EVERYONE NEEDS A SECRET PLACE...REAL OR IMAGINED

"...the realm of the imagination is not an escape from life's complexities but often a means of coping with them." - William Kilpatrick, BOOKS THAT BUILD CHARACTER.

My secret place - do you think it's real or imagined?

Have you ever stumbled upon a secret place that was right around the corner, but that you hadn't realized had always been there?  Children often find these places - maybe because their active imaginations help them see what the rest of us hurriedly pass by.  I recently found such a place...a small forest of Redwood trees, just miles from my home!  

View of the treetops from the trail we walk.

I had noticed the tops of the trees down below a horse trail that I've walked along, but I'd never taken time to actually walk down the steep pathway and explore what was there. Imagine my surprise to find over 200 Redwoods, nestled on a deep green carpet of grass, with bright sunlight filtering softly through their dense branches.  It reminded me of another forest, in Narnia, or maybe from a Bridge to Terabithia...

BRIDGE TO TERABITHIA by Katherine Paterson.  Did you know that this story was actually inspired by C.S. Lewis' imaginary world of Narnia?  From BOOKS THAT BUILD CHARACTER:  "To most casual observers in the rural town where they live, Jessee and Leslie look like a teenage version of the "odd couple."  Jesse comes from a poor family, Leslie from affluent cultured parents.  But there is something that binds them together; it is a shared imaginary kingdom called Terabithia lying deep within the woods.  When tragedy strikes, Jessee is able to find comfort in the world of the imagination and the mind.  He comes to realize that Terabithia is Leslie's legacy to him, a gift of friendship that enables him to come to terms with her death." (Contemporary Fiction/Middle readers, ages 8 and up)



More books about secret places:
SECRET PLACE by Eve Bunting, illustrated by Ted Rand.  "In the heart of the city where I live there is a secret place. Close by is a freeway where cars and trucks boom.  And a railroad track with freight trains that shunt and grunt."  There is a special place in this city that only a child, his father and a few other people know about. A man-made river runs through the city and it is home or watering hole to many creatures, from a coyote, to mallard ducks, to an egret, to possums and to many birds.  A gentle story for 4-8 year olds (Realistic Fiction).



RED SINGS FROM TREETOPS: A YEAR IN COLORS by Joyce Sidman, illustrated by Pamela Zagerenski.  A unique and poetic picture book about the changing of seasons. Each season is explored in terms of how it encompasses colors. In the spring, “Red sings / from treetops . . . / each note dropping / like a cherry / into my ear.” Green “peeks from buds,” and yellow “slips goldfinches their spring jackets.” Pink also speaks of springtime and baby birds: "And here, in secret places, peeps Pink: hairless, featherless, the color of new things." Old leaves and crushed berries smell purple... all of these intriguing images are matched in the imaginative illustrations - with stylized figures (intricately costumed and crowned) walking, running, and sailing through Zagarenski’s artwork. For ages preschool-1st grade.



THE SECRET GARDEN by Frances Hodgson Burnett.  (Historical Fiction/ages 9 and up) I'll never forget the first time I encountered this book!  I couldn't put it down. Still an endearing favorite, it's about an orphaned girl, Mary Lennox, who is sent to a Yorkshire Mansion on a vast, lonely moor.  An unhappy nine-year old, she is frightened of her new gloomy home, until she meets Dickon, a local boy who is friends with animals.  She also discovers an abandoned garden and a secret:  there is another child in the house...

AUTHOR HIGHLIGHT: RENEE RIVA

If  you look back to one of my past blog posts, "Tips for Selecting Good Books", you'll see that all Renee Riva's stories fit the criteria (according to William Kilpatrick) of what constitutes a "good" book.   Whether you choose to read aloud her cute children's picture books (illustrated by talented Steve Bjorkman):  Guido's Gondola and Izzy the Lizzy; her fun chapter book:  Farley's Five and Dime; or her hilarious Saving Sailor Trilogy, you will find an author who sticks to writing imaginative family classics that not only entertain, but teach and inspire...without sounding preachy or overly sentimental.

Today I'd like to focus on her trilogy of novels for teens and young adults (or "for ages 12-100", as Renee says on her website).  The first book in the trilogy, Saving Sailor , is followed by Taking Tuscany  and Heading Home.  I just finished reading the first novel and literally laughed out loud at the antics of A.J., a ten-year old girl, who likes to talk with a fake Southern accent, and her dog, Sailor.  The story is told from A.J.'s innocent and spunky perspective.  She's part of a big Italian-Catholic family who spend their summers on an island in Idaho during the 1960's.  I was taken back to my own preteen years, when, like A. J., I still tried to sneak the marshmallow bits out of the "boring part" of the box of breakfast cereal, my dolls were trolls, and I wasn't ready to admit that boys were starting to be a little bit interesting (though I, too, was secretly smitten with with Joe Cartwright from BONANZA!).

One thing that is really refreshing about this series, is that A. J.'s story isn't about family dysfunction and shallow friendships, that you often find in many contemporary "coming of age" books for teen girls, but about wholesome (and sometimes feisty) family love and hope:  think All-of-a-Kind Family, Mama's Bank Account , or Betsy-Tacy , mixed with the humor of  Barbara Robinson's The Best Christmas Pageant Ever .

On the other hand, this is by no means an old-fashioned, Little House on the Prairie  series.  The characters are colorful and eccentric - from A.J.'s down-to-earth, mischievous parents (her mom, Sophia, pretends to be Sofia Loren out in public, just to cause a stir), to her wonderful and understanding teacher, Sister Abigail (who oversees some hilarious catechism sessions) - you'll be drawn into the plot immediately.

