Looking for Inter-Generational Friendships / Life Stages / or...?

[Kathryn, The Princess of Picture-Books]

I can’t believe I didn’t mention the Mr Putter and Tabby books before. They are wonderful!!! My husband and sons love them, too. Cheryl, I think they are exactly what you are looking for. They are about elderly Mr Putter and his elderly cat Tabby and sometimes elderly neighbor Mrs Teaberry and her dog Zeke. No grandkids, no kids in the story at all most of the time. It’s all about Mister Putter and Tabby and their adventures. These are gems. Sweet, funny and real!

[Manybooks, Fiction Club host]

This has nothing to do with books in particular, but in many Canadian university and college towns and cities, there are now programs being put in place to pair students with senior citizen roommates and it has generally worked out well, giving the students someone to whom they can turn and ask questions and the elderly roommates friendship and a bit of help around the house.

[Guilherme]

Cheryl wrote: "Yes.
I have now read and reviewed it. I gave it five stars."

How lovely!

[Cheryl, Host of Miscellaneous and Newbery Clubs]

Mysterious Miss Slade by Dick King-Smith

[Emily]

It's been a long time since I've read the series, but wasn't Mrs. Pigglewiggle somewhat of a grandma figure (albeit an eccentric one) to the neighborhood children?

[Cheryl, Host of Miscellaneous and Newbery Clubs]

Ah, yes, great example, ty!
Mrs. Piggle Wiggle Box Set

[Cheryl, Host of Miscellaneous and Newbery Clubs]

Cloud Chaser turned out to be an odd book. It suits the theme, but I'm not satisfied by the story.

[Cheryl, Host of Miscellaneous and Newbery Clubs]

Mr. Posey's New Glasses:

Random treasure from library display. I'm always looking for stories about intergenerational friendships, and this delivers perfectly. It also has the older character wearing glasses, which I do, and feeling the world gone blah, which I do. Of course the cure for Mr. Posey's existential crisis isn't just the removal of grime but the whole adventure... but any reader can benefit from the extended metaphor that supports the story. I, personally, would have bought the first two pairs of glasses too.

Bonus in that it has characters that just happen to be 'diverse.'

Kooser is a poet. His 'sensibilities' shine through. Highly recommended to all ages.

[Kathryn, The Princess of Picture-Books]

That sounds totally winsome. Off to see if my library has it...

[Cheryl, Host of Miscellaneous and Newbery Clubs]

Discovery from the Picture_Book club homage to Steven Kellogg, discussion for October 2019. Mr. Jode is 72; his neighbors are, what, 9? Best Friends

[Manybooks, Fiction Club host]

This is on order at the Hamilton Public Library but Birdsong by Julie Flett seems from its description exactly what this thread wants, in this case a little girl who makes friends with her elderly neighbour after moving from the city to a smaller town.

[Cheryl, Host of Miscellaneous and Newbery Clubs]

Oh, thank you. I already have loved works by Julie Flett so I will definitely look for Birdsong!

[Manybooks, Fiction Club host]

Cheryl wrote: "Oh, thank you. I already have loved works by Julie Flett so I will definitely look for Birdsong!"

The description looks really good.

[Manybooks, Fiction Club host]

Featuring a young and homesick Italian boy whose family has just moved to Wales and his friendship with an elderly and increasingly infirm former coal miner through their shared interest of pigeon racing, I have found Nicola Davies’ King of the Sky heartwarming but also rather gloomy (and while Mr. Davies’ friendship with the homesick young immigrant is sweet and actually does finally convince him that Wales can be a new home for him, personally I wanted more info on why the family moved to Wales from Italy in the first place and kind of wish that the shared hobby had not be raising and racing pigeons).

[Cheryl, Host of Miscellaneous and Newbery Clubs]

I'll look for it, anyway, it sounds interesting. Thank you!

[Manybooks, Fiction Club host]

Cheryl wrote: "I'll look for it, anyway, it sounds interesting. Thank you!"

It definitely is interesting and for some of my friends it was a five star book.

[Cheryl, Host of Miscellaneous and Newbery Clubs]

I've not read it yet, but I just noticed Good Night, Mr. Tom on my bookshelf and realized it probably fits this topic.

