Children's Books discussion

Come join us to discuss the Medal Winner,
Kira-Kira by Cynthia Kadohata

and/or the Honor books:
Al Capone Does My Shirts by Gennifer Choldenko
The Voice That Challenged a Nation: Marian Anderson and the Struggle for Equal Rights by Russell Freedman
Lizzie Bright and the Buckminster Boy by Gary D. Schmidt

I could only give Lizzie Bright and the Buckminster Boy 3 stars, though it's evident why it was honored. I'd love to know if any of you rate it higher, and what you appreciate about it. My review:

Some creative ideas, interesting details, important themes, nuanced characters, and back matter about the truth behind the dislocation of the residents of Malaga Island. Even a little humor. But also too much purple prose, too many stock characters,* and too many martyrs. Tbh, I just didn't quite care for it, nor do I feel ready to recommend it.

*The bad guy was named Stonecrop, ok....

I enjoyed the Al Capone series on audio book. Mostly I was interested in Natalie and her journey. I liked Moose when he was standing up for Natalie and protecting her but he's more of a typical teenage boy when he's around Piper and especially the guys at school. Piper, the Warden's daughter, is a piece of work. I did NOT like the mom. Her insistence on treating Natalie like a toddler is infuriating and exasperating. It's a running thing in the series that only Moose sees his sister growing up. Dad is OK but defers to the mom until it's almost too late and Moose confides in his dad.

I love little Teresa. She's a riot. Jimmy the nerd is a good character and poor Annie B., the only other big girl, gets shoved aside time and again.

Darby Trixel is a two-dimensional villain, at least to start with. He has a motive for loathing Natalie but it's not an excuse. The whole family is awful and shady. Little Janet is an imaginative and lonely child but her parents are so horrid no one wants to play with her.

The cons are always a little silly. These are supposed to be the worst of the worst but they seem to have hearts of gold and pure motives. Not all of them but the ones the kids interact with.

I liked the audio book narrator and I especially enjoyed the print version of the book that has all the real life stories and photos of people who lived on Alcatraz. My parents took my niece two summers ago and my dad came back raving about the museum. I had checked the book out of the library to show my niece and it disappeared. Dad said if it turns up he'd like to read it. I'd be curious to know what he thinks of Moose.

What do you think makes it Newbery worthy?

Did not really like Moose's narrative voice in Al Capone Does My Shirts (felt more like from the 1960s than from the 1930s) and found the mother absolutely toxic and just horrible with her favouritism towards Natalie and making Moose into Natalie's caretake (and also kind of blaming him for his sister being autistic). Only a two star book for me, but I do seem to be the minority.

Cheryl wrote: "What do you think makes it Newbery worthy?"

The Committee probably loved Natalie. Having the young woman with autism in the story made it different and more weighty than just a boy adjusting to changes living on Alcatraz and trying to impress the guys at school. I did NOT like Moose's story on its own but Natalie's was fascinating. Natalie was based on the author's sister who died too young and that may also have influenced the Committee. I wish I could have taken reading interests of children to know more about that sort of thing.

Yes Mrs. Flanagan is toxic but she's not supposed to be. The author got a lot of mail from mothers who sympathized and then a lot of mail from people who loathed the mother! She's supposed to be seen as sympathetic. A mom who would do anything for her child and who is just trying to do her best. I also found some of the pushiness to make Natalie "normal" uncomfortable given my own quirky neurodiversity. (view spoiler)[In later books when she's in school, they push her to say hello and make eye contact by taking away her buttons. (hide spoiler)] I tried to understand autism wasn't known or understood in the '30s but it was hard to read Natalie's story from the mother's perspective.

Moose takes it on himself to be Natalie's caretaker later on. He's the one who spends the most time with her and understands what's going on with her and the other kids. (view spoiler)[Natalie becomes more social on the island as she hangs around with Moose and the other big kids. That in turn causes problems because people manipulate her because she's socially young and naïve. (hide spoiler)] The parents are absent from the narrative and the mother lacks the ability to properly associate with her own daughter. The things that happen in the stories are WILDLY improbable but wouldn't have happened if the mother paid more attention to her children. Sometimes Moose is the only adult in the story.

(I reread this before my parents took my niece to San Francisco so it's more fresh in my mind than the audio book I listened to years ago.)

I gave Choldenko's story three stars, but barely. I have no interest in continuing the series, esp. after reading QNPoohBear's summary above.

Didn't work for me either time that I read it. I guess that I just can't empathize with any of the characters, and many seem too iconic to me. Who is Natalie beyond her fits & obsessions? We catch a glimpse at the end as she seems to be trying to be more 'normal' but it's not enough. Piper is def. more trouble than she's worth, but somehow we're supposed to imagine that Moose is attracted to her?

Also: Could any of the money spent on snake-oil salesmen for Natalie have been spent on things that would actually help, for example someone who could care for her at times and give the rest of the family a chance to solidify their bonds with each other? I guess not, because the story wouldn't be as dramatic and appealing to certain kids & educators then. :shrug:

Cheryl wrote: "I gave Choldenko's story three stars, but barely. I have no interest in continuing the series, esp. after reading QNPoohBear's summary above.

