ISWG: Why I Keep Redeeming the Difficult Character

Photo by Stephan H. on Unsplash

 

Have you ever had a person—who you thought was the worst—surprise you? It seems to be a recurring theme in my life. As a child, I had a neighbor who tormented my sister and me, but when someone else tried to punch me at the bus stop, she stood up for me when no one else did.

Or when I taught overseas, a difficult co-worker was the person who did the most for the orphans living on the streets.

All this is to say that the difficult people in our lives often surprise us, so that’s why when I create antagonists, I try hard not to make cardboard villains.

 

For the Child Who Feels Everything: Sensitivity, PEI, and The Mysterious Magic of Lighthouse Lane

 

Were you a child who felt everything deeply? Or do you have one of those children in your family now? I was—and still am. As a child, hearing bad news often felt like it were happening to me. And I have a son the same way. We walked out of many cartoons near the climactic point. It was just too much.  

At first, I was excited about Erin Stewart’s The Mysterious Magic of Lighthouse Lane because of the setting—Prince Edward Island—one of my favorite places to read about. But I ended up falling in love with Lucy, who reminded me a lot of my younger self.

If you love Prince Edward Island, gentle mysteries, and stories about children learning to live with big feelings, this is a lovely choice.

 

MMGM: The Boy Who Built Boxen: A Review of Giant

 

Do you have a C.S. Lewis fan at your house—or are you, or an older teen, reading Surprised by Joy? If you’d like to learn more about Lewis’s early life and his time in Belfast, Giant by Judith McQuoid is a lovely introduction.

Told through the eyes of fictional Davy, a boy based on Lewis’s longest friendship, this gentle historical novel imagines the early years of “Jacks,” the young C.S. Lewis.

As I read, I kept thinking about the parts of Surprised by Joy where Lewis describes making Boxen with his brother and his especially close relationship with Warnie. Narnia was one of the first novel-length series I read as a child, so I loved learning more about the childhood seeds that may have grown into those beloved stories.

If you enjoy discovering the inspirations behind your favorite authors, I think you will enjoy this one.

 

ISWG: Bends in the Road: What My Writing Life Has Taught Me

A winding path at the Oregon Zoo

 

I don’t like to think about regrets. Looking back on the over twenty years I’ve spent as a parent (my oldest turned twenty-four last week) and the time I’ve spent writing, I can think of many things I would’ve done differently with what I know now. But how would I have that knowledge if I hadn’t failed, and in a big way sometimes?

So, yes, I am an imperfect parent. My writing journey has often been a winding path instead of a straight road. Most of what I know is from doing things wrong.

MMGM: True Adventure for Gentle Readers: Heart of a Samurai

 

I am always looking for stories that draw in readers who love true adventure, perilous journeys, and brave young people finding their place in the world. When my boys were growing up, they thrived on stories that felt real and high-stakes. One of our favorite shared read-alouds was Carry On, Mr. Bowditch. I think the fact that it was a true story—about a boy who pulled himself out of poverty to become a great navigator—truly inspired them. 

Later, when my boys were in high school, I read Moby-Dick with my younger son and then we watched the classic movie with Gregory Peck. As someone with a strong interest in marine biology, he didn't mind the "nonfiction" chapters about whales, and like his older brother, he loved the sense of adventure on the high seas.

If you are looking for stories for your morning basket or the classroom—tales filled with real people, cross-cultural connections, and quiet bravery—Heart of a Samurai is a wonderful discovery.

MMGM: Pencils Ready! A Sibling Hunt for Ms. Pennypickle’s Prize

I come from a long line of puzzlers. My grandfather did crosswords and loved word play. When I was growing up, we read from Donald Sobol's Two-Minute Mysteries almost every night. My mom still does crosswords, and my oldest son loves mental puzzles of all kinds. When he was in middle school, the Winston Breen Puzzle books were his favorite, because you could solve the puzzles right along with the main characters.

If you have a puzzler or a treasure hunt fan at your house, I think you’re going to love Chris Grabenstein’s new book. Think Amazing Race meets The Westing Game.

MMGM: Whimsy, Vocabulary, and Goldfish: Why Growing Home is the Perfect Family Read-Aloud

 

As an unofficial champion of underdogs, some of my favorite students have been the ones no one else quite knew what to do with. A little prickly. A little blunt. The kids who always let you know exactly where you stood.

Those personalities often end up cast as the antagonists in children's books, where cheerful, agreeable characters tend to take center stage. That's one reason I loved Growing Home by Beth Ferry and the Fan Brothers. Toasty is prickly—but he's also wonderfully human, funny, and surprisingly lovable.