In a Jam

The Giant Jam Sandwich
Story and pictures by John Vernon Lord
with verses by Janet Burroway

Don't be put off by the slightly out-of-date illustrations in The Giant Jam Sandwich. This book (published in 1972) was a treat to read, especially upon my second reading, out loud, to a group of storytime attendees seeking a break from the summer heat at the library.

Summary
Summer has arrived in the town of Itching Down, and with it, four million wasps. The townspeople, having been quickly terrorized by the bugs, decide that the best way to get rid of them would be to catch them in their favorite sticky treat: strawberry jam. So they set about making a giant jam sandwich that will trap the wasps. The whole town pitches in, making bread dough, baking the loaf, spreading it with butter and jam, and laying it out for the pesky wasps.

Worth staying up past bedtime?
This silly rhyming book is definitely worth it! The lilting, rhyming verse is fun without being too goofy, and the story itself is adorable. A lesson could easily be tied in regarding the power of teamwork and helping one another out. I would recommend it for youngsters up to age 8.

A visit with some creepy button-eyed people

Coraline

by Neil Gaiman

I’m guessing I’m not alone in stating that I first heard of Coraline when the movie of the same name came out. However, the film is actually based on a book of the same title, written by the wonderful Neil Gaiman, who I met last fall when I read The Graveyard Book.

Summary

Coraline isn’t quite satisfied with her life. She has just moved into a new apartment with her mom and dad, and neither of them seem to have any time for her. They make her eat yucky foods, and when she wants to do anything, they give her boring games to play, such as counting all the windows in the apartment. While dutifully attempting to have some fun with this particular task, Coraline discovers a door in the living room that has a brick wall behind it. “They probably boarded it up when the house was divided,” her mother explains. However, Coraline soon discovers that the wall isn’t always behind the door, and one night, following the mice that belong to one of her crazy neighbors, she enters the door and walks down a long hallway that takes her into ... her own home. Only this home is much better. Her “other” mother and father are there, and, aside from their somewhat creepy button eyes, they are fantastic! They pay attention to Coraline’s stories, they cook her favorite foods, and generally want to do anything to make her happy.

After a few more nighttime visits to her “other” home, Coraline wants to stay forever. But as we all know, nothing is ever perfect, and Coraline soon discovers that having a perfect life with her “other” parents isn’t all it’s cracked up to be, and she may even be in danger if she can’t get back to her real home soon.

Worth staying up past bedtime?

Yes, but be sure to leave a light on once you do go to bed! Coraline creeped me out, but in a good way. Gaiman has created a wonderfully imaginative world that any child will be able to relate to on some level. Who hasn’t felt ignored by his or her parents before, or wished that every meal could feature favorite foods and endless attention from mom and dad? The descriptions of Coraline’s adventures had my imagination working overtime, and I found myself anxiously turning pages to find out what would happen to the “other” mother and whether her disturbing wish to keep Coraline forever would come true.

Who should read this book?

My library shelves Coraline with the children’s fiction titles (under 12-years-old), but I would recommend it for any readers age 10 and up. Younger ones will delight in the spooky goings-on, while older ones will enjoy the twists and turns of imagination present on every page.

Not a Book Review

No book review at this moment. Don’t worry, I have some in the works, I just can’t seem to find the words for them yet. Or rather, I can’t pare down the words I have. Anyhow, they’ll be along shortly ... in the meantime, I thought I'd share some other thoughts with you.

As I was walking into the library today I had a random memory from childhood. I’m always surprised and pleased at the things that trigger these remembrances. Today it was a sidewalk grate. You know, one of those big ones that you can’t see to the bottom of, and sometimes you can hear air rushing around inside of. There are a few of these along one side of the building, and in that second when my foot was in the air above the grate, about to take me across, I wondered if a rush of air would meet me once I was standing over it (I was wearing a dress, and one has to be mindful of these things you know). There was no air, but this thought catapulted me back a good 18 years at least, when I would visit my dad for a week or two at a time in the middle of summer. On Sundays we usually went church, and ours had these skinny little air conditioning vents along the walls next to the pews. I remember just how it felt to walk over these vents after coming inside from the sweltering Texas heat. A rush of cold air on bare legs, the flutter of a dress or skirt against my knees as we walked through the hushed sanctuary looking for my grandma, aunt and uncle. Refrigerated air was so exotic to me in those days because my full-time home with mom had a swamp cooler ... much more efficient for the desert air, but not nearly as satisfying as the chilled air that the Texans produced.

All that from a random air vent/grate in the sidewalk. I hadn’t thought about that in years. I think that being around kids and children’s books has helped opened up the memory bank, although I often find myself stumbling on memories from childhood. Many of them are triggered by sensory things. Smells, tastes and sounds have a particularly strong hold on my the thoughts of past years, and I always love what gets dredged up without warning.

