Retrospective Wednesday: The Silver Chair by CS Lewis

Retrospective Wednesday is an opportunity to highlight a book published in previous years that deserves attention. Today the highlighted book is The Silver Chair by C.S. Lewis, #4 in the Narnia series.

If you haven't read or reread CS Lewis' wonderful Narnia series I wholeheartedly encourage you to do so, the sooner, the better. Published in 1953, The Silver Chair was the fourth Narnia book, a high-fantasy series appropriate for young and old alike.

I first read the series in the late 1960s when a friend of my mother loaned me her set of books. I had never read anything so wonderful in my entire life. When my children were young back in the 1990s, I reread the series but this time aloud to them. Both of my daughters have extremely fond memories of the books and the time we spend reading them together. Then, a few years ago, Hollywood started making movies of the series, starting with The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. The three of us started rereading the series in preparation for the movies. Unfortunately, the project seems to have stalled out after the third book, The Voyage of the Dawn Treader.

A few years ago, as I perused through a used bookstore, I eyed a complete hardcover set of the seven Narnia books. They were rather steeply priced at $75. I bought them and now rather proudly display them. But it was not until my daughter and I finished rereading The Silver Chair two nights ago that I actually noticed that the set is a 1st edition of the American Publisher: Macmillian and Co. This pristine set is worth over $1000 and what seemed like a steep price when I purchased it, now seems like a bargain. (See the photo above.)

In addition, these old books are also full of the delightful illustrations by Pauline Baynes. When reading aloud one must remember to stop and show the pictures to the listeners. Here Jill and Eustace enter Narnia.

Now about the order of the books.  When C.S. Lewis first published the books, he began with The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe and published one book per year from 1950-1956. The Magician's Nephew, published 6th, is a prequel to the story. When Harper-Collins started publishing the books, the decision was made to reorder the books into chronological order. Resist the temptation to read them in this revised order and follow C.S. Lewis's original order.

Original publication order	Harper Collins order (chronological)
The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe	The Magician's Nephew
Prince Caspian	The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe
The Voyage of the Dawn Treader	The Horse and His Boy
The Silver Chair	Prince Caspian
The Horse and His Boy	The Voyage of the Dawn Treader
The Magician's Nephew	The Silver Chair
The Last Battle	The Last Battle

Peter Schakel, in his book Reading with the Heart: The Way into Narnia, says it this way:

The only reason to read The Magician's Nephew first [...] is for the chronological order of events, and that, as every storyteller knows, is quite unimportant as a reason. Often the early events in a sequence have a greater impact or effect as a flashback, told after later events which provide background and establish perspective. So it is [ ...] with the Chronicles. The artistry, the archetypes, and the pattern of Christian thought all make it preferable to read the books in the order of their publication ----Schakel, Peter. Reading with the Heart: The Way into Narnia. Grand Rapids: Erdmans. 1979.

Don't start with The Silver Chair, because it is the fourth book in the series.  If you've never read the books before start with The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. You won't be disappointed. Let the magic begin.

30 books this Summer Reading Challenge

7 / 30 books. 23% done!

Top Ten Tuesday: Books that Intimidate Me

Needless to say, I have read none of these books, since they, um, intimidate me:

1. War and Peace by Tolstoy
2. Great Expectations by Dickens
3. Middlemarsh by Eliot
4. The Count of Monte Cristo by Dumas
5. Ulysses by Joyce
6. Atlas Shrugged by Rand
7. Moby-Dick by Melville
8. Don Quixote by Cervantes
9. One Hundred Years of Solitude by Garcia Marquez
10. Invisible Man by Ellison

Sunday Salon...June 30th

Monthly wrap-up...June 2013

The photo: is my stuffed Muffy Vanderbear Jam Session bear and her little old-fashioned stove. I had to dig around to find it but on the heels of making so much jam this summer it was appropriate to display it now. When my girls were young we collected a lot of the Muffy Vanderbear outfits for different occasions. It is still fun to get them out occasionally.

