Tag: reading

Flora & Ulysses’ Vacuum

Note: This originally appeared on HamletHub on May 11, 2018.

“This book, more than any other that I have written, belongs to my mother. It belongs to her, in part, because of the vacuum cleaner. My mother had a tank Electrolux that she loved. And in the last year of her life, she worried (aloud and often) about what would happen to the vacuum cleaner after she was gone. I told her (again and again. And again) that I would take the vacuum cleaner, that it would be safe with me. But still, it worried her. She wanted the Electrolux to be loved, appreciated. And so I wrote a story, this story, in which a truly exceptional vacuum cleaner does a truly miraculous thing (i.e., the vacuum cleaner transforms an ordinary squirrel into a superhero).” – Kate DiCamillo, Newbery Medal Acceptance Speech

This past weekend, my husband found this amazing vintage Electrolux vacuum. Knowing I love old things, he knew I would think this is fabulous, but he didn’t expect me to start talking nonstop about a book. He showed me the vacuum, and my response was, “It’s a Flora & Ulysses vacuum!!!!” He was perplexed. It is an Electrolux vacuum. An old vacuum with those shiny letters spelling out Electrolux, and while it was cool because it is shiny and old and has a bit of a space ship feel, for me, it was a magical machine that connected me to a book.

While he saw a cool vacuum, I heard Kate DiCamillo in my mind sharing the story she shared at a recent book talk, the same one in the quote above from her Newberry Medal acceptance speech. Her mom loved her Electrolux vacuum so much that she was worried about what would happen to that vacuum when she was no longer here. And Kate DiCamillo did what she does best; she appreciated the vacuum by giving it life in “Flora & Ulysses.” The truly exceptional vacuum in her story transformed an ordinary squirrel into a superhero. What Kate DiCamillo’s mom may never have imagined is that not only Kate appreciated that vacuum but fans all over the world who love that book, who love Flora and Ulysses, secretly wonder if their vacuum is as magical. Once you read “Flora & Ulysses” you will never looked at an Electrolux vacuum or a squirrel without wondering if each vacuum might have the potential to turn a squirrel into a superhero and each squirrel might have the potential to be one.

So many times in this column, I mention my desire to climb inside the pages of the books I love. I never imagined the stories climbing out of the pages and into my world, but I realized as I looked at this vacuum that sometimes the worlds overlap. While I can’t officially move into a book, and they can’t officially climb out of the pages into mine,  this “truly exceptional vacuum cleaner does a truly miraculous thing”…it brought Flora and Ulysses into my world. While I never knew Kate DiCamillo’s mom, I appreciate that amazing vacuum (and I really appreciate that Kate’s words taught me to see the magic in something simple right in front of me).

If my children are reading this and grow up to write like Kate, please, please honor my vintage aluminum Christmas tree in a book somehow!

My First Library Card

I went to preschool in our local library. Yes, there was an actual preschool downstairs in the library. Although I was only three or four, I distinctly remember climbing the stairs up to the children’s section. I loved when we visited the children’s room. I can still remember exactly what it looked like. I remember how the sun shone in through the giant windows. I remember wandering through the shelves of books. I thought it was the most magical place.

My preschool class would visit the library for a special story time. Those were my favorite days. I couldn’t wait to hear what book would be read on each visit.

I was thrilled when I was old enough to get my own library card. To me, that library card was a key that opened the door to hundreds of different worlds. I could pick any book that I wanted. I could bring home picture books, chapter books, nonfiction, fiction. Anything my heart desired.

My mom recently found my first library card. It’s not the credit card computer scannable library card like the ones we have today. It is paper and has a little metal bar on it. It’s from the days of card catalogs and manually stamped book check out cards. It isn’t fancy but to me it’s still incredibly special.

The thing I loved about the library as a child was being able to pick whatever books I wanted and as many as I wanted (within reason). I felt so grown up when I held that library card. When my children were younger, the thing I loved about taking them to the library was seeing the books they chose. Being able to give them that opportunity to pick whichever and however many books they want gives them such a feeling of empowerment. A library card is so much more than simply a card to borrow books. It is most certainly a key into new worlds. It’s a ticket to travel to visit old friends. It’s a way to explore new places. It’s a passport to other lands.

Happy Birthday Nancy Drew!

93 years ago, “The Secret of the Old Clock” was published, and young readers joined Nancy Drew solving all sorts of mysteries. Nancy Drew was unlike other young women depicted in books at the time. She was a pioneer…one of the first female heroes young readers met. She was, and continues to be, an inspiration to young readers (or readers of all ages). While times may have dramatically changed since the books were originally published, Nancy Drew’s popularity and impact on young girls continues.

