Who is Too Fond of Books? I’m Dawn, welcome to my book blog! This is the place for book reviews, author interviews, giveaways, Spotlight on Bookstores series, bookish musings, and news from the publishing world.
If you’d like to respond to something written here, start a conversation, or want to get in touch about scheduling a review, interview, giveaway, etc., please leave a comment on any post, or send me an e-mail.
Giveaways: You caught me in between giveaways - check back in a week or so. In the meantime, catch up on some of these fun posts and book reviews. Let me know what you're reading!
I’ve been talking about …
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 A: Penguin Books celebrating the 75th anniversary of the imprint!
That’s right, today, July 30, marks 75 years since the launch of Penguin Books – and they’re celebrating in several very big ways:
- The Penguin Mobile is touring with Penguin authors. They ride in style in this special Mini Cooper in Penguin orange, emblazoned with the Penguin logo. At each stop, 75 Penguin books are donated to local libraries or literacy groups, raising awareness of The Nature Conservancy (a co-sponsor of the tour), and promoting literacy. The Follow the Car blog chronicles the journey, and lists the schedule of remaining tour stops. The car was a highlight in the atrium of the Javits Center during BEA – I’d love to see it on the road!
- A Penguin Books anniversary website includes a historyof the little waddler, a listing of the major literary awards won by dozens of Penguin authors over the years, and a fascinating collection of photos from the archives.
- Did you know that in the first year after Penguin Books was founded by Allen Lane, they had sold over 3 million books?! (I’d be doing a little penguin cheer here, if I could. Wonder what that would sound like? Click here to listen to clips of penguin ‘meeps’)
- The Orignal 10 are shown on the site … any guesses? Fun fact: Penguin Books covers were originally color-coded according to genre. Take a look!
- Hey, maybe those penguins are ‘all shook up!’ To put 75 years into perspective … Elvis Presley was born in 1935. That’s right, The King and Penguin Books … now that’s a lot of waddling!
- Penguin Books is sponsoring a giveaway of one of their great titles, to get the details, head over to my Giveaways page.
Happy Anniversary, Penguin Books!
 National Geographic Kids Almanac 2011
Reading level: Ages 9-12
Paperback: 352 pages
Publisher: National Geographic Children’s Books (May 25, 2010)
ISBN-13: 978-1426306303
Back-of-the-book blurb: In true National Geographic Kids magazine style, this is a book to excite kids about their planet: its fun-filled pages are packed with everything from how to decode your dreams to the excitement of underwater pumpkin carving to the fascinating powers of the human brain. Geography, history, science, and adventure—it’s all here to explore in one single volume. This is the reference book that gives young minds MORE…
She Is Too Fond of Books’ review: My kids fight over this book. They argue over who was reading it before dinner (and who should be able to return to it after dinner), who removed the dollar bill that was being used as a book mark, and who used PEN to answer some of the fun quizzes in it. In other words, the National Geographic Kids Almanac 2011 is a big hit at our house (I probably shouldn’t use the phrases ‘my kids fight’ and ‘big hit’ in such proximity … I don’t mean to imply that they’ve actually come to blows over it … yet).
The almanac is divided into several sections:
- Your World 2011
- Amazing Animals
- Going Green
- Super Science
- Geography Rocks
- History Happens
- Culture Connection
- Awesome Adventure
- Wonders of Nature
- Future World
Your World 2011 looks at a dozen or hot current topics. Our favorite is “First-Class Recycling” which is a four-paragraph article discussing an extreme repurposing project – a resort in Costa Rica that uses retired airplanes as hotel space! It’s not just a fun fact, the article explains why they’re a viable base (they’re sturdy and well-insulated, aside from being unique), and is accompanied by a full-color photo of the renovated plane. This article shares the double-page layout with three other articles, all have attention-getting headline fonts, cover interesting topics, and include appropriate illustrations.
Book-ended by Your World and Future World, the other sections are loaded with short articles, graphics, quizzes, reference guides and “cool clicks” pointing to online resources. Geography Rocks shows various types of maps, physical geographic features, and an overview of the seven continents. It also contains a great reference section with information about the 194 independent countries recognized by the National Geographic Society – statistics like area, population, capital, currency, religions, and languages, as well as a graphic of the nation’s flag. Pop-outs break up the potential monotony with headlines such as “5 cool things about Israel” and “Climbing Mount Everest.” I was (am?) a map geek, and was especially pleased to see my kids poring over this section, trying to stump each other with spontaneous quizzes asking them to identify on which continent a particular country would be found.
