Betsy Haynes: The Fabulous Five Year Book Memories

One word summary: Kook!
More Words: Do you remember these books? I found this copy in the freebee bin at the library and I had to have it. The language is a little odd and I don't remember junior high being anything like this but still I'm glad I took a minute to remember a series I used to love. I think pizza became my favourite food after reading these books.

Three pre-teen books you can read in a day

How to Take the Ex Out of Ex Boyfriend, by Janette Rallison- Girl dumps her boyfriend in a fit of petty temper, and spends the next week trying to entice him back. This book is funny.

Slept Away by Julie Kraut- NYC city girl is forced to attend summer camp, where she learns the meaning of friendship. This book has fast paced language similar to Megan McCafferty cynical genius (errrr, I'm not saying J. Kraut plagiarized anything)

The Boyfriend Game by Stephanie Davis- Soccer girl discovers boys, and learns a little about being a friend.

Noel Streatfeild: Family Shoes

One Word Summary: Miss Virginia Bell thinks...
More Words: This book was written a long time ago in England, so the values and customs are different. I started reading The Shoe Books after I saw "You've got mail" and I really like them. They're a pleasant world where everyting always turns out gorgeously. Where the villians are simply thoughtless and selfish and usually rich. Where everyone else cares about you. The books seem to say believe in miracles you will go to an elite dancing school and be famous one day. Plus there are a few moral lessons added for good measure. Of course, I don't care for a few things in this book. For one the family keep secrets and they refuse to ask for help. I don't think private martyrdom is noble. Besides it's not truly noble since they whine a lot about things when they could just ask for help. Finally, while I don't like people being crabby because they feel crabby I'm not sure if being polite all the time and above all else is good for anyone's emotional health. However that's England a long time ago for you.

Another Series in the Mayberry-ish style are Maud Hart Lovelace's Betsy-Tacy books. And for an older crowd there's Phyllis Reynolds Taylors Alice books.

Quotes:

"I want to rescue someone from drowning, or catch a burglar, or something like that," she complained. "But everybody round us is so dull, they never want
those sorts of things done for them."

"Darling don't be so silly. Do yo think I'd miss one minute of watching my children grow up for all the money in the world?"

Eva Ibbotson: Which Witch

One Word Summary: Cute
A Few More Words: Clever, funny, eeevil (bhahaha), and gross. I can't wait to read this to my daughter. Caution: Some feminists might balk at the premise of this book. It is a competition, sort of like a beauty pageant, among the Witches of Todcaster to be named the most powerful and wicked and vile witch ever. And the winner gets to marry Arriman the Awful, a very powerful dark wizard. Okay, maybe that's not offensive. But the witches are definitely vile.

Linda Sue Park: A Single Shard

One of my goals is to read all the Newberry Award winning books, and the Newberry Honors as well. A Single Shard won in 2002. The writing is simple and philosphic. Is buddistic a word? In fact it is infused with moral lessons delivered so mildly that it's like a loving grandparent crafted the tale just for me. A Single Shard is about a boy, Tree Ear, who lives under a bridge in a potter's village in 12th Century Korea. The text is full of authentic details about Celadon Pottery from that era, which served as a parable about the virtue of taking time to do something right (how do you say that in fewer words?). Really though, I like stories that tell how ordinary people used to live while more important historic events were unfolding, elsewhere. There is no high adventure in this story; however, like other juvenile lit heros Tree-Ear is an orphan, he's on the cusp of manhood, he lives in a remote place, he has a wizened old friend, he has a unique/great talent, he's loyal, and he saves the day. So, of course it's a good book.

OTHERS THAT COME TO MIND:

juvenile lit books full of detail about everyday life in the middleages:

Catherine Called Birdy by Karen Cushman
The Midwifes Apprentice by Karen Cushman
The Seeing Stone by Kevin Crossley-Holland
Crispin by Avi
Good Masters! Sweet Ladies: Voices from a Medieval Villiage by Laura Amy Schlitz
Daughter of Venice by Donna Jo Napoli




other juvenile lit heros

Will (from The Dark is Rising, although he's not an orphan), Luke Skywalker, Harry Potter, Eragon, Taran (from Chronicles of Prydain)