Finding Wondla

I read In Search of Wondla by Tony DiTerlizzi while backpacking through the dramatic fjord region of Norway this summer. While our heroine, Eva Nine, is thrust into the foreign and fantastical world above her underground sanctuary, I was wandering around lands strange and unusual to me, too. I didn't come across four winged birds or ambulatory trees, but there were reindeer and vikings. I think we were equally awed by the expansive sky though, as only a girl living underground and a New Yorker could have been.

DiTerlizzi has built a world both replete with unknown natural organisms and technology we still only dream about. Take Eva's omnipod- dangerously close to resembling an iPod, this device can scan living organisms, project holographic displays, x-ray, and is accessed exclusively through voice control. It syncs with the sanctuary, a non-evil version of Ray Bradbury's mechanized house in "The Veldt," and Eva's maternal robot, MUTHR. DiTerlizzi also feeds our techno-obsessed imaginations with Wondla vision, periodic icons that interact with a computer plug-in to generate a map of the region: http://wondla.com/wondla-vision.html While it serves as a great hook for reluctant readers, this add-on is not a necessary component for reading the book.

How capable our technological devices will become is a different question from how much they will feel. MUTHR`s Artificial Intelligence is logical for most of the book- displays of affection explained by her programming. However, near the end of the book MUTHR expresses both despondency and pleasure. She describes enjoying experiences. While this further develops her relationship with Eva, it also blurs the line between living creatures and machines. The plausibility is questionable but makes for great discussion questions!

Wondla is a homage to Frank L. Baum's The Wizard of Oz. Both books feature a lost heroine searching for her physical home who discovers that home is just another word for family. Both girls are orphans being raised by well-intentioned surrogates. Both are flat in their goodness but rounded out by their longing for meaningful relationships. Even Toto is present albeit much, much larger in his Wondla incarnation. Wondla can be read with no prior knowledge of Dorothy's adventures in Oz, but readers of the Oz books will enjoy parallel after parallel.

It doesn't take long for the reader to realize that Eva's story is much larger than the book at hand. This is essentially a set-up novel introducing us to the world of Orbona. Frustrating, if you expect every conflict to be resolved, but exciting if you are a series addict like me.

Waste Not, Want Not

Winter, Jonah. Here Comes the Garbage Barge. Illustrated by Red Nose Studio. Schwartz and Wade Books, 2010. 32 pages. PLB $17.99, 978-0-375-85218-3

"Garbage. Big, heaping, stinking mounds of garbage." Children will immediately be drawn in by the absurdity of this true story about the ill-fated journey of Long Island's garbage barge, a boat full of 3,168 tons of garbage. Jonah Winter's fictionalized version of the story stars Cap'm Duffy as he navigates from port to port attempting to pawn off Islip's garbage on towns up and down the eastern seaboard. News quickly spreads, and the barge is unable to dock for 162 days, eventually returning whence it came to incinerate the garbage in Brooklyn.

The writing is uneven when the narration becomes overly familiar- phrases like "see, this guy..." and "Clever, huh?" are an attempt at developing a New York voice that seem out of place in the rest of the book. Red Nose Studio's innovative photographs are composed using mixed media puppetry in theatrical scenes. The attention to detail and expressive, sometimes comical faces make the book visually rich. However, the double-breasted suits, Italian names, accented speech, and shadiness of Mr. Stroffolino's character are obvious stereotypes. Likewise the depiction of Mexicans and Belizeans as militants demonstrates questionable cultural sensitivity and expertise. This weakens the impact of Winter’s ultimate message- don’t make so much garbage.

The informative author's note adds much to the value of the book, but is structurally misplaced at the beginning. Readers turning the last page are left with an impression of the Cap'm sailing towards home leaving the focus on his individual experience. Teachers and parents would do well to turn back to the author's note at the end to discuss the impact of the garbage barge fiasco on Islip's recycling and waste-to-energy initiatives.

When the Only Tool You Have is a Hammer

Two books that have clear messages for the reader are Scat by Carl Hiaasen and The Case of the Missing Marquess, an Enola Holmes Mystery by Nancy Springer. The former is an ecological mystery in which a group of kids collaborate and tread on the law in order to save an endangered panther cub. The later stars Sherlock Holmes's lesser known little sister who runs away from home in order to track down her missing mother and avoid being sent to finishing school.

As an adult reading these books it is tempting to find the messages heavy handed- In Scat, kids organizing against corporate forces of evil to save the wilderness. Characters who love said wilderness so much they reject all worldly possessions and societal comforts to camp out in swampland. In The Case of the Missing Marquess, women struggling under the thumb of their male relatives who hold the power, the purse strings, and the opinion that women are of small cranial capacity.

But what of this isn't true? Florida is rapidly being developed to the end of great ecological loss. The state is home to over fifty species of endangered and threatened animals and another fifty endangered plants. It is true that there are fewer than 100 Florida panthers remaining. If the situation is actually this dire, shouldn't we be hit over the head with it?

