Several of the stories we discussed in class were written by authors who subtly subverted the concept of authority in their stories. In "Peter Rabbit," Peter runs away from where he's supposed to be and goes to Mr. MacGregor's garden, the place where his mother told him not to go. He stole and ate food until he was stuffed. Peter was caught Mr. MacGregor, ran all the way home, lost his clothes, and ended up with a stomach ache.
When he got back home, Peter's mother never scolded him for disobeying her and getting into trouble in the garden. She sent him to bed and made him some tea for his stomach ache. Beatrix Potter subverts the authority in this story because Peter deliberately does the exact opposit of what his mother says and he does not get into trouble. "Boys will be boys" is the cliche that comes to mind while reading this story. Potter is not telling kids to disobey their parents, but she's showing that kids will have fun and get into trouble no matter what. "Where the Wild Things Are" and Dr. Suess' "The Cat in the Hat" are other examples of stories in which authority is subverted.
Sunday, April 27, 2008
Sunday, April 27, 2008
"I Went to the Barber" - Kenn Nesbitt
Ken Nesbitt is a children's poet who writes most of his works for the webiste poetry4kids.com. This website is very popular among early childhood teachers. Nesbitt has had some of his poems compiled into books and some published in anthologies. His writes humerous, often nonsense poems. Nesbitt's poems generally tell the story of outrageous happenings, but they end on a realistic note. This is an effective method that children love about his poems.
I read Nesbitt's poem about a trip to the barber. It was written if first person point of view. The narrator, perhaps a little boy, is getting his hair trimmed, but the barber is cutting off more than his hair. By the end of the poem, the narrator has lost his eyebrows, ears, nose, lips, cheeks, and finally, his whole head. The narrator speaks pretty narratively for being dead. He doesn't seem to care really about what happened. He just seems to be stating fact.
The poem ends by the author talking specifically to the readers. He warns kids that if their fathers tell them they need a trim, they should let him read this poem. Once the father reads what happened to the narrator when he got his hair trimmed, the father would never make his child get their hair cut ever again. This is the realistic note that the author uses in most of his poems. It only makes the poem all the more humerous and enjoyable. Even I lauged when reading this poem.
Saturday, April 26, 2008
Louis Sachar
Louis Sachar (1954 - present) is a popular, award winning children's author. He has written over 21 fiction and educational books for children. Sachar was a teacher for several years and used this experience and people he knew as inspiration for many of his books. He is most well-known for his book Holes and the Wayside School series. Sachar's book Holes won a Newbery Medal and was made into a movie a few years ago. It was a very popular and loved movie also. The Wayside School series was also made into an animated tv show in 2006.
I read the Wayside School series when I was a kid and I absolutely enjoyed every minute of the books. They are hilarious and very nonsensical. Wayside School was orininally intended to be built as a one-story building with 30 classrooms. Instead, it was accidently built sideways as 30 stories with one classroom on each floor. The students and teachers face unusual but very humerous adventures everyday at Wayside School.
I read the book Holes only after seeing the preview for the movie coming out. I never read it as a child, but I don't think I would have fully appreciated the irony then. I loved the book simply because it was highly entertaing because of all the irony. The book has an element of magic to it in the way of a curse. The main character Stanley and his family were cursed along time ago. This curse causes events to happen that seem almost magical. This book was very entertaining and I would recommend it to everyone.
Friday, April 25, 2008
Peter vs. Max
The opening picture of "Peter Rabbit" is Peter as a wild rabbit. He's wearing no clothes and he looks mischeivious. Wild animals, by nature, get into gardens and steal food. The next picture shows Peter as a civilized boy. He's wearing clothes no. Little boys tend to not listen to their mothers, run off, get dirty, and get into trouble. This is exactly what Peter does. This book examines how little boys are similar to wild animals. Peter starts out as a civilized boy and by the end of the book, he has shed his clothes and is running on all fours.
In contrast, in "Where the Wild Things Are," Max begins the story as a wild animal and becomes a civilized little boy by the end. The pictures at the beginning of the book show Max dressed as a wolf. The pictures at the end of the book him taking off the costume and becoming a boy again. While Max is on his adventure, he faces the wild things and tries to get them to calm down and go to bed. He is saying things that his mother told him to do. This is actually him facing his inner monsters that don't want to be civilized. So, by the end of the story, Max has conquered the wild things, made his way back home, and became the civilized boy his mother wanted.
In contrast, in "Where the Wild Things Are," Max begins the story as a wild animal and becomes a civilized little boy by the end. The pictures at the beginning of the book show Max dressed as a wolf. The pictures at the end of the book him taking off the costume and becoming a boy again. While Max is on his adventure, he faces the wild things and tries to get them to calm down and go to bed. He is saying things that his mother told him to do. This is actually him facing his inner monsters that don't want to be civilized. So, by the end of the story, Max has conquered the wild things, made his way back home, and became the civilized boy his mother wanted.
Wednesday, April 23, 2008
Sunday, April 20th, 2008
Beverly Cleary
Beverly Cleary (1916 - present) is a famous children's author who's most well-known works are Leave it to Beaver, The Mouse and the Motorcycle, and the Ramona Quimby series. She has written over 30 books for children and young adults. Cleary won the Newbery Medal for her book Dear Mr. Crenshaw in 1984. She worked as a librarian and came across several types of children. The children that inspired Cleary the most were the ones that used apple boxes and roller skates to make scooters. They asked her, "Where are the books about kids like us?" Cleary responds to this question every time she writes a new book.
One reason why children love reading Cleary's books is because she writes about everyday events and ordinary people. She can easily make the readers see the humor and delight in the simple things of life. All of Cleary's characters come from people she knew in real life. Her Henry Huggins character was based on children she met at the library she worked at. Cleary also uses her own life experiences and childhood happenings for her books. There are many similarities between her character Ramona and herself. This is another reason why Cleary is a well-loved children's author.
Saturday, April 19th, 2008
Within a few minutes, Emily was a safe distance away from danger. She began to sprint as fast as she could toward the scouts’ designated campsite. When she arrived and removed the cloaking spell, Emily was immediately surrounded by the other scouts. They wanted to know if she was alright and what had happened. Emily recounted her tale and the others were amazed at her bravery. They began to pack their gear and load the horses hurriedly. The tribe needed to know that there was a strong dragon running loose that needed to be taken care of.
The scouts mounted their horses and began to trot in the direction of the village. A dark shadow loomed over them. Emily felt dread overcome her as she looked above them and spotted the same dragon from earlier. It swooped down and dug its claws into the elf riding behind her. The scouts flinched as the dragon used its teeth and claws to rip the woman apart. As it flung the elf’s lifeless body into the trees, Emily steeled her resolve. She was not going to let another person die because of this dragon.
The dragon swooped back around for another air attack. Emily held her break and notched 2 arrows in her bow. She waited until the dragon was right above her before she let loose the arrows. Emily sighed in defeat at the beast only howled in pain and continued its flight. Suddenly, the dragon dropped from the sky and landed hard on the ground. It did not move again. Emily could not hold in her whoop of victory. She had saved her fellow scouts and lived to tell the tale. Emily Dragonslayer was forever remembered for her bravery and skill. The End
The scouts mounted their horses and began to trot in the direction of the village. A dark shadow loomed over them. Emily felt dread overcome her as she looked above them and spotted the same dragon from earlier. It swooped down and dug its claws into the elf riding behind her. The scouts flinched as the dragon used its teeth and claws to rip the woman apart. As it flung the elf’s lifeless body into the trees, Emily steeled her resolve. She was not going to let another person die because of this dragon.
The dragon swooped back around for another air attack. Emily held her break and notched 2 arrows in her bow. She waited until the dragon was right above her before she let loose the arrows. Emily sighed in defeat at the beast only howled in pain and continued its flight. Suddenly, the dragon dropped from the sky and landed hard on the ground. It did not move again. Emily could not hold in her whoop of victory. She had saved her fellow scouts and lived to tell the tale. Emily Dragonslayer was forever remembered for her bravery and skill. The End
Friday, April 18, 2008
Choices in The Giver
In "The Giver," the people are not allowed to make choices of their own. Their lives are organized and everything is pre-planned for them. The choice of where to volunteer to fulfull their hours is an exception. I thought it was a little strange that this was the only decision they were allowed to make for themselves. If everything else was decided for them, why let them have this one choice? I assumed it meant that volunteering could not be tampered with. This should be done out of free will and not be forced. That is the the whole concept behind volunteer work.