Weather today: Gorgeous and hot. We had our nieces here for lunch and we sat outside and sweated in 90 degree heat, very warm for the Northwest. This past week started rainy and cool, temperatures in the 60s, then Wednesday the weather started to turn and the barometer swung wildly causing both my daughter and I to get killer headaches. The last half week has been sunny and warm.

Yesterday: We stayed close to home and worked in the yard (Don) and made jam (Carly and me.) Don finally got out and trimmed the branches off the maple tree that were damaged in the winter ice storm over a year ago. It was a big, tiring job.  I helped but only toward the very end as he was trying to cut up the limbs and fit them into our recycling barrel. While he was out, Carly and I were in the house making two batches of raspberry freezer jam. We have found the berries from the Puyallup Valley are fairly fragile so we need to deal with them almost as soon as they are picked. It wasn't the best day to make jam since it was so warm but it wasn't an odious task and now we have raspberry jam again.  I missed raspberry season last year so we haven't had any of our favorite jam for almost a year.

This month: June is a difficult time for me with the closing out of the school year, collecting and repairing all the textbooks, and getting ready for next year which includes inservice classes. I find my energy is pretty low after days of schlepping textbooks so I usually don't get much done at home including reading. This year, after all the school things were done and I was ready for summer vacation, I came down with a summer cold which laid me up for a few days last week-end and the early part of the week. Now that I am feeling better it is time for real summer activities to begin.

This evening: The Taste of Tacoma--- a food and music celebration at Point Defiance Park.Time to listen to a little jazz as we nibble on food from local restaurants....Woops, just got back from said event.  My daughter and I did a little wine tasting while we all listened to some jazz and people-watched.

Books completed this month (click on the hyperlinks to read my reviews):

• Burger Wuss by M.T. Anderson
• Summer Prince by Alaya Dawn Johnson
• Deathwatch by Robb White
• Best-loved Poems of Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis
• Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen
• Beautiful Creatures by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl
• The Lucy Variations by Sara Zarr

Currently reading:

• Flight Behavior by Barbara Kingsolver
• Winger by Andrew Smith

Scripture: Luke 15:11-32, The Parable of the Lost Son, should be renamed: The Parable of the Faithful Son, The Loving Father, and the Forgiven Son!

Prayers for: Our friends' son who has been in the hospital for a month after he was hit by a car on his bike. He has a collapsed lung that is still leaking.

In the garden: We played our first game of bocce ball for this summer this week.

From the kitchen: Roasted Vegetables, BBQ Tri-Tip Marinated in teriyaki, Marionberry Cobbler.

Review: Burger Wuss by M.T. Anderson

I am determined to read a bunch of books this summer that I can recommend to my students in the Fall. Unfortunately, Burger Wuss by M.T. Anderson will not get as many recommendations from me as I had hoped. Students often request funny or silly books, just lighthearted fun. Burger Wuss showed up on some list of very funny books that boys like so I was hopeful that it would be a new go-to book for me. I'm afraid, however, that it is starting to show it's age as it was first published in 1999. Though there were a few funny passages, the majority was more satire requiring a whole different subset of humor.

A comedy of romance and revenge, set in a burger restaurant. Anthony has never been able to stand up for himself — that is, not until his girlfriend is in someone else’s arms. Then Anthony vows revenge and devises a Plan. It begins with getting a job at the fast-food restaurant where his nemesis happens to be a star employee. But when the Plan is finally in place, will Anthony’s hunger for revenge be satisfied? Will he prove he’s not a wuss?- M.T.Anderson's blog

Though not a personal favorite, this book did have a lot to offer in which kids could relate:

• Parents who try too hard to be supportive and understanding, to the point of being obnoxious.
• Having to bum rides to get places
• Working at fast food restaurants where the management is less than supportive/helpful.
• Friends hooking up with other friends which changes relationships all the way around.
• Girlfriend/boyfriend issues.

