Books by Richard Peck

I just finished reading another book by Richard Peck. But rather than tell you about that only, I thought I'd share with you the other great books that I've read by this author, and the summaries that I'd written years ago.

The first book is A Long Way from Chicago. This 1999 Newbery Honor book follows siblings Joey and Mary Alice, who are from Chicago - a city where you can experience everything from Shirley Temple to John Dillinger. But they ain't seen nothing until they spend one week every summer in a small central Illinois town with Grandma Dowdel.

As Mary Alice said, "I don't think Grandma's a very good influence on us." The city kids sure learn a lot about country living: using a privy, catching fish in traps baited with cheese, making soap, and going to church rummage sales. And Grandma Dowdel teaches them plenty about justice, blackmail, and living the private life in the midst of public scrutiny.

As the kids get older, they dread going to Grandma's house more and want to leave her house less. While the Wabash Blue Bird pulls out of the station headed for Chicago, Joey and Mary Alice already wonder what next summer's visit will hold.

Next comes Peck's 2001 Newbery Medal Winner, A Year Down Yonder. At the end of the Depression, the 1917 recession has put Mary Alice's father out of work. Joey's out West working with the Civilian Conservation Corps, and Mary Alice is sent to spend a year by herself with Grandma Dowdel back in central Illinois until her folks can get back up on their feet.

Although Mary Alice is two years older since her last visit, Grandma hasn't changed at all. She's still up to her old tricks: besting the school bully, catching and punishing pranksters at Halloween, overcharging folks at the turkey shoot in order to support a war veteran, and revealing the true ancestry of one of the town's elite.

As the year comes to a close, Mary Alice dreads going home and leaving Grandma to make it on her own. But you never have to worry about Grandma - she'll outlive and outgive everyone around.

The third Richard Peck book I experienced takes a pause from the Grandma Dowdel stories. And yet The Teacher's Funeral is just as delightful a story. Russell Culver is a boy who lives in the backwoodsiest county in Indiana shortly after the turn of the 20th century. He, along with this brother Lloyd and best friend Charlie, is hopeful that school won't begin in August, on account of the fact that their teacher has died. Russell has dreams of going to the Dakotas and finding his fortunes there - but not if his sister Tansy has anything to say about it.

Tansy becomes the one-room school's next teacher, without even a high school education. Eight students will keep the school open, and when she doesn't have enough, Tansy goes looking for one more. She drills the kids in orinthology, geography, and mathematics, and readies herself for a visit from the man who will examine her for a teaching certificate. But all is not smooth sailing. There are plenty of mishaps around the school, many involving boys vying for Tansy's attention.

And yet the school year Russell never wanted to have turns out to be one of the best!

And so it was with great anticipation that I opened this most recent Peck novel, excited that once again it was a story that included the infamous Grandma Dowdel. A Season of Gifts takes place 15-20 years after A Year Down Yonder, and it is told from the perspective of 12-year-old Bob Barnhart, the preacher's son who's just moved in next door to Mrs. Dowdel.

Reverend Barnhart's church is run-down and his congregation is dried up. Mrs. Dowdel says that if you want to have the people come in, you've got to have a good funeral, and she knows just who to bury! Mrs. Dowdel doesn't "neighbor", but she lets little Ruth Ann follow her around and teaches her how to make pies and speak with colorful (but not naughty!) language. Mrs. Dowdel even has Bob drive the family car to go cut down a Christmas tree - only to find out that the tree belongs to someone else! It's classic Grandma Dowdel all over again.

I didn't find this book as entertaining as the others, but it was still a fun story to read. My favorite line is the Reverend's response to Bob's question as the two prepare for the "funeral":

"Dad, am I going to have to be a minister when I grow up?"

"If you hear the Call, you'll have to answer it."

"Oh," I said.

But then Dad said, thoughtful and far-off, "Or you may just want to let it ring."

I haven't read all of Richard Peck's novels, so they might not all be great to recommend, but I'd recommend these as great summer read-alouds for your kids.

The Boy Who Dared

Last night I finished my most recent book, The Boy Who Dared by Susan Campbell Bartoletti. It is a work of historical fiction based on the life of Helmuth Hubener. Helmuth was a young boy in Germany during the time that Hitler was coming to power. He was awed by the men in uniform and envious of the older boys who got to be part of the Hitler Youth. Helmuth wanted to help Germany be a strong nation again.

But things started to change. Hitler outlawed anything that wasn't German, which included listening to non-German music, reading non-German books, and fraternizing with people who were not really German - like the Jews. Although Helmuth's Mormon faith told him to give respect to those in government, Helmuth believed he could not go against his conscience. Although to the outside world he acted like a good Nazi, late at night he began to write and distribute pamphlets that spoke about the truth of what was really going on in Hitler's regime, based on the information he learned from the BBC radio broadcast out of London.

