Brer Rabbit and Jump, Frog, Jump

Walt Disney Presents The Story of Brer Rabbit and the Tar Baby 1971
Jump, Frog, Jump! by Robert Kalan pictures by Byron Barton 1981
Weight: 3 oz
Method of Disposal: Donating

These two are books that my grandparents read to me.  They were not the ones I had them read to me again and again.  I am not yet ready to pass on "Kittens," which I grew up believing was entitled "Kitty Cats are Like That" or "Puppies."  Those two books I will be taking with me to the new house.  I wonder how many moves they have been through!

I was reading these two one more time before I let them go and found this relic from my teenage-dom:

That made me happy :)  I may just take Mulder on the move too!

The Complete Tales of Beatrix Potter

The Complete Tales of Beatrix Potter: The Original and Authorized Edition

1989

Weight: 2.4 lbs

Method of Disposal: Leaving somewhere or giving away if you would like a copy

This is a great book, and I feel honored to have spent so much time with it.  I still feel the residual magic of reading it as a child as I write this.  I loved the pictures and the stories.  I have a permanent imprint of Peter Rabbit stuck in Mr. McGregor’s gooseberry net and the mother rabbit taking care of Flopsy, Mopsy, and Cottontail in her den.  How could you forget a name like Mrs. Tiggy-Winkle?  Little Mrs. Tittlemouse and her tidy house?  For a child that loved animals, Beatrix Potter was where it was at.  The smallest animals had the most elaborate lives and endearing personalities.  It is no wonder that I still love hamsters, gerbils, and rodents as an adult.

I was also lucky that when I was a child I lived across the way from a woman who wrote plays and brought Potter to the theater.  I was best friends with her daughter and so had the pleasure to revel in the classic animal tales in an all new way.  

I am really having a hard time parting with this one.  It must go soon lest I change my mind.

"Freedom is more important than sharing, Jill. This is my city."

The Girl Who Owned a City by O.T. Nelson

1977

Weight: 7.2 oz

Method of Disposal: Recycling

This book was terrible.  I am not talking about the writing, though I could.  I was horrified by the blatant political propaganda and repeated messages about freedom and responsibility.  All people older than twelve are dead and the children of the world are left to fend for themselves.  In one town, which seems to have previously been a wealthy area, there is a girl named Lisa.  She has a passion for challenge and an innate need to rule other people.  She decides to create a city and, though she could not have done it without the help of the hundreds of children she has enlisted, she is determined that it will be HER city.  She will rule as a loving, but stern leader.  There will be no voting or democracy because that might ruin everything.  Everyone must work for what they have and earn their right to protection and food, even toys.  

Here is a snippet of a story Lisa tells her little brother in an attempt to get him to understand her thoughts and their lives:

                                The other kings couldn’t figure it out.  Why was he so rich?  It seemed crazy to let the

                peasants be free and have an army that they didn’t have to join.

                                But those kings never saw the stream of people in line to buy the king’s advice.  He got

                Smarter and richer all the time.  And the happier and freer his people became, the harder they

                Worked.  The harder they worked, the wealthier they became.  The wealthier they became,

                The more time they had to face and solve their problems (113). 

I took this book home for free when it was being thrown out.  I am very glad to report that I did not pay for it.  I do not want children, friends, family to read it.  I do not want to read it again.  To the recycling bin!

The School Story

The School Story  by Andrew Clements

2002

Weight: 4.8 oz

Method of Disposal: Donating or giving away

I might be a little conceited.  I bought this book while working at Barnes and Nobel, way back in the day, because the girl on the cover looked just like me.  It is seriously eerie though.  I am not even kidding.  I need to post a picture of me in high school with the plastic hair clips and everything.

I finally read the book yesterday, and it was okay.  I liked that it was about writing and that the kids were strong-willed and intelligent.  I could not get over my adult anxiety that the mom would lose her job when the child’s deception was up.  I was disappointed in the teacher for lacking so much confidence right off the bat and only gaining any when she felt like the kids looked at her like she was cool.  It did not escape me that she based her value on another teacher, whom she had a crush on, and then at the end of the book finds her value (?) and gets the guy to boot.  That was ridiculous and unnecessary.  

