Comments on: Secret of the Andes, part 3 http://blogs.slj.com/heavymedal/2008/12/08/secret-of-the-andes-part-3-2/ A Mock Newbery Blog Tue, 16 Apr 2013 01:12:08 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.4.1 By: Monica Edinger http://blogs.slj.com/heavymedal/2008/12/08/secret-of-the-andes-part-3-2/#comment-1672 Monica Edinger Wed, 10 Dec 2008 04:05:35 +0000 http://blogs.slj.com/heavymedal/2008/12/08/secret-of-the-andes-part-3-2/#comment-1672 Hmm...that incredibly brief return to Fern's POV is interesting. Why indeed did he do it? I'm intrigued. Hmm…that incredibly brief return to Fern’s POV is interesting. Why indeed did he do it? I’m intrigued.

]]> By: Monica Edinger http://blogs.slj.com/heavymedal/2008/12/08/secret-of-the-andes-part-3-2/#comment-1673 Monica Edinger Wed, 10 Dec 2008 04:04:33 +0000 http://blogs.slj.com/heavymedal/2008/12/08/secret-of-the-andes-part-3-2/#comment-1673 Nina, I can't disagree with you about the awkwardness of Fern the fair. I'm guessing White intended the Dr. Dorian chapter to signal that transition, but her tremendous lack of interest in what happens to Wilbur does clang off somehow. And it does seem unnecessary; however, he clearly very consciously set up that Henry Fussy situation so must have felt strongly about that growing up business being there. (There is a mention of her growing up in the last chapter I believe that works better than those fair ones.) Sorry to be taking this away from the book under discussion, but this is the one I know! Nina, I can’t disagree with you about the awkwardness of Fern the fair. I’m guessing White intended the Dr. Dorian chapter to signal that transition, but her tremendous lack of interest in what happens to Wilbur does clang off somehow. And it does seem unnecessary; however, he clearly very consciously set up that Henry Fussy situation so must have felt strongly about that growing up business being there. (There is a mention of her growing up in the last chapter I believe that works better than those fair ones.) Sorry to be taking this away from the book under discussion, but this is the one I know!

]]> By: Nina Lindsay http://blogs.slj.com/heavymedal/2008/12/08/secret-of-the-andes-part-3-2/#comment-1674 Nina Lindsay Tue, 09 Dec 2008 11:38:28 +0000 http://blogs.slj.com/heavymedal/2008/12/08/secret-of-the-andes-part-3-2/#comment-1674 Monica, I really noticed in the first few chapters how artfully White transfers our attention from Fern to Wilbur. Chapter one is all about Fern and the Arable family. In Chapter two, he starts to personify Wilbur's character, but in ways that could be seen as observations from Fern's POV (what he *likes* is based on his visible behavior). But this sets us up for moving into Wilbur's POV, which is where we land fully in Chapter 3, once he's in the barn. I was really impressed by all this as I looked over it. It's just the reintroduction of Fern later that strikes me as ungainly...and unnecessary. Why go through the trouble of divorcing us from her POV only to take us back there...and only briefly? Monica, I really noticed in the first few chapters how artfully White transfers our attention from Fern to Wilbur. Chapter one is all about Fern and the Arable family. In Chapter two, he starts to personify Wilbur’s character, but in ways that could be seen as observations from Fern’s POV (what he *likes* is based on his visible behavior). But this sets us up for moving into Wilbur’s POV, which is where we land fully in Chapter 3, once he’s in the barn. I was really impressed by all this as I looked over it. It’s just the reintroduction of Fern later that strikes me as ungainly…and unnecessary. Why go through the trouble of divorcing us from her POV only to take us back there…and only briefly?

]]> By: JENNIFER SCHULTZ http://blogs.slj.com/heavymedal/2008/12/08/secret-of-the-andes-part-3-2/#comment-1675 JENNIFER SCHULTZ Tue, 09 Dec 2008 09:18:37 +0000 http://blogs.slj.com/heavymedal/2008/12/08/secret-of-the-andes-part-3-2/#comment-1675 Fern's interest in Henry Fussy did seem a bit off and awkward (and her mother's thought-"Henry Fussy. Well, well!"-was odd too). Fern’s interest in Henry Fussy did seem a bit off and awkward (and her mother’s thought-”Henry Fussy. Well, well!”-was odd too).