At first, Jonas liked the idea of everything being planned and carefully decided for him. He did not understand why anyone would want to leave this community behind. Since all the choices and decisions were carefully thought out and made for the people, they did not have to worry about making wrong choices or mistakes. This was another way to enforce the concept of sameness in this community. Sometimes, I would rather others make decisions for me because they are too hard to make by myself, but I always want the last say. I ask my friends and family for advice on how to approach something and then I decide if that's the way I want to go or not. I could never give over full control of my decisions and choices to anyone.
At first, Jonas liked the idea of everything being planned and carefully decided for him. He did not understand why anyone would want to leave this community behind. Since all the choices and decisions were carefully thought out and made for the people, they did not have to worry about making wrong choices or mistakes. This was another way to enforce the concept of sameness in this community. Sometimes, I would rather others make decisions for me because they are too hard to make by myself, but I always want the last say. I ask my friends and family for advice on how to approach something and then I decide if that's the way I want to go or not. I could never give over full control of my decisions and choices to anyone.
Friday, April 11, 2008
My Fantasy Story (Part 4)
Emily felt her magic sending her a warning. She almost began to cry at her sudden spark of good luck. Unexpectedly, Emily dropped from the branch she was standing on and landed lightly on the ground. Before the dragon realized what was going on, she slipped into a niche in a hollow tree. The dragon circled around a few times, but could not figure out what happened to Emily. To her utter despair, the dragon, instead of flying away, landed on the top of the tree right next to the one she was hiding in. Emily, once again had no idea of what to do. She began to mentally search her mind of any magic spells that could help her out of her predicament. Emily smiled as she remembered one that could hopefully save her life.
She began to recite the cloaking incantation that she had learned as a small child from her Elven father. Even when she was young, Emily had a knack for getting into trouble. Her father had hoped that this certain spell would be able to save her life one day. Emily prayed that in would work for her now. When she was finished saying the spell, she looked down to make sure her body was invisible, and it was. Emily began to slowly exit the tree and walk quietly across the ground and through the trees. She prayed to any and every god that was listening, hoping that the dragon would not hear her or smell her. Emily jerked to a sudden stop when a twig snapped under her left foot. The dragon stayed where it was and she continued her escape.
She began to recite the cloaking incantation that she had learned as a small child from her Elven father. Even when she was young, Emily had a knack for getting into trouble. Her father had hoped that this certain spell would be able to save her life one day. Emily prayed that in would work for her now. When she was finished saying the spell, she looked down to make sure her body was invisible, and it was. Emily began to slowly exit the tree and walk quietly across the ground and through the trees. She prayed to any and every god that was listening, hoping that the dragon would not hear her or smell her. Emily jerked to a sudden stop when a twig snapped under her left foot. The dragon stayed where it was and she continued her escape.
Thursday, April 10, 2008
The Boxcar Children
"The Boxcar Children" is a series of children's books that were written by Gertrude Chandler Warner. The series has over 100 books and was written for children in 2nd to 4th grade. The books are about 4 siblings who are orphaned. They are sent to live with their grandfather, but they run away so they can live a life of independence. The siblings find an abandoned boxcar to live in. Eventually, they are found and forced to live with their grandfather again. The children range from age 14-4 and there are 2 girls and 2 boys. The Boxcar Children solve mysteries that they come across.
I absolutely loved this series when I was a kid. I couldn't put a book down until I had read all of it. I have always loved mysteries and these books were the best children's mysteries that I ever read. The children were very down-to-earth and fun and the mysteries were different and interesting. The books were humorous, scary, and fun all at the same time. One thing that I really liked about the characters in this series was how resourceful and smart they were. They took care of themselves and each other while living in a boxcar. These young children also solved every mystery they came across by themselves. I always admired the Boxcar Children and wanted to be like them.
I absolutely loved this series when I was a kid. I couldn't put a book down until I had read all of it. I have always loved mysteries and these books were the best children's mysteries that I ever read. The children were very down-to-earth and fun and the mysteries were different and interesting. The books were humorous, scary, and fun all at the same time. One thing that I really liked about the characters in this series was how resourceful and smart they were. They took care of themselves and each other while living in a boxcar. These young children also solved every mystery they came across by themselves. I always admired the Boxcar Children and wanted to be like them.
Friday, April 4, 2008
"The Hundred Dresses"
"The Hundred Dresses" is about a girl named Wanda Petronski. She is from a poor Polish-American family. Wanda is made fun of by her classmates in school because she is so different from them. She tells her classmates everyday that she has a hundred dresses at home. They still do not like Wanda because they see her wear the same faded dress everyday. Her classmates think she lies and that just makes them tease her even more. One girl, Maddie, starts to realized that teasing Wanda is not the right thing to do. She's afraid to speak up for what she believes in because she thinks her friends will turn on her. One day when Wanda misses school, Maddie and her friend Peggy find out the truth behind the hundred dresses. There is a dress designing contest going on and Wanda drew a hundred unique dresses for the contest. Soon after, Maddie and Peggy discover that Wanda's family has moved away before they could apologize.
This chapter book deals with several issues that students of the past faced and students of the present are facing now. One of the main issues in "The Hundred Dresses" is the concept of acceptance. Wanda is made fun of because her family is Polish. They have weird names, funny accents, and cannot speak English perfectly. Her classmates see her as different and make fun of her for it. The only little girl, named Maddie, that understood that teasing is wrong was too afraid to stand up to her friends and peers. Another main issue in this children's book is that children do not understand how hurtful their words can truly be. Wanda's classmates knew they were making fun of her, but they probably did not mean to cause her family to move away. They were just having fun at Wanda's expense. Children need to learn that even the smallest of comments or jokes can have a big impact on others' lives.
I absolutely loved reading this book when I was younger. It saddened me that Wanda's classmates would treat her that way, but I enjoyed discovering the fact that she was not lying about having a hundred dresses at home. I thought she was just saying that so her classmates would like her more. Wanda was a very talented girl in this story and none of her peers really got to know this. They did not realize how wonderful it could be to have a friend from another country. Her classmates did not want to get to know Wanda at all, just because she spoke with an accent and was not the exact same as them. This book can teach many a great lessons to children, even nowadays.
This chapter book deals with several issues that students of the past faced and students of the present are facing now. One of the main issues in "The Hundred Dresses" is the concept of acceptance. Wanda is made fun of because her family is Polish. They have weird names, funny accents, and cannot speak English perfectly. Her classmates see her as different and make fun of her for it. The only little girl, named Maddie, that understood that teasing is wrong was too afraid to stand up to her friends and peers. Another main issue in this children's book is that children do not understand how hurtful their words can truly be. Wanda's classmates knew they were making fun of her, but they probably did not mean to cause her family to move away. They were just having fun at Wanda's expense. Children need to learn that even the smallest of comments or jokes can have a big impact on others' lives.
I absolutely loved reading this book when I was younger. It saddened me that Wanda's classmates would treat her that way, but I enjoyed discovering the fact that she was not lying about having a hundred dresses at home. I thought she was just saying that so her classmates would like her more. Wanda was a very talented girl in this story and none of her peers really got to know this. They did not realize how wonderful it could be to have a friend from another country. Her classmates did not want to get to know Wanda at all, just because she spoke with an accent and was not the exact same as them. This book can teach many a great lessons to children, even nowadays.
Thursday, April 3, 2008
My Fantasy Story (Part 3)
The scouting team reached the far east side of the land exactly 2 days later. The trip was uneventful. Emily spent most of her time talking to and getting to know her age mate better. They became fast friends and enjoyed the trip together. The team left their horses and gear tied behind some trees. They took to the trees and split up so that they could cover more ground, so to speak. Emily moved nimbly and swiftly across the branches and through the trees looking and listening for any sign of dragons. Suddenly, she heard a low growl and the soft sound of wings beating. Emily turned and found herself face-to-face with a huge red eyed dragon. Her fear paralyzed her and she could not think or move for a full minute.
