Tag: American literature

168 – Dog Man Movie Review

The Dog Man book series by Dav Pilkey is DUMB. It’s IMMATURE. And so is the new movie adaptation. And those are COMPLIMENTS!! Find out how accurately the comics were adapted to the screen, with input from the 11, 10, 8, and 4 year old experts who came with me to the theater.

Apologies for the background noise in this episode — emergency repairs are going on at my house and that’s just how things had to be. I wanted to get this review out in a timely manner to tell parents that this is well worth the expense of a trip to the theater.

166 – Netflix Will Ruin Little House on the Prairie

Netflix has a very poor record when it comes to adapting works of classic literature. Instead of coming up with original stories, the streaming giant tends to pick off the skin of beloved characters and use them to act out modern day political and social issues. It’s frustrating to prejudge a show that doesn’t even have a script or a cast yet, but at this point the pattern has been repeated so many times that it’s hard for me not to believe that another bucket of slop is on the way.

164 – The Cultural Damage of the Los Angeles Fires

My heart is breaking for my hometown. First of all for the lives lost, then for the homes and livelihoods lost, but I am also very sad for the damage and threat to the cultural landmarks of Los Angeles. We won’t know the full damage for some time, but here’s a first look at the irreplaceable culture being wiped out by the fires.

So far the Zane Grey estate in Altadena has been destroyed. Grey was the home of one of the creators of the genre of Westerns, and his home was a beautiful Spanish revival mansion. Also gone is the Will Rogers ranch house in the Pacific Palisades, which was a beloved California State Park property that served as the starting point for many hiking trails. Luckily the Getty Villa and Getty Center are safe as of the time of recording, thanks to the careful construction of the buildings and the vigilance of staff. The Jet Propulsion Laboratory, which has inspired too many science fiction authors to count, is also safe for the moment.

Many other beloved and inspirational places have been lost, though, such as Christmas Tree Lane and the Bunny Museum. And many famous film sites in the Malibu hills are lost or under threat. Landmarks are a huge part of why Los Angeles is such a special place, and it’s terrible to lose so many of them. This is an unusual episode of the show but I had to take a moment to mourn the loss of important literary sites in these terrible fires.

156 – Will Wicked Connect with Kids?

In this episode, co-host Chloë tells us about Sapphire Battersea, a book that’s really captured her. She has loved every book that she has ever read by Jacqueline Wilson, and whether this author is tackling grounded, real-world family drama or the more fantastical world of circus sideshows, Chloë has always noticed and latched onto the struggles of children born to working class families.

In the main segment, the film adaptation of the stage musical Wicked will be out in a few days and the marketing push is ON. This movie is several artistic generations removed from The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum. The musical is beloved the world over, but mainly by adults. Will this film bring the story back to families and children? Will the drama around its marketing cause problems? Or is it just too darn long for kids to sit through? Let us know what you think!

145 – Film Review: Harold and The Purple Crayon

I predicted that the film adaptation of Harold and the Purple Crayon by Crockett Johnson would focus too much on adults at the expense of telling a story for children. It looks like I was right.

And shockingly . . . I’m about to make the case that Deadpool and Wolverine is more of a film for the children (well, for the inner children of adults) than the adaptation of Harold and the Purple Crayon, because it centers the kinds of themes and adventures that kids actually care about, instead of focusing on a bunch of adult nonsense. I really did not expect to talk about Deadpool on a show about children’s literature, but there it is. I also didn’t expect to veer into the territory of beauty standards and cosmetic procedures, but it came up in a surprising and somewhat uncomfortable way.

112 – Interview with Angela Pham Krans

Angela Pham Krans is the author of Finding Papa, a beautiful and touching tale about Mai, a little girl whose father has to say goodbye for a while when he leaves to find a new and better home for the family. Eventually Mai and her mother make a dangerous and daring journey by boat to rejoin Papa in their new home in America.

This story, which is beautifully illustrated by Thi Bui, is based on Angela’s experience as one of the many Vietnamese people who fled their homeland in the wake of the Vietnam War. In our conversation, we discuss the effect that Finding Papa has on readers of different ages, why Angela chose to focus the plot on one family rather than the larger historical and political context, and where she got the inspiration to give the main character a pet chicken.

Finding Papa has recently been placed on the American Library Association’s 2024 Notable Books list. Angela has also recently published Words Between Us, a charming story about how an English speaking grandson learns to communicate with his Vietnamese speaking Grandmother. You can learn more about Angela and her work at angelakrans.com and follow her on Instagram at angela.pham.krans.

