Cushman,
Karen. 2010. Alchemy and Meggy Swann.
New York: Clarion Books.
Summary:
In
1573, young Meggy Swann is unceremoniously shipped off by her mother to the
dirty, gritty city of London, England and dumped on her distracted and
unfeeling alchemist father. Hampered by
a physical handicap, she is unprepared for the hardships of life in this
bustling, unsympathetic city and must find her way to function in a strange new
world. Along her way, she changes and
learns about survival, courage, friendship and transformation.
Critical Analysis:
Karen
Cushman, a Newbery Honor and Newbery Medal winner for previous works of
children’s historical fiction, once again uses extensive research to write a
type of bildungsroman set in
Elizabethan England about Margret Swann (“Only my friends call me Meggy”), a
rather prickly, disabled country girl of 13 who is sent to the city to be
cared for by a father she never knew. She
brings with her a goose named “Louise,” who is also lame, and her only friend
now that her kindly grandmother has died.
She is forced to live in relative squalor by her distracted alchemist
father, who wishes she had been a boy.
The author uses plenty of descriptions of the clothing (doublets, kirtles, smocks, jerkins) and city descriptions of the era (soot, slime, sewage, noise and heads rotting on spikes), but the reader is primarily taken back in time by the language. Meggy curses regularly, saying “ye toads and vipers;” “fie upon thee;” and a personal favorite, “go then, you writhled, beetle-brained knave..you churl, you slug, you stony-hearted villain – may onions grow in your ears!” At times the archaic language is heavy handed, but it does add accuracy to the story and makes the reader feel they are immersed in the time.
The author uses plenty of descriptions of the clothing (doublets, kirtles, smocks, jerkins) and city descriptions of the era (soot, slime, sewage, noise and heads rotting on spikes), but the reader is primarily taken back in time by the language. Meggy curses regularly, saying “ye toads and vipers;” “fie upon thee;” and a personal favorite, “go then, you writhled, beetle-brained knave..you churl, you slug, you stony-hearted villain – may onions grow in your ears!” At times the archaic language is heavy handed, but it does add accuracy to the story and makes the reader feel they are immersed in the time.
In the course of the book, Meggy learns ways
to find her own food, make friends, navigate the filthy cobblestone streets
with crutches and a limp and to help her brusque and distracted father in his
alchemy laboratory. She also uncovers
and foils a plot to poison a nobleman and learns a trade that will allow her to
survive.
In
spite her unfortunate circumstances, Meggy has spirit and determination and
learns to be braver and stronger in the course of the story. Universal themes of a journey or quest, overcoming
adversity, courage, sacrifice and alienation in society are all present in this
short book. Though Meggy struggles daily
with many things, at the end of the book she has come so far as to say, “I am
not breakable, and I may be stronger than I look.”
The
author’s sources for accuracy in the book, from language to clothing to city
life, are listed and include six books and three websites. Her author’s note at the end reveals in a
lively style more information about the historical era, science, alchemy,
printing, language and the particular birth defect she picked for her
character: bilateral hip dysplasia. This defect was chosen for a reason: in literature, a physical disability is
usually a symbol or metaphor representing being different and overcoming a
hardship.
The
cover of the book features a painterly style portrait of Meggy, and reflects
the Elizabethan era in the medieval style script of the title and Meggy’s
clothing. Some of the themes of the book
are shown in the alchemy bottles and equipment, Meggy’s crutches, and the
delightful goose, Louise.
The
author weaves the theme of transformation neatly into the book, from the quote
by Carl Jung at the beginning: (“The meeting of two personalities is like the
contact of two chemical substances; if there is any reaction, both are
transformed”); the references to alchemy throughout the book; and the final
thoughts of Meggy at the end when she realizes how much her life has changed -
“Was she so changed? Just when had that
happened, and how?” In the last scene,
she finally has a chance to dance, in her own way, with friends. She rejoices, “Ye toads and vipers, here was
transformation indeed!”
