Quotables, Round-up + Summer Sale

Be what you would seem to be -- or, if you'd like it put more simply -- Never imagine yourself not to be otherwise than what it might appear to others that what you were or might have been was not otherwise than what you had been would have appeared to them to be otherwise.
--The Duchess, in Alice's Adventures in Wonderlandby Lewis Carroll

(Goodness knows, Alice in Wonderland is perhaps the most quotable work of children's fiction of all time. Brilliant, Mr. Carroll)

Here are the titles I 've reviewed or mentioned this week:





And! Don't forget the Friends and Family Summer Sale at Chronicle Books. If you click through the banner above, Little Lamb Books gets some of the proceeds, which will in turn go to charities that help with reading and literacy, like this one. The same holds true for all books purchased through the Amazon links.

Thursday Classics: Rabbit Hill, by Robert Lawsom

TITLE: Rabbit Hill
AUTHOR & ILLUSTRATOR: Robert Lawson
PUBLISHED BY: Puffin, 2007
ISBN: 014031010
AWARDS: Newbery Medal Winner, 1944

For just about as long as I can remember, whenever I would complain of not having a book to read, or being bored with what I was currently reading, my Dad would turn to me and say: "I've told you, read The Theory of Money And Credit" (by Ludwig von Mises). Loath to take him up on such an offer, I'd find mom, and see what she'd recommend. Most of my favorite books as a child I read because Mom told me to. Many of my favorites as an adult have been likewise, though I can't say I've ever taken up anyofDad'srecommendations.


But there are two recommendations I remember very clearly coming from dad when I was a kid: Rascal and Robert Lawson's Rabbit Hill. Everyone knows Rascal (and if you haven't given it to your boy yet, go buy it immediately), but very few people are familiar with Rabbit Hill, though it is every bit as delightful and a bit more accessible, too. Written and illustrated by Robert Lawson (winner of the Newbery for this, and the Caldecott Medal too), Rabbit Hill was an instant favorite when it was first published in 1944. Lawson's studio in Westport CT was called Rabbit Hill, and from there he worked his entire life. Enough background. Here's the story:

Semi-episodic, and focusing mostly on the Rabbit family, Father, Mother, Uncle Analdas, and Little Georgie, the animals of Rabbit Hill eagerly await the arrival of spring. Father, a "southern gentlemen" is sensible and eloquent, an elder of the family of animals, though he often bores them with stories of Kentucky Bluegrass. Mother is a worry-wort, but sweet; Uncle Analdas is a bit of an old fogey, bragging and feisty, but lovable. And Little Georgie is our hero and (I'll warrant) the reason for the stories in the first place. He is the youngest character, ever bold for adventure, daring in his races with dogs, and willing to help around the home.

There is also a colorful cast of other animals who live on the Hill. There's the Mole, and his "eyes", Willie the field mouse. There's Porkey, the stubborn groundhog, and the majestic Buck, plus the Skunk and Fox, who hope for chickens and good garbage. Lawson creates a rich and colorful world with its own societal rules and civilities.

When the story begins, Spring has come after a long hard winter, with the glad news that "New folks are coming, oh my" to the house on the hill. The last folks, who left in the fall, kept bad gardens, and the poor animals have suffered through several hard seasons with not enough to eat. So, while they try not to get their hopes up about the new folks, they are pretty darn excited.

Finally, the big day arrives, and the animals are so excited. They watch carefully for dogs, for poison and traps--for anything that will be a threat to their lives. Pretty soon they realize the "new folks" are kind and generous tenants, with a big garden and a kind love for all animals. (Mother is particularly affected when Father almost got hit by their car, but they stopped for him, said "how do you do, sir?" and then put up a sign reading "Drive carefully, small animals.") The animals decide how to divvy up the garden, meanwhile the New Folks are charmed and enchanted by their little neighbors.

Lawson really creates an entire world, with rich characterizations, and a genuinely sweet story that teaches children to love and respect God's creatures (without being over the top or preachy). He is as good a prose stylist as he was an illustrator.

What's more, when I think of my Dad reading this book as a young boy, hanging on every word, while my grandmother was out side upset at the deer for eating her roses again, I just have to laugh. Lawson has captured something good and joyful and bounteous in this story. I'm awfully glad Dad told me to read it.

Reading Notes: Could be read aloud, but it would also be a very good first chapter book, as there are lots of lovely illustrations, and plenty of adventure to keep the child engaged. 128 Pages.

