MC Higgins The Great is "difficult"

Today in class Molly presented the concept of “difficulty” in regards to literature. This is something I have always struggled with internally. I have never really voiced difficulty when reading a book, but subconsciously it has always been there. I liked how Molly described these as obstacles not impossibilities. I think often times difficulties come from things we struggled with understanding in our own lives.

In the book, M.C. Huggins The Great, I had difficulty dealing with M.C. developing his identity. This is the story of a boy growing up and coming of age and I think he really struggles with acceptance and security issues. Adolescence is an obstacle in itself. It is the time where you feel you don’t really belong anywhere. You are stuck in limbo between childhood and adulthood with new physical and emotional concepts constantly surfacing. I think I struggled with reading this because I was experiencing that uncomfortable feeling all over again. At some points I thought M.C. was so arrogant and annoying and at other times I could see that he was just trying to figure it all out. Hamilton does a good job of portraying what this stage of life is like.

I experienced difficulty even greater in reading Dicey’s Song. I could just feel her pain. At some points it was that internal battle of wanting to turn the page but not wanting to turn it at the same time. I was intrigued and wanted to know the outcome, but fearful that it might be so painful.

I think authors that are able to incorporate “difficulties” in their stories have a gift because it causes the reader to dig deeper. It makes the reader step outside of their comfort zone and think about something they may not want to. The great thing about a book is that you can read it, process it and continue at your own pace. This makes the process more manageable than just experiencing it all at once as in a movie.

Louis Lowry

Before taking this class I had never read a book by Louis Lowry. The past two weeks I have thoroughly enjoyed the reading. I find Lowry’s writing style engrossing. Lowry has intriguing plot lines that result in strong emotional bonds to the books.

Thus far I have only read Number the Stars and The Giver, both of which I could not put down.

In Number the Stars, I found the relationships between Annemarie and Ellen and Annemarie and her little sister so intriguing. It immediately took me back to my childhood. Though, the added element of German occupation made the novel even more heart wrenching. The girls’ interaction with each other was touching. I think this novel would be a wonderful tool for children, especially girls, going through adolescence. It shows the value of a true friendship and the effect it can have on a person.

In The Giver, the character of Jonas is a strong contrast to society, which makes a strong statement. The “community” in the novel functions as a utopian society. It appears to be perfect with no fears and no pain but as a result there is also no individuality or freedom. Jonas, a twelve-year-old boy, realizes the tragic fate of this world once he is able to see beyond and decides a change must be made. I thought the plot of this novel was fascinating because it has elements of science fiction yet it is a world that we know so well. Lowry is an effective writer because she writes in a way that people of all ages can relate.

A Single Shard

I enjoyed reading Linda Sue Park’s A Single Shard because it was a different read than the other books we have studied this semester. Tree-ear is the first male protagonist we have had since we left High Fantasy. I found this book interesting because it was very Eastern to me. I think the Eastern cultures emphasize values and behavior in their developmental years more than we do in America. Even though this book was set in 12^th century Korea the life lessons were still applicable.

This book was easier to read for me because there was more development of the characters. I felt like I got to really know Tree-ear and grow with him. Despite Tree-ears struggles he was always able to maintain a positive attitude and look forward. He did not let obstacles set him back. Additionally, the relationship between Tree-ear and Crane-man strengthened the emotional connection in the novel. They form a beautiful friendship and Tree-ear’s growth is partially defined by this relationship.

Throughout Tree-ear’s journey both externally and internally, Park leads the reader with him. I would recommend this novel for children because I think it teaches us about life in a very simplistic manner. Today kids are so bombarded with movies and tv and fantasy and everything is always getting “bigger and better”. I like the slow pace of this book for that reason. To remind children that life itself is a journey and it is what you make of it as an individual and that will never change.

In class our class discussion, my group analyzed genre in terms of Peter Pan. The book Peter Pan by J.M. Barrie is one of the most well-know children's stories. This novel has been adapted into multiple forms: plays, musicals, films, animated films and abridged books. With each different adaptation comes a different interpretation in my opinion.

We have now all read the original novel Peter Pan, but below I have attached some different YouTube videos of clips from various adaptations. Take a look at them and let me know what you think. Also, if you had seen or read any other version of Peter Pan before reading the novel did it affect how you read the book? Which version are you partial to?

This first clip is a scene from the Broadway production of Peter Pan. The scene, "I'm flying" starring Cathy Rigby as Peter Pan.



Here is a scene from the 1953 Disney animated film, "You can fly".



This is the trailer from a recent film version of Peter Pan. It came out in 2003 as a film adaptation of Barrie's novel and play.



After reading the novel I had my own vision of Peter Pan. I knew the story from children's cooks but somehow I made it through life without every seeing a movie or play of Peter Pan. After watching these different clips I see so much variation in the characters and the plot and really just what I wanted Neverland to be like! I think the way you are introduced to something can greatly impact the way you always think of it. For you avid Harry Potter fans, what if you had seen a movie before reading a book? Would that not just be terrible? Let me know your thoughts...

A True Hero?

This book was really hard to read for me. I had to force myself to really dive in the story. They say never judge a book by its cover, but I did. I also judged the title, "A Wizard of Earthsea", this seemed rather ominous from first glance. Though I think that is the point. After our discussion in class today it was clear I was not alone in my thinking. Succinctly put by little Sara, Ged is just not a likable character.

Though just because Ged was not likable does not mean he was not a hero. It is true that he was driven by his own pride; he was selfish and perhaps overly confident. However, I would argue that over the course of the novel and through the journey he overcomes his humanly flaws one by one. Thus, leading him to his ultimate quest of embracing the dark shadow.

This is an interesting novel because we think of children’s literature as typically being lighthearted and fun. Though, this novel did not possess those qualities. There was action guiding the book but it was driven by conflict and fear.

I thought Professor McMillan brought up a good point in class today that rather than the hero overcoming the darkness in the end of the novel he embraced it. Though difficult to get into at first, this book has a redeeming message in the end. There are evils of the world that we cannot necessarily run from. Though maybe by acknowledging the darkness we can balance out our own lives, making us wholly human.

P.S. Here is a good clip from the Earthsea series where Ged and Jasper have the duel and he raises the shadow. Click Here.

A Magical World

I love reading Children's literature because it takes you to a world that doesn't typically exist in adulthood. A world where anything can and does happen. Emotions run high and action prevails but there is hardly a dull moment.

Unfortunately as we grow up and life happens, this world seems to diminish and fade into the background. We love children because they keep us young and intrigued. Society embraces fantasy books and movies like Harry Potter because it takes us away from our mundane lives and into an foreign yet surprisingly familiar world of excitement and fantasy, even if we aren't consciously doing it.

Personally, I believe this world can and does exist in real life. It's just easy to forget about it unless your a child.

I am a senior International Advertising and Public Relations Major with minors in French and Business. Sounds pretty concrete, but even in my sought-after profession, creativity is key.

I am taking this course to fulfill a writing emphasis credit but really I wanted the opportunity to take an English course to encourage myself to read, write and keep the child in me active.