Enola Holmes is historical fiction and paints a very realistic portrait of 19th century British life. Enola is a keen detective whose discerning eyes are Springer's tool for showing the reader the distinctions between the upper and lower classes, men and women, and adults and children. The dark and blunt way in which Springer describes the wharf and seedier parts of London is reminiscent of Charles Dickens- poverty, violence, and disease are commonplace. Again, what here is unfairly depicted? Enola and her mother have no right to their own estate after the passing of her father, must wear painful and cumbersome attire, and childhood itself is a luxury afforded only the rich. This is, in fact, the perfect avenue for exposing young readers to sexism and other inequalities.

Both of these books are reminders that obvious and repetitive messages are actually accessible and clear messages for tween readers. Considering the importance of environmental issues worldwide and the persistent inequalities among people, I am grateful for these books. They will surely pique the interest of young activists and begin conversations that would otherwise give way to talking about [insert inane and trivial pop culture fad here.]

Further information on the Florida panther:
http://www.floridapanthernet.org/

Art Imitates Art

A book within a book. A film within a film. I'm sure it is merely coincidence that this week I read When You Reach Me, Rebecca Stead's homage to Madeleine L'Engle's masterpiece, A Wrinkle in Time, and saw Pedro Almodovar's latest film, "Broken Embraces," which features bits of "Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown" masquerading under the name "Girls and Suitcases."

While many books and movies are inspired by a specific genre (Pulp fiction, The Big Splash), or some seem like cheap knock-offs (Charlie Bone to Harry Potter), When You Reach Me is a delicately crafted book inspired by, but in no way imitating L'Engle's. Unlike L'Engle, Stead never attempts to recreate another world or invent dark forces that threaten the earth and life as we know it. Rather, Stead creates Miranda, a character struggling to understand friendships, family, and herself- much like A Wrinkle in Time's Meg. Miranda, however, lives exclusively in our world, and the science fiction elements in the book are present only indirectly- a note from the future, a realized prediction. Miranda carries around a copy of "the book" at all times. This book is never named, but is described in detail. I would question the necessity of its inclusion in When You Reach Me's plot if Stead hadn't both managed to make Miranda just the right person to love such a book and woven it into the mysterious notes Miranda receives with the line, "tesser well."

As I sat through "Broken Embraces" earlier this week I wondered why Almodovar seemed to be paying homage to himself. The New York Times review of the movie offers an adequate explanation:

"Its appearance is not vanity or clever self-quotation. Rather, the director’s pastiche of his early, funny work becomes, in the context of this somber new film, a poignant reflection on aging and loss. To catch a glimpse of “Women” in the mirror of “Embraces” is to see how cinematic images can be both tangible and ghostly."

Infusing someone else's work into your own can be to recognize and appreciate its influence on you as an artist, while doing so to yourself is a juxtaposition that can show how you have changed over time. We are, all of us, traveling through time and it is impossible to be unaffected by its passing. As one note to Mira says, "I will not be myself when I reach you."

For the complete Times movie review, go to: http://movies.nytimes.com/2009/11/20/movies/20broken.html?scp=1&sq=broken%20embraces&st=cse

Books in Babeland

Books likeThe Girls Book: How to Be the Best in Everything, For Girls Only: Everything Great About Being a Girl, The Daring Book for Girls, and The Big Book of Girl Stuff are rubbing me the wrong way.

The idea of the books is to capture the interest of girls, and each one of the above mentioned books has a brother geared towards boys. However, that is exactly the problem. Unlike the book Girl Power: Young Women Speak Out! or Girl Wise: How to Be Confident, Capable, Cool and in Control, these books were conceived and designed alongside a male counterpart. They were written to differentiate girls from boys according to their interests.

Let's compare the supposed girl interests with the boy interests. The following are from How to Be the Best at Everything and the Daring/Dangerous books.

Books marketed to GIRLS vs BOYS chapter topics:
How to look best in your photos/How to survive in space
How to do a perfect handstand/How to rip a phonebook in half
How to make a friendship bracelet/How to be a VIP
How to be a natural beauty/How to be a Wimbledon champion
Pressing flowers/Making a water bomb
Four Square/How to play stickball
Spanish terms of endearment/Navajo code talkers' dictionary
Making a cloth covered book/Making cloth fireproof

There is more than one problem here. The most immediate and obvious problem is how the books reinforce the strict gender roles embedded in American culture- roles that ultimately inhibit women from achieving positions of power and encourage men to be insensitive war mongers unable to communicate (except, apparently, in Navajo.) For kids these gender roles make it unacceptable for girls to join in certain sports, or for boys to touch anything pastel. How often have we heard, "No, honey, you don't want the pink one, pink is for girls." Well, sure it is, if you make it so.

The second qualm I have with these books is that many of the topics are just for KIDS! As a fifth grade teacher in East New York, Brooklyn I will swear on For Boys Only: The Biggest, Baddest Book Ever, that boys. make. friendship bracelets. Trust me, I have a confiscated collection in my desk drawer right alongside the tech decks.