[Cheryl, Host of Miscellaneous and Newbery Clubs]

Birdsong made The Horn Book's 'best' list, here's their annotation for it:

Birdsong
written and illustrated by Julie Flett; Greystone Kids
(Primary)

Over the course of a year, Katherena and her elderly neighbor spend time together, creating art and caring for nature. With season-specific imagery in the gorgeous digitally composed pastel and pencil illustrations, this tender intergenerational friendship story beautifully portrays the warmth of human connection.

[Melissa]

Elizabeth Enright’s Gone Away Lake and Return to Gone Away. Two cousins, a boy and a girl discover an abandoned Victorian resort town set around a dried up lake while they are exploring the woods during summer break somewhere in the northeast. All the houses are empty and derelict except for one occupied by a brother and sister in their 80’s (?) who have returned to live where they were happy as children. I remember loving the detail that the man read the newspaper everyday - correct month and day but from 60+ years earlier.
While I read these as a kid (6th grade) and loved them I have had modern kids in 5th grade really enjoy them.

[Melissa]

The Runaways by Ulf Stark is a wonderful story. A grandfather who loves being naughty and spends most of his time being cross is broken out of his nursing home by his grandson for one grand last adventure. Great colored pencil illustrations. Set in Scandinavia the adventure and emotion translate beautifully.

[Cheryl, Host of Miscellaneous and Newbery Clubs]

Ah, yes, those stories by Enright, I'd forgotten them but they're great examples. Gone-Away Lake

I will look for The Runaways. Thank you!

[Guilherme]

Stark's The Runaways was kind of a disappointment to me. Much better is his "Can You Whistle, Johanna?". That one is marvellous.

[Manybooks, Fiction Club host]

The second Anastasia Krupnik novel, Anastasia Again!, features inter-generational friendships for both Anastasia and Sam.

[Cheryl, Host of Miscellaneous and Newbery Clubs]

Ah, yes, ty!

[Cheryl, Host of Miscellaneous and Newbery Clubs]

Up the Mountain Path did not disappoint. Lovely, gentle story of a beautiful tradition handed down to a younger friend. Illustrations suit. Words fail me... just know that I do recommend it and will look for more by the author.

[Beverly, former Miscellaneous Club host]

Cheryl wrote: "Birdsong made The Horn Book's 'best' list, here's their annotation for it:

Birdsong
written and illustrated by Julie Flett; Greystone Kids
(Primary)

Over the course of a year, Kat..."

I just read this book today. It is a lovely book and includes 3 Cree words. Incidentally, one of the subject headings for this book in the catalog was "intergenerational relations." In addition to Horn Book Fanfare, it was also a Kirkus Best Children's Book, a Publisher's Weekly Best Children's Book, a School Library Journal Best Book, and a Nerdy Book Club Award selection. I believe it will probably be chosen as one of the American Indian Youth Literature Award winners this year.

[Guilherme]

Cheryl wrote: "Up the Mountain Path did not disappoint. Lovely, gentle story of a beautiful tradition handed down to a younger friend. Illustrations suit. Words fail me... just know that I do reco..."

YEEEES. It's marvellous. Dubuc's books are very special.

If anyone's interested you can "read" this one on YouTube.

[Cheryl, Host of Miscellaneous and Newbery Clubs]

ty both...

[Beverly, former Miscellaneous Club host]

A Map Into the World by Kao Kalia Yang

This picture book story was similar to Julie Flett's Birdsong. The family moves, and lives across the street from an elderly couple, whom they befriend. After the older man's wife passes, the young girl, with permission, draws chalk pictures on his sidewalk. The illustrations are beautiful, and the story heartwarming.

[Cheryl, Host of Miscellaneous and Newbery Clubs]

I will add this to my list! Sounds lovely, thank you!

[Manybooks, Fiction Club host]

I find it both a bit peculiar and sad that while in much of the world, books for children featuring close personal friendships between older adults and children are in my opinion relatively standard and indeed not all that novel, not all that different from any kind of friendship, this is really not often the case in Canada and the USA, where indeed, children’s books depicting such friendships (especially if there is a gender difference) are often and yes to and for me rather sadly seen as something not quite right or even potentially pedophilic in nature.

[Cheryl, Host of Miscellaneous and Newbery Clubs]

In the rest of the world there is more of tendency for families to stay close, too. In the US, at least, there has (until more recently) been more of a push to encourage children to make their own way.

Ironically, that attitude leads to complaints of 'empty nest syndrome' and to the institutionalization of our seniors in group homes, in which too few of the residents get visits from their descendants.

