Last Blog, Deliver Us From Evie

We are going toward a more- should I say "mature" audience now. Speak I believe is typical in a lot of circumstances yet not in others. For instance, young adults do tend to have their separate “clicks.” I do think her parents were negligent but when I was in school I would sneak out when I stayed over at my friends house because her parents wouldn’t hear us leave. It was not that I was promiscuous, but I got into a lot of learning experiences for a naive teenager. Although from all the other kids I knew, not one time did I hear of someone being raped. It may have been the sound of the times, I don’t know. We never locked our door either. However, my parents were always lenient and I didn’t break the home laws of going to school and do my chores etc. It may have been because of the small town. In Doing It, the story became more typical to real life for me, except for the teacher thing. All the students I knew looked up to the teachers. We may have joked and, as I did, attend college parties when they were there but they were still above our realm. I would be embarrassed to go to that class for a week or so.
Back to Evie. I enjoyed the book and thought it was a realistic perception of the family structure to a gay or lesbian child. Written in 1994 it was probably more realistic than today. For instance, the blatant denial that something was different from the parents. Perhaps not then but today it would seem friends, neighbors and family members would have been saying something to the parents. In the atmosphere of today, it would also seem that there is a more acceptable coming out of the closet so to speak. The mother seemed typical to notice but not accept it by always trying to get her to be more feminine. I would also agree with the way the father felt toward Evie as he saw her as someone he never knew, and didn’t know how to cope with that. The life structure for the family was quite dynamic for all the things going on all at once, but sometimes it seems that is how it happens such as; finding out about Evie, the flood, Mr. Duffman, everyone leaving the farm, the older brother becoming a vet, and loosing all the pigs. Whew, that would be a lot to bear. The book gave all sides of how the family members felt and thought. The way the community acted was also realistic. One person was just acting out while the other was the blame. The way Angel acted when she heard the rumors and her family didn’t want Evie around her was probably true for peoples fears. There were several killings of gays back in the late 80’s or 90’s as I recall.
Being lead blogger, I need to ask "what do all of you think about the book." Do you agree with it and do you think Evie should have stayed with her family?

Coraline

I enjoyed Coraline. It reminded me of several different stories and versions of stories from my childhood. It was dark and mysterious and I especially liked the other worlds’ creatures. I remember being afraid of the “snype” or something like that as a child, it also scurried away before you could see it, and would hurt you. The creature under the cellar door was like that. The other mother and father were somewhat like Tim Burtons, “Nightmare before Christmas” with the cloth doll that was alive and kept falling apart. The other mothers hand was like the creepy hands cut off and trying to strangle you in different movies. All in all I enjoyed the book and the aspect of it being real, or a dream, or really real. I liked the black cat, and yes they are not always bad. My grandparents were a lot like the little old ladies. I enjoyed the other mystery included of finding the children and the winged girl that liked honeysuckle blossoms and her parents in the snow globe. It added more of a real "now" type aspect to the story.
As a child I was pretty brave, but only some things scared me. I was never really afraid of the dark as I can remember but both my sisters were.
The last part where the hand actually got the key is still creepy, because maybe it could escape!

Coraline

I started reading Coraline right before I went to sleep and I have to admit, it really creeped me out! But at the same time, I really couldn't put it down. Her adventure into the world where her other mother and other father lived was fascinating! I don't ever remember being that brave as a little girl, though. I think it's funny that in her life her neighbors are two old wacky ladies, and a crazy old man. It seems like everyone can relate and has met or has had these people as neighbors at one point or another. I don't exactly understand the button eyes on the other mother and the other father. When he was describing them in the book, I immediately thought of a huge insect and that was taking over the world or something. It seemed like a sci-fi movie. I especially liked the effect the black cat had in the story. He was so ambigious, having no name and just appearing once in a while. And it's ironic that the typical superstition of being a black cat wasn't present at all in the story and he was actually a "good guy." I really liked that he Gaiman didn't play up that superstition.

But nevertheless, this has definately been my favorite book so far. Everything from Gaiman's writing style to the little pictures that are in every chapter caught my interest. What did everyone else think of the book? Was anyone else that brave when they were little, or was I just a little coward?

