Narnia: Prince Caspian by CS Lewis

 The Narnia books occupied our childhood bookshelves and we read The Lion, Witch and the Wardrobe. The first book of the series written, it is the easiest to follow and the most palatable for children’s tastes. It is easy to understand the characters and the plot- there is less complexity and vagueness in the original title of the Narnia series.

Prince Caspian and the other six books of the series sat on the shelf at my childhood home-  maybe my sister read them but I never did. I might have tried but they seemed confusing- hard to follow the plot and get all the characters straight. I just finished Prince Caspian for the first time at age 47 and now I understand why I never read it as a child. This is not a children’s book- it contains a story within a story- two different dwarves who seem very similar in each part of the plot. The setting is also complex- it takes place in Narnia thousands of years after the original Narnia story. The children, who reentered English society after ruling Narnia for man years, are pulled back into a Narnian world that is thousands of years older and now ruled by Telemarines. The Telemarines conquered Narnia and are ruling it under a different regime- one in which the old talking creatures of Narnia are silenced and thought mostly dead. Because a son of Adam is supposed to rule Narnia- the existing Narnian creatures who are in hiding agree that a Telemarines must be put in charge- but they must find a good human to fulfill this job amongst the Telemarines. This is very confusing to a reader- that some of the conquering people are good and some are bad- we as a reader are left hanging trying to decipher the good conquerors from the bad. We find out at the end from Asian that the Telemarines accidentally entered Narnia in a way similar to the four children from England- by accidentally entering a chasm between their world and Narnia- and he offers them a way back into Telmar if they wish to go.

At the beginning, the children are pulled off the train station platform and fall back into Narnia; this time the wardrobe is not involved in their transport. They immediately encounter a dwarf being drowned by Telemarines soldiers and Susan rescues him with a swift shot of her bow and arrow (from the first book). This dwarf, named Trumpkin, catches them up on the world of Narnia under the rule of the Telemarines-this is where the confusing “story within a story” convolutes the plot. Trumpkin tells them of the rightful heir to the Narnian throne, Prince Caspian- whose father King Caspian was murdered by his Uncle Miraz who then assumed his throne. Up until Miraz had a son of his own he was content to let Prince Caspian inherit the throne- but upon the birth of his son Prince Caspian must flee for his life.

Prince Caspian escapes, barely, with the help of his tutor, Doctor Cornelius who is a dwarf in disguise. Doctor Cornelius has told Caspian the history of Narnia and about the talking beasts and trees that have been stifled and silenced in the new regime. He escapes on his horse into the forrest of creatures in hiding- and is eventually rescued and nursed by a few of them- a badger, two dwarves- Trumpkin and an evil dwarf named Nikabrik. When Trumpkin is sent to receive help near Cair Paravel ruins he is captured by Telemarines and that is when Susan rescues him. Meanwhile, Nikabrik and Trufflehunter (badger) remain behind to try to save Narnia from the evil Telemarines and revive the talking creatures of old.

The plot includes a scene with Caspian and Nikabrik in dialogue about conjuring up other powers besides Aslan to help them conquer Narnia. It is symbolic of using witchcraft or sorcery to achieve a goal- ultimately Nikabrik and his two helpers are killed but not without a fight. 

The other theme is how Aslan guides them through the Narnian wilderness- that has changed considerably since they left. Ultimately, he destroys a bridge everybody expects to be there and awakens the trees- trapping the Telemarines and then adding numbers to the Narnian army allowing them to conquer the Telemarines.

Characters from Greek mythology are referenced during the celebratory part of the story- Bacchus and Silenus. The inclusion of pagan Greek gods is possibly a reference to Lewis’s own literary past- a reference to the idea that Christianity doesn’t negate all importance of these mythological characters. They still have a place in symbolism and can play a part of imaginary fantasy.  They recur several times during the second part of the book. I wondered if this was also a reference to the timelessness of Narnia- although Mr. Tumnus from the first story is gone, he was the one who pointed out these Greek mythology creatures in the original story. And then they appear at the same age in Prince Caspian- as is Aslan (who represents Jesus Christ). 

Humility is also emphasized- Prince Caspian must admit he does not feel adequate to rule Narnia before he is crowned king. Aslan states that if he felt adequate he would not be fit to rule.