I enjoyed reading M.T. Anderson's blog about his own experiences with working at a fast food restaurant as a teenager and other things he was able to tap for material for this book.  I recommend that you hop over to his blog to have a look: Burger Wuss/MT Anderson

30 books this Summer Reading Challenge

6 / 30 books. 20% done!

Quote from Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis

This is a wonderful and diverse collection of poems that were favorites of Jackie Kennedy, selected by her daughter Carolyn.  Many were poems recited at a White House event in April 1963 for President Kennedy, organized by Jacqueline. A few of the poems were even written by her.

In addition to the poems Carolyn talks a bit about how much her mother loved poetry, and all good literature. Near the end of the book is this wonderful quote from the writings of Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis encouraging us to read the masters:

Read for escape, read for adventure, read for romance, but read the great writers. You will find to your delight that they are easier and more joy to read than the second-rate ones. They touch your imagination and your deepest yearnings, and when your imagination is stirred it can lead you down paths you never dreamed you would travel. If you read great language you will develop, without realizing it, an appreciation of excellence that can shape your life.     ---from Books I Read When I was Young: The Favorite Books of Famous People,  by Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, 1980.

This is a worthy quote to remember and one that can serve as a guide to our literary lives.

30 books this Summer Reading Challenge

5 / 30 books. 16% done!

Review: Deathwatch by Robb White

Yippee! At last, a book that fits all the requirements for those teen males who "have" to read something but "hate to read." Deathwatch by Robb White has it all: short---just over 200 pages, which most English teachers require; adventure; suspense; outdoors; mystery; guns; and, best of all, no gushy romance at all!

Here is how the conversations with these boys typically go:
Him: "I want a book just like Hatchet, which is the last book I actually read." (Hatchet, by Gary Paulsen is required reading in 5th grade in our district.)
Me: "Are you willing to read nonfiction adventure stories, like Into the Wild, or Into Thin Air by Jon Krakauer?"
Him: "How many pages?"
Me: "Around 300."
Him: "No."
Me: "What about really exciting dystopian novels like The Hunger Games."
Him: "Does it involve any romance? Because I don't like books that have any romancing-stuff."
Me: "Umm. A little, but it isn't the main part of the story."
Him. "Then no."

Up until now my choices were pretty slim and many of them were really written for a younger audience.  Now I have discovered Deathwatch and I am fairly sure that this is just the book these boys have been looking for.

Here is the little teaser on the back of the book: "Madec was not the kind of man Ben would ordinarily have chosen as a companion for a quiet hunting trip...He was a cold man who liked to hurt things, and he was dangerous with a gun. But Ben needed money for another semester at college, and so when Madec offered to hire him as a guide to hunt bighorn sheep in the desert mountains, he agreed. it was a mistake that very nearly cost Ben his life."

And here is the funny part that it took me so long to find this book...it was first published in 1972. It is a timeless story, I didn't even miss the cell phones. With them, there would have been no story. Without them, it was a life or death struggle.

30 books this Summer Reading Challenge

4 / 30 books. 13% done!

Review: The Summer Prince by Alaya Dawn Johnson

The Summer Prince by Alaya Dawn Johnson is a potential Mock Printz selection based on its reviews. It is a dystopian novel set 400 years in the future in Palmeres Tres, a pyramid-shaped city in what is now Brazil. The story begins as the city is preparing to elect the next Summer King, a figurehead male elected every five years. All Summer Kings are killed at the end of the first year after selecting the Queen who will reign after him. June and her friend, Gil, trick their way into the selection ceremony so that June can do a reflective thing with her art. While there they both fall in love with Enki, who becomes the next Summer King. Enki, who comes from the lowest tier of society, is wildly exotic and complex. After he becomes Summer King he spends his time romping around the city doing performance art with June, hosting wild parties, and messing with the Aunties, or the ruling class. Ultimately June, Gil, and Enki form a love triangle with a twist since Gil and Enki become homosexual lovers.

As the story progresses the inequalities in this "utopian" city become more and more apparent and the residents are poised for a revolution. Issues related to uses of technology, isolationism, and the power structure come into focus.