When her brain and body finally began functioning again, Emily pulled out her bow, fired an arrow in the direction of the dragon, and began to scramble through the branches as fast as she could. The dragon roared in pain and began to chase Emily. It could not fly through the dense trees so it flew above the trees in fast pursuit. Emily did not know what to do. Elven scouts were not trained to fight dragons. They were only expected to find where dragons were roosting and then report back to the warriors. Emily started to panic when she saw that the dragon was right above her. It was opening its enormous jaws to breathe fire and destroy her. Emily had nowhere to run, nowhere to hide.
When her brain and body finally began functioning again, Emily pulled out her bow, fired an arrow in the direction of the dragon, and began to scramble through the branches as fast as she could. The dragon roared in pain and began to chase Emily. It could not fly through the dense trees so it flew above the trees in fast pursuit. Emily did not know what to do. Elven scouts were not trained to fight dragons. They were only expected to find where dragons were roosting and then report back to the warriors. Emily started to panic when she saw that the dragon was right above her. It was opening its enormous jaws to breathe fire and destroy her. Emily had nowhere to run, nowhere to hide.
Wednesday, April 2, 2008
The Hobbit
Tolkien's characters in "The Hobbit" are not strictly just "good" or just "bad." There are shades of gray when examining the characters. They are very complex. The elves are on the "good" side, but they are not very nice to other races. Elves beleived themselves to be the superior race and acted like it. Beorn fights on the side of "good," but he is a cruel, dangerous shapeshifter. He shifts between the forms of a man and a bear. The eagles are not kind creatures, but they are on the "good" side also.
One thing we discussed in class was that members of the different races either seemed to be all good or all bad. The Battle of the Five Armies was the five races all fighting against each other. How could a whole race side on the same side of either good or evil? An early member or a few early members of a race made the choice of which side to defend. They chose what they wanted to be and all the future members were raised in that way of life. Members of the races didn't know any different. They were raised one way and the majority of them stick with that pre-made choice for the rest of their lives.
One thing we discussed in class was that members of the different races either seemed to be all good or all bad. The Battle of the Five Armies was the five races all fighting against each other. How could a whole race side on the same side of either good or evil? An early member or a few early members of a race made the choice of which side to defend. They chose what they wanted to be and all the future members were raised in that way of life. Members of the races didn't know any different. They were raised one way and the majority of them stick with that pre-made choice for the rest of their lives.
Friday, March 28, 2008
"Shrek the Third"
"A Good King Is Hard to Find" is a short adaptation of the third installment in the Shrek cartoon trilogy. The king of Far Far Away Land has fallen ill and is trying to find a successor to his thrown. Shrek, his son-in-law, is the next in line, but he does not want to do it. Shrek and his friends Donkey and Puss In Boots set out to find Fiona's cousin, Arthur Pendragon, to take over the throne. While away on the journey, the evil Prince Charming plots to take over the throne himself. When Shrek first encounters Artie, the boy is not ready to be a king. He is cowardly and not mature enough for the position. Once they return to Far Far Away Land, Artie ends up saving the captured Shrek, defeating Prince Charming, and successfully takes over the throne. By the end of the book, Artie is mentally and emotionally prepared to become king.
First off, I just want to note that the title of this book is taken from Flannery O'Connor's short story "A Good Man Is Hard to Find." The two stories have almost nothing in common except for the similar titles. The one thing that I really like about the Shrek universe is that there are fairy tale characters present. It makes the characters more familiar because the children already know a lot about them from watching Disney movies. Some of the familiar fairy tale characters are Puss In Boots, Pinnochio, Prince Charming, Arthur Pendragon (King Arthur), and the typical characters of an ogre, a princess, and a dragon. The characters are a little different than the usual fairy tale characters though. For example, the princess is also an ogress, the usually evil ogre is the hero, and the usually heroic Prince Charming is evil.
The character development of the future king of Far Far Away Land, Artie, is a common element in some of the fairy tales that we read and discussed in class. At first, Artie is reluctant to take over as king because he is scared of being poisoned or disliked. The only reason he even makes it to Far Far Away is because Shrek makes him. Once Artie gets there and sees how bad the city has become and how evil Prince Charming is, then he realizes he needs to become a hero and save the kingdom. By the end of the novel, he has gone from being a reluctant coward to a heroic, mature king.
First off, I just want to note that the title of this book is taken from Flannery O'Connor's short story "A Good Man Is Hard to Find." The two stories have almost nothing in common except for the similar titles. The one thing that I really like about the Shrek universe is that there are fairy tale characters present. It makes the characters more familiar because the children already know a lot about them from watching Disney movies. Some of the familiar fairy tale characters are Puss In Boots, Pinnochio, Prince Charming, Arthur Pendragon (King Arthur), and the typical characters of an ogre, a princess, and a dragon. The characters are a little different than the usual fairy tale characters though. For example, the princess is also an ogress, the usually evil ogre is the hero, and the usually heroic Prince Charming is evil.
The character development of the future king of Far Far Away Land, Artie, is a common element in some of the fairy tales that we read and discussed in class. At first, Artie is reluctant to take over as king because he is scared of being poisoned or disliked. The only reason he even makes it to Far Far Away is because Shrek makes him. Once Artie gets there and sees how bad the city has become and how evil Prince Charming is, then he realizes he needs to become a hero and save the kingdom. By the end of the novel, he has gone from being a reluctant coward to a heroic, mature king.
Sunday, March 23, 2008
Saturday, March 22, 2008
My Fantasy Story (Part 2)
Emily was a human. Her elf guardians told her the story of how she came to the village the day she realized that she was different. About 13 years ago, a mysterious portal opened between the human world and the elf world. While the elves had been examining the portal and trying to figure out why it had appeared, a small girl around the age of 3 had walked through it. The portal had closed behind her and had never appeared again since that fateful day. The elf tribe was unsure what to do with little Emily. The tribal leader and his mate decided to take the girl in as their own. They raised her as if she truly was an elf. Sometimes, Emily wondered what her life would have been like if she had never the left the human world. Then she thinks how wonderful her life has been in the elf world and she is happy that this miracle happened to her.
A week after her hunting trip, Emily was getting ready for her first scouting trip. She and 5 other scouts were to take a 2 day trip to the far east side of the land to see if there were any dragons roaming wild there. Emily finished packing her bag and went to tell her parents goodbye. She met the rest of the scouts right outside the village. They loaded their horses with their gear and checked one last time to make sure they had everything. Emily and one other elf her age were the only newcomers to the scouting party. The other 4 elves were highly experienced and well trained. They were the scouts that usually took the new recruits on their first trips. Emily and the others mounted their horses and set off towards their destination.
A week after her hunting trip, Emily was getting ready for her first scouting trip. She and 5 other scouts were to take a 2 day trip to the far east side of the land to see if there were any dragons roaming wild there. Emily finished packing her bag and went to tell her parents goodbye. She met the rest of the scouts right outside the village. They loaded their horses with their gear and checked one last time to make sure they had everything. Emily and one other elf her age were the only newcomers to the scouting party. The other 4 elves were highly experienced and well trained. They were the scouts that usually took the new recruits on their first trips. Emily and the others mounted their horses and set off towards their destination.
Friday, March 21, 2008
"Pony Party"
"Pony Party" is tells the story of a group of ponies who are going to a costume party at the the castle by Ponyville. Pinkie Pie is the main character who is trying to decide what she wants to dress as. All of her friends have already chosen costumes such as a hula dancer, a chef, a movie star, a pony from outerspace, and an angel. Pinkie Pie decides to go as a unicorn. When they get to the party, everything is going well until Pinkie Pie rips her outfit and dances into a punch bowl. Her costume is ruined and she is sad. Her friends put pieces of their costumes together to make her a new costume. The alien pony donates her antennae, the movie star gives her sunglasses, the angel offers her wings, and with a boquet of flowers, Pinkie Pie's costume becomes that of a beautiful butterfly.