There have always been attempts to buck that trend, for example MAG classrooms in a few public schools attempt to break down strict adherence to divisions between age levels. And more young people are moving back in with their parents.

But I absolutely agree that we need more acceptance of intergenerational friendships not only within families, but among people who are not related. Communities, networks, tribes, mentors... whatever form it takes, anything to counter loneliness is a good thing!

[Cheryl, Host of Miscellaneous and Newbery Clubs]

In The Go-Between by Amy Hest we have two older folks: Lexi's grandmother, and a favorite neighbor. Very sweet story.

Btw, this thread isn't just about seniors. The child's friend could be the age of her parents, or even a college student. And if it's about adult friendships (sans child), like Mr. Putter & Mrs. Teaberry, they don't have to be old either. Lobel's Frog and Toad could almost qualify, but those two act too much like children most of the time to fit the parameters of my search.

[Cheryl, Host of Miscellaneous and Newbery Clubs]

I just ran across A Small Thing . . . but Big by Tony Johnston on youtube.

I too, am "aglow" after reading this. "Springingly, oh, springingly." Just, wow, such beautiful language and sentiment, with illustrations that aren't so sweet, and so there's a balance, and therefore the book can be enjoyed by poets, parents, old men, girls, boys, and even people who don't particularly care for dogs.

[Manybooks, Fiction Club host]

Mr. Goethe's Garden

(view spoiler)[As an adult and as someone with graduate degrees in German literature, I truly do oh so very much adore Mr. Goethe's Garden, Diana Cohn's sweet little fictional account of the unusual and art-inspired friendship between German literary icon Johann Wolfgang von Goethe and a young girl named Anna, during the last months of his life (thus in 1831/1832), when Goethe at over eighty years of age was spending most of his days either working to finish his masterpiece, his Faust or painting and sketching the flora of his Weimar garden (although I do have to wonder rather a bit why the author has called Goethe Mr. Goethe and not Herr von Goethe).

Due to the fact and truth that during my university studies, we of course both read much of Goethe's oeuvre (from his poetry to his dramas and comedies) and by mere necessity usually tended to mostly focus on Johann Wolfgang von Goethe as an author, I indeed so much do appreciate that Ms. Cohn with her Mr. Goethe's Garden illuminates that although Joahnn Wolfgang von Goethe is now mostly and generally regarded and considered as primarily an author of literature, as basically the German equivalent of Shakespeare in many ways, he was actually a true so-called Renaissance Man and even personally often considered himself more a man of science (especially with regard to biology and botany) and yes, an artist (the Goethe House in Weimar, Germany, has much of Goethe's artwork on display and it certainly is most accomplished, it most definitely demonstrates that alongside of his undeniable poetic, his literary genius, Johann Wolfgang von Goethe was also a most talented painter and sketcher, an all round genius).

Now with regard to the actual narrative, the story at hand, I very much have both enjoyed and appreciated how Diana Cohn has with Mr. Goethe's Garden textually and narratively portrayed both a pretty well standardly realistic picture of mid 19th century Weimar, Germany and that the emerging friendship between Goethe and young Anna is depicted and presented in an organic, realistic and thus thankfully also not fantastic and overly fanciful manner (of course, I do realise that it does help to have read multiple biographies on Goethe and to thus also be well aware of the fact that during the last years of his life, Johann Wolfgang von Goethe did in fact often choose to surround himself with children, whose company he seemed to prefer to that of often demanding and fawning adults and with whom he then engaged in a quasi grandparent and grandchildren type of relationship, with him often teaching, enlightening and the children learning about life, art and literature). A truly wonderful and tender tale of intergenerational friendship is Mr. Goethe's Garden, of art and art appreciation, and yes, also a story of how art can and should be taught (as Anna's drawing and painting sessions with Goethe in his garden are indeed a glowing portrait of a teacher and his eager pupil, of Anna organically and without constraints and painful learning being taught not only drawing/painting skills, but also about botany and science by Goethe, by her new "elderly" friend). Four well-deserved stars, but with the necessary caveat that Goethe's death is indeed featured (that in 1832, almost immediately after having completed his Faust play, Johann Wolfgang von Goethe dies peacefully in the armchair by his bed at the age of 82).).