Kids’ view – Lots of fun information and interesting pictures (even The Little Guy, not yet a reader, invents stories to match the illustrations). “It will take a really long time to completely read this book, and you don’t have to read it in order” is the assessment of our 8-year-old.
Mom’s view – Lots of fun information and interesting pictures. ”It will take a really long time to completely read this book, and you don’t have to read it in order” (why reinvent the wheel? she said it all!). I was concerned that the paperback cover might not stand up to repeated reading, but my fears have proven unfounded (it’s also available in hardcover!). The National Geographic Kids Almanac 2011 is all the best we’ve come to expect from National Geographic publications – not just fun facts, but a reference that can be returned to again and again.
The bottom line – Great for home reference library or pleasure reading; compact to fit in a back-pack or travel activity bag. My middle kids have asked me to buy a second copy so they can each have their own (how can I deny them?!).
 There are some weeks when J is at work late (or out of town), and my evening activities are ‘based upon availability’ of a sitter for the kids. Often these nights end with me whining about missing an event and like most fish tales, ‘the one who got away’ gets bigger and better with each retelling (It was her ONLY New England appearance! This is THE book of the season!, etc.)
Then there are the days when the stars align … last Wednesday was one of those nights! I hit all the green lights as I drove to the train station, an inbound train was waiting for me, and the dark clouds held off. Although I can take no credit for the traffic lights or train schedule, I’m confident that slipping my paperback out of my purse and replacing it with an umbrella helped ward off the rain (and made for good people watching on the train, since I didn’t have my usual diversion).
The event was held at The Liberty Hotel in Boston; the hotel name itself is not the only ironic name – meet your friends for drinks at Alibi, dine at Clink, or enjoy a private reception in the beautifully landscaped courtyard (the former exercise yard, still called “the Yard”). That’s right, The Liberty Hotel is the former Boston City Jail. Closed in 1990, with renovations beginning in the early 2000s, the hotel is now part of “The Leading Hotels of the World” collection, a luxury property with outstanding services and amenities. Preservationists retained exposed brick and wrought iron railings from the original building, keeping the building’s history while updating it for today’s traveler.
 Alix Strauss’ event was held upstairs in one of the suites overlooking Boston and the Charles River. It was a lovely intimate affair and I enjoyed talking with the author, friends and family, the Liberty’s GM and PR director, and other guests, including Marie, the Boston Bibliophile and her husband. I was able to joke with Marie “what are we doing next Wednesday?!”, as we had met the previous week to view To Kill a Mockingbird at the Brattle Theater (sadly, no plans for this week!).
Alix knows how to throw a party! The bar offered several drinks based on characters from Based Upon Availability. Isn’t that clever?! It was a great sneak peek into the personalities Alix would introduce when she read from her novel.
And she did read … after about an hour of mixing and mingling, Alix took the center of the room and shared a bit about her recently published novel. The excerpt she read introduced us to Morgan, the (fictional) manager of the Four Seasons Hotel in New York, her mother (and a gaggle of her mother’s friends), and several of the hotel guests. Alix’s writing is sharply observant and witty … like the author herself! After she read, she took questions from the room, and had us laughing (yes, LOL!) with her quick humor. She is so warm and personable, I could have listened to her talk for another hour!
Here’s the back-of-the-book synopsis, showing us that Alix Strauss is about to share what might go on behind closed doors at any shi-shi hotel:
… readers are drawn into the lives of eight seemingly ordinary women who pass through Manhattan’s swanky Four Seasons Hotel. While offering sanctuary to some, solace to others, the hotel captures their darkest moments as they grapple with family, sex, power, love, and death.
Trish obsesses over her best friend’s wedding and dramatic weight loss. Robin wants revenge after a lifetime of abuse at the hands of her older sister. Anne is single, lonely, and suffering from obsessive-compulsive disorder. Drug-addicted rock star Louise needs to dry out. Southerner turned wannabe Manhattanite Franny is envious of her neighbors’ lives. Sheila wants to punish her boyfriend for returning to his wife. Ellen so desperately wants children that she insists she’s pregnant to her disbelieving husband. And Morgan, the hotel manager—haunted by the memory of her dead sister—is the thread that weaves these women’s lives together.
The reading focused on Morgan, the hotel manager, and some of her unexpected daily activities … wow, the next time I check-in to a hotel, I’ll be wondering about what goes on behind the reception desk! I’ll be bringing this novel on vacation with me later this summer, in the meantime, check out some of the reviews of Based Upon Availability from its recent TLC Book Tour.