June, our heroine, is a lot like teenagers today: sullen, impulsive, headstrong, and slightly naive. She  fights with her mother and tries to get away with stuff at school. yet, in a lot of ways she is a very likeable character who is just trying to make her mark on her city. She does it with her art, which isn't what we'd consider art. She finds ways to infuse her art into murals, dances, even her skin. Eventually we find a city in trouble and Enki seems to be leading the charge toward some big change, or is he? And June soon gets tangled up in the mess, too.

Several things bugged me at the beginning of this book which took awhile for me to overcome.  First, the language and use of words confused me.  Ms. Johnson uses lots of unrecognizable words throughout the book.  Are they made-up words or are they actual Portuguese slang words currently used in Brazil? Secondly, the title of the book is wrong.  Enki is the Summer King, not the Summer Prince. Was it so titled so that the reader would know that Enki was young and hip and "princely", not old and stuffy and "kingly"? I also had a hard time getting any traction on my reading of this book in the beginning. But on closer reflection that was probably more a reflection of where I was mentally than about the book. Putting all of these things together it was a hard-starter for me and I really struggled with the first half of the book, so much so that I decided to go back and look at the professional reviews of the book again to remind me why we chose it as a potential Mock Printz selection. After doing that and as I forced myself to read on I found myself immersed in this exotic world of Palmares Tres and cheering on the exploits of the Summer King and his friends. The ending has a surprising and wonderful twist which left me feeling very satisfied.

Here is what a few of the reviewers have to say about The Summer Prince:

Johnson paints a brilliant picture of a seemingly lush paradise hiding a core rotted by class stratification, creative stagnation, and disenfranchisement. Evocative, disturbing, and exhilarating, this story leaves much for the reader to ponder, from the nuanced characters to fascinating central themes, including the impact of technology and the role of isolationism in a perilous world.- Booklist starred review

 In her YA debut, Johnson depicts a future that's recognizably Brazilian and human-June may have nanohooks, holo screens, and light implants, but 400 years on, teens still resent their parents and find ways to subvert the technology their elders theoretically control. With its complicated history, founding myth, and political structure, Palmares Tres is compelling, as is the triple bond between June, Enki, and Gil as they challenge their world's injustices. -Publisher's Weekly starred Review

 Rife with political turmoil and steeped in culture, this unique and highly fantastical dystopian romance is both intriguing and imaginative. Johnson excels at building rich and gorgeously complex worlds, and her prose shines with a sophistication that's uncommon in YA literature. -School Library Journal

With grace and precision, The Summer Prince walks the line between literary lyricism and good old-fashioned science fiction storytelling. Johnson has created a city that lives and breathes on the page, its samba rhythms and sea breezes balanced by algae stink and rusting spiderbots.- Petra Mayer, NPR Book Reviews

And an interview with the author which offers many insights that are helpful in understanding the story. Follow this link to the NPR interview with Alaya Dawn Johnson.

I'm not sure that The Summer Prince will make it onto our Mock Printz reading list or not.  But I will do my best to represent it well to the selection committee.  It you have read it, or after you read it, please let me know what you think of it.  I am eager to hear other opinions.

30 books this Summer Reading Challenge

3 / 30 books. 10% done!

Retrospective Wednesday: Beautiful Creatures

It is time for another Retrospective Wednesday book review.  Here I highlight books published in previous years that deserve a second look, or a first look, as the case may be.

Beautiful Creatures by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl, published in 2009 has never really gone out of popularity in my library, especially because there have been three other books added to the Caster Chronicles series since that time. Just about the time that the popularity of the first started to wane, the second book came out.  Clever marketing!

The book begins with this very compelling and intriguing first few lines:

There were no surprises in Gatlin County. We were pretty much the epicenter of the middle of nowhere. At least, that's what I thought. Turns out, I couldn't have been more wrong. There was a curse. There was a girl. And in the end, there was a grave.

