Mikrolet: Nostalgic Friday

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animals, Charlotte's Web, Magic, Nostalgic Friday, review

Welcome back to Nostalgic Friday! Since I love all things historical (culturally, physically, and personally) I do a post on Fridays honoring some awesome book that is a bit older. Many of them are books I enjoyed in my teens and others are books that I discovered as an adult that I think are relevant to YA readers.

And we're back! It's becoming harder & harder to find books for me to talk about on this feature because they are becoming harder to locate. I don't remember everything I have ever read, so I'm starting to run out. If you would like to contribute a "Nostalgic Friday" post, just email me at tattooedbooks AT gmail DOT com. I would be more than happy to feature a guest post. On to this week's book.

Charlotte's Web by E.B. White has got to be one of the most iconic chapter books from my childhood. This 1952 story is rich with humor, positive character traits, & a unique story. I remember reading this book out loud to my grandmother when it was her nap time. You read that right, my grandmother would take afternoon naps & I'd read her a nap time story like she read me a bed time story. I never made it more than a few pages before I fell asleep too, so I'm not sure how much she ever really heard of the story. :)

Fern is a born & raised farm girl. She holds no false pretenses about where her meat or eggs come from, but when she finds out that her father intends to kill the runt of the new pig litter, she feels compelled to act. After promising to take care of the little piglet, she names him Wilbur & places him in the barn with some of the other farm animals.

This is where to story diverges from the normal human path & the animals take over. Wilbur isn't the brightest piglet in the world, getting into some trouble with some of the other barnyard animals, but he does find a friend in a verbose spider. Charlotte manages to capture everyone's attention with her message of "Some Pig" adding a mysterious quality to Wilbur. The little pig grows up & is eventually featured at the local state fair, but he learns a hard lesson as Charlotte informs him that she will one day leave him.

As a child I read this story & just thought that it was a really cute talking animal story. I didn't really put it together that I was learning things about friendships, humanity, & the ability of everyone to overcome obstacles. No matter what was put in this little pig's way, he managed to overcome it all & come out on top. It may not have been easy & he may have needed some help, but he never gave up & that's all that mattered.

I love watching children discover this story for the first time because they really get into it. The language, the action & the relationships draw the kids in & they seem to get lost in this magical world. I especially love hearing parents explain Charlotte's language. Not many people use some of her words anymore & I think it makes it all the more special to see them in a children's book.

Nostalgic Friday: Charlotte's Web

Matilda, Nostalgic Friday, review, Roald Dahl, The BFG, The Witches

Welcome back to Nostalgic Friday! Since I love all things historical (culturally, physically, and personally) I do a post on Fridays honoring some awesome book that is a bit older. Many of them are books I enjoyed in my teens and others are books that I discovered as an adult that I think are relevant to YA readers.

Does anyone else remember Roald Dahl books? I think his books were turned into some of the best kids movies! Between Charlie & the Chocolate Factory, Matilda, and The Witches this man was on a rampage of popularity! Roald Dahl was born on September 13, 1916 in Llandaff, Cardiff, Wales, The United Kingdom. He lived a full life, from working for Shell to fighting in a war, and finally to writing his beloved books & short stories. A wonderfully imaginative author who strived to give the best experience to children as he could manage, Dahl is an inspiration to future children's novelists.

Below I am featuring just three of my favorite novels by this prolific author.

The Witches
This scary, but witty story about real witches starts off with an orphaned boy going on a vacation to a nice hotel with his grandmother. While playing around the boy happens to overhear the witches secret new plan during one of their meetings. As punishment for being nosy & hearing their plans, the witches turn him into a mouse. Now, with the help of his grandmother & his friend Bruno the boy has to put a stop to the witches' dastardly plan & find a way to become a boy again. If that's all possible.

This book was so different from other books about witches! While these women really were hag-like & cruel, they were beyond the normal means of evil. The description of their gnarled hands & bald heads stuck with me for years! I was sure that one day I was going to come across one of these witches & be so fortunate as to be able to identify her. What a fun read with compelling main characters.