 Oh, and since I have a knack for catching people mid-blink, I’m unable to share the pics I took of Alix at the event. This photo is from her website, where you can learn more about the author, her books, and upcoming events.
Thanks to Alix Strauss and the Rachel Moniz at The Liberty Hotel (who swears she’s nothing like Morgan in the novel!) for a lovely evening.
Is Based Upon Availability on your summer reading list? Does this type of fictional (or maybe not-so-fictional?!) exposé make you wonder about behind-the-scenes in hotels, restaurants, etc.? And, have you ever visited jail in the name of research?
 Talking to Girls about Duran Duran: One Young Man’s Quest for True Love and a Cooler Haircut by Rob Sheffield
Hardcover: 288 pages
Publisher: Penguin / Dutton Adult (July 15, 2010)
ISBN-13: 978-0525951568
Back-of-the-book blurb: Growing up in the eighties, you were surrounded by mysteries. These were the years of MTV and John Hughes movies, the era of big dreams and bigger shoulder pads. Like any teenage geek, Rob Sheffield spent the decade searching for true love and maybe a cooler haircut. This memoir is his tale of stumbling into adulthood with a killer soundtrack; it is a journey through pop culture of an American adolescence that will remind you of your first crush, first car, and first kiss. But it’s not just a book about music. This is a book about moments in time, and the way we obsess over them through the years.
She Is Too Fond of Books’ review: In the introduction to his memoir about growing up in the 80s, Rob Sheffield muses:
It’s complicated, the way we use pop culture artifacts in our day-to-day emotional relationships … What else is pop culture for? … bringing people together is what music has always done best. … I could claim that Duran Duran taught me everything I know about women, but that’s not exactly accurate: I learned it from listening to girls talk about Duran Duran.
Sheffield’s story is, of course, about more than Duran Duran. It’s filled to overflowing with 80s references, from movies (Pretty in Pink, Dirty Dancing and Sixteen Candles) and fashions (um, I’m using the term loosely to apply it to Dynasty-era shoulder pads and the ubiquitous Members Only jacket) to current flashback favorites (“Tainted Love” and “Billie Jean”) and songs you might hear at a wedding reception this very weekend (“Livin’ on a Prayer” and “Don’t Stop Believin’”).
Sheffield writes with a loose and conversational style; I image an author event would be filled with laughter and head-nodding as he read from his book. He writes a lot of humor in Talking to Girls; yes, much of which will be most appreciated by those who were around in the 80s and enjoyed, or at least were aware of, the movies and music he uses to frame his memoir.
An example of the way pop culture anchors the memoir (and one of many passages I read aloud to J as I enjoyed this book): Sheffield spent the summer of ’82 (between Sophomore and Junior years in high school, if my calculations are correct) as an exchange student in Madrid, making fast friends with many local girls, who considered him “just a friend” and a safe escort to parties and outings:
Sometimes they trusted me to pick the evening’s entertainment. … But I squandered my credibility dragging them to Airplane! retitled Aterrizza come puedas, or “Land However You Can.” I assured them that in America, this was universally recognized as the funniest movie ever made. How I laughed, the lone hyena in the theater, at all the badly dubbed Spanish versions of the jokes I knew by heart. The girls failed to see the humor of “Yo hablo jive” or “No me llamas Shirley.”
I tried explaining why it was funny. See, in ingles, the word “seguramente” is “surely,” which sounds like el nombre de una persona. Shirley! Divertido, no?
I was never allowed to pick the movie again. To punish me, they took me to see Midnight Express, about an American boy who gets thrown into a foreign jail because he tries to smuggle drugs. The movie was torture to watch, although, it did introduce me to the concept of bras that unhook in the front.
Rob Sheffield tells his story, setting the time and place by the pop culture he soaked up as a teen. It’s his story – the events are the personal anecdotes of a self-confessed quiet geeky guy, the oldest of four children, and the only son in an Irish Catholic family living outside Boston. But, it could be anyone’s story. Single, outgoing, mother of two in Des Moines? It’s her story. Married, unemployed accountant in Tampa? It’s his story. We can all connect to the memories that surface when a certain song plays on the radio, or when we land on a favorite old TV show when channel-surfing; Sheffield shares what sparks those memories for him.
Recommended for fans of the 80s; if you survived them the first time around, you’ll especially enjoy this trip down memory lane.