The final scene is a powerful, yet confusing narrative of return to one’s world of origin. Aslan finally tells the Telemarines from where they came- the same place as the four children. The entire story we do not know this- only at the very end. They were pirates and some of the pirates escaped to what they thought was a cave only to fall through the chasm into the world of Narnia. He makes a doorway out of scraps- if they walk through the door they can forever return to where they came from- the land of Telmar.

The themes, plot and character development in Narnia is too complex and sophisticated for children- this is more of an adult fantasy. Do you agree?

The Wizard of Oz and the Oz Series by L Frank Baum

When I spent 10$ on the Wonderful Wizard of Oz radio play done by Colonial Radio Theatre, little did I know I was fueling my family’s passion for reading. It’s true- best 10$ I ever spent. This joined the ranks of the Narnia books for best reading hook- a hook and lure to grab the kids’ attention and suck them into the passions of reading.

This was another vehicle project- pop the CD in the drive while running errands or taking kids to activity events. During these car rides- kids are strapped in their seats and unable to get out. This might explain their willingness to sit through a dull place in the story- or even sit long enough to really understand the plot as it unfolds. 

The brilliance of these audio plays is in their sound effects. In a regular audiobook the narrator might change his voice for different characters or mimic the sound of an animal for effect. In this version, there is an actual cast of different people acting out the story in audio form. If you sit in a different room and listen you might think there is a TV program on in the other room. Husband calls to me from the other room, “Are the kids watching TV? They aren’t supposed to be watching TV.” The answer is “The kids are not watching TV- they are listening to reading!” To be fair to L Frank Baum, the radio play is not the exact version of his story- it is condensed, like all plays, to meet the needs of the forum. This makes it easier to follow and a bit less like a really hard chapter book.

About the really hard chapter book- after listening to the radio play of Wizard of Oz several times my younger daughter- still in kindergarten- pulled out the unabridged version of the Wizard of Oz stored in her closet. She asked me to read it- and she pointed out all the parts that differed from the radio play. Brilliance! Just what we want in our readers- close attention to plot details.

I gave my copy of this beautiful CD to a dear friend yesterday- not because of lack of interest or use. The opposite. I purchased the beautiful version below - the first six books in the Oz series on CD. 

If You Give a Mouse a Cookie by Laura Numeroff

 

A beloved book for any library- boys, girls, smaller children and tweens

    As I sit near my first grader and help her find supplies, finish assignments, and just generally complete first grade online, I am beginning to realize it is a bit of an internship in my own career. This just shows how even the best laid plans can have detours. Never did I picture myself teaching first grade- or any grade younger than high school. However, first grade is fascinating on a level I had never considered.

This book is an example of the magic of first grade. In it, Laura Numeroff uses repetition in a clever way to create circular stories. Each story starts and ends with a nonsensical statement and then the story comes full circle at the end to the same ridiculous statement.  Four stories follow this theme- If You Give a Mouse a Cookie, If You Give a Pig a Pancake, If You Give a Moose a Muffin, and If you Take a Mouse to School. 

In the first one, the mouse starts out getting a cookie, then asks for a glass of milk, followed by a straw and a napkin. Each one of these “asks” is on a single page, complete with an illustration of that simple instruction. When he ends up in the bathroom to wash his hands, he asks for nail scissors and then a broom.He ends up taking a nap because he is tired from cleaning up. After reading with you during nap time, he asks for his own materials to create illustrations, which he signs with a pen and hangs on the fridge. This reminds him that he loves milk- so he asks for milk- which reminds of of the original cookie. The last page states that he wants a cookie to go with it. 

This is a brilliant strategy for engaging children learning to read. The storyline is ridiculous- but if you think about it most stories where animals act like humans are ridiculous. It is an endearing relationship between the mouse and the little boy (referenced in second person as “you”) helping him- giving him his cookie, milk, cleaning up, and reading to him. And the circular nature of the text helps kids remember key words. All kids learn to read the “no excuse” words like “If” “You” “Give” after seeing them at the beginning and end of the story. It really emphasizes and cements recognition.

