The Great Gilly Hopkins. Written by Katherine Paterson. 1978. HarperCollins Publishers, New York. ISBN 0690038372 (original printing), ISBN 0690038380 (library binding), ISBN 006442010 (Harper Trophy paperback). 148 pages. $5.95. Recommended for 4th-6th graders. (Ages 9-12).
Galadriel “Gilly” Hopkins is not short on spunk, tenacity, or clever tricks. This is all part of her charm, though; we learn early on that Gilly is a foster child and has been through several families in her short life. She copes with her tough circumstances by intimidating others with her prowess, thus making her feel better about herself. When she’s not busy scrutinizing her new foster family, made up of veteran foster mother Maime Trotter and another foster child, the quiet William Ernest, Gilly is concocting new schemes to humiliate her teacher, steal money from the old blind man next door, and manipulating friendly Agnes to do her bidding.
Despite Gilly’s bad behavior, reputable children’s novelist Katherine Paterson never pits the reader against her. Instead, we are constantly on her side, rooting for Gilly and hoping that she can open up to the good people surrounding her, offering her genuine love and care with no judgment on her past. But Gilly is intent on reuniting with her biological mother, Courtney. Her vulnerability is exposed whenever she receives a scattered postcard from Courtney or when she steals away to her room to obsess over an old photograph. We are carried along for the rollercoaster ride of mixed emotions—anger, disappointment, and despair. Paterson’s novel peers deep into what it means to be a foster child without patronizing or making quick judgments about the complex life Gilly leads.
While the characters are well rounded and unique, this novel is also packed with plot. Gilly’s cleverness shines, particularly when she tries to pull off a grand scheme of running away to be with her mother in California. This is what makes The Great Gilly Hopkins a classic children’s novel. Never boring, always hopeful, and ultimately redeeming, it stands the test of time. The themes of family, love, and belonging are universal and the book avoids being overly sappy, which can deter some children. Paterson’s mixed ending is bittersweet but we are left knowing that Gilly has found what she was looking for. In the end, readers can see Gilly for who she really is, not just another bad kid that nobody wants, and we are all “greater” because of it.
Showing posts with label Funny. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Funny. Show all posts
Monday, March 21, 2011
Pigs Make Me Sneeze! An Elephant & Piggie Book
Pigs Make Me Sneeze! An Elephant & Piggie Book. Written and Illustrated by Mo Willems. 2009. Hyperion Books for Children, New York. First Edition. ISBN 9781423114116. 57 pages. $8.99. Pre-school to 2nd Grade (Ages 2-8).
Gerald the Elephant and Piggie’s friendship is threatened by Gerald’s raging sneeze attacks that send Piggie flying across the pages in Mo Willems’ fantastic easy reader. The action begins on the front endpages with Gerald in funny sneezing positions, and continues with Gerald’s concern that he could be allergic to his best friend. Piggie tries to help (“What if you tried to sneeze more softly?”) but eventually has to run for cover under a helmet after being bowled over by Gerald’s fits. After seeking the help of Doctor Cat, Gerald happily learns that he has a cold and shares the good news with Piggie. In a funny twist, Piggie is surrounded by a mountain of used tissues, mimicking Gerald’s earlier ill condition from the cover illustration.
With no environment to speak of except for ample white space, this book’s design expertly highlights the characters and their relationship. The text is entirely spoken by the characters in speech bubbles that match the color of the speaker, leaving no room for confusion about who is doing the talking. The large typeface changes in size and font when emphasizing drama or volume. Gerald’s sneezes in particular are extremely funny; the font turns into a blocky, shaky line and draws out the “Ah” in “Ah-Choo!” as well as adding extra exclamation points. Through the use of sparse illustration, Willems manages to create vibrant, action-packed scenes and inventive expressions for Gerald and Piggie to keep children’s visual interest without being too busy or confusing. The only thing confusing about this book is why the elephant gets a name but the pig doesn’t!
Despite its 57 pages, beginning readers will find this a quick read because several pages contain only one word or short sentence. A controlled vocabulary filled with simple sight words will have kids memorizing the story after several readings. The dialogue format of the text invites readers to make up character’s voices and even read aloud with a partner. With its comic characters and minimal yet creative illustrations, I predict Pigs Make Me Sneeze! and the other books in the series will be a favorite among fans of Dr. Seuss and other iconic author/illustrators.
Gerald the Elephant and Piggie’s friendship is threatened by Gerald’s raging sneeze attacks that send Piggie flying across the pages in Mo Willems’ fantastic easy reader. The action begins on the front endpages with Gerald in funny sneezing positions, and continues with Gerald’s concern that he could be allergic to his best friend. Piggie tries to help (“What if you tried to sneeze more softly?”) but eventually has to run for cover under a helmet after being bowled over by Gerald’s fits. After seeking the help of Doctor Cat, Gerald happily learns that he has a cold and shares the good news with Piggie. In a funny twist, Piggie is surrounded by a mountain of used tissues, mimicking Gerald’s earlier ill condition from the cover illustration.
With no environment to speak of except for ample white space, this book’s design expertly highlights the characters and their relationship. The text is entirely spoken by the characters in speech bubbles that match the color of the speaker, leaving no room for confusion about who is doing the talking. The large typeface changes in size and font when emphasizing drama or volume. Gerald’s sneezes in particular are extremely funny; the font turns into a blocky, shaky line and draws out the “Ah” in “Ah-Choo!” as well as adding extra exclamation points. Through the use of sparse illustration, Willems manages to create vibrant, action-packed scenes and inventive expressions for Gerald and Piggie to keep children’s visual interest without being too busy or confusing. The only thing confusing about this book is why the elephant gets a name but the pig doesn’t!
Despite its 57 pages, beginning readers will find this a quick read because several pages contain only one word or short sentence. A controlled vocabulary filled with simple sight words will have kids memorizing the story after several readings. The dialogue format of the text invites readers to make up character’s voices and even read aloud with a partner. With its comic characters and minimal yet creative illustrations, I predict Pigs Make Me Sneeze! and the other books in the series will be a favorite among fans of Dr. Seuss and other iconic author/illustrators.
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