January 2024 Book Bracket

First Book Bracket of 2024

A respectable number of books were completed for the first month of the year, with almost all of them being books that I checked out from the library. I also enjoyed all of the books I read this month - some more than others, but still enjoyable.

Before Austen Comes Aesop, by Cheri Blomquist

A woman in an educatory role overviews the literature that has formed readers historically and suggests several templates for enjoying and studying the "greats" of children's literature.

Why I picked it up: This ended up on my to-read list at some point; available from the public library.

My impressions: My favorite part of this book was actually the introduction, in which the author asks questions such as "Why do we continually ask students to study literature far too mature for them?" and "Why do we rush students past juvenile classics to adult classics before they might be ready for them?" (pp. 7-8), amongst others. These questions spoke to my own experiences - I recall reading many books in high school and college that I simply didn't enjoy or even scarred themselves into my memory. I wasn't ready for 1984 as a sophomore in high school. I'm not sure I'm ready for it even now. In any case, Blomquist was able to put into words the questions that have been hanging around inside my own head for a while. Why do we put such emphasis on the classics? What do I, the reader, really gain if I chug through a classic but don't understand it more than superficially? She provides a substantial list of books to consider and provides helpful "Parents be warned"-type indicators for works that she suspects would have problematic content for some families. I appreciated that her approach encouraged some discernment on the parts of parents considering what fits their family's values and dynamics. So, there were quite a few good things going on with the book. There were also some aspects I didn't quite agree with, such as the inclusion of books that are definitely no longer commonly read nowadays. After all, if a book was formative only in a certain time period, I don't necessarily see the value of sitting children down to read a work, especially if there are better examples of the same type written later. There are plenty of other books we'll never have time to read even without including works that are out of print for a reason. I'm conflicted about her inclusion of books that she strongly disagrees with...I appreciate her attempt to be objective about what books are included on "best children's books" lists, but I don't necessarily think she should have felt obliged. At the same time, maybe it's good she does - she's able to discuss their relative merits (e.g., beautiful writing), but warn against their questionable or offensive aspects (e.g., sexual content, anti-Catholic/Christian values) and report that there are other books out there with beautiful writing that don't have the problematic content. Overall, this book is probably most useful and interesting to parents who are homeschooling their children, but it was great to get reading ideas from this book and consider why some books might be worth a second look - or passing over.

Inkheart, by Cornelia Funke

Meggie discovers the men who took away her father were read out of a book by him, and she must join with friends and questionable allies to try to save him and stop the spread of their power.

Why I picked it up: I've heard about this book enough over my life that I figured it was time to learn what it was all about. I'd picked it up and started it as a kid, but put it down before too long.

My impressions: This was a decent read, as an adult, this one time, but it's not a book I'd recommend too strongly. The use of swear words, lying, deception, and desire to hurt or kill others throughout the book prevent it from being one I could comfortably say could be read without concerns. The premise is really cool and the characters are quite interesting, but it wasn't a book that gripped me throughout. There were moments here and there that had me wanting to read what happened next or finish the book, but there were also stretches when I thought the book moved a little slowly, especially at the beginning. While I wouldn't be surprised if I listened to the next two books in the trilogy as audiobooks, but I definitely consider this one more on the "fluff" side of reading content. High schoolers with good formation can probably handle it, but it's not a book they should feel the need to read.

The Story of Holly and Ivy, by Rumer Godden, Illustrated by Barbara Cooney

This is a short story in which an orphan and a Christmas doll yearn for family for Christmas. 

Why I picked it up: This one ended up on my to-read list a while back. It was available through the library, but unfortunately, came available after the Christmas season was over.

My impressions: I’m really not sure why orphans are such a big feature in Christmas stories. I’m getting that out there first. Putting that trope aside, it is a great little story. I could see this being a book that is pulled out and enjoyed for many years to come. I will try to avoid spoiling too much, but I liked that it wasn’t just a story about hoping for something and, easy peasy, it was achieved. I appreciated that there was a mildly sinister owl toy that added some flavor to the tale. I also liked how the author seemed to grasp the perfectly unreasonable reasonableness that I think kids sometimes have. The illustrations were done beautifully by Barbara Cooney and really brought the tale to life; it’s hard to imagine the story without them. This is a book that I wouldn’t mind owning someday, and while I think girls would appreciate it more, I can see this being a book the whole family loves.

  

Tatsinda, by Elizabeth Enright, illustrated by Irene Haas

A fairy-like creature, Tatsinda, is an outsider due to her different appearance, but her weaving skills take on great importance when a giant invades Tatrajan in search of special stones.

Why I picked it up: An author discussed Elizabeth Enright as one of her inspirations, and this was the work of hers that looked most interesting to me – and it was available through the public library. 