The BFG
Sophie isn't sure what to think of the BFG when he snatches her from her cozy bed in London & carries her off to giant land. Fortunately for her, the BFG isn't like the other giants, preferring to eat snozzcumbers rather than little boys & girls. He actually blows sweet dreams in through children's windows while they sleep. Determined to calm the other giants' insatiable appetites, the unlikely duo set off to enlist the help of the Queen.

Such an enchanting story about unique friendships, overcoming adversities, & perseverance, The BFG is a wonderful tale. Not to mention Dahl really stretches his imagination with his vocabulary. Truly magnificent!

Matilda
Matilda was such a precocious little girl. unluckily born into a family of swindlers & lay-abouts, this cunning & charming little girl discovers that she has amazing abilities. Her mental capabilities range from intelligence & wittiness to telekinesis. Finally allowed to attend school, Matilda uses her powers to protect the meek & fight off the evil Mrs. Trunchbull.

I loved Matilda so much! This little girl never failed to inspire me. She is such a resilient child despite being put down every way imaginable. This book was my first introduction to paranormal abilities in everyday people. And look at my reading tastes now! :)

I truly hope that you've enjoyed this little foray into Roald Dahl's world. Which one of his books was your favorite?

Nostalgic Friday: Roald Dahl books

Aimee, death, friendship, Nostalgic Friday, review

Zoe is an exile. After moving to a new town, since there was no way she could stay in her old town after being acquitted of the murder of her best friend Aimee, Zoe is withdrawn, angry, & confused. Forced to see a therapist that she believes to be a moron, Zoe documents her existence in her new life while interjecting information about her former life. Her entries sometimes take on the form of rants against any and all adults & other times they are happy memories with her old friends.

The culmination of her work is when Zoe comes face to face with the reality of what she could have done for Aimee. Is Zoe really responsible for what happened to Aimee? If not, then how does she handle the continuance of her youth?

This was a hard book to really wrap my head around, at the time I read it. Mary Beth Miller does an eloquent & rawly fresh job of conveying one girl's turmoil over the loss of her friend & her struggle with her involvement. Zoe was a strong character who hid in her depths of anger. She had so many levels of anger that were all pointed at different targets & managed with varying levels of fervor.

The world that Miller creates is one that was just really emerging & taking shape at the time it was written. The situations that the teens participated in throughout the novel weren't the commonplace situations for teens of the time. Nowadays it's a different story, but I think it still has merit. This book reminds me of some of Sarah Dessen's earlier novels or even Elizabeth Scott's darker novels.

To be certain, this is a book that should be at least considered. I hope you like it!

Nostalgic Friday: Aimee by Mary Beth Miller

Holes, Loius Sachar, mystery, Nostalgic Friday, prison, review

Stanley Yelnats isn't really a trouble-maker. Sure he gets caught doing something he shouldn't be doing every once in a while, but the court was just wrong to sentence him to either jail or Camp Green Lake. No really, mistaken identity is to blame for the theft Stanley is convicted of. Unfortunately no one else sees it that way so, mal-contentedly, Stanley chooses Camp Green Lake & begins the daily grind of rising before dawn to dig holes in the hot sun to build character.

Unfortunately that's not all they're digging. The venomous warden is as evil as they come and she has something else in mind for those holes. The truth is rarely as nice as the reality.

This is a funny, action-packed book that many kids will love. It's great for both boys & girls because of the story's accessibility. We've all been the victim of mistaken identity, but hopefully nothing to this extreme! Stanley is a likable character with just enough gumption & tenacity to get to the bottom of a mystery, but the quirkiness to appeal to the non-mainstream kids.

Holes is a story of layers. There are layers to each character, each situation, and each resolution. Some of them overlap & intertwine creating complex conflicts that anyone can comprehend. The resulting story is one of profoundness with a snarky side. If you like good books then this is one that you definitely can't miss!

