Books That Remain in Our Hearts and Our Minds

by Alana Morgaine

Looking back at the books you read as a child, there are probably always a few that stood out among the rest. Names like The Wizard of Oz and Alice and Wonderland are just a few of the books that have stood the test of time. Without these amazing works of literature, we would have been unable to leave our world behind and explore the fantasy worlds that allowed us to delve deep into our imagination.

Alice In Wonderland
Written by Lewis Carroll, one of the books that immediately comes to mind as an outstanding children's book is of course Alice in Wonderland. About a seven year old named Alice, this book took us to places that we never anticipated. When she fell asleep and plunged down that rabbit hole, we could never have expected the adventures she would face with Cheshire Cat, the Mad Hatter, the March Hare, and the King and Queen of Hearts.

This book was originally published on July 4, 1865. The story was told by a Reverend Charles Lutwidge Dodgson and Reverend Robinson Duckworth. During a time when both reverends rowed up the River Thames with three little girls. As they journeyed up the river, the reverend shared a story about a girl name Alice who is very bored and goes on an adventure. The young girls asked Reverend Dodgson to write the story down. The young girls who first heard this story were age, 13, 10, and 8.The 10 year old's name was Alice Liddell. Reverend Dodgson gave his first manuscript of Alice's Adventures Under Ground to her sometime around November 26, 1864. It was speculated from Dodgson's diaries that he actually gave the first manuscript to another friend prior to giving one to Alice Liddle. The friend George MacDonald loved it and adviced Dodgson to submit it for publication.

The Wizard Of Oz
Another famous children's book that still today lives on in history is The Wizard of Oz. Still being shown as a movie, there is just nothing like the original book to instill fun, enjoyment, excitement, and even fear in the hearts of little children. L. Frank Baum was the real man behind the curtain, and through his words, we learned of the trials and tribulations of a girl named Dorothy. Although in the book the Munchkins, the Scarecrow, the Tin Man, and the Cowardly Lion were real and not brought about from a tornado, this book allowed us to feel as if these characters were our friends.

This book was orginally published by George Hill company in Chicago in 1900. The orginal name of the book was The Wonderful Wizard Of Oz. The actual first edition was published in 1901.

The first film of the Wizard Of Oz was in 1908 as a silent film with actress Mildred harris. The most recognized successful film came in 1939 called The Wizard Of Oz where Judy Garland played Dorothy. There were other versions of the film made prior to 1939 as well. One in which Baum produced was called His majesty, The Scarecrow Of Oz in 1914.

Charlotte's Web
A story about animals that talk and a girl who loves them as if they were family, Charlotte's Web was a children's book that especially stays in the hearts of little girls around the world. With a sophisticated vocabulary, Charlotte the spider feels she must save the life of Wilbur the pig in an unusual way. Although they have a love hate relationship in the beginning, Charlotte, as told by writer E.B. White, worked day and night to write messages in her web in order to save Wilbur from slaughter.

First publication of this book was in 1952. The author also wrote the book Stuart Little. The book begins with the story of a litter of pigs with one being a runt that was to be killed. The 8 year old daughter Fern of the farmer John Arable begs to not kill the runt. The runt ends up being given to Fern as a pet and so the story begins.

Little Women
Burned into the mind of young women everywhere was the story of Little Women written by Louisa May Alcott. Based on the life of Ms. Alcott this 19th century family portrayed the best and the worst about growing up in New England during the Civil War. With the beauty of Meg, the talents of Jo, the weakness of Beth, and the spoiled nature of Amy, it is hard not to fall in love with these four women through the dreams, courtships, and growing up.

The Little Women novel was first published in 1868. The book was based on the author's own personal live experiences as a child living in Boston and Concord Massachusetts with her three sisters.

Old Yeller
Finally you have a book that still touches the hearts of many children who read it. Old Yeller, written by Fred Gipson was as much about the Texas Frontier, as it was about the ugly stray dog that kept Travis safe and protected on his ranch. Full of laughter, tears, and heartbreak, this book will always be remembered fondly by any child who reads it.

This book was first published in 1956. The film Old Yeller was made in 1957. The actual title of this book was named after a fictional Mountain Cur dog. The dog in this story is the main character in the book. The actors included in the first film were Dorothy McGuire and Tommy Kirk.

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Review: The Princess Academy

by Nola Redd

After hearing a number of people recommend Shannon Hale's The Princess Academy, I couldn't resist trying it out myself. I found it to be a delightful read, perfect for children and young adults, and rather engaging even for us 'big people.' More than your average fairy-tale, the novel creates a protagonist that exceeds the usual boundaries.