This story is the typical children's tale of friendship and fun. It is aimed more towards young girls because the characters are pretty female ponies. They have very femanine names such as Wysteria, Cotton Candy, Rainbow Dash, Pinkie Pie, Sparkleworks, Sunny Daze, Kimono, and Minty. They are all shades of pink and purple and have heart tatoos on their legs. The characters of this book are from My Little Pony, an animated cartoon that has advanced to dolls, videos, coloring books, and other such toys for children. These familiar characters make this book a good read for children who watch the cartoon or play with the dolls.
The plot is very simple and common in children's literature. An exciting event is coming up, the main character has trouble deciding what to do, the event starts out great, something bad happens, and the main character overcomes the hardship with the help of friends. I really the last line of the book, "And with friends like these, she could fly anywhere." Pinkie Pie's new costume that her friends put together was that of a butterfly. The last line has a double meaning. The moral of the story is that you can overcome anything with the help of your friends. The other meaning is that you can succeed and fly high in life (like a butterfly) if you do not give up.
This story is the typical children's tale of friendship and fun. It is aimed more towards young girls because the characters are pretty female ponies. They have very femanine names such as Wysteria, Cotton Candy, Rainbow Dash, Pinkie Pie, Sparkleworks, Sunny Daze, Kimono, and Minty. They are all shades of pink and purple and have heart tatoos on their legs. The characters of this book are from My Little Pony, an animated cartoon that has advanced to dolls, videos, coloring books, and other such toys for children. These familiar characters make this book a good read for children who watch the cartoon or play with the dolls.
The plot is very simple and common in children's literature. An exciting event is coming up, the main character has trouble deciding what to do, the event starts out great, something bad happens, and the main character overcomes the hardship with the help of friends. I really the last line of the book, "And with friends like these, she could fly anywhere." Pinkie Pie's new costume that her friends put together was that of a butterfly. The last line has a double meaning. The moral of the story is that you can overcome anything with the help of your friends. The other meaning is that you can succeed and fly high in life (like a butterfly) if you do not give up.
Monday, March 17, 2008
Friday, March 7, 2008
Monday, March 3, 2008
My Fantasy Story (Part 1)
The beautiful meadow was as quiet as a graveyard. Well, almost. The trees surrounding the meadow let out faint rustling sounds as the wind gently swept through them. The low babbling of the creek that ran straight through the middle was a very relaxing noise to the girl that crouched in the nook of two branches in a tree. Suddenly, the snapping of twigs in the bushes to the left of her tree drew the girl’s undivided attention. A deer stepped out into the meadow. This is it. This is what the girl was waiting for. She drew her bow and notched an arrow into the string. She pulled the string back taut and waited until the deer dipped its head to take a drink from the creek. The girl let loose the string and the arrow went straight to its target. The deer fell to the ground and remained still.
An hour later, the girl was headed back towards her village with the meat and hide of the deer stored away in her pack. This had been her first solo hunt since she turned old enough to become a scout for her elf tribe. Once an elf turns 16, they are termed an adult and allowed to join the older elves in their daily activities. Female adult elves become scouts and male adult elves become warriors. Elves are taught how to be scouts and warriors from a young age so that they are prepared when they come of age. Emily was no different than any other elf in her tribe. She had been taught the ways of scouting for as long as she could remember. The solo hunting trip was the final test of her skills before she was allowed to go out with a scouting party. The only difference between Emily and the other elves in her village was one minor detail. She was not an elf.
An hour later, the girl was headed back towards her village with the meat and hide of the deer stored away in her pack. This had been her first solo hunt since she turned old enough to become a scout for her elf tribe. Once an elf turns 16, they are termed an adult and allowed to join the older elves in their daily activities. Female adult elves become scouts and male adult elves become warriors. Elves are taught how to be scouts and warriors from a young age so that they are prepared when they come of age. Emily was no different than any other elf in her tribe. She had been taught the ways of scouting for as long as she could remember. The solo hunting trip was the final test of her skills before she was allowed to go out with a scouting party. The only difference between Emily and the other elves in her village was one minor detail. She was not an elf.
Sunday, March 2, 2008
Friday, February 29, 2008
"Flat Stanley"
"Flat Stanley" is the story of a boy who wakes up one morning to find that he has been flattened. During the night, the bulletin board that was hung above his bed fell on top of him and squished him. Stanley Lambchop has to learn how to live like a flat person. At first, he likes being flat and finds ways to help people out. Eventually, Stanley's fame wears out and people start to make fun of him. His jealous brother who feels sorry for him helps Stanley to become normal sized again.
Stanley uses his flatness to help others. He slips through the gratings of a manhole to rescue his mother's ring, lets his little brother fly him as a kite at the park, and helps the police catch thieves at a museum. Stanley is a bit of a showoff, but his heart is in the right place. The moral of this story is use what talents you were given to help others and make the world a better place. This book is probably really good for children, but reading it from an adult perspective, it was just plain funny.
For me, a lot of the situations and people's reactions were unreasonable and would not happen in real life. For example, when Stanley's parents came in to his room and saw that Stanley had become flat, his mother said, "Let's all have breakfast. Then Stanley and I will go see Dr. Dan and hear what he has to say." That seems like a very unrealistic reaction to me. I know that this is a children's book and is make believe, but to me as an adult, it still seems kind of weird. And who actually allows their child to stay in a museum all night to catch dangerous criminals? Stanley's parents did not object at all. All his mother said was that he needed to take a long nap if he was going to be staying up all night.
This story is a good book for children. It is funny, interesting, and a light read. The "Flat Stanley" series has become very popular and has inspired many students to actually make their own Stanleys to mail around the US and the world. I have even come across a Flat Stanley or two when I was younger. I really like the idea behind sending him all over the place and taking pictures of him. It shows children that there really is more out there in the world and can teach them about different cultures and people.
Stanley uses his flatness to help others. He slips through the gratings of a manhole to rescue his mother's ring, lets his little brother fly him as a kite at the park, and helps the police catch thieves at a museum. Stanley is a bit of a showoff, but his heart is in the right place. The moral of this story is use what talents you were given to help others and make the world a better place. This book is probably really good for children, but reading it from an adult perspective, it was just plain funny.
For me, a lot of the situations and people's reactions were unreasonable and would not happen in real life. For example, when Stanley's parents came in to his room and saw that Stanley had become flat, his mother said, "Let's all have breakfast. Then Stanley and I will go see Dr. Dan and hear what he has to say." That seems like a very unrealistic reaction to me. I know that this is a children's book and is make believe, but to me as an adult, it still seems kind of weird. And who actually allows their child to stay in a museum all night to catch dangerous criminals? Stanley's parents did not object at all. All his mother said was that he needed to take a long nap if he was going to be staying up all night.
This story is a good book for children. It is funny, interesting, and a light read. The "Flat Stanley" series has become very popular and has inspired many students to actually make their own Stanleys to mail around the US and the world. I have even come across a Flat Stanley or two when I was younger. I really like the idea behind sending him all over the place and taking pictures of him. It shows children that there really is more out there in the world and can teach them about different cultures and people.
Tuesday, February 26, 2008
Sunday, February 24, 2008
"The Trouble with Tink"
"The Trouble with Tink" is a chapter book about the Disney fairy Tinker Bell. Tink is a pots-and-pans fairy whose talent is fixing broken and bent metal objects. One day while playing tag, Tink loses her special hammer that she uses to fix the pots and pans. She cannot fix anything right without it and her spare is in Peter Pan's hideout. Tink has not talked to Peter since he brought Wendy to Never Land. She is afraid to go and talk to him. Whatever is Tink going to do?
I really enjoyed reading this book because it was about a Disney character that I know and love. It was very interesting to read how the fairies live and work in Never Land. Each fairy has a special talent that places them into a specific group. Tinker Bell is a part of the pots-and-pans fairies. There are dust-talent fairies who measure and hand out fairy dust, fast-flying-talent fairies, water-talent fairies, animal-talent fairies, and light-talent fairies. Even though the fairies have different, unique talents, they all work together to ensure the livlihood of the fairies of Never Land.