Eventually Helmuth was suspected of acting against the Nazis. He was put in jail, convicted of treason, and was executed a little over two months later.

The story is told in third person, beginning on the morning of the day that will be Helmuth's last. As he is waiting to find out if he will be executed, he goes back in his mind and remembers what brought him to this place. Therefore, the story is told almost exclusively in flashback. That does help to increase the suspense a bit, but overall, the telling of this story was pretty tame. It was educational to read a novel from this angle of history. But I would be more interested in reading the memoirs of Helmuth's two friends who also distributed the illegal pamphlets. If you would like to check them out, here are the titles:

Before the Blood Tribunal by Rudi Wobbe
The Price by Karl-Heinz Schnibbe

By the way, The Boy Who Dared is not the only fictionalized account of Helmuth Hubener's life. Another book entitled Brothers in Valor was published by Michael Tunnel seven years before this book hit the shelves. Have any of you read these books? Let me know what you think of them!

Lizzie Bright and the Buckminster Boy

I love books, but they rob me of sleep. I've been trying to read a chapter or two each night before I go to bed, but last night I just HAD to finish Lizzie Bright and the Buckminster Boy by Gary D. Schmidt. I read the last five chapters in one sitting.

This book is based on the true account of the disposal of a group of people living on Malaga Island, off the coast of Phippsburg, Maine. Many of the islanders were poor, black or mixed race. They didn't have jobs, didn't have nice homes, and really didn't own the land upon which they lived.

Phippsburg was a ship-building community, but their business days were running out. They figured the only way they could keep the town going was by becoming part of the tourism trade - building a big hotel that overlooked the granite cliffs, enticing big city folks to come and rest a spell and enjoy their magnificent vistas - which only extended to the coastline of Malaga Island with its eyesores.

The story follows that of fictional character Turner Buckminster, only son of the preacher Phippsburg brought to town. Rev. Buckminster soon finds out that the majority of the people in the church want him to support them in their efforts to "clean out" Malaga Island. Turner, meanwhile, innocently meets Lizzie Bright, a black girl who lives with her preacher grandfather on the Island. Turner visits their home, but the residents of Phippsburg disapprove of the preacher's son cavorting around with a negro girl. The Reverend forbids Turner from seeing her again. But that's not what happens.

What I love most about this book is Schmidt's masterful description. He uses the most interesting phrases to describe the different seasons as they come to Phippsburg. The story is worthwhile, too, but I think it falls into the same category (no pun intended) as One-Eyed Cat which I recently reviewed. They are both books I would recommend, but I'm not sure my students would see the value in them.

There are some shocker moments in this book, but for the most part it moves more slowly than I would tend to prefer. Still, that doesn't stop me from recommending it for your own reading. (But if you're going to read the last 5 chapters all at once, start earlier than 10:30pm!)

A Small Snail and an Even Smaller Ant x 2

I really like the author Avi. I've read several of his books and have enjoyed them thoroughly. And so when these two little books came along - The End of the Beginning and A Beginning, A Muddle, and An End - I snatched them up. While on vacation this week, I eagerly sucked them up in a couple of hours.

And then I spit them back out.

Oh, Avi! What happened?

Back in college, I was forced to read Waiting for Godot. I say "forced" because it was an assignment. And I assure you that is the only reason I read it. For me, it could have been more appropriately named I'm Waiting to Go Die. A slow painful death it would be. Granted, this is only my opinion. But sadly, it's the same opinion I have of these books.

What we have with these two little books is two little characters (nice enough) who go essentially nowhere, do essentially nothing, and grow essentially not at all. They are the literary version of Seinfeld, the show about nothing. They are full of philosophical musings, puns, and plays on words - enough to choke a horse. You could almost hear the drum's "ba-dum, ba-dum, bum...chhhh" in the background.

Avi, where are the interesting characters, the surprise twists, the rich description? Where is the stinkin' plot, for crying out loud?

Booklist, Parenting Magazine, and School Library Journal all had nice things to say on the back cover. Are these people in touch with kids at all? I think my students would hate these. I'd ask some of the kids to read them, but I think they'd expect some kind of payoff at the end.

I give these books two thumbs down. I'd give them worse...but I've only got two thumbs.

The Thief Lord

My husband is irritated regularly by the things I don't remember. What he doesn't realize is that I do remember a lot of things. Some things you just don't forget - and many of them are inconsequential bits of memories.

For example, I remember which student recommended that I read The Thief Lord by Cornelia Funke. It was Rachel. That was 7 or 8 years ago - she's a junior in college now. She really liked it - and I must agree. Although the book was nothing like I expected.

As a general rule, I tend not to have expectations of books I've never read. That way, I either avoid a great deal of disappointment or gain a great deal of enjoyment in my reading. With that in mind, I'm going to give you the briefest overview of this book, so as not to spoil it for you.