Nostalgic Friday: Holes

historical fiction, Holocaust, Nostalgic Friday, personal, review

Number the Stars by Lois Lowry Fiction
Ten-year-old Annemarie Johansen and her best friend Ellen Rosen often think of life before the war. It's now 1943 and their life in Copenhagen is filled with school, food shortages, and the Nazi soldiers marching through town. When the Jews of Denmark are "relocated". Ellen moves in with the Johansens and pretends to be one of the family. Soon Annemarie is asked to go on a dangerous mission to save Ellen's life.

The Devil's Arithmetic by Jane Yolen Fiction
Hannah thinks tonight's Passover Seder will be the same as always. Little does she know that this year she will be mysteriously transported into the past where only she knows the horrors that await.

Night by Elie Wiesel Non-fiction, Memoir
In Nobel laureate Elie Wiesel's memoir Night, a scholarly, Orthodox teenager is wracked with guilt at having survived the horror of the Holocaust & the genocidal campaign that consumed his family. His memories of the nightmare worlds of Auschwitz-Birkenau & Buchenwald present him with an intolerable question: how can the god he once so fervently believed in have allowed these monstrous events to occur? There are no easy answers in this harrowing book, which probes life's essential riddles with the lucid anguish only great literature achieves. It marks the crucial first step in Wiesel's lifelong project to bear witness for those who died.

Alicia by Alicia Appleman-Jurman Non-fiction, Memoir

(a bit graphic at times)
After losing her entire family to the Nazis at age 13, Alicia Appleman-Jurman went on to save the lives of thousands of Jews, offering them her own courage and hope in a time of upheaval and tragedy. Not since The Diary of Anne Frank has a young voice so vividly expressed the capacity for humanity and heroism in the face of Nazi brutality.

There are also numerous websites & organizations that can be viewed in order to flesh out your knowledge.

Unites States Holocaust Memorial Museum http://www.ushmm.org/
The Holocaust History Project http://www.holocaust-history.org/
Holocaust Survivors http://www.holocaustsurvivors.org/
Holocaust section of the Jewish Virtual Library http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/holo.html

There are thousands more, but these are my preferred sources of information. I chose this subject because it is something I don't think it taught well enough in our schools. This dark period is a lot more complicated that "the Germans killed 6 million Jews during WWII" & I think some of these books really shed some light on that. A quote I strive to live by every day is:

Those that fail to learn from history, are doomed to repeat it. - Winston Churchill

Nostalgic Friday: Holocaust Books

animals, Babar, French, Jean de Brunhoff, Nostalgic Friday, review

Welcome back to Nostalgic Friday! Since I love all things historical (culturally, physically, and personally) I do a post on Fridays honoring some awesome book that is a bit older. Many of them are books I enjoyed in my teens and others are books that I discovered as an adult that I think are relevant to YA readers.

As I'm sure many other children did, I remember watching early morning cartoons on the weekends. One of my favorites was Babar which came on very early on HBO. Words do not properly convey how much the stories resonated with me. There was always a moral lesson to be learned and despite the preposterous basis (a walking, talking, gentleman elephant) I was enraptured! Imagine my delight when one morning my mother happened to catch the tale end of the program & informed me that it was actually a book. Several in fact. I demanded that we find these books so I could devour them! Along the same line as Madeline by Ludwig Bemelmans, the Babar book series by Jean de Brunhoff consisted of several shorter books all with a moral attached. Below are some of my personal favorites.

The Story of Babar the little elephant
This book was the first book written and it tells the story about how Babar came to be in Paris among the educated & elite. After the tragic murder of his mother by a hunter, a kind elderly woman became his patron by dressing him, educating him, & ensuring his place in the world. But dissatisfied, Babar returns to his rightful place in the forest & is promptly crowned king.

The Travels of Babar

In this story, Babar met a lady elephant & they fell in love. He is in need a queen & Celeste fills that role quite nicely so the two are married. The Travels of Babar follow the two lovebirds as they embark on their honeymoon. Naturally it can't go without a hitch & the young couple soon finds themselves in a terrible storm, leaving them to fend of hunters.

