Great Middle Grade Reads discussion
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Because of Winn-Dixie
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BOTM for February - BECAUSE OF WINN-DIXIE
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I'm looking forward to reading this. It sat, forgotten, on my wish list for a while.
Mod
Cool! I gonna go pull this off my daughter's bookshelf!
Throughout most of this book I had a lump in my throat. Kate DiCamillo works have this wondrous way of targeting primary emotions, and reacquaints me with the child within.
I agree, L.R.! And I adore this book. It's the book that made me remember my long-forgotten desire to write books for kids. It's not that I ever imagined I would produce something that powerful...but it made me remember how powerfully stories about big feelings, such as loss, affected me as a child, and it inspired me to want to make a contribution to the literature. I wrote a blog post last week about Kate Dicamillo and broken-heartedness in the wake of her double January honors (the Newbery Award and being named the Library of Congress's Ambassador for Children's Literature.) My post is here: http://www.suzanne-goldsmith.com/kate...
Suzanne wrote: "I agree, L.R.! And I adore this book. It's the book that made me remember my long-forgotten desire to write books for kids. It's not that I ever imagined I would produce something that powerful...b..."Fantastic post, Suzanne. I agree, the books we read as children become part of us in a way that those we read later on never can. What I love about DiCamillo is that she has so much respect for her audience. She doesn't sugar-coat the world, but there is a gentleness and kindness in her writing.
I think this has to be one of the best read alouds ever, along with Bud, Not Buddy. As you say MG it doesn't talk down to anyone. Things are as they are and some of that's good and some's bad. I do love the humour and affection in this book.
The best MG fiction honors the big, important feelings that come with the passage out of childhood. We often think of 10-12 year olds as children, and in many ways they are, but it is also a time when they are rapidly gaining perspective and letting go of childhood's illusions. It can be harsh! Great MG books like DiCamillo's provide fellowship and can smooth the journey...a little, at least.
Suzanne wrote: "The best MG fiction honors the big, important feelings that come with the passage out of childhood. We often think of 10-12 year olds as children, and in many ways they are, but it is also a time w..."Just left you a comment, Suzanne. I read blogs and posts of other author obsessively, and let me say, yours really moved me.
That is very kind of you to say, L.R.! And I appreciate your leaving a comment, as blogging can sometimes feel like writing into the void.
The characters and voice in this book are just brilliant. But I really love that touch of DiCamillo's metaphorical magic, like the librarian's Littmus Lozenges that taste a little sweet and a little sad.
Mod
All of which is pathetic--I bet it would take a whole two hours to re-read the book!
Yeah, I'm not going to reread it. I just didn't get more than "two hours" worth of value from the book. To me, it seemed predictable and almost cliched. Nice enough, but not complex or rich enough to resonate or be memorable. Very apt that it was made into a movie, imo.
I think I would have enjoyed the book more had I read it before I watched the movie. Oddly enough I think that the movie had a bit of that "magic" that the book didn't quite reach. There were several scenes in the movie that I thought shined that were a bit flatter in the book.I did enjoy Winn Dixie's behavior and his mannerisms, he comes out as such a cute dog. I also liked Gloria Dumps life sayings. They are some basic good rules to follow and great for kids to hear I think.
Mod
M.G. wrote: "The characters and voice in this book are just brilliant. But I really love that touch of DiCamillo's metaphorical magic, like the librarian's Littmus Lozenges that taste a little sweet and a litt..."I LOVE the Littmus Lozenges feature to the story, but I have found that students who read this book independently very seldom even remember this. If we are reading as a group it needs a push from the teacher. But I love it.
Rebecca wrote: "I have found that children's books are often the exception to my rule that the book is always better than the movie. I suspect it has something to do with the brevity of some of the books--the mov..."I never thought about it that way. Thanks!
Melissa wrote: "I think I would have enjoyed the book more had I read it before I watched the movie. Oddly enough I think that the movie had a bit of that "magic" that the book didn't quite reach. There were ..."We have assigned students some years to make a diorama of their favorite scene in the book. Invariably the most popular scene is Gloria's party. My students seem to like Gloria's sayings, too.
Nyssa wrote: "I'm looking forward to reading this. It sat, forgotten, on my wish list for a while."I managed to read it on the last day of the month! :)
Very sweet and heart warming!
I didn't even realize it was the same author when I nominated Flora and Ulysses: The Illuminated Adventures for March. :)
To get to know more about Kate DiCamillo, read this recent interview with Daniel Handler (aka Lemony Snicket): http://www.buzzfeed.com/danielhandler...
From the GoodReads' description:
Kate DiCamillo’s first published novel, like Winn-Dixie himself, immediately proved to be a keeper — a New York Times bestseller, a Newbery Honor winner, the inspiration for a popular film, and most especially, a cherished classic that touches the hearts of readers of all ages. It’s now available in a paperback digest format certain to bring this tale’s magic to an even wider circle of fans.
The summer Opal and her father, the preacher, move to Naomi, Florida, Opal goes into the Winn-Dixie supermarket--and comes out with a dog. A big, ugly, suffering dog with a sterling sense of humor. A dog she dubs Winn-Dixie. Because of Winn-Dixie, the preacher tells Opal ten things about her absent mother, one for each year Opal has been alive. Winn-Dixie is better at making friends than anyone Opal has ever known, and together they meet the local librarian, Miss Franny Block, who once fought off a bear with a copy of WAR AND PEACE. They meet Gloria Dump, who is nearly blind but sees with her heart, and Otis, an ex-con who sets the animals in his pet shop loose after hours, then lulls them with his guitar.Opal spends all that sweet summer collecting stories about her new friends and thinking about her mother. But because of Winn-Dixie or perhaps because she has grown, Opal learns to let go, just a little, and that friendship—and forgiveness—can sneak up on you like a sudden summer storm.