Brothers Prosper and Bo were sent to live with their aunt after their mother died. But Aunt Esther only wants blond-haired 5-year-old Bo, not his 12-year-old brother. Prosper decides that the only way for them to stay together is by running away. Their mother always spoke longingly of Venice, Italy, so that is where they go. The boys are befriended by a small group of orphans/runaways who make their home in an abandoned theater and make their living by pickpocketing. But the children are led by another child - the elusive Thief Lord - who brings them the valuable items he has stolen from some of the wealthiest homes in Venice. The kids take these items and sell them to Barbarossa, the antique store owner.

Barbarossa surprises the children with a job for the Thief Lord. As the group heads through the city to meet with the unknown Conte, unbeknownst to them, the detective Aunt Esther hired to look for Bo is following them. Victor Getz, in spite of his many disguises, is found out by the children. And yet, in trying to discover where the gang is living, he makes an even greater discovery. Among the thieves, there is a liar!

Go ahead and read this one - see if I'm a liar in my opinion, or a thief of your time.

The Last of the Really Great Whangdoodles

What do Mary Poppins, The Sound of Music, The Princess Diaries, and The Last of the Really Great Whangdoodles have in common? If you said Julie Andrews, you'd be right! The same Julie Andrews, here Julie Andrews Edwards, whose music and movies I loved from the time I was a little girl, is the author of this delightful book.

Siblings Ben, Tom, and Lindy Potter make the acquaintance of Noble Prize winner Professor Savant by chance twice - first when they have a conversation him at the zoo about an unusual animal, and secondly when Lindy accepts a dare and unknowingly knocks on the door of his creepy looking house on Halloween night. The professor invites them in, and the children ask more about the Whangdoodle that he had spoken of a few days earlier.

The Whangdoodle is the king of Whangdoodleland. He was considered the wisest, most generous, and most endearing of all creatures. Many Whangdoodles used to live all over the world, and they were at their height when people believed in other fanciful creatures. But as man gained knowledge and became more involved in technology and industry, they dismissed fanciful thoughts, and the Whangdoodles disappeared with them.

The children are enthralled. They ask the professor how they can travel to go see the Whangdoodle. The professor tells them that they have to travel by way of their imaginations. But first they must learn how to use their imaginations, and so the children spend many afternoons training with the professor. Finally, the professor gives them special hats to help them make the journey - and viola! With effort and concentration, Professor Savant and the children find themselves in Whangdoodleland.

And that's when the adventure begins! The group encounters many creatures, lots of danger, and pushes their mental abilities to the limits. The professor, who has been trying to reach the Whangdoodle for years, tires and falters and almost gives up. But the children push him on toward fulfilling his dream and theirs.

If Julie Andrews is still looking for something to do now that her singing voice has failed her, she should consider making an audio recording this book. I think it would be great. I would recommend this book for young and old alike - anyone who is interested in "Pax, Amor, et Lepos in Iocando."

Jump Ship to Freedom

What do you get when you put a historian/professor together with his brother the writer? You get a slew of great historical fiction, including Jump Ship to Freedom.

James Lincoln Collier and Christopher Collier have been writing books together for my entire life. Probably their best known book is the Newbery Honor Book My Brother Sam is Dead. I can't recommend that one yet because haven't read it, but I would certainly encourage you to read this well-written book.

James and Christopher have a solid method that makes their collaboration successful. Christopher comes up with the ideas for the books, and then he does meticulous research on the time period and its people. When he has put down his ideas of what should be included in the story, he hands it over to James who puts flesh onto the bare bones. Finally, they pass the manuscript back and forth until they are happy with it, and Christopher has done one final check of the historical data to make sure everything is accurate. It's a winning combination!

Jump Ship to Freedom is a book set in the late 1700's, right at the time the Constitutional Convention is happening in Philadelphia. Daniel Arabus, the main character, and his mother are slaves in Connecticut. Daniel's father fought in the Revolutionary War in place of his master, Captain Ivers, and this service was to earn him his freedom. Captain Ivers didn't grant it, so Jack Arabus took him to court - and won! He intended to buy his wife and son's freedom with the soldiers' notes he earned in the war, but there was no government established that would pay on the notes. Shortly before this story begins, Jack Arabus is lost at sea.

The soldiers' notes are confiscated by the Ivers's, but Daniel steals them back. Captain Ivers tells Daniel to get ready to sail - something he's never done - but the captain's real purpose is to sell Daniel in the West Indies. En route, they encounter a terrible storm that debilitates the ship and washes away some of the crew, so they have to put in port in New York. This delights Daniel because his plan had been to go to New York and meet with a man who not only knew his father, but who, he hoped, would help him get money for the soldiers' notes.

But how will Daniel get the notes out of the dresser he hid them in? And how will he get away from Captain Ivers? And how does he end up being a messenger for the Quakers who are trying to put anti-slavery language into the Constitution? You'll just have to read Jump Ship to Freedom to find out.