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RE: Richard Peck's SEASON OF GIFTS
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From: Killeen, Erlene <Erlene.Killeen_at_Stoughton.K12.WI.US>
Date: Sat, 07 Nov 2009 10:53:44 -0600
I have not read Peck's last book (read the other two) but I have to say tha t if we expect all of this kind of writing to be eliminated we are ignoring many children's real lives and family histories. I know because I had a G ranny in Iowa who ruled the roost and my cousins and I delight in retelling the crazy things she did and also commenting on the lack of sophistication , outright bigotry, etc. of the times and our forefathers (HATE that word - - forparents?).
I still have relatives that upon visiting, my children have asked "And HOW are we related to them?" because of the total seperation and strangeness o f lifestyles and opinions.
I think the discussions make it all worthwhile and feel like we all have to be part of the correcting of terrible ideas and notions from the past that our current relationships in the world have to face. Laughter is one of t he ways to shake our heads at ignorance and foolishness -- even bleakness i n past actions and beliefs. The biggest difficulty is that children have n o background to assess and weigh. If this type of material is used, it wil l take a lot of explaining, questioning, and discussing.
While I cannot portend to know how someone else feels about specific action s and words, I really appreciate everyone being willing to speak or write a bout the issues.
Erlene Bishop Killeen erlene.killeen_at_stoughton.k12.wi.us Stoughton Area Schools 1601 West South Street Stoughton, WI 53589 608-877-5181
________________________________________
From: Wendy Burton
Sent: Saturday, November 07, 2009 10:35 AM To: ccbc-net_at_ccbc.education.wisc.edu; Alixwrites@aol.com Subject: Re:
Richard Peck's SEASON OF GIFTS
(I can't quite remember the rules about off-topic posting here, so if this isn't appropriate, please let me know.)
Alix, you weren't misreading the book about the bones being fake and the en tire thing being a hoax, but I did read the whole book (I think Debbie migh t have mentioned somewhere that she did finish it later?) and I did think t hose passages were offensive (to put it simply; my view is more complex tha n just that, of course). I'll be writing a blog post about it sometime, bu t there's a lot of discussion about this book on the Heavy Medal blog, with people weighing in on both sides of the issue. It starts with this post: http://www.schoollibraryjournal.com/blog/560000656/post/1110049311.html and continues on for several more.
Wendy burtonwl_at_yahoo.com http://sixboxesofbooks.blogspot.com
--- On Sat, 11/7/09, Alixwrites_at_aol.com wrote:
From: Alixwrites_at_aol.com Subject: Re:
Richard Peck's SEASON OF GIFTS To: ccbc-net_at_ccbc.education.wisc.edu Date: Saturday, November 7, 2009, 7:12 AM
Regarding Season of Gifts: Maybe I was misreading it (and I'm sure others will enlighten me if I am), but in light of the fact that Granny Dowdel was presented as a trickster in the first two tomes, I was under the impression that neither the ghost nor the bones were actually meant to have existed (and that her property was probably not even on a Kickapoo Burial Ground at all) but rather, were a trick played by Granny on the ignorant townspeople 1) to get the teens out of her melon patch; 2) to make money selling feathers and other trinkets from the alleged haunted burial ground; and 3) to publicize the narrator's father's church. Granny was a huckster to rival P.T. Barnum. This reminded me of the "ghost" of Shotgun Cheatum in the first novel, A Long Way from Chicago, where Granny convinced her neighbors they were seeing his corpse come alive. In this novel, we are eventually told that the narrator's mother was helping Granny out so that it would appear that someone other than Granny was out in her field, ag ain leading to the conclusion that the ghost was fake.
If Granny was making up the Kickapoo Burial Ground, the ghost, and the bones (which the narrator never sees, but rather, which Peck takes pains to point out are presented to the narrator's father in a closed box for burial) in order to take advantage of the townspeople's ignorance in believing that the Native Americans were coming back to haunt them, wouldn't that merely be pointing up the ignorant attitudes of white people toward Native Americans at that time, rather than actually stereotyping Native Americans?
Much of this (such as the presentation of the closed box and the revelation of Granny's profit in selling feathers) likely took place in the portion of the book which you didn't read. This is why I believe it is important to read the entire book before making any criticism, whatever the criticism may be.