I was watching an old episode of Gilmore Girls in which Lorelai says “I know there’s more to the story than you’re telling me. […] I’ve read every Nancy Drew mystery ever written, the one about the Amish country twice.” Still a relevant pop culture reference in the early 2000s. Like Lorelai on Gilmore Girls, I grew up reading Nancy Drew too.

When I was young, my mom searched flea markets and old bookstores to find beautiful old forgotten copies of Nancy Drew. She would keep this tiny list in her wallet with the books we had so she could find them all. I devoured them. Like many young readers who came before me, I wanted to solve crimes, save the world, and drive a super cute convertible.

While the original Nancy Drew books are incredible (and hold a special place in my heart), there have been additions….new books, movies, tv shows, games, and more. Here are a few Nancy Drew options (in addition to reading the original books):

Nancy Drew – a tv show from 2007 available on amazon.

Nancy Drew and the Clue Crew – these books are geared towards younger elementary age readers.

Nancy Drew Files – these books are more appropriate for middle school readers.

Nancy Drew, Reporter – a short movie from 1939. I’ve never seen this before but will be watching it now in honor of Nancy Drew’s birthday.

Nancy Drew – another tv series from 1995 appropriate for young adults.

Nancy Drew Collector Card Game – this fun family game uses logic and deduction and the cards have the original cover artwork.

Hunt A Killer Mystery at Magnolia Gardens – Solve a Nancy Drew Mystery – a murder mystery game for teens and adults.

Additionally, there are many Nancy Drew computer games. While Nancy Drew didn’t have cell phones or computers to help solve her mysteries, her logical crime solving skills and fearlessness when facing the mysteries, she is still a hero to many young readers.

The Magician’s Elephant

I picked up a copy of Kate DiCamillo’s “The Magician’s Elephant” when it was first released but somehow missed reading it until now. My delay in reading is no reflection on the story and simply that of “to be read” pile growing out of control as Kate DiCamillo is definitely one of my favorite children’s authors.

“The Magician’s Elephant” is the story of hope when things seem hopeless. A fortune tellers tent appears in the middle of town and young orphan, Peter Augustus Duchene, knows he must ask the one question that plaques him….is his sister still alive? He was told his sister died at birth by the solider who took him after his parents’ deaths, but he believes she might be alive. The fortune teller gives him a nearly impossible to believe answer…she is alive, follow the elephant.

While there are no elephants here, this answer might destroy all hope, but Peter waits and as luck would have it, a magician uses his spell to drop an elephant on the stage instead of flowers. Obviously, Peter believes this is a sign and knows he needs to get to that elephant to find his sister.

It isn’t easy getting to an elephant, but Peter is determined and even more determined to have the elephant lead him to his sister. Nothing is truly hopeless until one gives up all hope…Peter never does. He truly believes the elephant will help him find his sister. Check out this sweet story to see if Peter finds his sister and how an elephant can possibly change his entire life. Once you read it, check the sweet adaptation on Netflix!

A New Perspective on Old Favorites

I like to reread favorite children’s books because while the story hasn’t changed, I’ve changed dramatically from my original read. Visiting books that I loved as a child is like visiting your hometown that you haven’t seen since you were 11….it’s the same, but it’s different. It’s never exactly as you remembered it. Your house looks smaller than you remember it was, the big hill you raced down on your bike doesn’t seem as scary, and while it all suddenly seems a bit more ordinary than you remember it, you are flooded with memories.

You can stare at what looks like a regular tree and remember planning a tree house with your friends. You remember the time you climbed higher than anyone else and were treated like a rockstar by all the neighborhood kids. It’s the same but you are different, and you see everything through a new perspective that somehow combines with your memories.

Rereading a favorite childhood is similar. You know the story. You remember reading it, but the reread is different. You pick up new details you missed as a child. You see it from a new perspective. You might see characters that you didn’t like as a child a new way….you understand why they act a certain way or the hurt that makes them seem “mean” to a younger reader.

Like life, books are complicated, made up of layers of stories. Depending on our age and perspective we only see part of the whole. Revisiting often shows us a whole new side of things we missed before. While you might remember the basic idea of a book you read as a child, revisiting that book introduces you to those childhood friends in a whole new way. You will see so much more in the story.

If you revisit a childhood favorite, let me know which one and what you thought of it as an adult reader!

Tasha Tudor’s “A Time to Keep”

One of my favorite childhood books that I still revisit is “A Time to Keep: The Tasha Tudor Book of Holidays.” For as long as I can remember, I’ve wanted to climb inside the pages of this book. The illustrations are beautiful. The story simply takes the readers through the year sharing how each month is enjoyed. Some months have holidays, some months don’t but they enjoy the enjoy traditions that are part of the season.