UPDATE: Since i first wrote this, Dad told me that ,y grandmother read this aloud several times before he read it by himself. Which seems to me to be the way one does it...

A Girl and Her Gator, by Sean Bryan and Tom Murphy

TITLE: A Girl and Her Gator
AUTHOR: Sean Bryan
ILLUSTRATOR: Tom Murphy
PUBLISHED BY: Arcade Publishing, 2006
ISBN: 1559707984

A Girl and Her Gator is the second of three hilarious books written and illustrated by Sean Bryan and Tom Murphy. This rhyme-time story is about a child and their animal companion, in this case the blond ballerina Clare, who wakes up with a gator (Pierre) on her head. She's not sure how she can spend her day with the gator--"What can you do with a gator up there?"--but soon she discovers that not only does the Gator serve as a fun companion for her days adventures, but he is also very practical AND stylish.

This is a perfect book to read aloud; silly rhymes match the cartoonish (in the good sense) illustrations and the limited color palette (lime green and pink). As the Center for Children's Books says, it is "entertainingly loopy with its off-the-wall situation and imaginative pell-mell rhyme...Planes of apple green and sugar pink dominate the illustrations, while sturdy yet light-hearted linework creates matter-of-factly fantastical scenarios."

It is also perfect for the many babies I know growing up in Florida. When you see more gators than dogs in a walk around your neighborhood, its fun to incorporate them into your life. (But don't buy it Cate...I've already got a copy for Lucy!) A Bear and His Boy and A Boy and His Bunnyare equally funny, silly, grand, but this one is definitely my favorite.

Wonder Bear by Tao Nyeu

Title: Wonder Bear
Illustrator: Tao Nyeu
Publisher: Dial Books, 2008
ISBN: 0803733283

Wonder Bear, the thesis project of illustrator Tao Nyeu, has been praised almost across the board. Bloggers and professionals alike have praised it, saying: "Wonder Bear is a remarkable debut appearance by a special creator adept at tuning into that portion of the brain directly connected to childhood." I was surprised, then, to find it a little creepy.

A wordless book, with (indeed!) magical illustrations, Wonder Bear tells the story of a boy and girl who plant some seeds. During the night, the boys seed grows and grows till out of a blossom the "Wonder Bear" appears. He takes them on a journey of the imagination, but that journey seemed more like a psychedelic dream than anything wondrous or magical. I like my fish in the sea and birds in the air and monkeys in the trees (see below)

The illustrations are, indeed, masterful. Nyeu uses a very limited palette which both enhances the artistry and makes them more other-wordly. There are moments of grace (like the bear, blowing bubbles to the left), but then they seem to be spoilt by the narrative force of the pictures. The bear is not blowing any old bubbles. He's blowing bubble animals that will swallow the sock monkeys he previously pulled out of his hat.

I tried to select some of my favorites of the illustrations, so that you could see the book at it's best. When they are good, they are really good illustrations. But (see the ones below) some are just too strange for my own tastes. I can't give it my fullest recommendation. I like my dreams to be dreams, and even the happy ones I am usually ok with forgetting when morning comes. Beautiful as parts of Wonder Bear are, I feel the same way: I want to wake up, and forget about it.

If you like what you see, however, pick it up from the library, check it out, and maybe you'll see more in it than I do. I'd like to be corrected on this one, since so may other people love it.

Quotable: Eeyore

The old grey donkey, Eeyore, stood by himself in a thistly corner of the Forest, his front feet well apart, his head on one side, and thought about things. Sometimes he thought sadly to himself, "Why?" and sometimes he thought, "Wherefore?" and sometimes he thought, "Inasmuch as which?" and sometimes he didn't quite know what he was thinking about.

--Winnie the Poohby A. A. Milne

Thursday Classics: Roxaboxen

"Marian was mayor, of course; that was just the way she was. Nobody minded."

Title: Roxaboxen
Author: Alice Mclerran
Illustrator: Barbara Cooney
Publisher: Harper Collins, first published in 1991; paperback from Scolastic
ISBN: 0688075924

Roxaboxentells the story of a little hillside in the outskirts of (turn-of-the-century) Yuma, AZ. One it are rocks and boxes, and the children take it over and turn it into their adventure-land. They make houses our of rocks, elect a mayor, have wars and jails, and two ice cream parlors.