]]> By: Wendy http://blogs.slj.com/heavymedal/2008/12/08/secret-of-the-andes-part-3-2/#comment-1676 Wendy Tue, 09 Dec 2008 07:58:14 +0000 http://blogs.slj.com/heavymedal/2008/12/08/secret-of-the-andes-part-3-2/#comment-1676 I did think about that for the first time on this reading, Monica--it's like Fern has aged from 8 to 12 in the course of one year. In fact, I think when I was a kid I might have sort of thought more time went by than really did (I wasn't a particularly careful reader). I think the way Fern's growing up and moving away from having animal friends is shown is interesting, and bittersweet, and Henry Fussy is a good way to show that; but it definitely seems a little odd if you let yourself think about it. I think we have the answer about why this year was so weird (IMHO) for the Newberys, and it has everything to do with Anne Carroll Moore. I'd read the recent piece about Stuart Little, but didn't know about the Three Owls column before. I did think about that for the first time on this reading, Monica–it’s like Fern has aged from 8 to 12 in the course of one year. In fact, I think when I was a kid I might have sort of thought more time went by than really did (I wasn’t a particularly careful reader). I think the way Fern’s growing up and moving away from having animal friends is shown is interesting, and bittersweet, and Henry Fussy is a good way to show that; but it definitely seems a little odd if you let yourself think about it.

I think we have the answer about why this year was so weird (IMHO) for the Newberys, and it has everything to do with Anne Carroll Moore. I’d read the recent piece about Stuart Little, but didn’t know about the Three Owls column before.

]]> By: Monica Edinger http://blogs.slj.com/heavymedal/2008/12/08/secret-of-the-andes-part-3-2/#comment-1677 Monica Edinger Tue, 09 Dec 2008 03:43:06 +0000 http://blogs.slj.com/heavymedal/2008/12/08/secret-of-the-andes-part-3-2/#comment-1677 I know this is about Secret of the Andes, which I have not read, but I too want to chime in in defense of CW. Having read it with children closely yearly since 1990 I know it like the proverbial back of my hand. There's such a careful movement of the focus away from Fern as the book goes on. You can even see it in the illustrations as Fern becomes separated by a fence and then the page (she's on one and the animals are on the opposing one). At the fair her tremendous lack of interest in Wilbur at such a critical moment is not something we overlook, but at the same time by then we are so in the palm of White's hand (what is with these hand metaphors?) that we don't care. A bit more awkward to me is that she is "only eight" when the story begins yet, a few months later, is more or less besotted with Henry Fussy. My students and I always accept that, but that does strike me as a bit off. Still the language and sentence level writing trumps all awkwardness for us. Hmmm...maybe I do have to see if Dalton has a copy of Secret of the Andes for me to read, but it would be an unfair situation given how well I know CW. I know this is about Secret of the Andes, which I have not read, but I too want to chime in in defense of CW. Having read it with children closely yearly since 1990 I know it like the proverbial back of my hand. There’s such a careful movement of the focus away from Fern as the book goes on. You can even see it in the illustrations as Fern becomes separated by a fence and then the page (she’s on one and the animals are on the opposing one). At the fair her tremendous lack of interest in Wilbur at such a critical moment is not something we overlook, but at the same time by then we are so in the palm of White’s hand (what is with these hand metaphors?) that we don’t care. A bit more awkward to me is that she is “only eight” when the story begins yet, a few months later, is more or less besotted with Henry Fussy. My students and I always accept that, but that does strike me as a bit off. Still the language and sentence level writing trumps all awkwardness for us. Hmmm…maybe I do have to see if Dalton has a copy of Secret of the Andes for me to read, but it would be an unfair situation given how well I know CW.

]]> By: Therese Bigelow http://blogs.slj.com/heavymedal/2008/12/08/secret-of-the-andes-part-3-2/#comment-1678 Therese Bigelow Mon, 08 Dec 2008 14:26:19 +0000 http://blogs.slj.com/heavymedal/2008/12/08/secret-of-the-andes-part-3-2/#comment-1678 I first heard Charlotte's Web read aloud to me the year it was published. I was in third grade. I read it more than once as a child. I might have read it again when taking children's literature but do not remember doing so. I saw the animated movie with my children when they were small and had to reread the book because I did not remember Fern and thought she had been added to the story by the movie company. The charater of Wiber, Charlotte and the other barnyard animals were so strong for me that Fern was an incidental easily forgotten character in the bok I first heard Charlotte’s Web read aloud to me the year it was published. I was in third grade. I read it more than once as a child. I might have read it again when taking children’s literature but do not remember doing so. I saw the animated movie with my children when they were small and had to reread the book because I did not remember Fern and thought she had been added to the story by the movie company. The charater of Wiber, Charlotte and the other barnyard animals were so strong for me that Fern was an incidental easily forgotten character in the bok

]]>