The only thing that I did not really like about this story was that the fairies special talents seemed to make the fairies. When Tink lost her hammer and she was not able to fix pots and pans perfectly anymore, the other fairies gossipped that she had lost her talent and that the queen was going to banish her from Never Land. Tink used to be known as the best pots-and-pans fairy in the land and then people started treating her completely different after the hammer incident. I think that's sending a bad message to children, that what they do makes them who they are. The gosssip even began to effect Tink herself. She was fierce, courageous, and confident before she lost her hammer and after, she was the complete opposite. Tink was too afraid to go to Peter's hideout and confront him by herself. Her friend Terance was the extra boost Tink needed to confront Peter and get her spare hammer back. This book was very entertaining to read.
I really enjoyed reading this book because it was about a Disney character that I know and love. It was very interesting to read how the fairies live and work in Never Land. Each fairy has a special talent that places them into a specific group. Tinker Bell is a part of the pots-and-pans fairies. There are dust-talent fairies who measure and hand out fairy dust, fast-flying-talent fairies, water-talent fairies, animal-talent fairies, and light-talent fairies. Even though the fairies have different, unique talents, they all work together to ensure the livlihood of the fairies of Never Land.
The only thing that I did not really like about this story was that the fairies special talents seemed to make the fairies. When Tink lost her hammer and she was not able to fix pots and pans perfectly anymore, the other fairies gossipped that she had lost her talent and that the queen was going to banish her from Never Land. Tink used to be known as the best pots-and-pans fairy in the land and then people started treating her completely different after the hammer incident. I think that's sending a bad message to children, that what they do makes them who they are. The gosssip even began to effect Tink herself. She was fierce, courageous, and confident before she lost her hammer and after, she was the complete opposite. Tink was too afraid to go to Peter's hideout and confront him by herself. Her friend Terance was the extra boost Tink needed to confront Peter and get her spare hammer back. This book was very entertaining to read.
My Fairy Tale (Explanation)
I decided to write a modern fairy tale because I thought it would be really fun to do. It actually turned out to be harder than I thought. I tried to use the traditional fairy tale traits in my story but add a contemporary feel to it. I don't know if I actually accomplished that at all. The more traditional aspects were the fact that a royal family was involved and that the prince fell in love with a peasant girl. The more modern aspects were that Anabelle, the girl, saved Calen, the man and the prince and that they devised a bloody plan to save the prince from marrying a girl he didn't want to marry.
I really enjoyed creating the Anabelle character. She is definitely more like a Catskin Cinderella, even though she wasn't meant to be a Cinderella figure. Anabelle is strong, both mentally and physically. She is strong mentally and emotionally because she took care of her parents and played the role of both daughter and son. Anabelle is strong physically because she does all the hunting for her family and because she saved the prince from the panther, twice. She took hold of her destiny, realized what she wanted (Calen), and went for it.
One thing that I wanted to accomplish in my fairy tale but that didn't really happen is that I wanted to make Calen a strong character too. I ran out of creativity when it came to that though. I don't like it when guys are made to be wimps in stories and so I was kind of disappointed that my male character came out that way, but I still like my fairy tale. I'm sure that it could be better though if I went through and edited it and thought more, but since it's not going to be published or anything, I'm fine with my story.
I really enjoyed creating the Anabelle character. She is definitely more like a Catskin Cinderella, even though she wasn't meant to be a Cinderella figure. Anabelle is strong, both mentally and physically. She is strong mentally and emotionally because she took care of her parents and played the role of both daughter and son. Anabelle is strong physically because she does all the hunting for her family and because she saved the prince from the panther, twice. She took hold of her destiny, realized what she wanted (Calen), and went for it.
One thing that I wanted to accomplish in my fairy tale but that didn't really happen is that I wanted to make Calen a strong character too. I ran out of creativity when it came to that though. I don't like it when guys are made to be wimps in stories and so I was kind of disappointed that my male character came out that way, but I still like my fairy tale. I'm sure that it could be better though if I went through and edited it and thought more, but since it's not going to be published or anything, I'm fine with my story.
Saturday, February 23, 2008
My Fairy Tale (Part 4)
When Anabelle returned to the castle, she ran crying to the throne room. She told the king and queen about how she and Calen had gone for a walk and were caught off guard by the panther. Anabelle told his parents that Calen had been brutally killed and then dragged off by the panther. All that was left behind were the bloody clothes she had given them. Anabelle told the king and queen that she had to leave the castle forever because she had failed to save the prince. She begged them to keep taking care of her parents. The king and queen agreed because she had at least saved Calen the first time. They still loved her like a daughter.
Anabelle told her parents the same story she had told the king and queen, packed her meager belongings, and tearfully left her parents behind. She was truly going to miss them. When she met Calen in the woods, Anabelle began to rejoice because she loved him so. She threw herself into his arms and told herself everything would be alright. And the prince and the peasant lived happily ever after.
Anabelle told her parents the same story she had told the king and queen, packed her meager belongings, and tearfully left her parents behind. She was truly going to miss them. When she met Calen in the woods, Anabelle began to rejoice because she loved him so. She threw herself into his arms and told herself everything would be alright. And the prince and the peasant lived happily ever after.
Sunday, February 17, 2008
Friday, February 15, 2008
"Week at Grandma's"
"The Berenstain Bears and the Week at Grandma's" is a story about a brother and sister bear who go to spend the week with their grandparents while their parents go on a second honeymoon. The children would rather go with their parents on the honeymoon than visit their grandparents because they have never stayed away from home before. They are worried about what they're going to eat, where they're going to sleep, and what they're going to do while their parents are gone. The cubs soon learn how fun it can be to stay somewhere new.
This story was pretty good, just a little predictable. One thing that I thought was kind of uncreative of the authors is that the family did not have real names. They were the Bear family, Papa Bear, Mama Bear, Brother Bear, and Sister Bear. In some of the other Berenstain Bears books, the other animal characters have real names. It seems weird that the main characters of the books would not.
The predictable part of this story is basically the whole plot. At first, the cubs don't want to visit their grandparents because they're old and it won't be fun. When Brother and Sister Bear first arrive, they are reluctant to do anything because they think it won't be fun. Sister Bear compares everything to her mother and father and their life at home. They eventually learn that their grandparents did not act as old as they thought they would. The cubs learn a lot of interesting things while visiting, like how to build a ship in a bottle and new yo-yo tricks. At the end of the story when the Bear family are driving away from the grandparents' house, all the cubs can talk about is going back to visit again soon.
I think this story is great for kids because it sends the message that one should never be afraid of the unknown. The cubs had never stayed with their grandparents before and did not know what to expect. They went in thinking the worst, and it turned out to be an extremely fun week. Children do this all the time. They try to avoid doing things or going places that are outside of their comfort zones. Their parents end up making them do it anyway, and they actually enjoy it. I would recommend the Berenstain Bears series to anyone who has young kids.
This story was pretty good, just a little predictable. One thing that I thought was kind of uncreative of the authors is that the family did not have real names. They were the Bear family, Papa Bear, Mama Bear, Brother Bear, and Sister Bear. In some of the other Berenstain Bears books, the other animal characters have real names. It seems weird that the main characters of the books would not.
The predictable part of this story is basically the whole plot. At first, the cubs don't want to visit their grandparents because they're old and it won't be fun. When Brother and Sister Bear first arrive, they are reluctant to do anything because they think it won't be fun. Sister Bear compares everything to her mother and father and their life at home. They eventually learn that their grandparents did not act as old as they thought they would. The cubs learn a lot of interesting things while visiting, like how to build a ship in a bottle and new yo-yo tricks. At the end of the story when the Bear family are driving away from the grandparents' house, all the cubs can talk about is going back to visit again soon.
I think this story is great for kids because it sends the message that one should never be afraid of the unknown. The cubs had never stayed with their grandparents before and did not know what to expect. They went in thinking the worst, and it turned out to be an extremely fun week. Children do this all the time. They try to avoid doing things or going places that are outside of their comfort zones. Their parents end up making them do it anyway, and they actually enjoy it. I would recommend the Berenstain Bears series to anyone who has young kids.
