Secret of the Andes by Ann Nolan Clark 1953 Newbery Medal
Jacob Have I Loved by Katherine Paterson 1981 Newbery Medal
A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle 1963 Newbery Medal
Hey again, I'm catching up as you can see!
I LOVED Secret of the Andes (1953). It was almost a spiritual text for me. A beautiful story about the survival of indigenous people. It's about a boy who is a llama herder and someone who is a culture bearer for his people. I'm not sure if this story is "for everybody" but I really did love it. It's a quiet story, but very powerful. Ann Nolan Clark worked as a teacher on Indian reservations in this country and also in Latin America, I believe. I've read other stories by her and liked them as well. I trust her sensibilities re: the complex issues of Native culture and cultural survival. This is a book I want Native kids to read!
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Jacob Have I Loved is one of the few Newbery Medal books which I actively DID NOT like AT ALL! It's by Katherine Paterson, the same person who wrote Bridge To Taribithia, (which I liked just fine.) The story takes place in the Chesapeak Bay on a remote island, and some of the secondary details about the life of a crabbing community were of interest. But in general. . .
Jacob Have I Loved was DEPRESSING! It was about two twin sisters. To start off with the second of these sisters born had to be resusitated and as they tell the story no one really remembers what happened to the "older" twin while all this was happening. Then at age three months this same "younger" twin took sick and had to be carried to the mainland to the hospital and the mother went with this baby to breast feed her, while the other twin stayed home with out her mother and ate formula. The mother and younger baby were gone for months. Anyhow, this sets the stage for the younger, adored, lovely and talented sister to nearly drive the older twin insane. The story is told from the older sister's point of view and it's pages and pages of pain and difficulty and shattered hopes with a few pages at the end that show this girl, as an adult breaking away from the family dynamics and making a life for herself. A little too saturated in adolescent angst for me? Too pyscho-literary? I don't know but I didn't enjoy reading this book. I think it was just the ratio of depressing pages to uplifting ones.
I don't remember anything violent or tragic specifically in this book, but a younger reader would not enjoy it. But then again, according to me, neither would an older one!
Lucinda, lover of depressing books! Did you like this one? Martha, lover of this author! Did you like this one?
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A Wrinkle in Time (1963) by Madeleine L'Engle was a fun read, but didn't get a gold star on my personal list. (Secret of the Andes did get the Louise gold star!) It has a good active heroine. It's a blend of science fiction and some not so subtle Christian themes. There are some nice goofy fantasy characters, some good real people characters as well. It's a quest to rescue the main character's Dad and put the world right. (good prevails.)
I don't remember anything that would be objectionable to a younger reader, but I think the 10 and up group would like it best.
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Love, Louise
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