By divvying up these activities into boys and girls we only limit what our children explore. While in theory they show a world of fun things to do, all I see is the other world the reader is being excluded from. The natural curiosity of children leads them to be interested in topics that transcend gender-specific books. Despite having kid-friendly information and design, I cannot, in good conscience, put books like these in kids' hands.

You Say Potato, I Say Solanum Tuberosum

Learning how to communicate and work with people who are different from ourselves is a fundamental part of growing up. For Emma-Jean and Ted the task is that much harder. They often have trouble understanding their peers, but they both know that they are a little different. Emma-Jean is strange. Ted's brain uses a different operating system. Without ever saying it explicitly, authors Lauren Tarshis (Emma-Jean Lazarus Fell Out of Tree) and Siobahn Dowd (The London Eye Mystery) have written characters struggling with some degree of Asperger's Syndrome.


The proof? Both characters are literal. Ted, especially, spends the book deciphering the non-sensical language of idiomatic speech. Both characters fail to understand social cues. Emma-Jean, especially, does not realize when she is being teased or ostracized by her peers. Ted uses a series of memorized clues to help him recognize facial expressions or gestures. Neither likes to be touched. Both have focused interests and amass details about specific topics. Emma-Jean can be found standing in her yard giving the Latin names for the flora and fauna.


There is a humanity to these books. While wikipedia informs me that the collection of details often does not imply a vested interest (ex: memorizing camera model numbers but not being interested in photography), Emma-Jean and Ted do not fit that sympton. Emma-Jean's obsession with science stems from the loss of her father. Naming trees and flowers is an attempt to relive the comfort of his presence. Ted is obsessed with weather reports, however it is part of a greater dream of being a meteorologist. He plays with words and likens his sister Kat to Hurricane Katrina and other Katastrophes. He uses the weather as an outlet when he can't sleep, is distressed, and just generally as a filter through which he examines the world around him. These insights into their compulsive behavior gives depth and sentiment to the books.


Each book makes use of a symbol. Emma-Jean has the tree. The tree is part of nature and can be studied, sketched, understood. She climbs it in great haste to try and reach out to a classmate who she believes needs her help. It represents the effort she makes to communicate with others. Of course, to fall from such great heights is a painful emotional letdown. However, as her mother says, sometimes you just have to try another tree or hold on tighter.


For Ted, the great London Eye overlooks his investigations into his cousin's disappearance. From the Eye you see London in a different way, like using a different operating system. The constantly changing view reminds us that there are an infinite number of ways to look at the world. These two books help the reader better understand one more.

Sketch of Solanum Tuberosum

When I Was Your Age

My world revolves around Jon Szieszka these days. We read his autobiography, Knucklehead, for class. The school I observed in had him come speak, and at the school where I work the third grade is writing essays about him and David Shannon.

Knucklehead is very similar to Roald Dahl's Boy in the nature of the stories, though the tone is much more informal. Scieszka, a self-purported panderer to reluctant readers, has chosen a comic book cover and writes about broken bones, urination, swearing, pagan babies, and more urination. Dahl is no stranger to the grotesque. Boy details dead mousecapades, canings, and the anesthetic-free removal of his tonsils and adenoids, but the text is denser and it reads much more like a memoir. Sciezka's tone is of your favorite uncle telling you a whopper- one per chapter.

After hearing him speak, I have no doubt Scieszka is a favorite uncle who tells whoppers. His demeanor is easy, his smile is constant, and his ability to connect with the children unparalleled. No question was too silly or too redundant. No suggestion too wild: You think I should have the Space Heads (his current project in the works) use orange juice as a mind control potion and try to take over the world? Well maybe you're right! Yet the presentation was subtly full of inspiration for future writers and illustrators. Scieszka showed the students how Shannon's illustrations in Robot Zot use perspective to make Zot seem larger than life. He explained that Shannon added things to the story solely through illustration that he had not originally included, like Zot's dog. He talked about the terror that all authors must face- the dreaded...blank page (he brandishes a blank legal pad as if it were a weapon.) And he showed students his writing process from illegible notes to published books.

Scieszka's great accomplishment with Knucklehead is writing a book that is grown up, amusing, and cool, while remaining manageable for struggling readers. The chapters are short and to the point. The vocabulary is straight forward and the themes are familiar to kids- siblings, school, and messing around. This is a book a struggling reader can carry around while enjoying the success of actually reading it.

Besides the Time Warp Trio books, Scieszka has written illustrated books. Big, glossy books with bold illustrations by Shannon or Lane Smith. The younger readers of his books can easily have Knucklehead read aloud to them. The stronger readers among them can read it by themselves. But Knucklehead is more than that because those of us who are older and love his wacky spoofs (by the way the idea for Stinky Cheeseman came to Scieszka when his daughter, then about five, insisted that he read her the Gingerbread Man over and over and over and over until he came up with an alternative) can appreciate this insight into his wonderfully twisted mind.

A child's rendition of Zot, hung to welcome Scieszka to the school.