The story of an orphaned child who is sent to live with relatives who do not really wish her, but are doing their duty.

Emily of New Moon
Story by Lucy Maud Montgomery
© Seal Publishers 1983
ISBN 0770417981
Paperback: 352 pages
Reading Level: 9-12 year olds

Positive Elements
Lucy Maud Montgomery has such a picturesque way of writing. Like Anne of Green Gables, Emily of New Moon is filled with beautiful descriptions, colourful characters, and engaging action. Emily is a persistent writer and poet who never gives up her dream of becoming a poetess. She tries to make wise choices, to befriend lonely people, and please her relatives.

Negative Elements
Throughout this book there are small references that disturbed me: Emily is emotional and often hates her friend, her Aunt, her teacher. There is a underlying romantic theme: a 36 year old uncle decides to wait for Emily, although she herself misses the reference and most children probably would too. There are two elderly Aunts, who I would seriously consider disowning if they were real. There is a passing reference to the transmigration of souls, which Emily chooses not believe in yet!

Our Take
I really wanted to like this book! I love the story of Anne of Green Gables, and this book has much of the same flavour. Yet, all the way through I was disturbed by the underlying themes which make semi regular appearances. Disobedience to the matriarchal Aunt is encouraged by two other relatives when her decisions seem unfair. Several of Emily’s friends have no parental involvement at all. While many younger readers will miss the romantic storyline, it is there and must only get stronger in subsequent books. Finally, the comment about transfiguration nailed the coffin for me on this one.

I am aware that there are similar worries about Anne of Green Gables, but I personally did not find the same sort of ideas when I proofed Green Gables a few month ago for my oldest daughter. Emily of New Moon is beautifully written and I wish it didn’t make me feel so uncomfortable. My recommendation is to pass on this one for content reasons. Oh how I wish I had extra hours in the day, so that I could rewrite this book. It had such great potential!

Rating
Leave It.

About the Author
Lucy Maud Montgomery is the creator of the famous Anne of Green Gables. Mrs. Montgomery was born and raised on Prince Edward Island, where the majority of books take place. Anne Shirley, Emily of New Moon, and Sarah in The Story Girl, are all slightly autobiographical. Her whimsical characters, beautiful scenery, and vivid description of small town live have made her books international best sellers, and sparked many film, television, and stage adaptations.

Where You Can Buy It
In Canada
In the US

So it only seems natural that I spell like a Brit (‘Honour thy neighbour.’), make a good cup o’ tea, judge the warmth of a day in Celsius, and measure my runs in kilometers.

I find it most amusing then, that I still judge my height in feet, estimate small measurements in inches and cook in cups and ounces. This dichotomy represents something deep in the Canadian culture, which I have neither the time, nor the inclination to discover.

What sparked this whole insight, though, was the recipe I posted yesterday. I have listed:
2 – 540ml cans of black beans, rinsed
and
1 – 28oz can diced tomatoes

Now packaging in Canada, because it often comes from down south, generally lists both measurements. Why I chose metric for one and imperial for the other, I cannot fathom.

I worry about this, you see, because honestly, I’m functionally illiterate in both. I mix and match the systems randomly and don’t understand whole sections of either. For sewing, I measure in inches and meters. I use ounces fairly regularly, but have no idea about pints or quarts. I know a fever is 100F, but don’t know if 68F is warm or cool. I know that 25C is a pleasantly warm day, but is 39C a fever?

Perhaps things will clear up when it comes time to teach these things to my children. I love homeschooling. I love that every day I get to relive my education, to fill in the holes, to study things I never even dreamed of. I love that by the time I’m done, I’ll be some well rounded intellectual that six years of university couldn’t make me.

I’m so thankful for this wonderful opportunity. I am thankful for a daily adventure that allows me to learn and study; thankful for the time to share with my children all about why one is measured in ounces and one in milliliters.

So here’s to the mixing of the old and new, the British and the American, the best of both worlds, and the opportunity to share it all with my precious blessings!

Cheers

The Tale of Despereaux : Being the Story of a Mouse, a Princess, Some Soup, and a Spool of Thread
by Kate Dicamillo
Illustrations by Timothy B. Ering
©2003 Candlewick Press
ISBN #0763617229
Hardcover: 272 pages
Awards: Newberry Medal Winner 2004
Reading Level: Ages 9-12

Positive Elements
This book is a pleasure to read aloud. The author’s style is engaging, lively and just plain fun. The subtle rhymes, puns and reader asides were amusing. The little mouse, Despereaux, acts the part of a hero, suffering great personal tragedy to save the princess. The illustrations are beautifully done. Boys will love the action and adventure. The ultimate moral is about the power of forgiveness.

Negative Elements
The little mouse is condemned to death by his own father. The rats are basically the symbol of all that is bad in the world. The dungeon is a dark place of death. The little girl, Miggery Sow is sold by her father and beaten by her new owner until she is almost deaf.

Our Take
I’m not even sure where to start here. I read this book aloud, and we finished it in two afternoons. The children were mesmerized by the characters, the style, and the plot. Yet, at the same time, I couldn’t help feeling that this was a dark, dark story.

My children are at a stage where we are trying to teach them about the darkness of a sinful, fallen world, and this book certainly sparked some discussions for us. Roscuro, the rat, has his heart broken and rather than forgive, he sets his sights on revenge. Miggery Sow, beaten until deaf, joins in the plan but not because she is evil, but simple, and willing to be deceived because she is desirous of something that she will never attain. This book could spark many deep discussions about the nature of good and evil.

So I’m not sure what to say. It was well written and wonderful to read aloud, but the story, while it can provide lots of fodder for learning, is deep and dark. If you like fairy tales and the presentation of evil as evil, then you might enjoy it. If you are looking for a simple wholesome story, then this probably isn’t for you.

Rating
Somewhere between Leave It and Borrow It.

Learning Opportunities
This book could be very useful as a discusion about the nature of good and evil.

About the Author
Kate DiCamillo considers herself a storyteller for both children and adults. She is author of Because of Winn-Dixie (a Newbery Honor book 2000 and released as a film in 2005), The Tiger Rising (National Book Award finalist 2001), Mercy Watson to the Rescue, and The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane (2006 Boston Globe-Horn Book Award winner for Fiction).

Where you Can Buy It:
In the US

The Shy Little Kitten
by Cathleen Schurr
Ilustrations by Gustaf Tenggren
© 1946 Randon House Inc
ISBN# 0375928995 (Library Binding)
Hardcover (32 illustrated pages)
Read Aloud: Ages 4-8 years
Recommended by: 1000 Good Books Primary Picture Books


Positive Elements
My children mentionned how everyone brought food to the new mom, and how important that is for new moms.
They liked how everyone joined together for the party and shared all their food.
The shy kitten is never rude in her shyness.

Negative Elements
Mom loses her littlest kitten and doesn’t seem to notice.
The kitten goes with two “strangers.”
The children mentionned how the illustrations didn’t always match the words (The chicken “laid a white egg in the hay” for the new kittens but the illustration has her bringing a basket full of eggs)

Our Take
This was a nice little book to read, but we don’t think we would own it.

Rating
Once is enough.

Learning Opportunities
This book might make a nice addition to a unit on shyness. (Borrow it from the library though!)

Where You Can Buy It
In the US