Didn't work for me either time that I read it. I gues..."

I was definitely disappointed with Al Capone Does My Shirts (and also found the entire narration inauthentic and not sounding like the 1930s). Like you, not interested in continuing with the series either.

Spoilers about Natalie
(view spoiler)[She grows and matures a lot. They get her into the Esther P. Marinoff [spelling? I listened to the audio books] school for "problem" children. She's rejected at first from the kids' school and sent home because they sent her off without her blanket, her comfort object and I think something about her sleep cycle was off and she was noisy.

The mother admits she persists in thinking of Natalie as a child because people want to help CHILDREN with problems but NO ONE talks about adults with problems. They get Natalie a social worker who is very nice. Mrs. Kelly says Natalie talks about Moose all the time. Moose realizes that in having Natalie hang out with him, she's becoming more social.

What I didn't like was how the cons AND in the last book, Bea Trixel, use her for their own aims and take advantage of her.

I also didn't like how the school took away her buttons in order to force Natalie to "behave" ("no funny business!")

The moment comes for Natalie to act her age when Dad is injured by an escaping con. Dad was trying to protect the kids who stupidly got into trouble. Moose wants to see his dad in the hospital. He feels guilty and is very worried. Even though he's tall for his age, he's too young to visit. Natalie, however, is 16 or almost 16, and of age to visit. Moose hatches a plan to sneak into the hospital with Natalie's help. She's worried about Dad too and allows an adult neighbor to comb her hair and dress in her adult clothing. Moose coaches her on what to say and how to say it and it works. They're busted by Mom though.

In the final book Natalie apparently has come a long way and is confiding in Piper, who is slightly humbled after being busted in a money laundering scheme. Natalie apparently has a crush on Moose's new friend who is kind to her. Mrs. Trixel convinces Natalie she's engaged to this boy! The usual antics ensue and Moose has to rescue his sister. (hide spoiler)]

I didn't LOVE the books but I liked Natalie and could relate to her. The story of Moose and Natalie made me wonder how my sister's daughter is going to look back on her brother's early child when he had "autism like tendencies" and was failure to thrive. My sister spent a lot of time and energy on him. Currently, my niece doesn't remember or just rolls her eyes and says Mom treats brother like he's a toddler.

It sounds to me like your niece will be just fine. Moose probably will be, too. I hope Natalie will, too, though it seems iffy from what you say.

The Voice That Challenged a Nation: Marian Anderson and the Struggle for Equal Rights is a long biography, picture-book size.

I found it somewhat dry, and I already know much of the historical and continuing context. Young me would have been so bored that the message of injustices would have seemed like irrelevant ancient history.

I did appreciate that Eleanor Roosevelt resigned from the DAR for the sake of their racism (and though Freedman points out that other members disagreed with "President General Robert" the fact is that they let her get away with segregation until 1952(.

I find it noteworthy that Anderson's most famous concert opened with *America* and a change to a line for "To thee we sing."

LBJ, a Texan, gave her the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1963. Where are those Texans who see him as a role model now?

And, of course, we still have a lot to learn from Mrs. Roosevelt.

I hope young people learn about Marian Anderson and are inspired by her, too. If not from this book, maybe by others, or by recordings of her performances. This book does include excellent back matter.

One of the saddest things about Kira-Kira is outside the text. It's knowing that even now, in the US, there are far too many people who are 'working poor' and have to work as many hours for as little pay & respect as the parents in this family.

Inadequate and expensive health insurance, wearing 'pads' instead of being allowed bathroom breaks, too much of paychecks going to inadequate housing, owners who earn 20 or more times as much as the people who make their lives possible, etc... it's all still true & common decades later.

And yes, I know this personally. It's not just propaganda.

Cheryl wrote: "One of the saddest things about Kira-Kira is outside the text. It's knowing that even now, in the US, there are far too many people who are 'working poor' and have to work as many ho..."

Good point, and if you complain and even dare to point this out, you are labelled a Communist and some kind of evil radical, sigh.

Well, I'm not. I say this often, and often get support for doing so. But it doesn't change much just to know about it.

Manybooks wrote: "Good point, and if you complain and even dare to point this out, you are labelled a Communist and some kind of evil radical, sigh.
."

Only in certain communities and not in the cities where I live where people have big problems and condemning gentrification is popular with the younger crowd. My city was an industrial giant with textile mills until the 1930s when the unions/cheaper labor elsewhere and electricity sent the mills on a slow decline. It sounds like Kira-Kira is a relatable book for kids in my city. Some of the libraries have it listed as YA and some as children's. There are lots of copies including audio and e-book but not many are checked out. This book is also available in Spanish.

Btw, Lizzie Bright is historical fiction, and I don't think that fans of HF should skip it. This thread will eventually be moved to the Archive folder, but never closed... comments are welcome any time!