I thought the book was kind of average.  Not even memorable, but it looks like kids seem to enjoy it and that is what matters. 

"Having Fun Isn't Hard When You Have a Library Card!" -Arthur the Aardvark

The Librarian of Basra: A True Story from Iraq by Jeanette Winter
2005
Weight: 12 oz
Method of Disposal: Giving to Sarah G.A.

I love this book. It is a book about a library in Basra and the people who love it. War creeps into the city and the people and books are in danger. Everyone flees the library except for the librarian, Alia. She gets people to help her move all of the books into her friend’s restaurant next door. Soon, the library will burn down. In a quiet moment, she gets a truck and moves 30,000 books out of the restaurant and into her home and the homes of her friends. She keeps the books safe and dreams of peace.

In a note from the author we are told about the real Alia who managed to save 70 percent of her library’s books before it was burnt down.

This is a children’s book about war and while I would like to protect kids from the atrocities adults commit, it is impossible. Children are hearing about the wars we have been fighting, they are seeing it on television, they are watching parents and siblings leave and sometimes not come back, they are playing video games, and repeating information they overhear to their peers at the playground. They know about war. The children growing up in the United States now only know a world in which U.S. soldiers are fighting overseas. They do not know war like the Iraqis know war. They cannot imagine what it is like in Afghanistan for the people who live there. This book, and others like it, offer the children a unique perspective they may not find in many other places. This book gently describes the fear, the danger, the humanity, the desperation involved in war. It is very very gentle. The child is also able to relate to the people of Iraq, instead of always being asked to other them.

If you are curious about children’s books that describe war, you might also check into Alice Walker’s Why War is Never a Good Idea. This one is less gentle. The images really show you something about war, and it is not something anyone wants to see. It will also be more controversial, I am sure. There are many arguments that people will make for what does make war a necessary, though deplorable thing. With both books, adults should read them first and think about how they will discuss them with children before they sit down and do it. I know some people are also upset with the Librarian book, but it is truly ridiculous. It is a great story. It presents a truth. An important truth and an incredible, real woman. It does not disrespect America, our soldiers, or Americans, as has been suggested.

I have decided to give this book to my dearest Librarian, Sarah, because I know she will love it too. She has a child on the way, but I am hoping that by the time her kid is old enough to read this book it will be unnecessary. I chose this book to get rid of because I went to my local library the other day and “renewed” my library card. I use parenthesis because I got my card the first week of my first year of college and never used it for years. I never even went back to the library. Libraries terrify me. I cannot tell you why. They should be my heaven on earth and probably will be eventually. Free books for days. Now, I get shy, anxious, and nervous. My friends, Tracy and Lynne, went with me the other day. I got my library card and three books. The Shock Doctrine, a book on rats, and another book on animal emotions. I chose books quickly because the library was about to close, but I am pretty excited to get started on all of them. You get a good, long time too. Three weeks. Who knew?

Thanks for the pictures, Lynne!

The Isabella Collection

Your Personal Penguin by Sandra Boynton 2006
So-Big Whale by Sheryl Berk 2000
The Monster at the End of this Book by Jon Stone 1999
Curious George’s Are You Curious? Illustrations by H.A. Rey 1998
Walt Disney’s Peter Pan and Wendy 1981
Oh The Thinks You Can Think by Dr Seuss 1975
The Digging-est Dog by Al Perkins 1967
The Frogs Wore Red Suspenders by Jack Prelutsky 2002
Edwina: The Dinosaur Who Didn’t Know She Was Extinct by Mo Willems 2006
My Mama Says There Aren’t Any Zombies, Ghosts, Vampires, Creatures, Demons, Monsters, Fiends, Goblins, or Things by Judith Viorst 1973

Weight: 5 lbs
Method of Disposal: Giving to my niece, Isabella

I met my niece for the first time two days ago, and I am on track to see her again one more time tonight before she heads back to Colorado. I have collected some books for her, though I am not all that sure that the parents will want an additional 5 lbs of luggage. The prices keep going up on what you can carry. If not, I will ship it to her in the next couple weeks. I have put some incredible ones in the mix, despite the fact that I debated with myself all morning about whether or not I could let them go. I finally came to the conclusion that THE ONLY person who could have them other than me is Isabelle. So, I am a little selfish when it comes to my books—you should know that by now.