Roxaboxen is a real place; author Alice Mclerran's mother was the "Marian" of the book, and used to tell stories about their adventures. But it is also a universal place--and that is why this book is so effective and so well loved. Though I've never been to Arizona, I have been to Roxaboxen--only it happened to be a pile of old appliance boxes inmy backyard that my brother and I played with for weeks one summer. So to with most children: Roxaboxen represents the place children imagine and create for their adventures.

In this respect, I love that this is a picture book rather than a chapter book. Barbara Cooney's "luminous" illustrations (that was the word Mclarren used to descibe cooney's work) have just the right amount of detail and grace to captivate this child. But this book is more a push out into the world than a world to enter into.

The book truly is universally known; there are translations into many different languages, includian Korean, and Japanese. And there was even a Ethiopian Roxaboxen once. Timeless and reflective of a universally known spirit of childhood, this book is a real winner. Thanks to L.K. for recommending it to me.

Summer Sale at Chronicle Books

Hurrah! Chronicle Books is by far my favorite Children's book publisher around today. They consistently produce wonderful picture book, reprint classics, and foster real creativity in their approach to storytelling and the imagination. And now, during their summer sale, everything is 35% off!

You can stock up on (new) classics, like Little Pea(reviewed here), and reprints of older texts, like Bruno Munari's Zoo (reviewed here). All at 35% off.

Here are some other great titles from Chronicle Books:

BABY/BOARD BOOKS:
+ Trucks Go by Steve Light
+ Andy Warhol's Colors by Susan Goldman Rubin
+ Counting with Wayne Theibaud by Susan Goldman Rubin

PICTURE BOOKS:
+ Emily's Baloon by Komako Sakai (pictured below)
+ Rita and Whatsit and Rita and Whatsit at the Beach by Jean-Philippe Arrou-Vignod and illustrated by Olivier Tallec
+ In The Town All year Round by Rotraut Susanne Berner (a German Richard Scarry)

Plus "Classic Illustrated Editions" of Peter Pan, Alice in Wonderland, Aesop's Fables, and many more.

And the wonderful Doodle Collection by Taro Gomi.

The great Sandra Boynton

I realized yesterday that I have not ever posted about Sandra Boynton. To my mind, she is the silliest and most delightful baby-book writer ever. Her board books are loved by everyone (though everyone has a different favorite). They are the defining classics of her genre.

I don't know how she does it, honestly. There is little to analyze in her books, but she manages to make memorable, fun, funny, yet educative, perfect little books that can be read over, and over, and over, and over again, and still be delightful. I never get tired of reading Moo Baa La La La(and can still recite it by heart). Others love The Going-To-Bed Book or But Not the Hippopotamus!

My newest favorite is What's Wrong, Little Pookie?Poor little Pookie is upset, and his Mama can't figure out why. So, as the suggestions from Mama about reason to be upset get more and more ridiculous, Pookie suddenly realizes that he can't remember why he's upset. So simple. So brilliant. And, truly, so funny--I laugh every time. It is great to read aloud with voices. You child will laugh, I promise.

If you don't know Boynton you ought to go out and purchase as much of her oeuvre as you possibly can. If you do, tell me which is your favorite, and why. I always love to know. Here are my favorites, in no particular order:

The Stars! by H. A. Rey

Title: The Stars
Author and Illustrator: H. A. Rey
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin, 2008
ISBN: 0395248302

"This books is meant for people who want to know just enough about the stars to be able to go out at night and find major constellations, for the mere pleasure of it.

"Of course one can enjoy the stars without knowing them. But if you know them at least a little the pleasure is infinitely greater."

Thus begins (I'm not afraid to say it) the greatest everyday astronomy book ever written for children and adults alike. H.A. Rey, the creator of Curious George, wrote and illustrated this bible of observational astronomy. His book was required reading for my college astronomy course (and is found in the bookstores of good liberal arts colleges); it is even quoted and referenced in scholarly articles about the stars, and--the best legacy of all--it has made the constellations and the movement of the planets familiar to generations of children (and their parents!).

Rey's concept is as simple as it was revolutionary when first published in 1952. People don't bother learning the constellations because the cannot visualize them. The names (Leo, Virgo, Capricorn, Taurus, etc.) mean nothing to us compared to what we see. Virgo sure doesn't look like a woman, nor Leo a lion. "The result is the constellations never come to life and the sky remains as unfamiliar as before. Discouraged, we give up." So, he created new illustrations that make the constellations represent what they actually are. Above is the pictorial example from chapter one, or the constellation Gemini (Click the drawing for a larger verson). He once said, "All I did was try various connecting lines between the stars of a group until I got the shape which made sense. What surprises me is that nobody has done it before. The basic idea is so simple!"