Once the kids fall in love with the anthology- or even just a single story- you can whip out the CD that is included. Also included in this anthology are songs, recipes, activities, and even a science experiment. (One of the stories talks about a messy volcano that explodes everywhere) Once hooked on “mouse cookie” the kids will sing the words of several rather goofy but catchy songs about the characters in these stories. “Flippin’ the Flap Jacks” and “Piggy Polka” were two favorites at our house for a while.

This is an anthology that will last for many years- for introductory reading to an infant/toddler, to the early  days of reading to self and sometimes my tween daughter picks it up and reads it for nostalgic fun.

 

The Tale of Despereaux by Kate DiCamillo

 

Kate DiCamillo brings us a surprising gem in this tale of a mouse. Somehow, she makes emotions, relationships, and vulnerability occur in a mouse, and she does it in an engaging manner. It seems easier to experience all of it through a creature- a mouse. By the end you realize all the symbols of evil including the darkness, the rats, the dungeon, the servant-girl turned criminal- it is all polarized human nature. All of these characteristics exist- inside each of us.

Despereaux was born a nonconformist. After all, his eyes were open and an mouse’s eyes should never be open after birth. “There’s something wrong with him.” Said the father. “Leave him alone.”

Despereaux could sense things no other mouse could. “It’s something else it sounds like... um... honey.” (He was hearing music, something no other mouse could hear.) This is a notable mixture of senses to draw attention to the power and magic of music. Music is not just something to hear- it invokes a flavor of honey in his mouth. 

While receiving lessons on how to be a mouse, he was supposed to taste the books of the library.  The instructions were to “First a bite of some glue and then follow it with a crunch of the paper. And these squiggles. They are very tasty.” Instead, Despereaux finds himself reading the “squiggles” of the phrase “Once upon a time.”  This introduces him to the story that defines his future life- that of a princess and a brave knight who serves and honors her. 

The “sound” of honey comes back. “He went to the library and read over and over the story of the fair maiden and the knight who rescued her. And he discovered, finally, the source of the honey-sweet sound. The sound was music.” He is so drawn into the honey sound that he forgets he is a mouse and crawls too close to the princess and her father, the king, who are playing the guitar and singing together. And because he comes too close, the princess reaches out and touches him and he falls in love. Only to be discovered by his brother, who then turns him over to the mouse council for an egregious sin- fraternizing with humans. 

The beating of a drum is what dramatizes Despereaux’s trial in front of the mouse council. And it is his father’s job to beat the drum. One message of this book is “what happens to those who do not conform.” Lester (Despereaux’s father) conforms to the needs of the council and agrees to beat the drum at his own son’s trial. “Boom. Tat-tat Boom. Tat-tat. Boom.” This is the signal that an important decision is about to be made. It’s a poignant truth- the sound of a drum actually makes an event or decision seem more important. 

And Despereaux’s ultimate conviction by the mouse council. “a mouse who would allow a human to touch him....cannot be trusted. This is the way of the world, our world.” Despereaux is sentenced to life down in the dungeon of the castle while his father Lester, just sits back and nods his head. For the fate of one who does not conform......

Once again, the beat of the drum accompanies Despereaux, wearing a thread around his neck, on his fated journey down into the dungeon. His mother and father just watch- bid him “Adieu”for farewell. His brother is charged with leading him to the dungeon. No effort to stop them or go in his place. The ultimate in conformist. He is, according to the law established wearing” the red thread of death.” Here is the use of color to illustrate perhaps blood? He is pushed down the stairs, and falls to his destiny, assumed to be death in the dungeon. 

Meanwhile, in a separate part of the castle- the dungeon- another story is unfolding which will, in time, coincide with our first hero, Despereaux. The contrasts drawn here between the dark evil of the dungeon and the light goodness up above are sharp. A rat named “Chiaroscuro” is born into the “filth and darkness of the dungeon.” Roscuro, as he comes to be called, comes into the storyline nibbling on the rope of the dungeon-keeper, Gregory. This rope keeps him from getting lost in the maze and traps of the endless, black dungeon. Here DiCamillo uses a match flame to illustrate smell and sight. “But alas he did not close his eyes, and the flame exploded around him and danced inside him.” Not only does the flame light up the darkness- it dances in the nothingness of the dungeon. “He held the match closer to Roscuro’s face and a terrible smell of burnt whiskers rose up around the jailer and the rat.” This brings smell into the mix- sight,  touch (movement of dance), and now the smell of the match. DiCamillo engages three senses through the simple lighting of a match. This encounter, ironically, gave Roscuro a taste for light. “He was always, in the darkness of the dungeon, on the lookout for light, the smallest glimmer, the tiniest shimmer.” 

