Earthy Dictators

Constantly, in the Informer, he criticized the government but not too acidly. The hysteria can’t last; be patient, and wait and see, he counseled his readers. It was not that he was afraid of the authorities. He simply did not believe that this comic tyranny could endure. It can’t happen here, said even Doremus—even now.

The one thing that most perplexed him was that there could be a dictator seemingly so different from the fervent Hitlers and gesticulating Fascists and the Cæsars with laurels round bald domes; a dictator with something of the earthy American sense of humor of a Mark Twain, a George Ade, a Will Rogers, an Artemus Ward. Windrip could be ever so funny about solemn jaw-drooping opponents, and about the best method of training what he called “a Siamese flea  hound.” Did that, puzzled Doremus, make him less or more dangerous?

It Can’t Happen Here by Sinclair Lewis

  • Biography from Nobel Lectures, Literature 1901-1967, Editor Horst Frenz, Elsevier Publishing Company, Amsterdam, 1969

 

Halloween Book Review: Dangerous Adventures

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Frangoline and the Midnight Dream by Clemency Pearce and Rebecca Elliott

Frangoline was told to go to bed. Frangoline was told to stay in bed. Frangoline decided to get up, sneak out of the house, and explore the world at night, where she encounters many adventures and frightening things. Finally, the creatures of the night tell her to go home, go to bed, and stay there! Frangoline runs home and promises to be good – for tonight.

It’s a spooky book about a girl who breaks rules, takes risks and has adventures that very nearly become disastrous. The images and creatures are very Halloween-esque.

However, if you have a child who is inclined to actually leave the house and break the rules, then this book may not be for you. On the other hand, if your child simply enjoys a good adventure, this book may prove to be a big hit! The quote posted HERE should help you decide if Frangoline is a good fit for your family.

All of the Halloween themed books, quotes and commentary posted to this blog can be found HERE.

Suggestions for Building Excitement Over The Holidays

Ordering Books: Whether you are building a family library or simply looking for a fun way to build-up to the Halloween celebration, having brand new books shipped to your home, in your child’s name, is a great way to do it. To a child, it is super exciting to receive a package in the mail, addressed to them! They may even want to read their brand-new book immediately AND before bed.

Library Holds: If you’d prefer to review the books before buying them, or need to maintain a tight budget, then use the local library. Go to the library website, locate the book and place it on hold. When the notification arrives, bring the child along and let them help find the books in the on-hold shelves.

Halloween Book Review: Friendly Witches and Scary Dragons

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Room on the Broom, by Julia Donaldson and Axel Sheffler

Room on the Broom has become something of a Halloween staple. It’s even been turned into a rather good cartoon.

It’s a wonderful story about a witch who keeps dropping things and finding woodland creatures who help her find them again. Each creature asks to join the witch on her broom and she happily agrees. Unfortunately, the broom can’t handle that much weight. A large dragon who like to eat witches attacks the overloaded broom, causing it to snap and allowing the dragon to catch the witch! But, fear not! The woodland creatures come to the rescue by scaring away the horrid dragon!

I love this story…BUT….it’s important to note that the which is very nearly eaten by a dragon, the illustrations show her being lifted into the dragon’s jaws, and the whole event is drawn out far longer than similar events in other children’s books.

The way the story is told proved to be extremely scary for some of the children in my life, and that made them dislike the book long-term.

I recommend previewing this book before reading it to your child. If it looks like something that they will find exceptionally scary, then wait a year or two before adding it to your Halloween-reading collection.

A quote can be found HERE.

All of the Halloween themed books, quotes and commentary posted to this blog can be found HERE.

Suggestions for Building Excitement Over The Holidays

Ordering Books: Whether you are building a family library or simply looking for a fun way to build-up to the Halloween celebration, having brand new books shipped to your home, in your child’s name, is a great way to do it. To a child, it is super exciting to receive a package in the mail, addressed to them! They may even want to read their brand-new book immediately AND before bed.

Library Holds: If you’d prefer to review the books before buying them, or need to maintain a tight budget, then use the local library. Go to the library website, locate the book and place it on hold. When the notification arrives, bring the child along and let them help find the books in the on-hold shelves.

Dangerous Confidence

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I know from experience that confidence alone can get a person into a forbidden place.

Allegiant (Divergent Trilogy, Book 3) by Veronica Roth

Source of the Revolution

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…I wonder what put that dangerous look in her eyes, what put such drama in her speech, what made her become a revolutionary.

Allegiant (Divergent Trilogy, Book 3) by Veronica Roth

Prepared For Danger

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“He’s a big otter now. He knows what to do. Little Otter hopes they’ll follow. Little Otter fears they’ll swallow! Up and down, round and round, in and out, skid and spin – again he screeches, “Danger! Head in!””

Utterly Otterly Night, written by Mary Casanova and illustrated by Ard Hoyt

Defense and Fear

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But they refused to develop a plan for how to defend the village against attack, since it would have required them to explain the danger to the Ashawala’i people. “When you are old,” they said to Zanja, “You will understand. Now, it is difficult for you to see how easily that which is right and good can be changed, and how difficult it is to change it back again. You say that our people are endangered by these Sainnites. But you do not see that fearing the Sainnites would endanger them even more certainly.”

Fire Logic (Elemental Logic) by Laurie J. Marks

Scared and Prepared

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I Know Things Now

“Do not put your faith in a cape and a hood.
They will not protect you the way that they should.
And take extra care with strangers,
even flowers have their dangers,
And though scary is exciting,
Nice is different than good.
Now I know, don’t be scared.
Granny is right, just be prepared.
Isn’t it nice to know a lot?
..And a little bit.. not.”

Into The Woods, lyrics by Stephen Sondheim and book by James Lapine