A.J.'s constant honesty in confronting her beliefs and her shortcomings is completely endearing.  The series follows her from Indian Island, in Idaho, to Tuscany, Italy (where she moves with her family for 8 years) and then back to the island, where she is finally reunited with her childhood friend, Danny.  You'll want to read all the books to find where A. J.'s heart, and God, lead her.

Renee Riva says the Saving Sailor Trilogy is "based on a true story, sort of".  I knew I'd like it as soon as I read her Introduction:

  When I was growing up, I thought I came from the weirdest family on earth.  Now, as I look back on my childhood, I know I did...for one thing there were seven of us...I had only one set of parents, and they actually loved each other.  A lot.  Scary, isn't it?  And here's the real clincher -- I had a great childhood.  The kind where your mom stayed home and baked cookies for you...what can I say?  Pretty much, just, Thank God. 

  Did I mention we weren't perfect?  Well, we weren't.  But perfect isn't what makes a great childhood.  What makes a childhood great is being able to look back and remember the good over the bad, the laughter over the tears, and the love that covered a multitude of sins.

  It's looking back to that one summer that stands out above the rest.  You know...the one where you knew what really mattered in life:  God, your dog, your hamster, and your family.  Most definitely in that order.

To read more about Renee Riva and her books, and to see fun pictures of her real-life childhood and family, go to her website:  http://www.reneeriva.com/. 

CHAPTER BOOKS MY SONS LOVED...

Some days it was a challenge to lure my boys away from digging holes in the backyard, playing with their action figures, riding bikes, shooting baskets, building with their Legos, or constructing forts - in order to have them sit for a little while and read a book.

Thanks to book lists from William Kilpatrick's BOOKS THAT BUILD CHARACTER and Jim Trelease's READ ALOUD HANDBOOK, I was able to find plenty that not only kept their attention by capturing their imaginations with exciting adventures, but also inspired them to strength of character, courage, and kindness...many times, with lots of laughter along the way!

Age ranges are approximations, depending on whether you're reading these books aloud, or your children are reading them on their own...

-MY FATHER'S DRAGON (series), by Ruth S. Gannett (ages 6-8) The narrator relates the tales as adventures his father had as a boy. Exciting exploits with hair-raising escapes and wonderful creatures. VERY imaginative and a perfect transition book into "more story with less pictures". This fantasy novel has been around since 1948!

-JAMES AND THE GIANT PEACH, by Roald Dahl (ages 6-10). Clever fantasy with lots of fun word play. Dahl's style is almost like Dicken's in describing the miserable plight of orphaned James...horrible mean aunts, outlandish characters, and a magic peach pit will engross your listener with hours of fun reading.

-CHARLIE AND THE CHOCOLATE FACTORY and sequel, CHARLIE AND THE GREAT GLASS ELEVATOR, by Roald Dahl (ages 8-12). More fantasy from Dahl about childhood justice and delight, full of imagination and the best kind of storytelling. Charlie Bucket lives with his mother and four bedridden grandparents in their one-room home. Charlie wins a trip into the magical, fantastical world of Williy Wonka's Chocolate Factory. A satirical look at want and need, greed and generosity, all remedied through the methods of the eccentric candy maker. Not to be missed!

-THE GREAT BRAIN (series) by John D. Fitzgerald (ages 8-12) Hilarious adventures of an Irish-Catholic family in Mormon Utah in 1896. Tom - a.k.a. the Great Brain - is a 10-year-old genius con man, always interested in making a profit (and always learning a lesson.)

-MANIAC MCGEE, by Jerry Spinelli (ages 9-12). This is the story of a 12-year-old boy, who as a stranger in Two Mills (a runaway, actually), is naively ignorant of the racial divide between the East and West sides of town. He's also unaware that his life will become legend as he performs one amazing feat after another (like running 49 touchdowns in a single game!) You won't believe the miraculous things he does - the most courageous being the healing of the division in the town and the end of the racial prejudice there. Good contemporary fiction.

-A DOG ON BARKHAM STREET and sequel, THE BULLY OF BARKHAM STREET, by Mary Stolz (ages 9-12) There are two problems facing 9-year-old Edward: Martin Hastings, the neighborhood bully, and the fact that Edward's mom and dad don't consider him responsible enough to own a dog. Then his Uncle Josh comes for a visit and brings him - a dog! The plot takes a turn and Edward becomes disallusioned and wants to run away. His father's steady reliability teaches him about love and responsibility in caring for others. In the sequel, you find out what made Martin - the "bully" - behave the way he does as we get the story from the bully's perspective!

-FRINDLE, by Andrew Clements (ages 10-12) Humorous, yet thought provoking story celebrating the glory of language. Nicholas, 5th grader and bit of a class clown, invents the word "frindle" to replace "pen", after his teacher gives him an extra assignment about how new entries are added to the dictionary. Hilarity ensues as the whole school begins to use the word. In the end, the student and teacher find a true appreciation of each other.

-THE PHANTOM TOLLBOOTH, by Norman Jester (ages 10-12) Fantasy story of a mysterious tollbooth appearing in the home of a young and bored time-waster, a boy named Milo. Packed with humor, wordplay, and brain teasers galore as Milo stumbles upon many adventures of the mind! (An example of the quirky humor, fun use of words and logic: Milo arrives at the "Island of Conclusions" in an unusual fashion - he jumps, of course!)

LLOYD ALEXANDER'S THE PRYDAIN CHRONICLES  (ages 9-12) Fun and imaginative series about a would-be hero, Taran, Assistant Pig-Keeper to the wizard Dallben. Taran doesn't always make the smartest decisions, but learns along the way (which is part of his charm!) Boys and girls alike will love this series!  THE BOOK OF THREE; THE BLACK CALDRON; THE CASTLE OF LLYR; TARAN WANDERER; THE HIGH KING.