Blog #6

I'm not a lead but need to post today. I really enjoyed Skellig. It had a mysterious “ora, or intuitive feeling” to the entire schema. The sick baby sister that no-one knew if she would get better, the friend Mira next door with her strange ways and her mother that enjoyed art and poetry more than school and told stories to them. Michael finding Skellig and we do not know what he is, and Michael is not afraid of him.
The story gave an impression to me that maybe he was Death, after Ernie had died, and because Dr. Death (Dr. Dan) was always there to see the baby, but that could not be, since Michael was not afraid. Then it went on to let us know he had wings, so I felt he must be an angle, but with Artur Itis, why would he be wasting away and eating bugs and small rodents like a bird? Soon after finding Skellig, the teacher Miss Clarts lectured about Icarus and his father Daedalus. That gave a sense of maybe this was another Icarus. It had me wondering just who was he and what would happen to the baby.
I liked Skellig when he and the kids (and when he and the baby), were dancing and they could see each other’s wings. Was it to be the future of man with evolution going on?
I liked Mira and her directness (at the teacher was rude but needed said), and in her way to listen to the sounds most people do not hear. She seemed to be very intuitive to others' feelings. The boys at school were typical kids, jealous of their friendship, and a bit missing Michael.
I think Michael was lonely and depressed and Skellig was just what he needed to keep him focused on helping him to survive, instead of the way he was feeling. Maybe that was why he was there?
It was the beginning of Winter, and went on to the Spring in a quick way, but it was easy to see Michael changing. I can see the reason he wanted the baby called Persophone, can you? How did everyone else like it? Why do you think Skellig was there? What do you think Skellig was?

wizard of OZ, joanne

Well, I'm late but guess that will have to do. I was never afraid of anything in the wizard of OZ. Maybe because I was older, I don’t know. I had a hard time just to get through the book. It really did not hold my attention. It was too obvious what would happen next, and I got real tired of Dorothy crying, then the tin man crying etc. I liked the addition of the china people, how silly. Overall, I guess it would be fine for any child around seven to read. I’m just not too thrilled over it but I guess it would be a good adventure for the young.
I think our next blog is due on a Thursday too.
Joanne

Blog 5 - The Wizard of Oz

I want to start by saying I'm really glad we're reading this book for class. The Wizard of Oz is my all-time favorite movie, and I've read most of the 13 Wizard of Oz books... Anyways, now that that's off my chest... I enjoy this book immensely every time I read it. The writing is simple and to the point and I think anyone over the age of 7 could read and understand it themselves. I also think this is a great book for parents to read to their children, as all the characters and the Land of Oz allow both children and adults to use their imagination. Even though the characters are not creatures we would come across in "real life", they still have human qualities even if they don't look human, like the Quadlings.

The pictures in the book are fun to look at and I like how the writing goes right through the pictures on some of the pages. I love how everyone in the Emerald City must wear green goggles, and I always wondered if the Emerald City was really that green, or if people just thought it was because of the goggles. Chapter 12 is one of my favorite chapters because I've always liked picturing the little china doll people and wondering what they must look like. Basically I just really like this book. What does everyone else think?

Blog 4 - "D"_Joanne

As far as my past fairytale history, it was way too long ago to remember much. I remember Aesop’s fables and Grimm’s fairytales. I remember all the Sleeping Beauty, Three Little Pigs, Cinderella and so forth from my childhood and to my daughter. As for the fairytales of a horror type, I do not remember. Now for novels, there were the Charlottes Web, Black Beauty, Mark Twain, Zane Grey and the like. I couldn’t get enough of the Nancy Drew and Agatha Christie books.
As far as Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, I remember it somewhat but now that I am reading it again, it seems so different. The entire book is as I remember and seems to be based on unrealistic adventures. The language of Alice and her acquaintances by the author is quite different, perhaps because of the English tone or just because it is from a story told in 1862. Some of the verbalization is unusual and I needed to look up its meaning. For instance the “the footman in livery (colors, uniform, or costume) came running…” I like to enhance my vocabulary, but not to the extent that it becomes bothersome. I think it is a great story for the enhancement of the child, adolescent, or adult in imaginative thinking. I like the conversations she has with “everyone,” it seems to give Alice a sense of self-awareness. The different animals are mostly so polite not to say anything bad except “away with you,” as an adult might say. For instance, the birds make excuses to leave, when Alice brings up her kitty Dinah who eats birds, and the mouse she offends with the story of a dog in her neighborhood that eats rats. The animals usually quarrel amongst themselves. Nice that is until she ventures on and talks to the Duchess who wants the cook to cut off her head. When they are rude to her, she dismisses it. Now I see where the Cheshire-Cat came from in my memory. I enjoy the illustrations as they capture the true feeling of the characters.
This is about half, so…
I would like to know if anyone thinks it is outdated or if it is a book they would read to, and give to their children.