To aide the observer, he uses the English names for all the constellations, but encourages everyone to learn the technical Latin, Greek or Arabic names as well, and includes a list in the back. He also has footnotes and an extensive index for those who want to investigate further.



He talks about more than just the constellations, as well. In the picture above, for example, he is illustrating the tilt of the earths axis. His diagrams are clear and crisp with a limited color palette; the most important information is clearly seen and understood. And his text is as informative as it is joyful. He loved the stars and, like any father, wants to share that passion with his children, only this time his children happen to be us readers.

If you think your child will be overwhelmed by 160 packed pages about the stars, then check out Find the Constellations, Rey's shortened kid-friendly version that focuses solely on the constellations. It is a good beginner text. The kid who eats it up and memorizes it in a short time will gladly graduate to the larger text.

So celebrate the 40th Anniversary of the Lunar Landing, and get this book. Learn something about the stars, and teach your children too. They'll never regret it--the stars are faithful friends, always here to inspire wonder, to guide, to teach and to amaze.

Ouch!, by Grimm, Babbitt, and Marcellino

Title: Ouch!
Author: Natalie Babbitt, adapted from a Brother's Grimm tale
Illustrator: Fred Marcellino
Publisher: Harper Collins
ISBN: 0062050664

I feel a little guilty about my review of Knee Knock Rise. My conscience is pricking me because I do so love Natalie Babbitt. So I'm going to try to make it up to her, by featuring her wonderful adaption of the Brother's Grimm tale, The Devil with Three Golden Hairs, called Ouch!, and beautifully illustrated by the brilliant Fred Marcellino.

It tells the story of a boy and a king (of course!). The boy is born with a birthmark of a crown, and everyone thinks that means he will grow up to marry the Princess. The king is furious, and throws the baby into the river, but he is rescued and raised by a hardworking miller and his wife.

Eventually, fate has her way, and the boy marries the Princess without the King's knowledge. The king, hoping to get the better of the boy, sends him on a quest to pluck from the devil three golden hairs. The boy succeeds, and the king gets his just deserts.

Babbitt's update on this classic tale is a bit mischievous--I can see her sitting grinning at her typewriter. One of the hardest parts of adapting a fairy tale for modern ears is filling in the gaps in the story. For example--why do the parents give up the boy to the King in the first place? Babbitt subtly pokes fun at the parents when she says:

"Well," said the King, "You'd better give him to me. I'll raise him properly so he'll know how to act when the time comes." This struck the baby's parents as sensible, and anyway, the King gave them gold to seal the bargain.

Babbitt's use of modern language and idioms does not sound odd, either. Of course the miller and his wife were "tickled pink" to discover the baby in the basket.

Oh yes, my favorite line is the caption for the painting above: "Oh, what a scene of gloom and ruin Hell turned out to be! It was easy to see why no one was anxious to go there." (How fun would that be to read out loud!) And speaking of illustrations, Marcellino's are marvelous. He was a master--and like Babbitt manages to both evoke "fairy tale times" with wit, and without being sappy or nostalgic. There is nothing cloying or moralistic about this retelling or its illustrations. Tongue firmly in cheek, this would be hilarious read aloud. I think it could become a family favorite, so it really is too bad it's out of print...

(Oh, and it could be a good text for a child just learning to read. There is enough text and story--but there are also plenty of illustrations to keep the young mind active while working through the readings. Especially if they were already familiar with the story, they could really enjoy reading this for the first time, and working through difficult words.)

Kneeknock Rise, by Natalie Babbit

Title: Kneeknock Rise
Author: Natalie Babbit
Publisher: Square Fish by Macmillan.
ISBN: 0312370091

I must admit, I think Kneeknock Rise is Babbit's weakest book. Yet in 1971 it won a Newbery Medal for outstanding Children's fiction. Tuck Everlasting is a vastly superior story, and The Search for Delicious, though not as good as Tuck, was my favorite book in childhood. All that being said, Knee Knock Rise is a thrilling adventure for any 3rd--5th grade reader. Its story is dulled by preaching, however, and in that lies my main critique.