My impressions: This was a sweet little fairy tale that made me think a little bit of the delight I felt at reading The Ordinary Princess or The Princess and the Goblin for the first time. It was much shorter and not quite the same level, but I could see this being a book I would have had fond memories for if I’d read it as a kid. This is another book that had illustrations that just help make the story – they were lovely, and the stylization went well with the tale. There was a little world-building, but not too much – it was just right. A straightforward, simple story. There is some magic involved, but I think it’s the more neutral “incantation” kind (see review of Book Girl). There’s a little bit of needing materials and uttering something for a spell, but the magic seemed pretty mild overall. I liked that one, or perhaps both bits of magic employed in the tale didn’t end up being what saved the day – it was the efforts of the characters. Girls would likely enjoy this story more than boys, but I could see all kids enjoying this, especially if it were read aloud and everyone had a chance to see the pictures.

 

Book Girl, by Sarah Clarkson**

One lifelong book lover explains why women should become “book girls,” or women whose lives are shaped by stories and books, and recommends titles to help them become so.

Why I picked it up: I started hearing about Sarah Clarkson within the last few years and, with my current Audible subscription, I was able to listen to this one for free.

My impressions: This was a book that was worth reading. I already knew a lot of the ideas behind the author’s philosophy on books due to her being featured on several podcasts, including “The Read Aloud Revival” podcast. I agree with where she’s coming from, and I thought she had interesting things to say – particularly about magic and how it is used in books (a brief section). She argues that, if magic is presented in a book just as a neutral power in a fictional world (like electricity in ours), then it’s fine (incantation). So, think Lord of the Rings – and even Harry Potter, she argues. This is different than magic by invocation, or calling on spiritual beings (the occult)(invocation). It doesn’t mean I’m going to just pick up and read Harry Potter now, but it’s an interesting thing to think about. This was a very brief section of the book (Chapter 35), and she had lots more to say. Since she comes from a Christian, but not Catholic, background, some of the many books she recommends aren’t quite as interesting to me since there's no guarantee they'd line up with Catholic theology, but I still took recommendations. I’d already read some of the works she recommends, but there were many I haven’t heard of. This book got me thinking about how books may or may not influence me – there may be a blog post coming for that in the future. I think any book lover or woman who wants to get into reading more would appreciate this book. There’s a lot of information in here that’s good for everyone, but Clarkson definitely targets a female audience. This book would definitely be best enjoyed as a physical book or even ebook, as there are many book recommendation lists and it’s hard to find exact spots in an audiobook.

The Read-Aloud Family, by Sarah MacKenzie

The founder of the Read-Aloud Revival podcast explains why families should aim to make their homes places where reading aloud happens intentionally, as well as book recommendations and suggestions on how to make it happen.

Why I picked it up: It was mentioned frequently on the Read-Aloud Revival podcast and sounded like something I should look into...after all, much of my reading the last few months has been about reading.

My impressions: There's a whole lot of heart in this work and I think it will be wonderful to have once I try to implement this in my own household. But, the need isn't there yet and my husband and I already read out loud to each other. I like that MacKenzie pulls from different sources, but some of her sources might present with some biases towards reading aloud anyway. That wouldn't necessarily be clear from the book, but it's something I noticed from listening to the podcast. Not that a bias towards reading aloud is something I'm seriously concerned about. I didn't necessarily need the first third of the book, which explains why parents should read aloud to their children - I already live in that camp. I definitely liked the second section, which talks about creating a book club culture and explains some practical ways to make reading aloud happen, as well as how to ask engaging questions that lead to good conversation. The third section provides good insights into how reading aloud might look different for different ages of children. There are tons of book recommendations throughout the book, but they are very helpfully compiled at the end of the book and organized in different ways. This is definitely a (physical) book that would be worth investing in if one is really keen on reading aloud with children. I don't need it in my life right now, but I can easily imagine myself purchasing it if reading aloud is something that becomes a staple in our family in the future.

Bracket Play

Like I mentioned above, all of the books I read this month were works that I considered worth my time. Several were on the same level, which sometimes made bracket advancement decisions difficult. Sarah Clarkson's book beat Blomquist's, and I think the main reason was because Clarkson's book felt more applicable to me now than the one focused on homeschooling. Both children's books were delightful and enjoyed beautiful illustrations, but I went with Tatsinda as the winner in the first round because it felt like one that could be more easily enjoyed by both boys and girls, as well as not being specific to a certain time of year. The sequel to Inkheart - which I put down - somewhat soured the experience of the original (which I finished). This book was the weakest contender anyway, however, and it easily fell to The Read-Aloud Family in the first round.

For the second round, Tatsinda lost out to Book Girl...it was close, and I can't give much reason for the victory of one over the other. The Read-Aloud Family ended up winning overall, though. It was a close championship round, but I liked the structure of MacKenzie's book and it's something that has both personal and professional interest for me.