And finally, as to Paul Mirocha's accompanying illustrations, especially the watercolour renderings of the diverse plants and flowers Goethe and Anna paint together and by themselves are simply glorious, descriptive, realistic, but at the same time finely nuanced and imaginative, and as such, they totally and utterly capture the spirit of Diana Cohn's narrative, her printed words, especially the scenes where Goethe is either explaining his love of flowers to Anna or showing Anna how flowers grow and how one can capture this on paper. And while the likely acrylic images of Weimar, Germany and the human movers and shakers of Mr. Goethe's Garden (including Goethe and Anna) do sometimes feel a trifle gaudy and garish (in particular if compared to the delicate watercolour hues of the illustrated flora), they do still work well enough with the text, with Diana Cohn's story and plotline, although in my opinion, they do not even remotely approach the magic, the aesthetic beauty of the flower and plant renditions, which really do turn Mr. Goethe's Garden into a true visual celebration, a total and esoteric feast for the eyes.

So if you are in fact considering Mr. Goethe's Garden primarily for information on Johann Wolfgang von Goethe as a German author, as a literary icon of much renown, you will most probably be somewhat disappointed, for aside from brief mentions that Goethe is working on, is trying to finish his Faust play (and that he dies almost immediately after having completed it), ALL of the contents, the themes, the entire story of Mr. Goethe's Garden is entirely about Johann Wolfgang von Goethe as an artist and scientist (about his botanical knowledge) and of course his friendship with Anna. However, Mr. Goethe' Garden is definitely truly and utterly a marvellous and most highly recommended story for everyone, and I for one much appreciate that the author, that Diana Cohn has chosen to focus on aspects of Goethe's life and work that are more often than not somewhat ignored (with the supplemental author's notes being an added bonus, although I sure would have liked and appreciated a bibliographical list with suggestions for further reading). (hide spoiler)]

[Cheryl, Host of Miscellaneous and Newbery Clubs]

:smiles:

[Kathryn, The Princess of Picture-Books]

My sons and I enjoyed the children's chapter book Sam the Man & the Chicken Plan. My favorite aspect is the friendship that developed between Sam and his elderly neighbor, Mr. Stockfish. I love books that show how children and the elderly can be friends, how they can learn from one another and truly enjoy each other's company. It was touching to see Mr. Stockfish (who used to just sit in his chair and watch the all day news) rediscover his interest in chickens and for Sam to find a fellow human who could appreciate his own enthusiasm in having a feathered friend.

[Cheryl, Host of Miscellaneous and Newbery Clubs]

Oh I will def. be looking for that one! Thank you!

[Kathryn, The Princess of Picture-Books]

Cheryl wrote: "Oh I will def. be looking for that one! Thank you!"

It's sweet and a quick read. The first in a series, though I don't know if the neighbor figures into the others in the series (I hope so).

[Manybooks, Fiction Club host]

Another middle grade novel by Susan Bonners I am currently reading (and have discovered on Open Library) is Making Music, a novel that from the book description is not just about moving and making music but also about how the main protagonist (whose family has just had to move) makes friends with an elderly piano playing neighbour.

[Cheryl, Host of Miscellaneous and Newbery Clubs]

Oh that sounds lovely, too. Sounds like discovering Susan Bonners was a good catch!

[Manybooks, Fiction Club host]

Cheryl wrote: "Oh that sounds lovely, too. Sounds like discovering Susan Bonners was a good catch!"

Yes, and it was such a weird way of discovering Susan Bonners. I tried to find Margery Williams Bianco’s The Little Wooden Doll on Open Library but found Susan Bonners’ The Wooden Doll instead and because I really enjoyed the text, I looked for more books by her and found quite a number that looked promising.

But I have definitely not enjoyed Making Music all that much, even though the friendship that develops between Annie and Mrs. Bergstrom is sweet.

(view spoiler)[While Susan Bonners' Making Music presents all kinds of with potential emotion imbued premises (particularly regarding how moving often does seem to stress out and negatively affect especially older children and that friendships can also and maybe even should increasingly be more multi-generational), nothing in any manner really all that inherently interesting actually seems to materialise with and in Susan Bonners' presented text, with there being so many multiple and interesting issues featured in Making Music (but yes, never actually all that much expanded upon), such as how Annie is upset at the family having had to move for her mother's work and thus no longer being able to have her uncle teach her how to play the piano, that the parents are clearly divorced, that Annie is upset at her box of horse miniatures having been lost in the move. For far too often, in Making Music, a thematic scenario is started by Susan Bonners and then just left to basically and totally wither and shrivel up (like for example, how the fact that Annie's parents are divorced is basically shown in just a few short sentences and the reasons why are never at all explored, and yes, that the thread of Annie being upset at the loss of her box of horse figurines during the move, while this is mentioned, after Annie has called the moving company to let them know, the whole story seems to just totally disappear from the pages of Making Music when Annie then makes friends with her elderly neighbour Mrs. Bergstrom.