Wednesday, February 13, 2008
My Fairy Tale (Part 3)
One day, Calen took Anabelle on a walk through the woods. They stopped at the clearing where Anabelle had saved the prince from the panther. Calen took her into his arms and whispered into her ear how much he loved her. Anabelle, of course, returned his feelings. As much as they loved each other, they knew they would never be allowed to marry and spend the rest of their lives together. Calen was a prince and Anabelle was a peasant. What were they to do?
Calen and Anabelle talked all night about how they could save the prince from his parents and his fiancé. As the sun began to rise the next morning, they heard a low, menacing growl coming from the brush. Anabelle suddenly thought of a great idea. She slowly leaned over and told Calen her plan. A smile appeared on his lips and he would have hugged her in joy had the black panther not chose that time to creep out of the bushes.
Anabelle pulled her knife out of the sheath in her boot and prepared for an attack. As the panther leapt towards them, Anabelle swung her arm and stabbed the panther. Calen took off his shirt and best and began to wipe the panther’s blood onto his clothes. Anabelle used her knife to shred the shirt and vest. The prince hugged her goodbye and walked deeper into the forest. Anabelle set off in the opposite direction, towards the castle.
Calen and Anabelle talked all night about how they could save the prince from his parents and his fiancé. As the sun began to rise the next morning, they heard a low, menacing growl coming from the brush. Anabelle suddenly thought of a great idea. She slowly leaned over and told Calen her plan. A smile appeared on his lips and he would have hugged her in joy had the black panther not chose that time to creep out of the bushes.
Anabelle pulled her knife out of the sheath in her boot and prepared for an attack. As the panther leapt towards them, Anabelle swung her arm and stabbed the panther. Calen took off his shirt and best and began to wipe the panther’s blood onto his clothes. Anabelle used her knife to shred the shirt and vest. The prince hugged her goodbye and walked deeper into the forest. Anabelle set off in the opposite direction, towards the castle.
Sunday, February 10, 2008
Sydney White
Sydney White is a Hollywood retelling of the Snow White fairy tale. The movie is set in modern times on a college campus. Sydney White, our Snow White, is a college freshman who is trying to follow in her mother's footsteps and join her sorority. Sydney meets opposition when the president of the sorority immediately envies and hates her. She moves in with a group of nerdy guys and finds her niche there. Sydney and her friends try to overthrow the Greek-run student council.
This movie has very interesting modern takes on the tradition traits that are present in the original Snow White fairy tale. Sydney White's evil stepsisters are "sisters" that are in the sorority she wants to join. The evil stepmother is the president of the sorority named Rachel Witchburn. The magic mirror is a "Hot or Not" website that has Rachel listed as number one for a long time, until Sydney comes along. Prince Charming is the president of the brother fraternity of the one Sydney wants to join. When she does not make it into the sorority, she ends up living in a rundown house with 7 dorks. The poison apple is a computer virus that is sent to Sydney's Apple computer. There are so many other subtle and not so subtle hints of the original tale in this movie.
I really enjoyed watching this movie. The modern take on Snow White was really interesting. The way that they changed the stepmother and sisters, the poison apple, the magic mirror, and the other things was really creative. I don't think this movie, like the fairy tale, was really written for children. There is cussing, frat parties with drinking, and of course the whole college atmosphere and setting. I think this movie is more appropriate for high schoolers, college kids, and adults.
This movie has very interesting modern takes on the tradition traits that are present in the original Snow White fairy tale. Sydney White's evil stepsisters are "sisters" that are in the sorority she wants to join. The evil stepmother is the president of the sorority named Rachel Witchburn. The magic mirror is a "Hot or Not" website that has Rachel listed as number one for a long time, until Sydney comes along. Prince Charming is the president of the brother fraternity of the one Sydney wants to join. When she does not make it into the sorority, she ends up living in a rundown house with 7 dorks. The poison apple is a computer virus that is sent to Sydney's Apple computer. There are so many other subtle and not so subtle hints of the original tale in this movie.
I really enjoyed watching this movie. The modern take on Snow White was really interesting. The way that they changed the stepmother and sisters, the poison apple, the magic mirror, and the other things was really creative. I don't think this movie, like the fairy tale, was really written for children. There is cussing, frat parties with drinking, and of course the whole college atmosphere and setting. I think this movie is more appropriate for high schoolers, college kids, and adults.
Wednesday, February 6, 2008
"Anna Meagan"
"Anna Meagan" is a retelling of the classic Cinderella fairy tale. It is the Aggie version of Cinderella. The story follows the original closely, but the setting and the characters are a little different. Anna Megan works as a custodian in the Commons so that she can pay her way through college. The other girls in her dorm make fun of her because of the way she dresses and because she cleans up after them. No matter what, Anna Meagan is always kind and friendly to them. She is a very sweet, charming girl.
Instead of a ball, Anna Meagan wishes to go to the Senior Ring Dance. Instead of a fairy godmother with a wand, she has Reveille with a magical Twelfth Man Towel. The carriage that takes her to the dance is a wagon with the cannon driven by members of the Parsons Mounted Cavalry. Prince charming is a Senior Cadet in the Corps. Anna Meagan loses her glass slipper at the dance and the Cadet runs a story in The Battalion the next day about the beautiful girl he met at the dance. Girls line up under the Century Tree the next day to try on the glass slipper. Of course, Anna Meagan tries it on, it fits, and they walked around campus talking.
I really enjoyed reading this version of Cinderella. I not only liked it because it was the Aggie version, but I could really relate to the story. I know all of the places that were illustrated in the story and I know real people that are similar to the characters. The story of Anna Meagan takes place on the campus that I live on and walk every day. While reading the other Cinderella tales, I could imagine the setting of where the story took place. While reading "Anna Meagan," I already knew what the places looked like. This book was well-written and the illustrations were beautiful and captured well the buildings and places of A & M.
Instead of a ball, Anna Meagan wishes to go to the Senior Ring Dance. Instead of a fairy godmother with a wand, she has Reveille with a magical Twelfth Man Towel. The carriage that takes her to the dance is a wagon with the cannon driven by members of the Parsons Mounted Cavalry. Prince charming is a Senior Cadet in the Corps. Anna Meagan loses her glass slipper at the dance and the Cadet runs a story in The Battalion the next day about the beautiful girl he met at the dance. Girls line up under the Century Tree the next day to try on the glass slipper. Of course, Anna Meagan tries it on, it fits, and they walked around campus talking.
I really enjoyed reading this version of Cinderella. I not only liked it because it was the Aggie version, but I could really relate to the story. I know all of the places that were illustrated in the story and I know real people that are similar to the characters. The story of Anna Meagan takes place on the campus that I live on and walk every day. While reading the other Cinderella tales, I could imagine the setting of where the story took place. While reading "Anna Meagan," I already knew what the places looked like. This book was well-written and the illustrations were beautiful and captured well the buildings and places of A & M.
Monday, February 4, 2008
My Fairy Tale (Part 2)
Anabelle revealed that she was a peasant who lived with her ailing parents on the other side of the woods from the prince’s castle. Because her parents were sick and she was an only child, Anabelle had to act as both daughter and son. She hunted for meat and gathered fruits, vegetables, and nuts with which to make meals for her family. Anabelle also had to sew and clean and do everything else that was expected from a woman in a household.
The prince felt compassion for Anabelle’s situation and wanted to reward her for saving his life. Calen insisted on giving Anabelle’s family one of the cottages that were on the grounds of his family’s castle. She accepted only because she knew her family needed help. Shortly after, Anabelle and her family moved into their new home. They were allowed to eat in the castle with the prince, his family, and his fiancé. Anabelle never had to worry about providing for her parents ever again.
As it became closer and closer to the day he was to be married to his betrothed, Calen came to the realization that he did not love his fiancé as much as he had come to love Anabelle. Although his parents loved Anabelle as a daughter, they did not find it appropriate at all for a future king to marry a peasant.
The prince felt compassion for Anabelle’s situation and wanted to reward her for saving his life. Calen insisted on giving Anabelle’s family one of the cottages that were on the grounds of his family’s castle. She accepted only because she knew her family needed help. Shortly after, Anabelle and her family moved into their new home. They were allowed to eat in the castle with the prince, his family, and his fiancé. Anabelle never had to worry about providing for her parents ever again.