The story centers on young boy visiting his Aunt and Uncle during the Instep Fair. Instep is a town at the foot of a Mountain, which is haunted by a strange and fickle being they call the Megramum. Whenever a storm approaches, the Megramum becomes terribly agitated, and makes howling and shrieking noises. The town folk of Instep, capitalizing on their monster in a yearly fair, are both afraid and proud of the Megramum--but never curious enough to go up and discover who or what it really is.

Let me give this story away for you, o Parent. The Megramum, as the boy and his uncle discover, is really just a sulfur spring inside a cave, which for some scientific reason I missed makes noises that echo on the hillside whenever a storm comes. If anyone had been bold enough to brave the fog and climb the mountain, they would have discovered this just as our curious hero and his seemingly crazy uncle discover.

Up until this point the story is a ripping good adventure, with moments of terror, and also charming familial touches that bring warmth to the characters. The townsfolk are a little silly in their superstitions about the Megramum, but they are not entirely ridiculous, and the howling certainly is scary. Meanwhile the boys natural curiosity is a good trait, and every reader cheers for him as he perseveres in his climb up the mountain.

As soon as we discover that there is a perfectly natural explanation for the Megramum, however, Babbit makes it clear who's side she is really on. By the end of the book we know that anyone who believes in something he does not investigate or understand is a fool. Curiosity and logic are the marks of the wise man (who looks foolish in the eyes of believers), and wise men are always treated as foolish by blind believers.

While there is nothing, technically, wrong with the premise that the wise are often perceived as fools, and that not all those who believe want to understand, I would never take it to the extreme that Babbit does. The only believers in her world believe in nonsense. The reader regards them as stubborn fools--the worst kind of fools, the ones who don't care that what they see is untrue. In reading this book as an adult, I see Babbitt playing the role of the Philosopher, descending back into the cave, revealing to us all that what we once believed but did not know is merely shadowplay and lies. All faith is false, because it fails to see the fullness of reality, and it fails to be logical, scientific, and reasonable. Worst of all, faith is not curious.

Augustine, dear St. Augustine, reminds us that true faith seeks understanding. If faith is not both curious, and grounded in reason, then it is truly foolish, but not all faith is so groundless. The townsfolk of Instep are indeed fools, for they idolize out of fear and pride, not out of wonder and curiosity. The Mergamum is indeed a golden calf--a precious lie they hold on to and treasure--but that does not mean that all who believe in something are fools.

I wouldn't mind so much if all this preaching hadn't gotten in the way of the story. I also don't think that one should censor this book; Babbit is a fine writer, and it is a fun story. Like all things you give to your child, you should read it yourself, and discuss it with them. I don't know a better way to introduce these perennial questions than with a story, even if its a faulty one.

The Paraclete Treasury of Angel Stories

Title: The Paraclete Treasury of Angel Stories
Author: Mary Joslin
Illustrator: Elena Temporin
Publisher: Paraclete Press, 2008
ISBN: 1557255725


Another week, another baby born. Actually, a couple weeks ago, there were three babies born, and I found out my dear friend was also having twins. It was a big day! So I have more excuses for finding good books as baptismal presents. For Gianna Marie, who was baptized yesterday, I picked up this beautiful "treasury" of angel stories.

Mary Joslin has long been a favorite. As far as I can tell she sticks primarily to religious subjects; I first discovered her illustrated life of Mary, Mother of Jesusin a little bookstore in Quebec City, and would have bought it on the spot were it not in French.

In this book she turns her attention to the different biblical stories concerning angels, as well as prayers and saying about angels, working with the incredibly talented Elena Temporin. The illustration above accompanies several "Night-time Angel" prayers, including:

Keep watch, dear God, with those who work, or watch, or weep this night, and give your angels charge over those who sleep
--St. Augustine

She doesn't use the biblical language, which is too bad, but the retodl stories are very lovely. She brings in more details of daily life for those biblical figures who met with angels. My particular favorite example of this concerns the shepherds on Christmas night:

"At last--I've got a flame going," said the second [shepherd. He stood up wearily. "We'll need it--see that snow blowing in."

He went to fetch another meagre bundle of firewood. Just as the fire sprang to life, a sharp gust of wind brought a scattering of snowflakes whirling through the air.

"Here comes the blizzard," he said. "I've never seen such snow. It's like the heavens have opened.

All at once, the crystal flakes were lit with gold. There in the middle of the dark winter night danced an angel, as merry and graceful as a flame of fire.

