Recently Read: A Wrinkle in Time

Author: Madeleine L'Engle
Genre: Children's Classic/Science Fiction
Page Count: 256
Publication Date: 1963
Rating: 4/5

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Meg's scientist father has been missing for years and no one will tell her family where he is. She's having trouble fitting in at school and misses her father. When a stranger shows up at her house and  claims to know where her father is, Meg, her younger brother Charles Wallace, and a boy from school named Calvin go on a journey through time and space to save him.

I never read this as a child, and with the Disney adaptation coming out in March, I knew I needed to pick this up. The adaptation looks brilliant, and I have very high hopes for it. I wasn't sure what to expect out of this book as I know it is well beloved, but also aimed at young readers and was written in the 1960s. I sometimes have issues with older books aimed at children because they can sometimes seem too simple or dumbed-down compared with the children's books of today. That was not the case with this book.

I was pleasantly surprised at how good this was. I was pulled in right away by Meg and the three Mrs. characters. The writing was good and the plot and concepts totally unique. I knew absolutely nothing about this book (in fact I kept waiting for them to ride a big furry creature before realizing that I was thinking of The Never Ending Story) so I truly got to experience the story for the first time, and as an adult, loved it.  

I really liked the science fiction elements of this story as they were based in reality and L'Engle doesn't shy away from including real science in the book. The concept of wrinkling time is so poetic and a great analogy and mental image. The themes running through this novel are both obvious and subtle and for readers of all ages, as there is much to examine under the surface of this novel. I think this book would have been so unique and outstanding in its time of publication, but I also think it stands the test of time as a story that will fascinate young readers and inspire nostalgia in older readers for years to come. 

I am really looking forward to seeing this novel visually, as its world is so interesting and has the potential to be so beautiful. I really like the casting for the movie as well. On a side note: the inclusion of a few references to  religion has me interested in researching the motif of religion in children's sci-fi and fantasy novels. If you have examples of novels besides this one and Narnia with religious references or themes, let me know! 

If you haven't read this one yet, I really recommend you do before the film comes out. It's a quick, light-hearted adventure through time and space. What more could you want in a children's book? 

Recently Read: Charlie and the Chocolate Factory

Author: Roald Dahl
Genre: Children's Classic
Status: Charlie Bucket #1
Publication Date: 1964
Page Count: 132
Rating: 4/5

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The Bucket family is down on their luck. With two sets of grandparents too old to get out of bed, and a small boy named Charlie, Mr. and Mrs. Bucket have a lot of mouths to feed and not a lot of money to do it with. When the mysterious Mr. Willy Wonka announces the release of five golden tickets inside of his chocolate bar wrappers that will admit five children to see his factory, the whole world can't get enough Wonka bars. Charlie defies the odds and finds a ticket, and gets to experience the magical and improbable world of Willy Wonka.  

This was my first time reading the original story, although I was extremely familiar with the story. I have seen both movie versions, the Gene Wilder and Johnny Depp versions, many times. In fact, I much preferred the Johnny Depp version and was pleasantly surprised to discover that adaptation is pretty much spot on (except for the weird daddy issues backstory, that's all the creation of Tim Burton.)  

Despite knowing the story quite well, I really enjoyed reading this story, I didn't read a lot of Dahl as a kid because I accidentally stumbled upon his creepier works first, which didn't sit so well with scardy cat child me. But, what I had read of him as a child I really enjoyed. I loved seeing Quentin Blake's original illustrations of the characters; those two were the perfect pair. 

This story is the perfect combination of whimsy, humor, and moral. The original Oompa-Loompa songs were quite crude, and the children (minus Charlie) are quite as annoying as they are in the film. 

I'm quite eager to make my way through the rest of Dahl's children's works and then move on to his adult works. Up next, I'm hoping to start Charlie and the Great Glass Elevator, which I know nothing about plot wise and I'm thoroughly excited for. What's your favorite Dahl story? 

Tale as Old as Time (2): Children's Classics

Like many book lovers, I love collecting books. Over the past three years or so, I have been picking up quite a few old books from second hand shops, garage sales, and used book stores. I love looking at these old and beautiful books so I thought I would start a series where I showcase some of them. I have quite a few books I want to show off, so look for these posts every-so-often! I would love to hear about your favorite old books you own (or see them on your blog) so tell me about them below or link me to a post where you discuss them!

Tale as Old as Time (1)

King Arthur and his Knights of the Round Table
This is one of my favorite old books that I own. I believe I picked it up at my local thrift store for about a quarter. It was published in 1990 , so it's not that old, but it has a beautiful full-color, wrap around cover, as well as both black and white and color illustrations inside. The book is made up of Sir Thomas Malory's original Arthur tales, though they are condensed. The book has eight chapters that span from The Coming of Arthur to The Passing of Arthur. I always like to keep this book on display because I often find myself, and others, flipping through it.

Heidi 
My grandma picked me up this edition of Heidi at a garage sale when I graduated high school. The center pieces for my open house were old books stacked on top of each other and tied with ribbon, and this book was in a centerpiece. It was published in 1939 and contains a few black and white full page illustrations that are gorgeous. This one is a little fragile, and looks quite beautiful on my shelf.