About the author: Rob Sheffield is a music journalist and columnist for Rolling Stone. His previously published memoir, Love is a Mix Tape: Life and Loss, One Song at a Time, has been added to my wish list.
 Two weeks ago I wrote about afavorite kitchen product, the Reynolds Handi-Vac, which allows me to easily seal blanched produce, cubes of pesto, and other bounty from our weekly CSA allotment. I froze the freshness of the harvest, and we were able to defrost and enjoy them later in the fall and winter.
When I discovered that Reynolds no longer sold the Handi-Vac, I felt bereft. What would I do?! Stock up on Tupperware for freezing? Although I am a huge fan of Tupperware – I’ll share pantry pics one day- it doesn’t get out every bit of excess air like the Handi-Vac. Plus, the Handi-Vac has the fun factor, vacuuming out the air with a satisfying rumble and slight whistle at the end.
Several commenters suggested I look on eBay, and also gave me the confidence to shop on HSN.com, where the specialty bags are now being marketed under the Debbie Meyer brand name.
I bid on two online auctions for a backup vacuum, one to have just in case the handheld I’ve been using for two years broke. I won both auctions. OK, you’re thinking, so now Dawn has two backup vacuums, a little over-prepared, maybe, but she’s always the one who has a band-aid or tissue when we need it, too. It must be a Mom thing … 
The (Mom) thing is … one of the auctions was for a lot of FOUR Handi-Vacs. That’s right, I don’t have two backup vacuums, I have five … plus the original! That’s a little extreme, even for me! And, I ordered thebags from hsn.com - 80 gallon size, and 100 quart size. I’ve squirreled them away at the back of the pantry – I can imagine J’s eye-rolling when he discovers them ….
 See what else is happening in the kitchens of the blogosphere this weekend. Check out Beth Fish Reads’ Weekend Cooking to find links to other food-related posts. There may be book reviews, recipes, kitchen gadget tips and tricks, other online auction adventures …
 This readalong post is FULL OF SPOILERS! Skip right past it if you haven’t read the book!
But, before you go … I want to make sure you’ve read this great guest post from earlier in the week, in which an educator shares her approach to getting her students into the minds of the TKAM characters.
** change of plans! I wrote the outline/bones of this post a few weeks ago, and sat down last night to fill in the content. You guessed it, I’ve had too much summer vacation this week, and my mind wasn’t really analyzing or even adding much insight. I pulled the plug on my post, but invite you to join in with your own thoughts about To Kill a Mockingbird (Part II).
As is the case with my readalong thoughts for Part I, these are notes of things that struck me as they might a first-time reader. Nothing earth-shattering, but things that I noticed and connected to on this reading. Several times I stopped to investigate words or references; in fact, much of what follows are simply definitions that I finally took the time to confirm – I hope you find some of them as interesting as I did.
If you want to ponder the official discussion questions, visit the To Kill a Mockingbird Reading Guide on the Harper Collins website (read the entire book first, as the questions cover the whole novel, not just Part I).
But, if you’re willing to buckle up for another meandering ride on my train of thoughts, let’s go!
- Part II opens about two years after we first met Scout, Jem, and Dill. With this reading I laughed out loud at the opening paragraph. I don’t believe it was meant to be funny, but Scout’s decription of her brother is my older son to a “T” these days:
Jem was twelve. He was difficult to live with, inconsistent, moody. His appetite was appalling, and he told me so many times to stop pestering him I consulted Atticus. … Atticus said … Jem was growing. I must be patient with him and disturb him as little as possible.
- Scout and Jem attend First Purchase African M. E. Church (“Negroes worshipped in it on Sundays and white men gambled in it on weekends”) with Calpurnia. When they arrive, Scout describes a “warm bittersweet smell:”
Hearts of Love hairdressing mingled with asafoetida, snuff, Hoyt’s Cologne, Brown’s Mule, peppermint, and lilac talcum.
You’re curious aren’t you – what’s asafoetida?! According toWikipedia, it’s an herb often used in cooking; raw – it has a strong and repulsive odor, cooked – its scent resembles that of leeks. Asafoetida is also used medicinally as a digestive aid and antiflatulent. I kid you not (and can’t help but wonder if it’s simply used in its raw form to distract from the other odor. Seriously, that’s my 12-year-old son’s input as he reads over my shoulder!)
- One of my marked passages is this sentence: “Reverend Sykes was standing behind the pulpit staring the congregation to silence.” I admire the strength and command Harper Lee gave Reverend Sykes with his stare. Later, Lee gives a similar strength to Atticus, when he “turned his head and pinned me to the wall with his good eye.”