Best, Alexandra Flinn www.alexflinn.com
A Kiss in Time (HarperCollins, 2009) "Flinn builds a credible romance around two vastly different (and highly entertaining) characters, injects a little magic and chivalry into the modern world, and lightly explores concepts of love and fate—all on the road to a satisfying 'happily ever after.'" --Horn Book
In a message dated 11/7/2009 9:41:27 A.M. Eastern Standard Time, debreese_at_illinois.edu writes: Richard Peck's A SEASON OF GIFTS pecks-season-of-gifts.html
Received on Sat 07 Nov 2009 10:53:44 AM CST
Date: Sat, 07 Nov 2009 10:53:44 -0600
I have not read Peck's last book (read the other two) but I have to say tha t if we expect all of this kind of writing to be eliminated we are ignoring many children's real lives and family histories. I know because I had a G ranny in Iowa who ruled the roost and my cousins and I delight in retelling the crazy things she did and also commenting on the lack of sophistication , outright bigotry, etc. of the times and our forefathers (HATE that word - - forparents?).
I still have relatives that upon visiting, my children have asked "And HOW are we related to them?" because of the total seperation and strangeness o f lifestyles and opinions.
I think the discussions make it all worthwhile and feel like we all have to be part of the correcting of terrible ideas and notions from the past that our current relationships in the world have to face. Laughter is one of t he ways to shake our heads at ignorance and foolishness -- even bleakness i n past actions and beliefs. The biggest difficulty is that children have n o background to assess and weigh. If this type of material is used, it wil l take a lot of explaining, questioning, and discussing.
While I cannot portend to know how someone else feels about specific action s and words, I really appreciate everyone being willing to speak or write a bout the issues.
Erlene Bishop Killeen erlene.killeen_at_stoughton.k12.wi.us Stoughton Area Schools 1601 West South Street Stoughton, WI 53589 608-877-5181
________________________________________
From: Wendy Burton
Sent: Saturday, November 07, 2009 10:35 AM To: ccbc-net_at_ccbc.education.wisc.edu; Alixwrites@aol.com Subject: Re:
Richard Peck's SEASON OF GIFTS
(I can't quite remember the rules about off-topic posting here, so if this isn't appropriate, please let me know.)
Alix, you weren't misreading the book about the bones being fake and the en tire thing being a hoax, but I did read the whole book (I think Debbie migh t have mentioned somewhere that she did finish it later?) and I did think t hose passages were offensive (to put it simply; my view is more complex tha n just that, of course). I'll be writing a blog post about it sometime, bu t there's a lot of discussion about this book on the Heavy Medal blog, with people weighing in on both sides of the issue. It starts with this post: http://www.schoollibraryjournal.com/blog/560000656/post/1110049311.html and continues on for several more.
Wendy burtonwl_at_yahoo.com http://sixboxesofbooks.blogspot.com
--- On Sat, 11/7/09, Alixwrites_at_aol.com wrote:
From: Alixwrites_at_aol.com Subject: Re:
Richard Peck's SEASON OF GIFTS To: ccbc-net_at_ccbc.education.wisc.edu Date: Saturday, November 7, 2009, 7:12 AM
Regarding Season of Gifts: Maybe I was misreading it (and I'm sure others will enlighten me if I am), but in light of the fact that Granny Dowdel was presented as a trickster in the first two tomes, I was under the impression that neither the ghost nor the bones were actually meant to have existed (and that her property was probably not even on a Kickapoo Burial Ground at all) but rather, were a trick played by Granny on the ignorant townspeople 1) to get the teens out of her melon patch; 2) to make money selling feathers and other trinkets from the alleged haunted burial ground; and 3) to publicize the narrator's father's church. Granny was a huckster to rival P.T. Barnum. This reminded me of the "ghost" of Shotgun Cheatum in the first novel, A Long Way from Chicago, where Granny convinced her neighbors they were seeing his corpse come alive. In this novel, we are eventually told that the narrator's mother was helping Granny out so that it would appear that someone other than Granny was out in her field, ag ain leading to the conclusion that the ghost was fake.
If Granny was making up the Kickapoo Burial Ground, the ghost, and the bones (which the narrator never sees, but rather, which Peck takes pains to point out are presented to the narrator's father in a closed box for burial) in order to take advantage of the townspeople's ignorance in believing that the Native Americans were coming back to haunt them, wouldn't that merely be pointing up the ignorant attitudes of white people toward Native Americans at that time, rather than actually stereotyping Native Americans?
Much of this (such as the presentation of the closed box and the revelation of Granny's profit in selling feathers) likely took place in the portion of the book which you didn't read. This is why I believe it is important to read the entire book before making any criticism, whatever the criticism may be.
Best, Alexandra Flinn www.alexflinn.com
A Kiss in Time (HarperCollins, 2009) "Flinn builds a credible romance around two vastly different (and highly entertaining) characters, injects a little magic and chivalry into the modern world, and lightly explores concepts of love and fate—all on the road to a satisfying 'happily ever after.'" --Horn Book
In a message dated 11/7/2009 9:41:27 A.M. Eastern Standard Time, debreese_at_illinois.edu writes: Richard Peck's A SEASON OF GIFTS pecks-season-of-gifts.html
Received on Sat 07 Nov 2009 10:53:44 AM CST