Best Books:
Booklist
Top 10 Historical Fiction for Youth, 2010
Kirkus
Best Children’s Books, 2010
School
Library Journal Best Books, 2010
VOYA
Top Shelf Fiction for Middle School Readers
Reviews:
“Cushman
brings a distant historical setting, in this case Elizabethan England, to life
with evocative details and authentic dialogue.” – The Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books
“Meggy
is a heroine in mind and deed. Cushman has the uncanny ability to take a time
and place so remote and make it live. Readers can hear and see and smell it all
as if they are right beside Meggy. She employs the syntax and vocabulary of the
period so easily that it is understood as if it's the most contemporary modern
slang. A gem.” – Kirkus Reviews
Personal Response:
Spending
time in Cushman’s world of Elizabethan England, through the eyes of a young
girl, was educational and enlightening.
I appreciated how much research went into the writing of the novel, and
am looking forward to reading the Newbury Award winning The Midwife’s Apprentice when I have time. I also enjoyed the author’s note, especially
her explanation of the differences between the uses of thee, thou, ye and you.
Connections:
This
would be a great book to read to a class during the renaissance festivals that
many areas host nearby. It could also be
used for descriptions of language, clothing and city life during a unit on
Elizabethan England. And of course,
older kids could have fun coming up with their own blistering barbs using the
examples of the verbal sparring Meggy and her friend Roger do in the book!
References
Children’s
Literature Comprehensive Database. N.d. Alchemy
and Meggy Swann. http://ezproxy.twu.edu:4529/index.php/bookdetail/index?page=1&pos=0&isbn=9780547231846 (accessed November 4,
2013).
Gantos,
Jack. 2011. Dead End in Norvelt. New York: Farrar Straus Giroux.
Summary:
Jack
Gantos, the author and name sake in the book as well, has written an “entirely
true and wildly fictional” semi-autobiographical young adult novel about his time growing
up in the town of Norvelt, Pennsylvania (named after EleaNOR RooseVELT), during
the summer of 1962. Filled with wacky
characters, bits of history, and laugh-out-loud scenes, this novel captures the
flavor of the era in a subtle way and reminds us that “history isn’t dead. It’s everywhere you look. It’s alive.”
Critical Analysis:
Is
it a comedy, a mystery, a statement of the consequences of war, or a novel
about community, friendship, and the importance of history? It’s actually all of that, and more. Jack Gantos (Jackie only to his mom), is a 13
year old boy living in the dying town of Norvelt, Pennsylvania in 1962, whose vacation gets
off to a bad start when he accidentally fires a real bullet from his father’s old WWII rifle and gets grounded for
the summer. His only outlets are helping
his neighbor, Ms. Volker, an arthritic obituary writer and medical examiner, digging
a bomb shelter for his dad, and reading lots of bloody historical books in the
Landmark Book series.
During the course of this summer, he is cured of his emotionally-driven chronic epistaxis (nosebleeds), cleans up many poisoned mice and rats, experiences terrorism by a group of Hell’s Angels, helps identify a serial killer and dances a tightrope between his feuding parents. Through all this, Jack comes to appreciate his town, his neighbors, his friends and even his parents in new and wonderful ways.
During the course of this summer, he is cured of his emotionally-driven chronic epistaxis (nosebleeds), cleans up many poisoned mice and rats, experiences terrorism by a group of Hell’s Angels, helps identify a serial killer and dances a tightrope between his feuding parents. Through all this, Jack comes to appreciate his town, his neighbors, his friends and even his parents in new and wonderful ways.
The
author gives his character a wonderful voice, and includes lively dialogue so
real, the reader feels he or she is part of the conversation. The scenes in the book are listed
chronologically, beginning with the derailment of Jack’s summer plans all the
way through to August 17th, when “Jack Gantos was released from being grounded
by his parents.” He says, though, “stay
tuned, because on August 18 he might be grounded all over again – unless he
remembers his own history!” The author gradually reveals the historical era of
the book through cleverly dropped references to time, place and
characters.
