Commentary on Emil and the Detectives by Erich Kästner

'Password Emil!' Emil is excited to be taking the train on his own for the first time. He doesn't like the look of his fellow passenger, the man in the bowler hat. Emil will just have to keep his wits about himand his money in his pocket. But Emil falls asleepand when he wakes up the man in the bowler hat is gone - and so is the money! Emil is determined to get it back. He teams up with a gang of youngdetectives and so begins a hair-raising chase across Berlin to catch the dirty rotten thief...

Commentary on the Bronze Bow

The Bronze Bow by Elizabeth George Speare

After witnessing his father's crucifixion by Roman soldiers, Daniel bar Jamin is fired by a single passion: to avenge his father's death by driving the Roman legions from the land of Israel. Consumed by hatred, Daniel joins the brutal raids of an outlaw band living in the hills outside his village. Though his grandmother's death slows his plans by forcing him to move home to care for his sister, he continues his dangerous life by leading a group of boy guerrillas in spying and plotting, impatiently waiting to take revenge. In nearby Capernaum, a rabbi is teaching a different lesson. Daniel is drawn to the teachings of Jesus of Nazareth, only to turn away, disappointed and confused by Jesus's lack of action in opposing the Romans.

The Bronze Bow won the 1962 Newbery Medal for this magnificent novel of Daniel's tormented journey from a blind, confining hatred to his acceptance and understanding of love.

Commentary on Hokey Pokey

We decided at the meeting to include a new book for the next meeting...  the latest Jerry Spinelli book
titled Hokey Pokey.

Welcome to Hokey Pokey. A place and a time, when childhood is at its best: games to play, bikes to ride, experiences to be had. There are no adults in Hokey Pokey, just kids, and the laws governing Hokey Pokey are simple and finite. But when one of the biggest kids, Jack, has his beloved bike stolen - and by a girl, no less - his entire world, and the world of Hokey Pokey, turns to chaos.

Commentary on The Westing Game

The Westing Game is a 1979 Newbery Medal winning novel by Ellen Raskin.  It is based on Sam Westing's heirs challenged to unravel the secret behind his death.

Commentary on Twenty-One Balloons

 
The Twenty-One Balloons is a novel by William Pene du Bois, published in 1947 and awarded the Newbery Medal for excellence in American children's literature in 1948.

Commentary on A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle

This science fiction book holds up well despite having been written fifty years ago, and was probably quite radical at the time. 

The names of Mrs Which, Mrs Who and Mrs Whatsit prevented a lasting connection and identification. How can you distinguish between these names?

The characters were all quite human… Calvin had a very human element to him. Meg's father didn't end up being the saviour that she hoped him to be. Charles Wallace is more than he appears?

The famous quotes throughout the book helped add an extra flavour. 

Illustrations of the wrinkle were brilliantly simple and vital to help with understanding the concept of interplanetary travel. 

The ending of the book was too abrupt - and is the downfall of the novel.

Written by Ben

Commentary on The Wind in the Willows

Wind in the Willows is a collection of episodic adventures with kindly animals… although all the animals are bachelors who live on their own?

Does it have a place in children's literature in the 21st century? Especially in a New Zealand context? 

For a first-time adult reader (Ben), it is difficult to grasp the same feelings of nostalgia that comes from re-reading this book. 

This book is probably best read out-load between an adult and child - to encourage a commentary dialogue about what is going on. 

The panpipes section was a particularly less-liked section of the novel. Despite being the most lyrical sequence of the book, it was often left out during abridged versions. 

Ratty is definitely a character to enjoy reading about. 

Mister Toad is conceited, lacking no cares, often unpunished but "terribly fun to read". He is possibly modelled after the reckless Oscar Wilde? The jail that Mr. Toad finds himself in could be in reference to the one at Redding. What would Kenneth Grahame say? 

Kenneth Grahame lived near a river, and worked for the Bank of England. He wrote the Wind and the Willows as a collection of bedtime stories for his only son. It must have been hard to deal with his only son passing away in a train accident, apparently a suicide?

There is a longevity value to the Wind in the Willows. We compared the differences in 'quality' between Captain Underpants and Wind in the Willows. The timelessness of reading about the carefree adventures of riverside-dwelling animals. The physical quality of the actual book will 'weed out' the less important. Captain Underpants would be a good introduction for children to reading, but doesn't have much more literary significance. 

The illustrations are an important aspect to classics such as the Wind and the Willows. The originals will remain the timeless images that are engrained in our heads, but it would prove insightful to see how other illustrators dealt with it. 

There is always food. Always food.

Why should children read the classics? The vocabulary is different.

Is this book worth reading it? Yes - there are morals that can be discussed while talking with a child. However, there could be a difficulty for NZ children of relating to an England lifestyle. It is a book that will be passed down between generations if there are memories of doing so - a kind of generational relevance.

 

Written by Ben

Best-loved Children's Books

I found this infographic on the internet, and wanted to share it with you.

For the full bog post, go to http://rossieronline.usc.edu/most-loved-children-books-infographic/


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