Furthermore, even Annie's friendship with Mrs. Bergstrom and that she, that Mrs. Bergstrom will be giving Annie her desired and wished for piano lessons, Susan Bonners' depiction of this also has been rather totally and majorly disappointing, since we as readers do not actually ever get to really know Mrs. Bergstrom in any way intimately (as I for one certainly was wanting to know more about her life and also why Mrs. Bergstrom was no longer actively giving music lessons). And indeed, it really does feel like a total and utter let-down (as well as also kind of being a bit misleading if looking at the book title) that as soon as Mrs. Bergstrom starts to give Annie her piano lessons, Making Music just finishes, just stops in medias res so to speak, remaining (at least in my humble opinion) annoyingly unfinished and equally also giving the distinct and rather uncomfortable feeling that Making Music is in fact more like the outline of a novel but not really a finished and polished end product (with oh so much that could have been and should have been added and included to make the narrative, to make Annie's story more rounded and full-circle). (hide spoiler)]

[Manybooks, Fiction Club host]

I enjoyed how in Susan Bonners’ The Silver Balloon, Gregory become pen pals with a farmer (who had found his released helium balloon and wrote back a letter with a mystery gift). But yes and sadly, for many modern parents, having a young elementary school boy corresponding via letter with an adult who is a stranger might feel a bit uncomfortable as would the fact that while researching the mystery gifts he has received from Mr. Mayfield, Gregory and his friend Tommy are both allowed and encouraged to freely roam by themselves and without adults accompanying them.

[Cheryl, Host of Miscellaneous and Newbery Clubs]

Sure, I'd read the first few letters, but I agree that too many parents today are too protective of their children. This book sounds wonderful to me.

[Manybooks, Fiction Club host]

Cheryl wrote: "Sure, I'd read the first few letters, but I agree that too many parents today are too protective of their children. This book sounds wonderful to me."

It was pretty good but it also kind of made me nostalgically sad.

[Kathryn, The Princess of Picture-Books]

Cynthia Rylant is so good at this. We've already mentioned Mr Putter and Tabby. She also includes wonderful elderly characters in the Cobble Street Cousins series. I just read Some Good News and the girls connect with two elderly neighbors. Very good! I believe there's another in the series that also features one of these neighbors, but I've not read it yet: Special Gifts.

[Cheryl, Host of Miscellaneous and Newbery Clubs]

Oh yes, I'd forgotten about Rylant's other books; I should reread them... thank you!

[Beverly, former Miscellaneous Club host]

The Mansion in the Mist by John Bellairs
A fun, fast-paced book in which 13-year-old Anthony Monday and his senior citizen friends, Miss Eells, a librarian, and her brother, Emerson Eells (in their late 60s) stumble across another dimension, the sorcerer denizens of which want to take over the Earth. This happens while they are vacationing in Emerson's summer cottage on an unnamed island in northern Canada. The characters are interesting, although the sorcerers are little more than stock evil beings, and the atmosphere of the other dimension is suitably creepy and dismal. This is one of the last middle grade novels that John Bellairs wrote before he passed. I have read most of his spooky middle grade novels, and it is a good addition to his oeuvre. Bellairs is very good with fast-paced plots and creepy atmospheres, but doesn't spend a lot of time on characterization, although his main characters are interesting--people the reader might want to be friends with.

[Manybooks, Fiction Club host]

Beverly wrote: "The Mansion in the Mist by John Bellairs
A fun, fast-paced book in which 13-year-old Anthony Monday and his senior citizen friends, Miss Eells, a librarian, and her b..."

Ha, so Northern Canada is the gateway to an evil second dimension :-)

[Beverly, former Miscellaneous Club host]

Manybooks wrote: "Ha, so Northern Canada is the gateway to an evil second dimension .."

Not exactly. There was actually a chest in the vacation house that was a portal to that other dimension. Canada was never blamed.