I reread the February pages this week. They celebrated Valentine’s Day with even the corgis receiving valentines. They made Washington pie on Washington’s birthday. I looked forward through the March pages. It’s sugaring season in the book and everyone is gathering sap from the sugar maples. They make syrup and eat out in the woods by the sugarhouse. The story is simple and beautiful, but I think what draws me in most is how Tudor is so good and showing the beauty in the ordinary, the beauty in the everyday life. I think I’m so drawn to this book because it’s grounding in a way, it shows the reader that their traditions (whatever they might be) are special. In our home, we don’t gather sap, nor do we have a sugarhouse, but we have our own traditions that are so special to us.

A few years ago, I learned that Tasha Tudor lived in Redding (please note this house was up for sale years ago and is not currently listed for sale – Historic Property for Sale: Tasha Tudor’s Childhood Summer Home in Redding (hamlethub.com). Tudor’s tale of “The County Fair” was inspired by a visit to the Danbury Fair (On the Children’s Shelf: Tasha Tudor’s Locally Inspired “The Country Fair” (hamlethub.com). My mom took me to the Danbury Fair when I was small but unfortunately, I was too young to remember it. So my only memories of that fair are through Tudor’s book. Once I learned of Tudor’s time living in this area, her books took on new meaning for me because I wonder about their local roots. I saw trees on my drive yesterday with the sap buckets attached and thought of the scene in her book.

While most of this book could take place anywhere, knowing that Tudor spent so much time in this area, I like to believe the book took place here. The illustrations are how I imagine our town (and surrounding towns) looked many, many years ago.

The Grimm Fairytale Hidden for 150 Years

“Dear Mili” by Wilhelm Grimm existed only in a letter for over 150 years. The letter containing the story was sent to a young girl in 1816. Her family kept the letter for over 150 years before sharing it with the world. The discovery of this unknown Grimm fairytale in 1983 made the front page of the NY Times. It was published and illustrated by Maurice Sendak.

I grew up reading the Grimm fairytales…the versions we know today with happy endings. Cinderella falls in love with the Prince and leaves her wicked stepmother. Hansel and Gretel push the wicked witch into the oven and escape her candy house. Each tale has an element of fear of what could go wrong, but they all ended with the positive outcome. When I studied at Univeristy, I took a class reading Grimm fairytales in the original German. Those tales were darker and didn’t have the neat clean happy ending. They were incredible tales, but they definitely taught lessons…stay out of the woods, don’t talk to strangers…because something really bad can happen.

I recently found a copy of “Dear Mili” and was excited to read this beautifully illustrated, hidden for over 150 years, tale. The story begins with a mother sending her only child into the woods to hide when a war breaks out. She gives her food and tells her to go deep into the woods and return in 3 days. The child does as she is told. As she travels far into the woods, she meets an old man who lives in a hut who offers her food and shelter. She accepts and in exchange, looks for root vegetables for their meals. While searching for roots, she meets a young girl, who looks just like her, who helps her find the roots and is believed to be her guardian angel. After 3 days pass, the old man tells the young girl that she must return to her mother and the guardian angel child leads her back to the village.

The little girl is sad to leave the old man, but he gives her a rose and tells her when it blooms, they will be together again. As the little girl arrives back in the village, she notices how different everything looks. How could things change so much in 3 days? She sees her mother, but she appears much older. Her mother is thrilled to see her, as the little girl has been gone in the woods for 30 years not 3 days. The mother is very old and dying and her one wish was to see her child one more time before she died.

The next morning, the rose blooms. Read this tale to find out what happens when the rose blooms.

While the beautiful illustrations make this book appear to be a story for readers of all ages, I would take the individual reader’s personality into consideration before reading this tale to them. It is incredible but it is dark and far darker than the Disney version of Grimm fairytales we are used to. Not gory but it is a traditional Grimm twisted tale. I finished the book, put it down and just said “wow” while processing it. Definitely worth reading but should be read by an adult in the family first to see if appropriate for your specific young reader.

I wonder if there are any other Grimm fairytales sitting in letters in someone’s attic.

Visiting Bookish Locations

Last week, I shared my visit to the Boston Public Garden to see the “Make Way for Ducklings” statue https://onthechildrensshelf.com/make-way-for-ducklings/. Seeing the world inside the pages overlap with the world around you, makes reading so exciting for young readers (and honestly, readers of any age). So I thought I’d share some other books that take place in real places that readers could visit.