To his comment that the meaning of life is light, his friend Botticelli states, “The meaning of life... is suffering, specifically the suffering of others.” This formally introduces the conflict between good and evil- and the question of which one is ultimately more powerful and influential. After describing how to torture an incoming prisoner to the dungeon, Botticelli says, “At that point, it is most effective to run back and forth over the prisoner’s feet, inducing physical terror along with the emotional sort....it is such a lovely game...and it is just absolutely chock-full of meaning.” The reader can sense the physical pain induced by the running on the prisoner’s feet.

When light leaked into the dungeon from the door to the outside Botticelli calls it “hideously ugly” while Roscuro says, “It was beautiful.” Botticelli classifies rats this way: “Listen. We are rats. We do not like light. We are about darkness. We are about suffering.” 

Roscuro soon gets to test that hypothesis when he goes upstairs and sees the beautifully decorated banquet hall with all the royalty and the delicious food set out to eat. And the beautiful princess- loveliness and laughter- it all seems to glow brighter. He knows he was deceived, “...Botticelli..was wrong. Suffering is not the answer. Light is the answer.”

The flavor of the banquet soup is described in detail- our sense of taste comes alive with the description “The soup was a masterwork, a delicate mingling of chicken, watercress and garlic.” Roscuro falls from the chandelier above the table into Princess Pea’s bowl of soup. At this, the queen drops dead. And then soup is outlawed- along with all the utensils and accessories along with it.

Next, DiCamillo recounts the story of a poorly treated servant of the peasants-  a Miggery Sow. She is denied much of her hearing due to physical beating of her “uncle” in the ears. Her “Uncle” being the man who bought her from her father, after her mother died, for a pathetic few needed items. One small comfort comes to her one day when the royal caravan passes her farm and she waves at the Princess Pea. “It was as if a small candle had been lit in her interior, sparked to life by the brilliance of the king and queen and the princess.” And she figures out what this feeling is called- “..she realized that the feeling she was experiencing, the hope blooming inside of her  felt exactly the opposite of a good clout.”

Meanwhile, Despereaux had been rescued by his fate in the dungeon by the jailor who wrapped him up in a napkin and placed him on a tray delivered by Mig Sow (brought to the castle by the people collecting all the soup spoons, bowls and other equipment outlawed with soup)  back to the castle kitchen. Upon getting his tail sliced off, he falls asleep and dreams of a knight with a sword. “And the dark took many shapes. First the dark was his mother, uttering phrases in French. And then the dark became his father beating the drum. The dark was Furlough wearing a black hood and shaking his head no. And the dark became a huge rat smiling a smile that was evil and sharp.” He asks the knight his name and the knight tells him he knows his name. But when he takes off his helmet, the suit of armor is empty. Despereaux is disturbed by this.

Meanwhile, Roscuro lures poor Migery Sow with a promise of becoming a princess. He has her hold the princess at knife point and lead her into the dungeon where he plans to hold her as his prisoner. While being held at knife-point, “She licked her lips, over and over again, because she thought that she could taste there the sweet saltiness of the soup that her mother had fed her in her dream.” The taste is a feeling of comfort for the princess. 

His father Lester admits to destroying the drum that sent Despereaux to his death in the dungeon. “I’ve destroyed the drum. Will you forgive me?”

When the king finds his daughter missing from her bedroom, he weeps. “Tears were cascading from his eyes. A small puddle had formed at his feet.”

As Despereaux is pushing a spool of thread through he kitchen, on his way to rescue the princess in the dungeon the smell of soup reappears in the story. “He had never in his life smelled anything so lovely, so inspiring. With each sniff he took, he felt himself growing stronger, braver.” 

Then the thread rolls down the stairs ahead of Despereaux and lands at the feet of the rats below. They know by the smell of it what is coming behind. “I smell ....could it be?...soup. And I smell tears. Human tears....of flour and oil....the blood of a mouse.”