- Calpurnia told the Jem and Scout that she learned to read from a book that the children’s grandfather gave her – Blackstone’s Commentaries. Blackstone was an authority on English common law, who wrote his Commentaries in the mid-1700s!
- Aunt Alexandria was welcomed by the whole town, including Miss Maudie, who “baked a Lane cake so loaded with shinny it made me tight.” A Lane cake is a four-layer cake with whiskey-enhanced filling.
- How about the sly humor that Lee gave Scout’s observations?:
- … Aunt Alexandria was positively irritable on the Lord’s Day. I guess it was her Sunday corset. she was not fat, but solid, and she chose protective garments that drew up her bosom to giddy heights, pinched in her waist, flared out her rear, and managed to suggest that Aunt Alexandria’s was once an hour-glass figure. From any angle, it was formidable.
OK, I can hear you crying Uncle! I’m committed to getting this post published on the day I scheduled it (regardless of the content), so you can add your comments on Part II (or the book overall), and/or leave a link to a TKAM post of your own.
 They say a picture is worth a thousand words, and, although my photography skills are not the finest, I’m happy to share several photos of “the McNally Jackson experience” Beth Fish and I had back in May.
 We had mapped out a number of indie bookstores that we wanted to visit during our unscheduled time at BEA. High on the list was McNally Jackson Books in Nolita. I thought the shop was in the East Village, apparently it’s closer to the Noho and Little Italy neighborhoods. I think. Anyone who knows the area is welcome to fine tune my directions. I know for certain that it’s at 52 Prince Street between Lafayette and Mulberry. 
You’ll know you’re in the right place when you spot this awning and huge plate glass display windows. The shop continues to the left of the entry door; I believe it is the width of two storefronts.
A sign you’re in a community-oriented bookshop: the notice board in the vestibule. With tear tags and posters for everything from art lessons and babysitting to yoga and zumba, this is an active board!
 Step inside McNally Jackson and it’s like you’ve found Aladdin’s cave with bright lighting, books, international magazines, books, creative greeting cards, books, a cafe, books, lighting and displays that show form and function, books, lots of chairs and nooks to sit and browse the books, books, books!
The café looks amazing! We didn’t have time to sample any of the treats, but did take in the atmosphere. Check out the light fixtures; yes, those are books (or made to resemble books, in any case). The wallpaper in the café area is subtle, but striking … not too busy to distract you from the business at hand (ahem, book browsing or coffee sipping), but on closer inspection, it reveals itself as pages of text from books.
 Step down the open stairway in the middle of the store (for a more detailed photo of this brilliant light fixture, take a look at Beth Fish’s Wordless Wednesday post from a few weeks ago). The walls of the stairwell are lined with art prints, and you can see the hot air balloons from the children’s department in the background.
Midway is a large landing with more books (!), more seating, and this good looking guy reading. OK, maybe he’s not there all the time, but isn’t it worth a trip to McNally Jackson just for the eye-candy?!? The books, I mean!
 McNally Jackson booksellers are not shy about sharing their favorite books! Staff picks are on both levels, with attention-getting displays, their personal shelf talkers, and plenty of copies for book lovers to bring home. I purchased Roberts Brainerd’s I Remember based on Jason’s recommendation, which is written in the style of the book – short, first-person recollections. I had never heard of the book before (or since), but am so glad I added it to my collection, thanks, Jason!
Thanks to all the booksellers at McNally Jackson for creating such a bright, open, and welcoming bookshop! They’re also fun to converse with on Twitter. I encourage you to visit theMcNally Jackson website for more photos, and to check on upcoming events.
 The Language of Trees by Ilie Ruby
Paperback: 368 pages
Publisher: Avon A (July 20, 2010)
ISBN-13: 978-0061898648
Back-of-the-book blurb: Echo O’Connell returns home to Canandaigua, to confront spirits, both living and not, and to share a secret with her first love, Grant Shongo—a secret that will forever change the lives of many people in the town and put to rest the mysterious disappearance of a little boy more than a decade earlier.
Grant, a descendant of Seneca Indians, has also come back to face his past. After a broken marriage, he has moved into his childhood home, a lake house that has withstood happiness and tragedy. He knows the spirits of the past must be dealt with—that of the little boy who disappeared all those years ago; the boy’s sister, who never overcame the loss; and the love Grant still has for Echo. But before the healing must come the forgiveness. . . .