The two I had the most difficult time letting go of were Edwina and The Monster at the End of This Book. Edwina is a wonderful, modern, story about a dinosaur and the kid that cannot get along with her because he just knows she must be extinct. One of my favorite moments in the book is when Reginald Von Hoobie-Doobie holds up a sign in protest that states, “This is not happening.” The Monster at the End of this Book is probably on my top ten favorite books of all time list. It is so much fun to read to kids, and they seem to love hearing it. I did. The graphics AND words are incredible. Grover tries so hard to stop you from turning each page, as he is afraid of the monster at the end of the book. This makes it an interactive book, and you are quickly drawn in—particularly if the story teller does a good job.

The So-Big Whale book is a plush book that I bought when I was 16 and have been saving for just the right child. I just like that it is a stuffed book. Madeleine, my dog, likes that too, unfortunately. I thought the Judith Viorst book was appropriate since it is almost Halloween. Peter Pan and Curious George were just to add some variety. I do not feel much of an attachment to them, though Peter Pan has my cousin’s childish handwriting scrolled across the back which is pretty cool. I added Your Personal Penguin because I LOVE Sandra Boynton and Penguins. I had been saving it for the perfect woman, but I am thinking that Isabella is just that. Not what I expected, but even better I suppose. The Thinks You Can Think encourages imagination and has fun pictures. The Frogs Wore Red Suspenders is full of short poems because kids should be introduced to fun poetry early.

The Digging-est Dog was mine as a child. I remember being in bed and falling asleep to my grandmother reading it. My name is written on the inside, in huge, fumbling, and insecure kid letters. I loved the dog in the book. He was a good dog gone bad. He had been kept unfairly cooped up and when he was free he just let loose and dug up the entire city to everyone’s dismay. I like that this dog was misunderstood, yelled at, and then understood/redeemed. They found a way to make his digging useful so that everyone was happy and that dog never had to go back to being in a cage again. There are a lot of adults who could learn from this book.

So, that’s it. 5 lbs of brilliant, life-changing literature for a tiny little girl who is growing older and bigger each and every day. I hope she enjoys chewing on them, falling asleep midway through them, and pointing out all the colorful animals in them while Rusty or Ann Marie try to read the actual text to her. Once these are devoured there are many more to come.

In a World of Red Fish

Swimmy by Leo Lionni
1987
Weight: 2.4 oz
Method of Disposal: Giving to Mrs. Sarah G.A.



The majority of people I know that revel in everything written learned to read at a very early (and brag-able) age. I did not. I could not read when I entered Mrs. Starky’s first grade class, despite my parents’ and grandparents’ valiant attempts to teach me. We read what I always thought was called KITTY CATS ARE LIKE THAT; in fact it was just called KITTENS. We read (I actually just listened) about Miss Suzy the Squirrel. I am also sad to report that my grandparents often whipped out LITTLE BLACK SAMBO and, at the time, I enjoyed it. Now, I cannot think about it without cringing. It is frustrating when you begin to realize how early systems of oppression start to network through your brain.

Mrs. Starky was on top of it. In no time, I was able to read my first book and read it I did. I read it to my best friend’s kindergarten class every week. I was so proud of myself. One week, Mrs. Starky recommended I change the book so that the students would not grow bored. I took her suggestion and chose some book that I forgot about long ago. The kids went into a revolt. They wanted Swimmy back and so did I.

I like to believe that at that young age we were drawn to the little black fish trying to make his way in a world of very hungry tunas and blasé red fish because we were developing little activists who already understood the importance of community and non-violent protest. I really do.

To me, this is the first book I ever read and, therefore, it is quite possibly the most important. It started off this whole love-affair that has carried me from there to here over a period of decades. I think that the person who would most appreciate this book is my dear friend Sarah. We love books in a similar way, and I know that she will understand how pivotal this one is. Sarah, my librarian, I love you. Take care of sweet Swimmy and use it to inspire a revolution in the child you will have when you are ready.