The beauty of Angel stories is that through the angels God protects us and guides us in all aspects of our daily life. Joslin's added details about the mundane things of life (getting more firewood, etc.) bring these stories to life. Paired with Temporin's graceful illustrations, this book really is a treasure.

Zoo in the Sky

Title: Zoo In The Sky: A Book of Animal Constellations
Author: Jacqueline Mitton
Illustrator: Christina Balit
Publisher: National Geographic Society
ISBN: 079227069X

There is only one thing to do after dark on a summer night. Watch the stars. Ok, it's true, with short nights, its a little hard for the kids to stay up late enough to go star gazing, but all the same--star gazing is wonderful wonderful thing to do, and you should start when the kids are young because stars are awesome!

One of these days (very soon!) I'm going to be doing a detailed post about my very favorite star gazing book, but today I want to share with you this lovely illustrated book about the animal constellations in the night sky. Published by the National Geographic Society (they have kids books?!), Zoo In The Skyfeatures elegant prose describing the different constellations (from Swan to hare to Dragon), and some of their more exemplar stars:

THE WHALE is the greatest of all living creature. He is one of the largest in the sky, too. A monstrous size, he is sometimes called the Sea Monster. On the Whale's back you find Mira, the marvelous star. See how red it glows by his fin. Mira keeps dimming till it disappears; then little by little it brightens once more. About a year later it's back, bright as ever, only to face again.

The end papers have lovely black and white sketches of the skies of the northern AND southern skies. (I love it when the add the southern sky--it has some remarkable constellations, and something to look forward to if we ever happen to venture to Australia.) Balit was raised in the near east, and she manages to weave her culture into her lively paintings.

Mitton has her PhD from Cambridge in Astronmomy, and has written 12 books for Children about astronomy. She is a true authority, and makes each constellation and star come alive. She gives just the right amount of details for a young child--this picture book is a wonderful introduction to some very faithful companions.There's plenty to get lost in in this beautiful book--but the best benefit of all is to get lost in the actual nighttime sky.

Bonus; there are sequels:

The Witch of Blackbird Pond

Title: The Witch of Blackbird Pond
Author: Elizabeth George Speare
Publisher: Laurel Leaf/Mass Market Paperback

I won't make excuses--but one of the reasons I have not been posting so often is that I have been busy reading chapter books instead of picture books. I'm rediscovering the favorites of my youth. (Though, I admit, I am doing this partly because I am procrastinating on my other reading project.) So, I picked up the popular historic novel The Witch of Blackbird Pond. I remembered nothing of this story, except the scene at the beginning where our heroine dives into the freezing river, and everyone says shes a witch because she can swim. And I remembered that I loved it.

It tells the story of a young girl, Kit, brought up in Barbados by her wise and gentle Grandfather, who travels to live in Connecticut with her Aunt when her grandfather dies. Her Aunt, Uncle, and cousins, the crippled and kind Mercy, and the sanguine Judith are all Puritans, and their hard days of work, followed by long Sundays spent in church are difficult for the wild and passionate Kit--everything in this world is foreign to her, and all her seemingly innocent actions fail.

Eventually Kit befriends "the Witch" of Blackbird Pond--though she's not a witch at all, but merely an old Quaker woman, Hannah, who teaches Kit to thrive and be at peace in her strange new home. Meanwhile, a nasty woman stirs up trouble trying to claim that Kit is a Witch herself, because she can swim.

There's a rough sketch of the story. I love it for two reasons: 1) The portrayal of the period and cultures is richly detailed and multi dimensional and 2) it not only speaks to the yearnings of a young girls heart, but it also provides a good antidote to the teenage girlish longing.

Compared to her Puritan cousins, Kit is passionate, willful, dreaming, and, in many ways a fish-out-of-water. Every action that seems natural to her is flamboyant or awkward, the same way her satin dresses are flashy and bad for doing chores. What young teenager doesn't feel in some way out of place? That's a huge part of growing up.

But, as the story progresses, Kit learns to control her self (to grow up) and act prudently, without ever diminishing her passion for life, her dedication to her family, or her compassion for those less fortunate than her. She is a fiercely loyal friend. Plus there is a healthy dose of innocent love.

I think one would be hard pressed to find a 12 or 13 year old girl who doesn't see some of herself in Kit. And I'll bet any 12 or 13 year old girl would find a lot to learn from and delight in Kit's story.