Comments on: Polly Horvath

By: Deb

Deb — Thu, 24 Jan 2013 21:16:21 +0000

To me, and maybe to many other Mr. and mrs. Bunny fans, the humor was not the key-it’s not a rolling on the floor laughing book-okay, it is on some pages–but as Nina points out it is so well constructed, on so many layers, that the humor is only one of those supporting mechanisms. Here is a young girl who is taking care of her parents, which makes it one more story of a neglected child, living among rather decrepit old hippies, still being pulled by the outside world (Prince Charles is coming!!). Then she is kidnapped, and let’s face it, she falls down a rabbit hole. The adults are not the most endearing characters…but the bunny adults are. Rather than finding the Bunnies humorus, it was the asides about reading Lee Child, British royalty, Fox news, etc. that let you know how much fun the author was having.

By: Robin

Robin — Thu, 24 Jan 2013 20:57:03 +0000

Hurrah and thanks, Nina!

By: Nina Lindsay

Nina Lindsay — Thu, 24 Jan 2013 20:54:23 +0000

Yep, unless Horvath has given up her American Citizenship recently, she’s still eligible. Susan Cooper and Robin McKinley are similar examples (Americans abroad); Neil Gaiman a recent reverse example (“foreIgner” resident).

By: Robin

Robin — Thu, 24 Jan 2013 20:29:23 +0000

Just finished One Year in Coal Harbor and I’m with the “it’s even better” than Waffle crowd. I feel the same was as Nina when I see a new Horvath book on the shelf, and for some reason, I’d missed this one until I saw this post!! I have read Mr. and Mrs. Rabbit, but it didn’t seem to have that same punch for me as Coal Harbor. Clever, funny, yes. But those poignant moments that Horvath is so good at describing so accurately . . . those are what distinguished Coal Harbor for me.

Horvath lives in BC . . . but is still an American citizen (so no eligibility questions here?) I’m truly just wondering . .. I’m a huge fan and setting is such a presence in Coal Harbor (and Waffle).

By: Danyelle

Danyelle — Mon, 10 Dec 2012 23:30:19 +0000

I loved Trolls, but I didn’t find Mr. and Mrs. Bunny funny. I’m still scratching my head at those who laughed all the way through. It seems like it would be harder to build consensus around a humorous book than others, because what a person finds funny really depends on the person. I liked Waffle and thought Coal Harbor was even better, but I’m still trying to figure out what I’m missing with the Bunnies.

By: Nina Lindsay

Nina Lindsay — Mon, 10 Dec 2012 17:47:02 +0000

It is indeed so hard to evaluate humor in writing…maybe because we have to evaluate it differently than other writing? I’m taking note of all the trusted voices saying “this is funny!” and continuing to think about it. Ultimately, even if I don’t find it funny myself, as Mock committee member I need to understand how the book works for those that DO find it funny. I’d love to hear from anyone who has shared this with kids, about their reactions.

By: Martha

Martha — Mon, 10 Dec 2012 15:52:13 +0000

I laughed almost continuously through Mr and Mrs Bunny — sometimes at hoomans, sometimes at bunnies, sometimes at foxes — a multispecies laugh fest. It didn’t seem to matter whether the humor was goofy or bitingly satirical or dark or absurd, I laughed. And through it all I cared about the characters — well, about Madeline and Mr and Mrs B. But I agree that building committee consensus around it would be extremely difficult, because I know from sad personal experience that its humor does not appeal to all. But in terms of Newbery criteria, it meets them all. So I wonder if an argument could be made, a la Jonathan, that one does not necessarily have to LOVE a book (ie, Splendors and Glooms) to recognize its worthiness. I wonder if a Newbery committee could put aside their individual senses of humor and just look at the *craft* of this book…

By the way, for the Horvath fans above, Polly will have a piece in the March issue of the Horn Book (partially written by Mrs Bunny. And possibly partially by Mr Jack Gantos). So stay tuned!

By: Sam Bloom

Sam Bloom — Sun, 09 Dec 2012 19:15:12 +0000

I absolutely adored Mr and Mrs Bunny. It is one of the few contenders I’ve read twice, and the humor was even more spot on the second time. And of course, “contender” is a bit of an overstatement here… I think it is extremely unlikely that ANY group of 15 people would come to a consensus on this one. But I can always dream, I guess.

By: Deb

Deb — Thu, 06 Dec 2012 23:33:37 +0000

Sam is right, this is going to be a classic. It is a brilliant satirical social commentary that somehow melds the helpless parents/homeless child/talking animals/villans/detecive story with humor that works on multiple age levels.
My first Horvath book was Trolls and I fell in love with her writing, then later was so turned off by some of her more perverse books that I quit reading her for years. But the “Bunnies” book jacket was too enticing and I fell off the wagon. Although I haven’t encountered many readers who love it as much as I do, I would be ecstatic if it won a medal!

By: Eric

Eric — Thu, 06 Dec 2012 19:45:02 +0000

I’ve never really gotten the Horvath thing… I didn’t find anything particularly special about either Trolls or Everything on a Waffle (Canning Season has been on my to-read pile for years and I still haven’t cracked it open) so I wasn’t particularly keen on reading COAL HARBOR or MR AND MRS BUNNY when they showed up on netgalley. After seeing some positive buzz for MR AND MRS BUNNY on got hold of a copy and just started reading it earlier this week. I think it’s an absolute hoot. I haven’t finished it yet but I’d agree with Wendy on the “does what it does perfectly” quality and if the second half is as strong as the first I can see myself throwing a nomination its way.
Speaking of newbery worthy comedy….. this year’s Brixton Bros. book DANGER GOES BERSERK is as fantastic as the previous 3, if not better.
I get the feeling that at some point Barnett is going write a stand alone title with the same incredible pacing (seriously, do any 250 page books read as fast as these do??) and smart humor that will seriously contend for the award.