Some
passages, especially about war, are so poignant they bear repeated
readings. And they are applicable to our
times as well, reflecting universal themes.
His father, a WWII veteran, says, “Don’t ever go to war. Even if you win, the battle is never over
inside you.” When asked by Jack which is
worse, past history of future history, his father answers, “Future history;
each war gets worse because we get better at killing each other.” Jack learns about the importance of history
by the end of the book when he says, “the reason you remind yourself of the stupid
stuff you’ve done in the past is so you don’t do it again,” paraphrasing the
famous quote that those who don’t remember the past are condemned to repeat it.
Awards:
John
Newbery Medal winner, 2012
Scott
O’Dell Award for Historical Fiction, 2012
Best Books:
Kirkus
Best Children’s Books, 2011
Publisher’s
Weekly Best Children’s Books, 2011
YALSA Best Fiction for Young Adults, 2012
Reviews:
“There’s more than
laugh-out-loud gothic comedy here. This is a richly layered
semi-autobiographical tale,
an ode to a time and place, to history and the power
of reading.” – The Horn Book
“[This
is] a more quietly (but still absurdly) funny and insightful account of a kid's
growth, kin to Gantos' Jack stories, that will stealthily hook even resistant
readers into the lure of history. - The
Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books.
Personal Response:
Dropping
bits of history like bread crumbs for an eager reader to follow, Gantos had me
reaching for my I-Pad and Google to learn more about the town of Norvelt and the
various events of history peppered throughout the book. References to JFK and PT109, Hemmingway’s
hemochromatosis, the US Army bomber flying into the Empire State Building and
Eleanor Roosevelt’s influence on the publication of The Diary of Anne Frank, all led me to explore these topics in more
detail. This is definitely a book older boys
will love, as there is a bit of gore, but it can also be enjoyed by anyone who likes
books with quirky characters and an entertainingly interwoven plot.
Connections:
The
author provides a teaching guide at http://www.jackgantos.com.vhost.zerolag.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/Dead-End-in-Norvelt-Teachers-Guide.pdf which covers themes such
as family, friendships, community, courage, and growing up, as well as
activities that could be used in language arts, social studies, drama and art. Links to websites on the life of Eleanor
Roosevelt and information on the Piper Cub J-3 plane (which can be interpreted
as a character itself in the book) are included.
References
Children’s
Literature Comprehensive Database. N.d. Dead
End in Norvelt. http://ezproxy.twu.edu:4529/index.php/bookdetail/index?page=1&pos=1&isbn=9780374379933 (accessed November 5,
2013).
Schmidt,
Gary D. 2007. The Wednesday Wars. New York: Clarion Books.
Summary:
From
the award-winning author of Lizzie Bright
and the Buckminster Boy, comes the tale of 7th grader Holling
Hoodhood who embarks on a year of change and growth set during the Vietnam
era. Holling learns his teacher doesn’t really
hate him, he can run as fast as the wind with psychotic rats chasing him,
reading Shakespeare does actually have a point, small acts of kindness are
worth their weight in gold, and you don’t have to be lost in order to be found.
Critical Analysis:
“What’s
in a name….” writes Shakespeare in Romeo
and Juliet, but that question is one the reader ponders in Gary D.
Schmidt’s The Wednesday Wars as
well. Names are important in this book,
though it takes some time to figure out the connection between names and
identity.
Holling Hoodhood, is a 7th
grade boy living during the Vietnam War era, who struggles with many universal
issues of that age: mean teachers, bullying, relationships with friends and
family, courage, and, of course, girls.
If an author is supposed to “write what they know,” then Mr. Schmidt
must remember his middle school years well.