As it became closer and closer to the day he was to be married to his betrothed, Calen came to the realization that he did not love his fiancé as much as he had come to love Anabelle. Although his parents loved Anabelle as a daughter, they did not find it appropriate at all for a future king to marry a peasant.
Sunday, February 3, 2008
Ella Enchanted vs. Cinderella (Feb 3)
Although I have watched Ella Enchanted and read “Cinderella many times”, I never really thought that Ella was a version of Cinderella. I feel kind of stupid now that I think about it, but I never really put it together. After taking another look at the movie and the stories, I now see many similarities and several significant differences.
One variation between the two stories is that Ella is “cursed” with the gift of obedience. She cannot disobey when given an order and eventually, she somewhat accepts her fate because she cannot change it on her own. Cinderella is accepting of her fate as a servant to her step-mother and sisters because she cannot do anything to change her situation either. Neither character likes to obey those around them. Ella finds ways to resist doing exactly what people tell her to do and Cinderella disobeys as soon as she is given a chance.
A significant difference between Ella Enchanted and “Cinderella” is the role of the fathers. Cinderella’s father dies before the story even begins. There is no father figure present at all in the original version of the fairy tale. Ella’s father is present throughout quite a bit of the book. Although her father does not seem to particularly care much for her, he does care about her wellbeing and future. Ella’s father sends her away to finishing school and travels a lot because of his merchant business, so he is not physically around much. Ella does bring him up or think about him quite often though.
Another difference between the two variations of the fairy tale is the role of the prince. In “Cinderella,” the prince is not mentioned until at least half way through the story. His role is not all that significant. All the prince had to do was dance with Cinderella, search for the woman whose foot fit in the shoe, and marry her. His job was not all that hard. He was not even given a real name. His name was Prince Charming. The prince in Ella Enchanted has a real name, Charmont. Prince Char is introduced early into the story and he is present through most of the story. He leads a small troupe of knights and saves Ella from ogres. This prince is more active and involved than the prince in “Cinderella.” This version is more romantic, because the audience is allowed to follow along as the prince and Ella get to know each other better and fall in love.
One variation between the two stories is that Ella is “cursed” with the gift of obedience. She cannot disobey when given an order and eventually, she somewhat accepts her fate because she cannot change it on her own. Cinderella is accepting of her fate as a servant to her step-mother and sisters because she cannot do anything to change her situation either. Neither character likes to obey those around them. Ella finds ways to resist doing exactly what people tell her to do and Cinderella disobeys as soon as she is given a chance.
A significant difference between Ella Enchanted and “Cinderella” is the role of the fathers. Cinderella’s father dies before the story even begins. There is no father figure present at all in the original version of the fairy tale. Ella’s father is present throughout quite a bit of the book. Although her father does not seem to particularly care much for her, he does care about her wellbeing and future. Ella’s father sends her away to finishing school and travels a lot because of his merchant business, so he is not physically around much. Ella does bring him up or think about him quite often though.
Another difference between the two variations of the fairy tale is the role of the prince. In “Cinderella,” the prince is not mentioned until at least half way through the story. His role is not all that significant. All the prince had to do was dance with Cinderella, search for the woman whose foot fit in the shoe, and marry her. His job was not all that hard. He was not even given a real name. His name was Prince Charming. The prince in Ella Enchanted has a real name, Charmont. Prince Char is introduced early into the story and he is present through most of the story. He leads a small troupe of knights and saves Ella from ogres. This prince is more active and involved than the prince in “Cinderella.” This version is more romantic, because the audience is allowed to follow along as the prince and Ella get to know each other better and fall in love.
Saturday, February 2, 2008
My Fairy Tale (Part 1)
Once upon a time, there lived a young prince named Calen. He was destined to become king in the land of . One day Calen was taking a walk through the woods to pick a bouquet of flowers for his betrothed. As he was walking through a very dense area, a strange growling noise could be heard coming from the bushes. A terrifying black panther jumped from the brush and landed on the prince. Its jaws snapped dangerously close to Calen’s throat.
Suddenly, a fierce cry came from somewhere behind the panther. A beautiful young woman appeared wielding a slingshot. She aimed at the panther and let loose a rock. The rock hit the panther square in the back of the head. It roared in pain, leapt off the prince, and ran back into the brush.
Calen could only stare in awe at the beautiful girl who had saved him. He asked her name and she replied that her name was Anabelle. Anabelle led the prince to her campsite farther into the woods so that she could check him over. After she had cleaned and bandaged the claw marks on his chest, Anabelle and Calen began to talk. They talked long into the night and discovered many intimate things about one another.
Suddenly, a fierce cry came from somewhere behind the panther. A beautiful young woman appeared wielding a slingshot. She aimed at the panther and let loose a rock. The rock hit the panther square in the back of the head. It roared in pain, leapt off the prince, and ran back into the brush.
Calen could only stare in awe at the beautiful girl who had saved him. He asked her name and she replied that her name was Anabelle. Anabelle led the prince to her campsite farther into the woods so that she could check him over. After she had cleaned and bandaged the claw marks on his chest, Anabelle and Calen began to talk. They talked long into the night and discovered many intimate things about one another.
Monday, January 28, 2008
"Tonight on the Titanic"
“Tonight on the Titanic” is the 17th book in a highly enjoyable series called the Magic Tree House. I did not know that this book was part of a series until after I had purchased it. One good thing about this collection of books is that you need not have read the books in succession to understand what is going on. The author, Mary Pope Osborne, wrote the series in sections of four. I, fortunately, picked up the first book in the next section of the series.
The Magic Tree House series is about a brother and sister who discover a tree house in their backyard that can magically transport them into the world of any book they wish. They are sent on missions into these books by a magician librarian who needs them to retrieve an item from each world. The librarian uses these gifts to reverse evil curses placed on good people. In the book “Tonight on the Titanic,” Jack and Annie are sent to the Titanic on the fateful night of April 14, 1912 to find the next item.
Although the series is written for children ages 4-8, I really enjoyed reading this book. It is a chapter book of about 70 pages and has pictures every few pages. “Tonight on the Titanic” is a very exciting and interesting book. The twists and turns and cliffhangers kept me enthralled. I would definitely read this book to my students or my own children not only so that they may enjoy it, but so that I may have a chance to read the series also.
The Magic Tree House series is about a brother and sister who discover a tree house in their backyard that can magically transport them into the world of any book they wish. They are sent on missions into these books by a magician librarian who needs them to retrieve an item from each world. The librarian uses these gifts to reverse evil curses placed on good people. In the book “Tonight on the Titanic,” Jack and Annie are sent to the Titanic on the fateful night of April 14, 1912 to find the next item.
Although the series is written for children ages 4-8, I really enjoyed reading this book. It is a chapter book of about 70 pages and has pictures every few pages. “Tonight on the Titanic” is a very exciting and interesting book. The twists and turns and cliffhangers kept me enthralled. I would definitely read this book to my students or my own children not only so that they may enjoy it, but so that I may have a chance to read the series also.
Sunday, January 27, 2008
Pat Hutchins
Pat Hutchins (1942 - present) is a children's literature author and illustrator who was born and raised in England. She had wanted to become an artist from an early age and was highly encouraged to. Hutchins specialized in illustration while at art school and wrote five novels and created more than 25 picture books. Several of her books have the same main character by the name of Titch. The books that are in the Titch series were made into a television series beginning in 1998. Three seasons and 39 episodes were made.
http://falcon.jmu.edu/~ramseyil/pathutchins.htm
This website is the Pat Hutchins page from the Internet School Library Media Center. It is a webpage which contains links to several other websites that librarians, teachers, parents, and students may find interesting and useful.
There are four links to biographies written by different writers, several lists of books written by Hutchins, and quite a few links to lesson plans that use literature written by this author. The lesson plans are mostly for students in grades kindergarten through third, but there is one lesson plan for fifth and sixth grade. These lessons are very hands-on and are not only about literature. A few of the lessons are for math classes.
http://falcon.jmu.edu/~ramseyil/pathutchins.htm
This website is the Pat Hutchins page from the Internet School Library Media Center. It is a webpage which contains links to several other websites that librarians, teachers, parents, and students may find interesting and useful.