The end of the story has a beautiful exchange between the rat Roscuro (who represents darkness and evil) and the Princess Pea (who represents light and goodness) “Pea was aware suddenly of how fragile her heart was, how much darkness was inside it, fighting always, with the light. She did not like the rat. She would never like the rat, but she knew what she must do to save her own heart. She said, “Roscuro, would you like some soup?””

And so it was the promise of a glint of light to the darkness that saved the Princess from her evil fate in the dungeon.

Anthologies of children’s stories- Disney, Pixar and the like

 I took a photo of two books that fit into our burgeoning collection of anthology books. These two are Disney/Pixar stories. The Disney Princess one is quite worn- I bought it in that condition. We also have a Fancy Nancy Collection, Amelia Bedelia Collection, several Berenstain Bears collections and at least one other Disney anthology. We have so many books we probably have anthology books I have forgotten about. I did not purchase these books- not on amazon or at a regular bookstore. Our library facilitates a book exchange of sorts- a used book section where people donate old books. You can buy anything from that shelf for between 50 cents and 1$.  (An excellent philanthropic project would be to start such an exchange in a lower socioeconomic community- the challenge would be finding a supply of books to be donated on a regular basis. Such a repository of reading material would increase access of literary material for their children) It is an excellent way to diversify your library or to just figure out what your child likes- place a variety of used books on their shelf and see what they grab. 

The other place to get cheap books is a TJ Max, Marshalls or Home Goods. At these places, overstock books are shelved at a steep discount- often a price comparison on amazon shows a 50% or more price knockoff.

All of these anthology/collections of stories are advantageous. For the child with a bulging bookshelf and books stashed on different shelves all over the house, a collection serves as a one-stop hub of stories. The search for a stray book is minimized by the binding of several into a single book. Buying a collection is also cheaper and more efficient- the stories are less expensive to buy when combined in an anthology.

A huge disadvantage of these types of collections is that the stories are often truncated or otherwise altered to fit the needs of the binding of that book. In the pink Disney book (pictured above) the story of Cinderella starts as the stepsisters are getting ready for the royal ball. No mention of Cinderella’s early life  or why she has become an orphan working for the woman who married her father and his two daughters. My daughter doesn’t seem to mind but it bothers me that the story is so abbreviated.

I succumbed to the temptation to add anthologies to our collection because of convenience and price. If you want the most detailed version of each fairy tale- complete with gorgeous illustrated pictures and beautiful binding I recommend buying them individually. 

Historical Fiction: Anne of Green Gables

 

This is my all-time favorite book. In 2009 Johns and I went to Prince Edward Island to fulfill a lifelong dream of seeing where Lucy Maude Montgomery lived, worked and wrote her famous novels. In this post, I will focus on how historical fiction can help us understand the socioeconomic/historical/political events of a time period. Any time the subject of east coast Canada comes up in conversion, for example, I feel some familiarity with it. To be fair- since 2007 John and I have taken frequent trips to Toronto to see his sister- but even before I went for the first time in 2007 I felt familiar with it- because I had read and reread the Anne books so many times I could already picture the landscape and understand a little of the politics. Here are some examples of history revealed within fiction.

The description of Mrs. Rachel Lynde on page 3 of Anne of Green Gables is our first glimpse of what woman do with their daily lives. “She was a notable housewife; her work was always done and well done; she “ran” the Sewing Circle, helped run the Sunday school, and was the strongest prop of the Church Aid Society and Foreign Missions Auxiliary. Yet with all this, Mrs. Rachel found abundant time to sit for hours at her kitchen window, knitting “cotton warps” quilts- she had knitted sixteen of them.”

In a glimpse of what higher education was like in the early 20th century, the students applying for teacher-license entrance took an exam and the pass/fail results were published in the local newspaper. “Father brought the paper home from Bright River not ten minutes ago- it came out on the afternoon train, you know and won’t be here tomorrow by mail- and when I saw the pass list I just rushed over like a wild thing. You’ve all passed, every one of you.” (Diana Barry, 204)

A description of the high-fashion dress that Matthew gave Anne reveals the fashion taste of the era: “Anne took the dress and looked at it in reverent silence. Oh, how pretty it was- a lovely soft brown gloria with all the gloss of silk; a skirt with dainty frills and shirrings; a waist elaborately pintucked in the most fashionable way, and a little ruffle of filmy lace at the neck. But the sleeves- they were the crowning glory! Long elbow cuffs, and above them two beautiful puffs divided by rows of stirring and bows of brown silk ribbon 156.)