He gives our hero a wonderfully unique voice, part cynical, part wide-eyed
curiosity and wonder. Universal themes abound
in this novel - of struggling against
adversity (“Mrs. Baker hate’s my guts”),
family dynamics, prejudice, bullying, courage (in the face of large 8th
graders, escaped rats, Shakespeare, big sisters and yellow tights), and of
course, baseball, America’s pastime.
The
author gives this young adult historical novel a well-established setting, and drops
plenty of appropriate references to give the reader a feel for the era: The
Monkees, Walter Cronkite nightly Vietnam news, dittos (remember the purple/blue
ink, the warmth, the smell of those copies?), war protests, Saturn V, Mickey
Mantle, Brezhnev, POWs, and the assassinations of Martin Luther King, Jr. and
Bobby Kennedy. Intermixed with these
references is a story filled with comedy, drama, love and tragedy, not unlike a
Shakespearian play itself.
The
author has a great time using quotes from the plays Holling’s teacher makes him
read on Wednesday afternoons (hence, the Wednesday wars) to increase the comedic value of the dialogue between the
characters. However the bard’s original intent in his words is changed and
manipulated by Schmidt in new and fresh ways that leave the reader gasping for
breath with laughter and awe. And
Holling’s teacher, Mrs. Baker, whose soldier husband is MIA during part of the
book, doesn’t really hate him, as Holling thinks – she actually sees promise in
him and has a plan to help him. She
tells him late in the book to “learn everything you can… and then use all you
have learned to grow up to be a good and wise man.”
We come to see that Holling is well on his way to achieving this goal, through the help of his teacher, his friends, his community and his experiences with the world in which he lives. Certain aspects of the plays that Holling reads with Mrs. Baker reflect life lessons Holling learns in the novel. Of Hamlet, Holling says, "maybe he never had someone tell him that he didn't need to find himself...he just needed to let himself be found." And, of course, one of the best lessons Holling learns is "to thine own self be true."
We come to see that Holling is well on his way to achieving this goal, through the help of his teacher, his friends, his community and his experiences with the world in which he lives. Certain aspects of the plays that Holling reads with Mrs. Baker reflect life lessons Holling learns in the novel. Of Hamlet, Holling says, "maybe he never had someone tell him that he didn't need to find himself...he just needed to let himself be found." And, of course, one of the best lessons Holling learns is "to thine own self be true."
Awards:
Cybil
Award Finalist, 2007
John
Newbery Medal Honor Book, 2008
IBBY
Honor List, 2010
Reviews:
“Holling's
unwavering, distinctive voice offers a gentle, hopeful, moving story of a boy
who, with the right help, learns to stretch beyond the limitations of his
family, his violent times, and his fear, as he leaps into his future with his
eyes and his heart wide open.” – Booklist
“Schmidt
has a way of getting to the emotional heart of every scene without
overstatement, allowing the reader and Holling to understand the great truths
swirling around them on their own terms.” - Kirkus
Personal Response:
The Wednesday Wars is one of the best books I
have read in a long time, and I read A LOT!
I laughed so hard at times, tears leaked and I scared the dog. I especially loved how the author would occasionally
repeat lines in the book from earlier sentences that made you look at the words
in a whole new way, even expressing new thoughts, almost like the pantoum in
poetry. I already have a list of people
who will be getting this book for Christmas, from my 13 year old son to my 89
year old veteran stepfather. It’s one of
those books that need to be read……and shared.
Connections:
The
obvious uses of this book would be to read it to a class during a unit on the
Vietnam War, or even on making Shakespeare relevant to students of today. But it’s so entertaining, and at times so
amazingly poignant, that a teacher or librarian do not really even need a specific reason
to recommend this book to a middle or high school boy, knowing that the reader’s life
will be enriched beyond measure.
References
Children’s
Literature Comprehensive Database. N.d. The
Wednesday Wars. http://ezproxy.twu.edu:4529/index.php/bookdetail/index?page=1&pos=2&isbn=9780618724833 (accessed November 6,
2013).