Not being a huge fan of the paranormal romance genre I was a little hesitant to pick up this book until I saw that a movie was coming out and it looked good so I determined to read the book first. I was pleasantly surprised to find that this wasn't the normal werewolf/vampire/fairy paranormal book. The main characters Lena and Ethan seem to be related to some past lives and loves back to Civil War days, and Lena's family are all Casters which means they all have different magical skills. They reminded me a little of the Addams Family without the humor but definitely with the quirky.

I listened to the audiobook version of Beautiful Creatures narrated by Kevin T. Collins. When Ethan would enter into his dream sequence the listener was treated to some eerie music which was helpful on one hand but a little off-putting on the other. Otherwise, I found the audio version very enjoyable. My eldest daughter is the one who recommended that I listen to this book after she found it a most compelling and engaging story.  She is going on and listening to the other three books in the series. I haven't decided if I will read on or not. At this point I feel pretty satisfied with the story and where it ended in this book.

After completing the book I checked the movie listings in my area and found that Beautiful Creatures was no longer in the theaters so I still haven't seen it and don't know if it is any good. If you have seen it, could you leave me a comment and let me know what you thought of it?  Thanks.

30 books this Summer Reading Challenge

2 / 30 books. 6% done!

Final Sense and Sensibility Weekly Update

Weekly progress: Finished. Pages 292-312 (end.)

Action: Tom, a Dashwood servant, reports that he talked to Lucy Steele Ferrars in Exeter. The family is shocked that Edward and Lucy got married so quickly even though the arrangements for the parish haven't been made. They are also surprised that no one in London has written to tell them. Soon after receiving this news Edward arrives on horseback and clears up the miscommunication.  His brother, Robert, married Lucy. Edward is free to confess his love for Elinor. Edward shows the letter from Lucy breaking off the engagement. It shows that she never really cared as much for him as he thought. And it was apparent that Lucy meant to deceive the Dashwoods when she saw the servant in Exeter. Col. Brandon comes for a visit and the two men get along quite well. Letters from London about the marriage scandal finally arrive and they give the impression that Mrs. Ferrars might be willing to forgive Edward. Elinor encourages him to go to London to make amends with his mother. With the reconciliation came a marriage gift of ten thousand pounds which would enable Elinor and Edward to live quite comfortably along with the two hundred fifty he would make as a parish pastor. Col. Brandon secure now that Marianne is over Willoughby asks her to marry him and she agrees.

Surprises: I was most surprised by how few pages contained such important bits of the story---the proposals of both girls and the Ferrars' family matters. The movies led me to believe that there was quite a bit of dialogue here but actually there is very little. The movies also do not contain the reconciliation of Edward with his family, which I suppose is anticlimactic, so it makes sense why it is left out.

Thoughts: After finishing the book I rewatched the BBC version of Sense and Sensibility (pictured.) I'd always thought that this version was just a spin off of the Emma Thompson version but now I was viewing it with new eyes. This version is closer to the book in several ways---the confessions of Lucy and Willoughby, for example---and further in other ways---the courting of Marianne by Brandon is almost an afterthought in the book, but in this movie they make a big deal of it and actually have Marianne engaged before Elinor. Either way, reading the book led to further delight in the story and increased my admiration for Ms. Austen. I wondered at the best bits being played down by her and decided that might be a bit of her magic.  She lets the reader fill in the details as they see it, so the story never gets dull or out-of-date.

Up next: Mansfield Park, but I shall leave it for the winter months.

30 books this Summer Reading Challenge

1 / 30 books. 3% done!

30 books this Summer Reading Challenge

Some of the books I hope to get to during this challenge

It is summertime at last! I've set myself a rather lofty but doable reading challenge...to read 30 books before I go back to school in the fall.  I'm off and running already having completed two books toward this goal already.  Stay tuned and watch my progress.

• Beautiful Creatures by Garcia and Stohl
• Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen

30 books this Summer Reading Challenge

2 / 30 books. 6% done!