The premise of the novel is fairy-tale typical. When the priests of Danland determine that the prince's bride will come from the slopes of Mt. Eskel, an academy is set up to permit potential brides to learn the knowledge and manners of the court. Young Miri is one of the twenty girls taken from the quarry-rich village down the mountain. As she learns more about life beyond what she has yet experienced, she finds herself struggling with her desire to marry the prince. She wants to help her family to have a better life, but she also loves her home and does not wish to leave. When bandits capture the school, Miri must use not only her book knowledge but also the knowledge she has gained about herself to rescue herself and her friends.

Although the novel has a fairy-tale premise, Hale goes beyond the simple story and creates three dimensional characters that are both realistic and engaging. The headmistress appears cruel and overly harsh, but by the end of the novel we recognize her motivation. Miri's desire to "marry the prince" and leave he rhumble home is both typical and human, but she also struggles with her love of Mt. Eskel. And though the motivations of one of the more spiteful girls is rather psychologically typical - bad childhood and all that - it is also presented in a credible light that makes it not completely trite.

What I most enjoyed about this novel, however, was the way that Miri uses the knowledge gleaned from the academy not just to acquire a husband, but instead to improve life for her village and her family. Through her studies and desire to read, she finds that the villagers have long been cheated, and uses that information to improve life for all. When she realizes that her older sister and the boys (and even the parents!) also wish to learn, she sets up an academy in her village so all can study. In doing so, she teaches young readers that even children have power to apply what they learn, if they but seek it; that knowledge and study both have real-world applications and can make life better now instead of just 'after graduation.' The young women are empowered by their mind and by exploring and expanding on their natural gifts and talents, and these are the things that really matter.

In short, rather than just being a fairy tale where the prince is astounded by beauty, The Princess Academy encourages young adults - especially young women, who are the most likely target audience - to apply themselves and to seek benefits from that application now rather than later. Between this premise and the engaging and excellent writing style that makes the story live in the reader's mind, this is a book I would recommend to anyone.

Nola Redd is an author on http://www.Writing.Com/ which is a site for Fiction Writing.

Review: Strawberry Girl

by Carma Dutra

Strawberry Girl by Lois Lenski is one of the classic Newbery Medal Winners. Awarded the medal in 1946, it speaks of a time that was more familiar and current than today. Today this rich novel opens the window into a time few can remember. This is one of many books Lenski wrote with an emphasis on regional stories allowing young readers to get a taste of how American children lived during the early part of the twentieth century.

Strawberry Girl is an interesting read. At first glance the title and the cover picture of a young girl carrying a fruit basket can mislead the reader to expect a cute little story of a young girl who loves strawberries. Conversely, the story is more about clashes and tribulations between farmers and cattlemen along with how they resolved violent conflict than it is picking strawberries.

Strawberry Girl depicts two families, the Boyer's and the Slater's. The Boyer's move from North Carolina to Florida to raise strawberries, sweet potatoes and harvest oranges. The Slater's are cattle people and have lived in central Florida for a long time. They do not believe in putting up fences and they let their cattle roam all over the county even if it means destroying their neighbor's crops. The two families argue through out the entire book. The Slater family thinks the Boyer's are "uppidity" because of the Boyer's successful farming enterprises. The Slater's routine is to sit back and do nothing to improve their way of life.

This way of thinking creates hostile actions and feelings between the two families. Violence and drunkenness escalate through out the story. This book may cross the line with many adults when the neighbors begin to kill each others animals in addition to the school teacher getting beat up by the Slater boys. This incident forced the school to close for weeks. Certainly a little discussion with young children may be desired to explain why these incidents happened.

Additionally, Lenski writes in a Florida backwoods dialect typical of the time period which might be too challenging for third and fourth graders to read. I think this story should be read aloud to get the full effect of what the southern dialogue sounded like. For example, talk like

"Ha, ha! Hain't no dog! Hit's a coon." and "will git you yet, jest you wait."

However, I don't believe this book won the Newbery Award for its depiction of aggression. Times were hard in the early 1900's and resolution of conflicts back then is not typical of today. Strawberry Girl explains the day to day activities of the Boyer family. A young reader can learn exactly how to grind sugar cane and pull it for fun afterwards. Also the book explains the details of Florida weather in the spring and summer. Additionally it goes into detail on how to raise strawberries in sandy soil. Part of the charm of this middle grade novel is in describing how the old Florida pioneers did it.

Strawberry Girl is a sharply written novel about harsh times. It accurately describes a true to life pioneer adventure.

Learn more about children's writing tips and award winning book reviews by visiting Carma's Window at http://carmaswindow.blogspot.com - Download the free EBook, "Unite to Write," a compilation of thirteen top expert authors as read on Ezine article directory and "Free Tips on Freelance Writing."