The Barbary Pirates 
This was another book my grandma picked up for my centerpieces. I love the spine of this one, and well as the cover illustration. It was published in 1953 by Random House. The chapter headings are cute colored pictures, and there are multiple full-page and colored illustrations. I have not read this book, but from what I can gather it contains information on real pirates and I think it would be fun to read this someday.

Oliver Twist 
This is an adorable Junior Deluxe Edition of Oliver Twist. I have some other books by the same publisher that have adventure stories and fairy tales and I love the way these books are done. I love the cover and spine of this one, and it is in such good shape! It was published in 1956 and also contains illustrations and deckle edges.

Spines

Recently Read: Two Graphic Novels with Top-Notch Art

Title: Jane, the Fox, and Me
Author: Fanny Britt Translated by Isabelle Arsenault
Genre: Graphic Novel/ Children's
Publication Date: 2012
Page Count: 101
Rating: 5/5

Helene is a young girl, whom has just entered middle school and is criticized by the other girls for her weight. She finds solace by reading Jane Eyre, until she meets someone that makes her problems a little more bearable.

The art in this book is beyond gorgeous! Most of the art is black and white pencil drawings, and color is used sparingly and effectively. I loved the concept of this story, and thought it was very relatable I loved the idea of Helene turning to a novel to escape the hardships of everyday life, and I liked that she admired Jane, as she is a great literary role model.

One quote from this novel really stuck out to me. Helene is discussing the part in Jane Eyre where Jane is painting herself and Miss Ingram and comparing Miss Ingram's beauty to her own plainness. Helene says that when painting herself Jane, "Showed no mercy." In this moment I really understood why Helene connected to Jane. Helene showed herself no mercy, and a lot of other people are the same way when they examine themselves. This, to me, was the biggest message from the book; show yourself love and mercy, because you deserve it. I think this book would be a great read for young girls, but could just as easily be enjoyed by older audiences as well. 


Title: Vincent
Author: Barbara Stok
Genre: Graphic Novel/ Biography
Publication Date: 2015
Page Count: 141
Rating: 4/5

This is graphic novel biography of Vincet Van Gogh's time in Areles, where he went to paint and develop his dream of setting up a house for artists to live and work in together.

The art style of this book is really cute. The settings in the backgrounds of the panels are pulled right from some of Van Gogh's paintings, and his artwork is incorporated into the novel.

This graphic novel does an excellent job of portraying Van Gogh's desperation and mania like passion, as well as his struggles with epilepsy. Van Gogh's dream to stay true to himself and support other artists is admirable. The novel also contains some beautiful excerpts from letters that Vincent had sent his brother Theo over the years.

My favorite thing about this novel was the focus on the connection between Theo and Vincent. Theo had a huge love for his brother, and supported him and his art with both money and love. At one point Theo said he was worried about his brother because of the colors he was using in his latest paintings. What a beautiful connection the two must have had if Theo could read Vincent's state of mind just by the color pallet of his paintings. I really recommend checking this one out if you are interested in art, biographies, Van Gogh, or all three.

I would love to purchase both of these novels in the future.

Top Ten Tuesday: Top Ten Books Past Me Loved and Present Me Wants to Reread

Shocker: I read a lot as a kid.Before I could read, I made my parents read to me constantly, and after I learned to read on my own, there was no stopping me. I'm very attached to my books from my childhood and most of the books on this list are books that I own my mom's hand-me-down copies of as a kid and still today, which made them even more special to me, and of course they still are. So here are ten books I loved as a kid and still love today and would love to reread.  

Hosted by: The Broke and the Bookish

 

1. A Series of Unfortunate Events, Lemony Snicket

I never finished this series, I got to book eight or nine and then for some reason never finished. I would love to see how this over-the-top series finished. 

2. Nancy Drew, Carolyn Keene

I love Nancy Drew's sass and fearlessness.

3. The Little House on the Prairie series, Laura Ingles Wilder 

This was one that belonged to my mom, and I haven't finished the series and I would love to. 

 

4. Alexander and Terrible, Horrible, Very Bad Day, Judith Viorst

As a college student, I can relate to poor Alexander about 6/7 days of the week. I love the illustrations in this book and it would definitely cheer me up on a horrible, no good, very bad day.  

5. Junie B. Jones series, Barbra Park 

Junie B. Jones always cracks me up! I remember both of us cracking up when my mom would read these out loud to me! 

6. Because of Winn-Dixie, Kate DiCamillo

This is one of the first books that I read on my own that I LOVED. I read it multiple times and I would love to reread it. This was one of the first books that really made me FEEL something.

 

7. The Velveteen Rabbit, Margery Williams

This was another one that was passed down from my mom, and one we always read together.

8. Time Stops For No Mouse, Micheal Hoeye

I read this one in elementary and loved it! It has great adventure and mystery.  

9. The Borrowers Afloat, Mary Norton

Another book that I read my mom's copy off! I love the illustrations in this one.

10. Ramona and Beezus, Beverly Clearly 

Another book that always made me laugh! I love the Ramona books, but this one is my favorite I think.