Babar and His Children
As in many love stories, there comes a time when the happy couple wants to multiply their love by having children. In Babar & Celeste's case they are fortunate enough to have three at once. Flora, Pom, and Alexander are just like their parents & seem to have a knack of getting in to trouble only to be rescued by their parents or other animals in the forest.

One of the most important things to keep in mind when reading these classic French tales is that they were told/written in the early 1930's. Context & societal norms are something that must be taken into consideration when enjoying them. There are depictions & events that aren't "politically correct" or that may seem "strange," but as with any historical piece, the context clues are a vital part of what makes the story. Just keep that in mind; not just for these books, but for any older book. J'espère que vous les aimez! (I hope you like them!)

Nostalgic Friday: The Story of Babar: the little elephant

Nostalgic Friday, poem, review, Shel Silverstein

Today I am featuring a children's classic. Where the Sidewalk Ends by Shel Silverstein was originally published in 1974. Thousands of children the world over have read the poems and short stories included in this book and laughed at the cute drawings created by the author himself. Silverstein has written several volumes of poetry and other stand-alone children's books but this one has always remained my favorite. Below are a few of my favorites.

One sister for sale! One sister for sale!
One crying and yelling young sister for sale!

I'm really not kidding, So who will start the bidding?
Do I hear a dollar? A nickle? A penny?
Oh, isn't there, isn't there, isn't there any
One kid who will buy this fifteen year old sister for sale,
This crying and yelling young sister for sale?

If you are a dreamer, come in.
If you are a dreamer, a wisher, a liar,
A hope-er, a pray-er, a magic bean buyer . . .
If you're a pretender, come sit by my fire,
For we have some flax golden tales to spin.
Come in! Come in!

I hope you all enjoy his books as much as I do and if you've never read them, pick one up at your local library!

Nostalgic Friday: Where the Sidewalk Ends

historical fiction, Nostalgic Friday, realistic fiction, review, Sid Fleischman, The Whipping Boy

I have uncovered a book that I had completely forgotten about! The Whipping Boy by Sid Fleischman was originally published in 1986. This is a fabulous book for both guys and gals that involves adventure, fairness, and even a prince.

Jemmy is the Whipping Boy for Prince Horace. Whenever the Prince does something naughty, Jemmy is the one who must take the punishment for the Prince's actions. Tired of being beaten repeatedly for things he didn't do, Jemmy has decided to run away. With the basic education he has obtained while living in the castle, he's determined to set off for a new life with the freedoms he once enjoyed.

Unfortunately,the Prince has the same idea. Dragging Jemmy along as his servant, the Prince and Jemmy set off. It is not long before they are intercepted by dangerous highway criminals Hold-Your-Nose Billy & Cutwater. The highwaymen want to ransom the Prince back to the castle. Seeing an opportunity for escape, Jemmy claims that he is the Prince. After a clever trick, the boys are free again and continue on their journey.

Of course their freedom only lasts until the highwaymen catch up with them again. Still believing Jemmy to be the Prince, and knowing it to be a crime to harm him, they determine Horace to be the Whipping Boy and beat him instead. Beginning to understand the reality of Jemmy's existence, Horace's character shifts. Soon he is working with Jemmy to get them back to the castle to have the whole situation sorted out. But there are people out there who want the reward that has been posted and the boys must find a way to make it back without being captured again.

This is a fun, educational story. You don't really know that you're learning a moral lesson until you get to the end and put all the pieces together. Jemmy is a wonderful character with such values and standards that one has a tough time reconciling him with the awful child that is Horace. Obviously in this story, money and breeding do not necessary make the most conscientious minded people. The dichotomy between these two boys was staggering and it really helped put the moral in perspective.

The setting really allowed the story to flow easily and the plot moved quickly. This short novel packs a lot of action, intrigue, and fun into just 112 pages. A must-read for all ages, The Whipping Boy is simply fabulous!

Mikrolet

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