“The Legend of Sleepy Hollow” by Washington Irving takes place in the small town of Sleepy Hollow in New York. The town embraces their ties to the legend and readers can visit the Headless Horseman’s bridge and the Old Dutch Church. Aside from being one of my favorite stories, Sleepy Hollow is a favorite bookish spot to visit. There are less scary, younger reader versions of the legend.

“Eloise at the Plaza” by Kay Thompson – I read this book when I was little and desperately wanted to live in the Plaza. Eloise is a young girl who lives in the Plaza. She shares her adventures through the hotel, visiting all her friends who work there, and the mischief she gets into. Standing in front of that building, imagining Eloise and her adventures inside, brings the book to life.

“From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler” by E.L. Konigsburg follows Claudia and Jamie who run away from home and stay at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. While I’m not condoning running away or sneaking into a Museum and staying there after it closes, definitely take your reader to visit the Museum after they finish the book. There’s so much to see and so easy for readers to see the book come alive all around them.

“A Bear Called Paddington” by Michael Bond follows the adventures of Paddington Bear after he arrives in London from Peru. Visit Paddington Station and see the bronze statue commemorating the book.

While in London, head over to King’s Cross Station to visit Platform 9 3/4 from J. K. Rowlings’ “Harry Potter” series. Young wizards can jump into the book as they attempt to pass through the wall to the most famous train platform in the wizarding world.

“Anne of Green Gables” by L.M. Montgomery introduces readers to Anne Shirley who has been living in foster care and is mistakenly sent to live at Green Gables with Matthew and Marilla Chutbert. Anne is not the strong boy they wanted, but they realize she is special, and Anne desperately wants to stay with them at Green Gables. I haven’t visited the Green Gables house but a trip to Prince Edward Island to visit Green Gables after reading the book would be incredible for any reader who loves this book.

So many children’s books have direct references to so many wonderful places. When we introduce a young reader to a great book and then (when possible) take them to visit a location from that book, we are strengthening that bond to the story. The reader has then experienced the book both through the words they read, the story they visualized while they read, and the real world location they were able to stand in and look around. Visiting a location from a book gives readers an opportunity to step into that character’s shoes and see at least a small part of the book through their eyes. While we can’t literally climb inside the pages of a book we love, we can visit the places in a few favorite books.

Make Way for Ducklings

In Robert McCloskey’s “Make Way for Ducklings,” young readers meet Mr. and Mrs. Mallard who are looking for a place to nest in Boston. They stop by the Public Garden and love the area but worry it is too busy for baby ducklings. They continue on and find a more secluded area. Once the ducklings hatch and are big enough for an adventure through Boston, they make their way back to the Public Garden and decide to make it their home.

I love when books take place in actual identifiable locations. Growing up reading books that took me to actual places made me want to see the world. Through books, I visited London, France, Boston. I traveled through time and visited stories of times past and what the future might be like. While the time travel books are more challenging to visit in real life, visiting the different locations I discovered through books is possible.

I love that you can visit the place and imagine the book happening all around you, so I’m sure you can imagine where I needed to stop on a recent trip to Boston…the Boston Public Garden to see the ducklings.

The Boston Public Garden is extra special because not only does the book take place in the park but they brought the ducklings to the park with the amazing ducklings statue. To see the statue ducklings walking in a row through the park with the city in the background, it’s like a page of the book came to life. Taking young readers (or really readers of any age) to see the location of their favorite book helps them appreciate and experience the book in a whole new way.

Waiting for the next book in a Series

I love a good series. I like that there is another book to look forward. I often read series after multiple books are out which is nice because I can run and grab the next book as soon as I finish one. Over the past few years, I’ve gotten into a few series as they were being written, so I’ve had to wait for the next book.

While I may not be the most patient person, I recommend reading a series while it is being written, and to follow the author on social media during that process. Following the author is great because they give little glimpses into the next book. One author we follow has shared small bits of conversation from the next book giving just enough to make you really curious where the story is going. Sometimes they share a few deleted scenes from the book as well.

The authors tend to do a lot of buildup on social media prior to the release of the next book. If the previous books are already best sellers, the authors may do pre-order incentives. We’ve preordered multiple books in Shannon Messenger’s “Keeper of the Lost Cities” series and Messenger does a great pre-order incentive (which has been different for each book so it’s worth pre-ordering all of them). When you pre-order the book and send in your receipt, you may receive a signed book plate sticker, other stickers related to the book, a drawing of a character, or other items that make young readers excited about the book to come. The authors also will share social media if they are doing a book tour or online book discussions.

While it is exciting to be able to race through an entire series, reading one as it is being written brings its own excitement. All of these things build anticipation for a book and make young (and older) readers so excited to read the next book. Waiting for the next book builds anticipation and teaches readers like me patience.