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Friendships
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From: sheilawelch_at_juno.com
Date: Mon, 07 May 2012 17:07:33 +0000 (GMT)
Hi,
Yes, animal pairs make memorable friends, especially in picture books fo r the very young. For older children, or young ones who are sophisticate d listeners, I can not imagine any more devoted (stuffed toy) animal fri ends than Pooh and Piglet in A.A. Milne's two classic collections of con nected stories. Their relationship is complicated and nuanced, much like that of Frog and Toad. In the Pooh books, the two main characters have a group of friends that add depth and humor to the tales.
Friendships can also exist between different species and often do in chi ldren's books. One of the most beautiful is portrayed in Mary O'Hara's M Y FRIEND FLICKA, which is so much more than a "horse story."
Ken is a ten-year-old dreamer and a huge disappointment to his father. D uring one long summer, Ken becomes best friends with a wild filly who he lps him understand the importance of commitment in any true friendship. Sterling North's RASCAL about another boy and his animal friend, a young raccoon, is told in such detail and so well, readers will not forget ho w that friendship shaped the rest of Sterling's life. On the day WWI end ed, he decided never to trap wild animals again.
Human children are friends in many wonderful books. Quite often, and pro bably this is more common in books than real life, a boy and a girl will be good friends. Why? Of course, a mixed pair can add different perspec tives to a story, which is important. And when the characters are older, there's always the chance of romance. But, as an author, I have sometim es favored a boy/girl friendship partly for clarity in the story. When t wo characters of the same gender are interacting, it can become confusin g with the use of the same pronoun.
One of the most realistic depictions of a boy/girl friendships in a nove l for middle-grade readers is Kevin Henkes' WORDS OF STONE. Blaze and Jo selle are an unlikely pair but Henkes makes them totally convincing. Les s successful, in my opinion, is the friendship between Jack and Bunny in this year's Newbery winner. But Gantos' development of a boy and an old lady as friends is well done and not common in children's literature.
Same gender friendships are all around kids in their real world and can be found in their literature, too. CROSSING JORDAN by Adrian Fogelin is a wonderful story and an example in which two girls become friends despi te adult disapproval. Hilary McKay's Saffron (Saffy) and Sarah's friends hip is delightful -- it has depth but lots of light humor, too.
A haunting but lovely depiction of a friendship that never existed can b e found in the Newbery Honor novel, OLIVE'S OCEAN. Olive dies in a bicy cle accident and only after her death does Martha learn that this quiet, over looked classmate wanted to be her friend. Kevin Henkes takes reade rs into Martha's inner self where she begins to understand the loss of p ossibility and also the loss of certainty. The complexity of life can be found in this friendship that never was.
____________________________________________________________
53 Year Old Mom Looks 33 The Stunning Results of Her Wrinkle Trick Has Botox Doctors Worried
Received on Mon 07 May 2012 05:07:33 PM CDT
Date: Mon, 07 May 2012 17:07:33 +0000 (GMT)
Hi,
Yes, animal pairs make memorable friends, especially in picture books fo r the very young. For older children, or young ones who are sophisticate d listeners, I can not imagine any more devoted (stuffed toy) animal fri ends than Pooh and Piglet in A.A. Milne's two classic collections of con nected stories. Their relationship is complicated and nuanced, much like that of Frog and Toad. In the Pooh books, the two main characters have a group of friends that add depth and humor to the tales.
Friendships can also exist between different species and often do in chi ldren's books. One of the most beautiful is portrayed in Mary O'Hara's M Y FRIEND FLICKA, which is so much more than a "horse story."
Ken is a ten-year-old dreamer and a huge disappointment to his father. D uring one long summer, Ken becomes best friends with a wild filly who he lps him understand the importance of commitment in any true friendship. Sterling North's RASCAL about another boy and his animal friend, a young raccoon, is told in such detail and so well, readers will not forget ho w that friendship shaped the rest of Sterling's life. On the day WWI end ed, he decided never to trap wild animals again.
Human children are friends in many wonderful books. Quite often, and pro bably this is more common in books than real life, a boy and a girl will be good friends. Why? Of course, a mixed pair can add different perspec tives to a story, which is important. And when the characters are older, there's always the chance of romance. But, as an author, I have sometim es favored a boy/girl friendship partly for clarity in the story. When t wo characters of the same gender are interacting, it can become confusin g with the use of the same pronoun.
One of the most realistic depictions of a boy/girl friendships in a nove l for middle-grade readers is Kevin Henkes' WORDS OF STONE. Blaze and Jo selle are an unlikely pair but Henkes makes them totally convincing. Les s successful, in my opinion, is the friendship between Jack and Bunny in this year's Newbery winner. But Gantos' development of a boy and an old lady as friends is well done and not common in children's literature.
Same gender friendships are all around kids in their real world and can be found in their literature, too. CROSSING JORDAN by Adrian Fogelin is a wonderful story and an example in which two girls become friends despi te adult disapproval. Hilary McKay's Saffron (Saffy) and Sarah's friends hip is delightful -- it has depth but lots of light humor, too.
A haunting but lovely depiction of a friendship that never existed can b e found in the Newbery Honor novel, OLIVE'S OCEAN. Olive dies in a bicy cle accident and only after her death does Martha learn that this quiet, over looked classmate wanted to be her friend. Kevin Henkes takes reade rs into Martha's inner self where she begins to understand the loss of p ossibility and also the loss of certainty. The complexity of life can be found in this friendship that never was.
____________________________________________________________
53 Year Old Mom Looks 33 The Stunning Results of Her Wrinkle Trick Has Botox Doctors Worried
Received on Mon 07 May 2012 05:07:33 PM CDT