There are four links to biographies written by different writers, several lists of books written by Hutchins, and quite a few links to lesson plans that use literature written by this author. The lesson plans are mostly for students in grades kindergarten through third, but there is one lesson plan for fifth and sixth grade. These lessons are very hands-on and are not only about literature. A few of the lessons are for math classes.
Saturday, January 26, 2008
"Finding Nemo: Fish School"
"Fish School," as the title implies, follows Nemo and his under-the-sea friends as they attend school one day. They attended music class, science class, lunch, recess, a language class, and had a show-and-tell time. The author did a really good job of making the classes similar to those that humans attend, but making them more appropriate for a world of fish. For example, in the music class, Nemo played the conch shell (which is similar to the trumpet), Sheldon played the clams (which are similar to a drum set), Tad played on some kelp (which is similar to a string instrument), and Pearl played sand-dollar tambourines (which are similar to cymbals).
The author wrote the book as a follow-up to the Disney movie Finding Nemo, but the book could be read and understood without having seen the movie. I love how the author placed random references to the movie into the book. At the beginning of the story, the narrator was saying how much Nemo loved school and everything about it, especially field trips. The narrator goes on to describe Nemo's first field trip, "On his very first trip, he was fish-napped by a scuba-diving dentist and brought to an office aquarium in Sydney."
This book had a very important message for children. School can be fun. Students have the opportunity see their friends everyday, learn new and interesting things, spend time with exciting teachers, and go on fascinating and educational field trips. I really enjoyed reading this book, because it was really interesting to delve into the world of Nemo and see how things work under the sea.
The author wrote the book as a follow-up to the Disney movie Finding Nemo, but the book could be read and understood without having seen the movie. I love how the author placed random references to the movie into the book. At the beginning of the story, the narrator was saying how much Nemo loved school and everything about it, especially field trips. The narrator goes on to describe Nemo's first field trip, "On his very first trip, he was fish-napped by a scuba-diving dentist and brought to an office aquarium in Sydney."
This book had a very important message for children. School can be fun. Students have the opportunity see their friends everyday, learn new and interesting things, spend time with exciting teachers, and go on fascinating and educational field trips. I really enjoyed reading this book, because it was really interesting to delve into the world of Nemo and see how things work under the sea.
Monday, January 21, 2008
Red Riding Hood
Excluding the tales by Thurber and Dahl, what differences do you notice between the protagonists in the various Red Riding Hood tales?
In "The Story of Grandmother," the little girl is naïve and easily distracted. She is naïve because she actually stopped to talk to the wolf and told him where she was going. The little girl did not know that the wolf had evil intentions. She was easily distracted because picked up needles along the path. The little girl tricked the wolf and saved herself from being eaten, but she did not kill the wolf.
In Perrault’s "Little Red Riding Hood," Red is also naïve and easily distracted. She did not know that it was dangerous to talk to wolves and she told him exactly where her grandmother lived. Red was easily distracted because she played in the woods instead of going straight there. The little girl is eaten by the wolf.
In the Brothers Grimm's "Little Red Cap," Red is also naïve and too trustworthy. She did not know that wolves were dangerous and she let him walk with her to her grandmother’s house. The wolf tricked her into wasting time picking flowers. Red and the grandmother were saved by a hunter from the belly of the wolf, but the girl ultimately killed him by placing stones in his belly. The girl and her grandmother later have another run-in with the wolf, and this time they outsmart him and kill him themselves.
In Calvino’s "The False Grandmother," the girl realized that an ogress was pretending to be her grandmother. She saved herself by outsmarting the ogress and escaping.
In Chiang Mi’s "Goldflower and the Bear," the girl was clever and brave instead of naïve. In the firelight, she noticed that a bear was impersonating her grandmother. The girl outsmarted the bear several times by tying the rope around a pot, showing her reflection in the water, and pretending to feed the bear pears on a spear. She killed the bear and saved herself and her brother.
In "The Story of Grandmother," the little girl is naïve and easily distracted. She is naïve because she actually stopped to talk to the wolf and told him where she was going. The little girl did not know that the wolf had evil intentions. She was easily distracted because picked up needles along the path. The little girl tricked the wolf and saved herself from being eaten, but she did not kill the wolf.
In Perrault’s "Little Red Riding Hood," Red is also naïve and easily distracted. She did not know that it was dangerous to talk to wolves and she told him exactly where her grandmother lived. Red was easily distracted because she played in the woods instead of going straight there. The little girl is eaten by the wolf.
In the Brothers Grimm's "Little Red Cap," Red is also naïve and too trustworthy. She did not know that wolves were dangerous and she let him walk with her to her grandmother’s house. The wolf tricked her into wasting time picking flowers. Red and the grandmother were saved by a hunter from the belly of the wolf, but the girl ultimately killed him by placing stones in his belly. The girl and her grandmother later have another run-in with the wolf, and this time they outsmart him and kill him themselves.
In Calvino’s "The False Grandmother," the girl realized that an ogress was pretending to be her grandmother. She saved herself by outsmarting the ogress and escaping.
In Chiang Mi’s "Goldflower and the Bear," the girl was clever and brave instead of naïve. In the firelight, she noticed that a bear was impersonating her grandmother. The girl outsmarted the bear several times by tying the rope around a pot, showing her reflection in the water, and pretending to feed the bear pears on a spear. She killed the bear and saved herself and her brother.
Outside Reading List
Book 1: "Fiding Nemo: Fish School"
Author: Seymour Mackerel
Picture Book: Yes
Posting Date: January 26, 2008
Book 2: "Tonight on the Titanic"
Author: Mary Pope Osborne
Picture Book: No
Posting Date: January 28, 2008
Book 3: "Anna Meagan: The Aggie Cinderella Story"
Author: Cindy King Boettcher
Picture Book: Yes
Posting Date: February 6, 2008
Book 4: "The Berenstain Bears and the Week at Grandma's"
Author: Stan & Jan Berenstain
Picture Book: Yes
Posting Date: February 15, 2008
Book 5: "The Trouble with Tink"
Author: Kiki Thorpe
Picture Book: No
Posting Date: February 24, 2008
Book 6: "Flat Stanley"
Author: Jeff Brown
Picture Book: No
Posting Date: February 29, 2008
Book 7: "Amelia Bedelia"
Author: Peggy Parish
Picture Book: No
Posting Date: March 7, 2008
Book 8: "My Little Pony: Pony Party"
Author: Kate Egan
Picture Book: Yes
Posting Date: March 21, 2008
Book 9: "Shrek the Third: A Good King is Hard to Find"
Author: Catherine Hapka
Picture Book: Yes
Posting Date: March 28, 2008
Book 10: "The Hundred Dresses"
Author: Eleanor Estes
Picture Book: No
Posting Date: April 4, 2008
Author: Seymour Mackerel
Picture Book: Yes
Posting Date: January 26, 2008
Book 2: "Tonight on the Titanic"
Author: Mary Pope Osborne
Picture Book: No
Posting Date: January 28, 2008
Book 3: "Anna Meagan: The Aggie Cinderella Story"
Author: Cindy King Boettcher
Picture Book: Yes
Posting Date: February 6, 2008
Book 4: "The Berenstain Bears and the Week at Grandma's"
Author: Stan & Jan Berenstain
Picture Book: Yes
Posting Date: February 15, 2008
Book 5: "The Trouble with Tink"
Author: Kiki Thorpe
Picture Book: No
Posting Date: February 24, 2008
Book 6: "Flat Stanley"
Author: Jeff Brown
Picture Book: No
Posting Date: February 29, 2008
Book 7: "Amelia Bedelia"
Author: Peggy Parish
Picture Book: No
Posting Date: March 7, 2008
Book 8: "My Little Pony: Pony Party"
Author: Kate Egan
Picture Book: Yes
Posting Date: March 21, 2008
Book 9: "Shrek the Third: A Good King is Hard to Find"
Author: Catherine Hapka
Picture Book: Yes
Posting Date: March 28, 2008
Book 10: "The Hundred Dresses"
Author: Eleanor Estes
Picture Book: No
Posting Date: April 4, 2008
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)