Activity: The Geography of the Boat People

While younger kids will be able to appreciate Finding Papa for its moving story about family reunification, older children can use this book as a starting point for exploring how the Boat People left Vietnam and made new homes all over the world.

Have students locate Vietnam on a map. Ideally, provide an outline map of the world that they can draw on. Have students research the different routes that refugees took out of Vietnam during the 1970’s and 1980’s. Try to discover which countries most of them traveled to and in what numbers, as well as estimates of how many of the Boat People did not survive their journeys. If it’s difficult to know exact numbers, try find out why. Students can label the map with differently colored arrows labeled to show how many people went from Vietnam to each new country.

Activity: The History of the Boat People

There were many reasons that people decided to leave Vietnam during the 1970’s and 1980’s. Students can research the history of this country during this period and present a written report or give a presentation about the reasons people chose to leave, and what drew them to the new countries they arrived in.

Activity: Mai’s Mother Keeps a Journal

Finding Papa focuses on Mai, a very young girl, who is taken on a dangerous but hopeful journey to a new home. But what must her mother have been feeling? Students can write journal entries from the point of view of Mai’s mother. Entries might include describing the decision for Papa to go ahead of the family to prepare the new home, the first night without Papa, a night on the boat after the storm, the first night after being rescued, or any other part of the story. Encourage students to imagine what it would feel like to be a young woman with a toddler on such a journey, and to express these emotions in the journal entries.

106 – The Best Christmas Pageant Ever

The Best Christmas Pageant Ever by Barbara Robinson is one of the funniest books you’ll ever read. Although it’s in the context of a small Christian church putting on a nativity play with the unwanted participation of the six most badly behaved kids in town, readers of all backgrounds will recognize its portrayal of a tightly knit and sometimes narrow minded community being forced to live up to its principles.

If you’re going on a long car ride this holiday season and need something to entertain the whole family, see if your library has a downloadable audio book. You’ll all have a good laugh and do a surprising amount of thinking about the principles you live by, the stories that matter to you, and whether or not you’ve been taking them for granted.

99 – Where the Wild Things Are Turns 60

Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak is turning 60 years old this week! Millions of children and their grownups have loved this book over the years, and it’s showing no signs of its age. You can help celebrate by drawing a picture, dressing up as a Wild Thing, or making your wildest face and sharing it online with the tag #HappyBirthdayWildThings.

Activity: Make your own Wild Thing

Draw your own “Wild Thing” by choosing different parts from humans and animals. You can combine any features you like – claws, scales, fur, teeth, tusks, noses – anything at all! Have students share their Wild Things with one another, explaining where each of the creature’s parts came from.

94 – Why I Love Ramona Quimby

Host Chloë Townsend shares what she loves about Beverly Cleary’s most beloved character, Ramona Quimby. In the first episode entirely written and presented by Chloë, hear about why Ramona is so real and relatable, and why she’s a great friend to grow up with.

Activity: Write your own funny childhood story

Stories about Ramona Quimby are so funny and memorable because they are so true to life. Many of Ramona’s mistakes are embarrassing or silly, but they are exactly the kind of mistakes all children make. Write down a story from your own childhood in which you made a mistake. It might have been embarrassing long ago, but retold years later it can be a way for everyone to share a good laugh when they hear about it.

92 – Tom Sawyer and Robin Hood

In chapter 8 of The Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain, Tom and Joe Harper re-enact the fight between Robin Hood and Guy of Gisborne. They quote directly from a real story which was very popular when Mark Twain was a child: Robin Hood and His Merry Foresters, a book written by Joseph Cundall under the pen name Robert Percy.

In this episode, find out about the scene from Cundall’s book that inspired Twain’s reenactment, and get ideas for how to inspire reluctant readers with books that actually appeal to their tastes.

Activity: Get Inspired Like Tom Sawyer

Before reading chapter 8 of The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, read the story of “Robin Hood and Guy of Gisborne” in Robin Hood and His Merry Foresters by Robert Percy (the pen name of Joseph Cundall). Have students re-enact the scene, preferably outdoors and with some props. Encourage them to quote or elaborate on Cundall’s tale. Then read Mark Twain’s version of the scene as performed by Tom Sawyer and Joe Harper. Discuss the similarities and differences.