To be fair, my conclusion could be based on the mediocre performance of the audio narration, which I didn’t at all care for.
The Midwife’s Apprentice by Karen Cushman won the Newbery Medal in 1996. I listened to this one on audio, and the narrator did a fantastic job.
‘Beetle’ is an orphan girl who is a midwife’s apprentice. All the difficult aspects of being poor in Medieval times are aptly described in the story. There is hard work with very little benefit for Beetle, but yet she knows she is lucky to have her job. She learns midwifery from the very difficult Jane but thankfully doesn’t pick up Jane’s more callous traits. There are some very graphic birth scenes. I didn’t mind it as an adult who has had two children myself, but it may be a bit too much for very young kids. There are also some s*xual connotations in the book that were, to be fair, probably typical for the time period and setting.
One of the best things about this book is that Beetle (who later names herself more appropriately) finds her own inner strength and discovers what it is she wants out of life that is within her means. I really appreciated the book in that regard.
I guess there has been some controversy surrounding the book due to its more graphic content, but I think it is appropriate for 12 and up. I would encourage parents of younger children to read it first if unsure.
Kira-Kira by Cynthia Kadohata was the 2005 Newbery winner. I did like this book, but not as much as I wanted to. I couldn’t really put my finger on why until I thought that maybe it was because there felt like just a little too much going on in the book.
Katie and her sister Lynn spent their first few years in Iowa where their parents ran an Asian market. The family ends up moving to Georgia where their uncle says he can get their parents jobs working at a chicken hatchery. The two work extremely hard with very little benefit, and the workers start thinking about a union. Meanwhile, Lynn and Katie struggle to fit in at school and then Lynn becomes sick with anemia and perhaps something worse.
While I was interested in the story, all of the book’s themes put together were perhaps a bit too much. It was a good book, but I was hoping for something a little more (or less as the case may be).
A Single Shard by Linda Sue Park won the Newbery Medal in 2002. It is a tale of duty, loyalty, and perseverance. The book is set in 12th century Korea.
Tree-ear, an orphan, works for a highly esteemed potter, Potter Min. Although Tree-ear would dearly love to be Potter Min’s apprentice, what he really does is just ‘the grunt work.’ Potter Min is unwiling to accept Tree-ear as his apprentice because it is traditionally passed down only to sons, and Min’s son has died. When Tree-ear is sent for a long journey to the Emperor’s palace to demonstrate Min’s work, his character and perseverance is tested.
This book is excellent for demonstrating character qualities to children. Recommended. 2001, 192 pp. Rating: 4/5
Dear Mr. Henshaw is definitely one of my favorite Newbery titles. I really, really enjoyed it. I listened to it on audio with my 15 year old son, and though he is much older than the target audience, he very much enjoyed it as well.
Leigh is a boy whose teacher gives him the assignment of writing to a favorite author. Leigh does and asks Mr. Henshaw some questions required of the assignment. When he gets a letter in response, Mr. Henshaw asks him a set of questions as well. Leigh continues to write Mr. Henshaw and they develop a correspondence over the years. Leigh wants to become a writer, and he asks Mr. Henshaw for writing advice but also tells him of some deeply personal events occurring at home, such as his parents’ divorce.
This is an excellent book that can definitely be appreciated by both children and adults, especially if they are struggling with a major life event.
But you, beloved, building yourselves up in your most holy faith and praying in the Holy Spirit, keep yourselves in the love of God, waiting for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ that leads to eternal life. (Jude 1:20-21, ESV)
2011 Newbery Medal
Summer of the Swans by Betsy Byars won the Newbery Medal in 1971. The title of the book refers to a little boy’s fascination with the birds. Charlie (who is mentally handicapped) and his sister Sara live with their Aunt Willie. The story begins with Sara’s dissatisfaction with herself and her life, but when Charlie goes missing, she puts all that behind her to help find her brother.
The Midwife’s Apprentice by Karen Cushman won the Newbery Medal in 1996. I listened to this one on audio, and the narrator did a fantastic job.
by Cynthia Kadohata was the 2005 Newbery winner. I did like this book, but not as much as I wanted to. I couldn’t really put my finger on why until I thought that maybe it was because there felt like just a little too much going on in the book.
by Linda Sue Park won the Newbery Medal in 2002. It is a tale of duty, loyalty, and perseverance. The book is set in 12th century Korea.
Dear Mr. Henshaw is definitely one of my favorite Newbery titles. I really, really enjoyed it. I listened to it on audio with my 15 year old son, and though he is much older than the target audience, he very much enjoyed it as well.