She Is Too Fond of Books’ review: The Language of Trees shows striking loss and equally dramatic healing experienced by the people in a small village on the shore of one of New York state’s beautiful finger lakes. In contrast to the tourist images of idyllic waters sparkling in the summer sun, we see the stormy side of the lake – losses in love and other emotions, battles with illness, death, and, most poignantly for this group of characters, those caused by ignorance, or blatant disrespect, for the Seneca legends that ring the shore.
The bulk of the novel takes place early one summer, as the seasonal residents are starting to return to the lake for their summer sojourns. Grant Shongo has come to contemplate his failed marriage, staying in his family’s summer cottage; each evening he spends time with his thoughts, carving a statue of a Seneca warrior, one for every night since his return. Again and again he is visited in his dreams by Luke, the young boy who drowned on the lake a decade earlier. Can Grant somehow resolve the open ends that haunt not only him, but others in this small community? We have a hint as to where his convictions lie (p. 22):
His father strongly believed the words of his Seneca ancestors. That when a man left this lifetime without repenting for his sins, the Punisher would take him in this hands and turn him into ash. Then he’s spread him into earth to do everything all over again.
Echo O’Connell has returned to the lake to check in with her father, Joseph, who is in declining health. Joseph runs the local dry goods store, a center of commerce and gossip in this small lake town. For years, Echo, a full-time resident, had a serious relationship with Grant. After a bad break-up, they hadn’t seen each other in years, until they meet on the side of the road (p. 80):
She gets in on the passenger’s side … She doesn’t think this is necessarily the best idea, sitting in a contained space with all this emotion about to blow the windows right out. She edges as far away from him as she can because there are only two things you can do with this much feeling. Run like hell or get naked.
Readers interested in legends and folklore will especially appreciate the respect Ruby pays to the tales of the Seneca Nation. While some will read scenes in the novel as truth, others will be entertained by the magical realism. The history of the Seneca and their place on the Lake is told respectfully, and overlays perfectly the contemporary issues facing Grant, Echo, and others in the novel.
A visual artist as well as an author,Ilie Ruby transports the reader to Canadaigua Lake with vivid ‘word pictures’ that capture not only the sights, but also the essence of the area. I found myself reading quickly, to follow the emotionally-captivating plot she laid out, then returning to reread sections of the book, so that I could truly appreciate the beautiful writing.
Great news for book groups: The Langauge of Trees is a paperback original, so you can avoid the ’wait for the paperback release’ guideline that many discussion groups follow. The Author Insights section at the back of the book contains an essay exploring Ruby’s inspiration for writing, an interview, history and legends of the Seneca people, and a reading guide.
When I first posted about the 50th anniversary celebration for Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird, I received many positive responses from people who had read the book (some recently, some ages ago) and had felt a great impact.
One blogging friend, Constance at Perfect Retort, told me that her niece’s 7th Grade English class recently completed a To Kill a Mockingbird unit, and that the teacher had a wonderfully creative way of encouraging the students to see Maycomb and the trial through the eyes of various characters.
Linda teaches at an independent school for girls. Please welcome her as she shares a peek at the grand finale for the unit … I think it’s brilliant!:
Each girl came dressed as a character from Maycomb and answered a few questions as her character would answer them. Some of the questions were:
- What did you think of the jury’s decision in Tom Robinson’s trial? Did you think it was a fair trial? Why or why not?
- What was your reaction to the death of Bob Ewell? Why?
- Do you think there is hope that the citizens of Maycomb will someday overcome their racism? Why or why not?
My goal in asking these questions to the various citizens of Maycomb was to give members of the community a voice who do not have much of a chance to express their views in the novel. For instance, I wanted the girls to hear what Calpurnia, Reverend Sykes, and Mr. Dolphus Raymond, to name a few, had to say about Tom Robinson’s trial and the racism in their community.
We called our event a Maycomb Social because the second part of the activity involved bringing a “gift” for some other character in Maycomb (the girls drew names for this part).
For instance, Jem Finch brought Reverend Sykes a new Bible, Dill brought Jem a football, Aunt Alexandra gave Miss Maudie her special recipe for charlotte, etc.
The girls had to think about what gift would be especially fitting for that character. The gift giving added to the fun for the girls and helped develop a sense of community both in our classroom and in the town of Maycomb.
I imagine that next year’s 7th graders have heard about this event and are already looking forward to their opportunity to participate as characters from Maycomb.
Thanks so much, Linda! I imagine that getting into a character’s head with both the tough questions you asked and the more upbeat gift selection process was a very fun lesson, and likely one that will stay with your students.
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