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A Year Down Yonder
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From: Jonathan Hunt <jhunt24>
Date: Fri, 19 Jan 2001 01:25:24
I agree with Peck when he says that neither of these books are children's books. And I told my fifth grade class as much when we read A LONG WAY FROM CHICAGO in December, explaining why I thought so, and why we were going to read it anyway. I think that, coupled with Ron McLarty's audiobook reading, really helped them be patient with the book, and give it a fair shake. So much, in fact, that I was pleasantly surprised when their final reactions to the book ranged from mixed to very enthusiastic.
I am reminded of Leon Garfield, quoted on his own work in Katherine Paterson's "Welcome Back, Smith!" in the January/February Horn Book: "[It's] that old?shioned thing the family novel, accessible to the twelve-year-old and readable by his elders" and "One does not write *for* children. One writes so that children can understand. Which means writing as clearly, vividly and truthfully as possible." I think Peck's two books share these qualities, as well as Garfield's affinity for "humble" historical fiction.
Also, try and get a hold of the publisher's A Reader's Companion by Pat Scales. It includes a letter from Richard Peck, foreshadowing some of the comments Ginny mentioned, and there are some other interesting tidbits as well, such as: "Perhaps she's popular with readers because she isn't an old lady at all. Maybe she's a teenager in disguise. After all, she believes the rules are for other people. She always wants her own way. And her best friend and worst enemy is the same person (Mrs. Wilcox). Sounds like adolescence to me, and even more like puberty."
I love both A LONG WAY FROM CHICAGO and A YEAR DOWN YONDER and can see a case for prefering either one. Yes, A LONG WAY FROM CHICAGO seems fresher and more surprising, but A YEAR DOWN YONDER is comfortingly familiar, and Grandma shares the spotlight with Mary Alice. These stories take place in
*her* social world just as much as they do Grandma's. This is not the case in the first book where the grandchildren are observant outsiders; Mary Alice is now an active participant. Some prefer the inventiveness of stories spanning quite a few years. Others think setting stories within a single year gives them a greater unity. To me, there is a perfect blend of similarities and differences between the two books, and I'm glad they didn't come out in the same year so that I really don't have to argue which one is better, after all. I will say that I think the respective fields each had to compete in was a significant factor in determining award recognition, though.
A YEAR DOWN YONDER was one of our mock Newbery books this year, and while it was never under serious contention for us fifth graders, we understand why it won. My girls adored it. My boys begrudingly respected it ("I can't believe I read a book about a girl!"), one of them even going so far as to admit that Mary Alice was a better narrator than Joey, and that she was worth the price of the book alone.
One final anecdote: Approaching our mock Newbery, I requested that all mock Newbery books be brought back to me so that we might have them on hand to refer to. The next morning one boy brought A YEAR DOWN YONDER to me and said--Are you listening out there somewhere, Richard?--he said, "I need this back when we're done because I'm finished with it, but my grandma is right in the middle of reading it." Awwww!
Jonathan
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Received on Fri 19 Jan 2001 01:25:24 AM CST
Date: Fri, 19 Jan 2001 01:25:24
I agree with Peck when he says that neither of these books are children's books. And I told my fifth grade class as much when we read A LONG WAY FROM CHICAGO in December, explaining why I thought so, and why we were going to read it anyway. I think that, coupled with Ron McLarty's audiobook reading, really helped them be patient with the book, and give it a fair shake. So much, in fact, that I was pleasantly surprised when their final reactions to the book ranged from mixed to very enthusiastic.
I am reminded of Leon Garfield, quoted on his own work in Katherine Paterson's "Welcome Back, Smith!" in the January/February Horn Book: "[It's] that old?shioned thing the family novel, accessible to the twelve-year-old and readable by his elders" and "One does not write *for* children. One writes so that children can understand. Which means writing as clearly, vividly and truthfully as possible." I think Peck's two books share these qualities, as well as Garfield's affinity for "humble" historical fiction.
Also, try and get a hold of the publisher's A Reader's Companion by Pat Scales. It includes a letter from Richard Peck, foreshadowing some of the comments Ginny mentioned, and there are some other interesting tidbits as well, such as: "Perhaps she's popular with readers because she isn't an old lady at all. Maybe she's a teenager in disguise. After all, she believes the rules are for other people. She always wants her own way. And her best friend and worst enemy is the same person (Mrs. Wilcox). Sounds like adolescence to me, and even more like puberty."
I love both A LONG WAY FROM CHICAGO and A YEAR DOWN YONDER and can see a case for prefering either one. Yes, A LONG WAY FROM CHICAGO seems fresher and more surprising, but A YEAR DOWN YONDER is comfortingly familiar, and Grandma shares the spotlight with Mary Alice. These stories take place in
*her* social world just as much as they do Grandma's. This is not the case in the first book where the grandchildren are observant outsiders; Mary Alice is now an active participant. Some prefer the inventiveness of stories spanning quite a few years. Others think setting stories within a single year gives them a greater unity. To me, there is a perfect blend of similarities and differences between the two books, and I'm glad they didn't come out in the same year so that I really don't have to argue which one is better, after all. I will say that I think the respective fields each had to compete in was a significant factor in determining award recognition, though.
A YEAR DOWN YONDER was one of our mock Newbery books this year, and while it was never under serious contention for us fifth graders, we understand why it won. My girls adored it. My boys begrudingly respected it ("I can't believe I read a book about a girl!"), one of them even going so far as to admit that Mary Alice was a better narrator than Joey, and that she was worth the price of the book alone.
One final anecdote: Approaching our mock Newbery, I requested that all mock Newbery books be brought back to me so that we might have them on hand to refer to. The next morning one boy brought A YEAR DOWN YONDER to me and said--Are you listening out there somewhere, Richard?--he said, "I need this back when we're done because I'm finished with it, but my grandma is right in the middle of reading it." Awwww!
Jonathan
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Received on Fri 19 Jan 2001 01:25:24 AM CST