A description of the birch path in Avonlea is one example of a vivid illustration of scenery- realistic enough to give the reader a picture of what the terrain really looks like. “It was a little narrow, twisting path, winding down over a long hill straight through Mr. Bell’s woods, where the light came down sifted through so many emerald screens that it was as flawless as the heart of a diamond. It was fringed in all its length with slim young birches, white-stemmed and lissom boughed; ferns and starflowers and wild lilies-of-the-valley and scarlet tufts of pigeon berries grew thickly along it; and always there was a delightful spiciness in the air and music of bird calls and the murmur and laugh of wood winds in the trees overhead, 83.”

Historical Fiction, children’s literature and the importance of a diverse library of books

 

Little House In the Big Woods is the first book in the original nine-book series: Little House on the Prairie is book three in the series.

When my two girls were just babies I bought the complete Little House on the Prairie series. This taught me two things: Always gauge your kids’ interest in a book before buying the complete series and even if the kids are not interested in a series it can be worthwhile to buy it anyway. Although my girls didn’t care for the Little House books, I think owning this series is worthwhile.  I started a new habit of only buying one or two books in a series and then waiting to see if the kids want to read more. This has saved me from having shelves of unread books on hand. In the case of the Little House books, these books appear on required reading lists throughout school. When my daughter was assigned a book review of a chapter book in second grade, she had already read Little House in the Big Woods at least twice- on audiobook in the car and with me before bedtime. The book review was very easy for her for this reason. I imagine other opportunities like this one will appear throughout her education.

There is a version of this book that is for language learners younger than second grade. It is a series of picture books that take vignettes from the early Little House stories (mostly the Big Woods) and adapt them into simple picture books. For my younger daughter, these stories are captivating- she loves the color pictures and the little girls. She has mimicked Laura’s curlers in her hair (from a vivid color picture) and created her own paper dolls like the ones that Mary and Laura played with. I bought her the paper doll collection of Little House (sold on amazon) and it has created hours of entertainment for her.

The Little House on the Prairie series is worthwhile on several levels. The most simple is reading level. At an early age, kids listen to it read out loud. When I put the audio CD in the car while driving, both girls would remain in the car long after I had returned home. They found they were more drawn in by the frontier tales than they thought they would be. (They would never listen to it if not strapped in their car seats.) Like all historical fiction, The Little House books use language from the historical period as well as technology relevant to the story. In Little Town on the Prairie, book seven in the series, Pa jokes, “By jingo, that plow can handle the work by itself (9).” This quotation illustrates at least two significant components of historical fiction. The slang “by jingo” is period specific- nobody says that. The second is discussion about the plow. Today Pa’s joke is reality- the handler just drives the vehicle. Back then, plowing was physical labor- and hard labor. “Pa had a new plow, a breaking plow. It was wonderful for breaking the prairie sod. It had a sharp-edged wheel, called a roller coulter that ran rolling and cutting through the sod ahead of the plowshare....Now after a whole day’s work, Sam and David gaily lay down and rolled , and pricked their ears and looked about the prairie before they fell to cropping grass. They were not being worn down, sad and gaunt, by breaking sod that spring.  And at supper Pa was not too tired to joke (9).”

In the Little House picture book “Sugar Snow” their Grandpa is making maple syrup/sugar from scratch. The process of sapping a tree is illustrated with a color picture (see below). Perhaps there are rural people who sap their trees today but I have never seen it before- and my family owns a rural farm. This is a wonderful example of showing children how there was a time before Ralphs and Whole Foods.  In learning how items were made from scratch the kids are exposed to a different way of gathering supplies- and a background on what happens to their food/household items before they reach the modern grocery store.

Another reason to read historical fiction is to understand the socioeconomic and historical events going on during a particular period, during a particular time. I will elaborate on this in my next post about Anne of Green Gables.