Rising Above Hard Times

Esperanza Rising

by Pam Munoz Ryan

I was fortunate enough to hear author Pam Munoz Ryan speak to a group of middle school students at the Fort Worth Public library this spring. I was familiar with the author prior to this event, but hadn’t read her works. Esperanza Rising is actually based on the experiences of Ryan’s grandmother, who emigrated to California from Mexico during the Dust Bowl years. Knowing this as I picked up the book made it all the more fascinating to read.

Summary

Esperanza Ortega leads a life of privilege in 1930s Mexico. Her father owns acres and acres of land on which grapes are harvested for wine. However, when bandits kill her father and then burn her home to the ground, Esperanza and her mother are forced to flee to California. They do so with the help and guidance of the friends who used to work their land, friends and workers who are now their equals. The group ends up in the San Joaquin valley, where they live at a labor camp and go work in the fields.

Even before they arrive in California, Esperanza is seeing the ways in which her life is morphing into something she has never known. She no longer can expect someone to wash her hair when she bathes, or prepare meals for her and her mother. Everyone is on the same level, and she must learn to work, especially since work means earning the money to bring her grandmother, who stayed behind in Mexico, to California. Esperanza learns to cook, clean, help in the fields, and take care of others. She also plays witness to the labor issues of 1930s California, and finds herself in the middle of the debates that arrive in Depression-era politics. Esperanza grows wise beyond her years during her struggles to help her family, and the smart, hardened girl at the end of the story shows a maturity that far exceeds who she would have been without these experiences.

Worth Staying Up Past Bedtime?

I definitely gave up some good sleeping hours to read a few more pages of this book. Esperanza is a wonderfully inspiring character, and the pain and suffering she experiences, along with the fierce sense of love for her family and motivation to help them, are tangible throughout. Even during the moments of snobbery she portrays during her adjustment to life without excess privileges, she is endearing. This book will resonate with young girls in particular, as well as anyone who has experienced hardships in life.

Reviews and Recognition

-Winner of the 2002 Pura Belpre Award, which recognizes a Latino/Latina writer whose work best portrays, affirms and celebrates the Latino cultural experience in an outstanding work of literature for children and youth.

Set during the Great Depression, the story weaves cultural, economic, and political unrest into Esperanza's poignant tale of growing up: she witnesses strikes, government sweeps, and deep injustice while finding strength and love in her family and romance with a childhood friend. The symbolism is heavy-handed, as when Esperanza ominously pricks her finger on a rose thorne just before her father is killed. But Ryan writes movingly in clear, poetic language that children will sink into, and the books offers excellent opportunities for discussion and curriculum support. - Gillian Engberg, Booklist

Eat Your Veggies ... Err, Garbage.

Gregory the Terrible Eater

by Mitchell Sharmat

I met Gregory many years ago. Had we actually been friends, I’m pretty sure we would have gotten along. You see, Gregory does not like to eat foods that are considered "normal" for him, and as young child, my eating habits may have been seen as a little odd, too (at least to other children, especially in our current world of sugary snacks and prepackaged everything). As I toddled about in my preschool world, I happily snacked on carrot sticks, raisins, crackers and peanut butter. Candy wasn't on my radar, just as garbage and other “typical” goat foods are not on Gregory’s.

Summary

Gregory's parents are worried about their son. Try as they might to tempt him with all sorts of yummy foods fit for a goat - tin cans, boxes, coats, pants - he has no desire to eat these "normal" foods. Instead, he asks for cereal, toast, orange juice, vegetables, eggs, fish, bread, and all manner of foods that his parents just don't understand. In desperation, they take him to the doctor, who says that picky eaters like Gregory must slowly learn to appreciate proper foods. So his parents add a shoelace to his spaghetti, some chopped up rubber heel in his string beans. He begins to enjoy the new foods, and progresses to eating things like his soup AND the soup can, and his ice cream AND the carton it came in. Gregory’s parents are pleased, and Gregory happily announces that he is “learning to like everything.”

Unfortunately, Gregory goes a little wild with his new array of food choices, and a binge follows. After a fitful night when he has agonizing dreams and stomachaches from the abundance of food he just ate - eight flat tires, a three-foot piece of barber pole, a broken violin, and half a car - he realizes that he must take his foods in moderation. His parents see the sense in this as well, and they all enjoy a balanced breakfast of scrambled eggs, two pieces of waxed paper, and orange juice.

Worth Staying Up Past Bedtime?

Yes, oh yes. Gregory’s tale is hilarious and a great lesson in learning moderation. Just as Gregory learned to not overindulge in any one food, kids will see that they should not do so either. If you will allow me to get on my soapbox for a moment, I will also say that I think stories like this are particularly relevant today, given the fact that so many children are subsisting on prepackaged, sugary foods that have little nutritional value. The illustrations are fun and colorful, and the story moves along at a comfortable pace. I would love to see this story used in preschool storytimes and as a way to open discussion about trying new things.

Reviews

This delicious book turns on its head what is healthy and what is junk food. It will not only delight young readers, but will hopefully have the intended consequence of teaching children and parents a lesson about improving children's' eating habits. - Children’s Literature