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Cruelty to Animals: Shiloh by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor and The One and Only Ivan by Katherine Applegate

  

I want to preface this by saying that there are many animal stories that are heartwarming or even funny. But there are also many animal stories written for children in which terrible things happen. Even when there is a satisfying ending, so much of what’s there is heartbreaking. The cruelty and indifference of human beings, and the trapped feelings of not just the animal but the people who love that animal can be just horrifying. These aren’t intended to be horror stories, but sometimes they feel that way.

I am not a big reader of animal stories. But in the past month I have had two really well-done ones come my way, both hitting me and my kids on a visceral level. Both of them are also Newbery Award winners, so chances are that if you have an elementary aged kid whose teacher requires that he or she read a Newbery winner, that your child might choose one of these.

Shiloh by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor was the pick of the girl whose turn it was to choose a book for my kids’ second and third grade book discussion group (I don’t think I would recommend it for this age– it’s pretty intense for seven and eight year olds). One way to describe this book is as the story of a boy and his dog. But there is a lot more going on than that. Marty is an eleven year old boy living in rural West Virginia, part of a family that has to make every dollar stretch. Shiloh, a runaway dog, follows Marty home, but the dog belongs to Judd, an unpleasant man who is abusive to his dogs, and Shiloh has to be returned to him. When Shiloh runs away a second time, Marty hides the dog, but protecting the dog leads to more and more lies, and eventually Marty is found out and the dog has to be returned. Marty finally gets the dog, but only after he catches Judd hunting out of season and covers it up. Marty’s dad points out that there is no way to save every abused animal in the area, and Marty knows his dishonesty is wrong, but he does save Shiloh from Judd’s abuse. Maybe for kids it is clear cut– from my son’s account of what happened during the book group, the major thing was that the dog was saved from this horrible man, but as an adult, these things make the book even more difficult, and a very uneasy read (there are several sequels to Shiloh, which I have not read, that may explore these issues further).

The One and Only Ivan by Katherine Applegate is a recent Newbery winner that arrived as a request for review.  It has just been released in paperback and is a spotlight title in the flyer for the Scholastic Book Fair that I received last week. I had read it previously, and it is a brilliantly written book, but it was an entirely different experience reading it with my daughter. This book is based on the true story of a gorilla who was trapped in a cage in a circus-themed mall for 27 years before protesters succeeded in having him relocated to a zoo. Applegate wrote the book from Ivan’s point of view, and it is mesmerizing. The difference between reading it myself and reading it to a seven-year-old is that I have background knowledge and can step back from the story when (for example) Ivan relates how he saw his parents killed, with their hands, heads, and feet chopped off, and can see a gorilla hand ashtray in the window of one of the mall stores (I have seen both a gorilla hand ashtray and an elephant footstool in a museum collection, and it is baffling and terrible that any person would do this). For my daughter, it’s bloody, heartbreaking, and horrifying. The mall owner is neglectful, and as in Shiloh, a father and child are caught in a moral dilemma: if he reports the condition of the animals to save them,  he will lose his job working in the mall. They do finally make that difficult choice, although in this case, saving the animals means being honest, and there’s no unsolved ethical dilemma. My daughter insisted on speeding through it so she could find out what happened to Ivan, and is still processing the story. The Monster Kid was not able to handle the human cruelty in the book, however, so know your child, and expect to be discussing it with him or her.

Dylan, the original Monster Librarian, loved books where the animals terrorized humans, such as those by Guy N. Smith and James Herbert. Those REALLY aren’t my thing, but he felt that, somehow, through those books, justice was served. But as Stella, the elephant from The One and Only Ivan said,  “Humans can surprise you sometimes”. Certainly, although there is cruelty and indifference in animal stories written for children, there is also, often, kindness and love. Although it seems obvious to say that it’s best to pay close attention to what you are recommending to a child, I think that it’s worth it to remember that even when a story has a happy ending,  not all animal stories are sweetness and light. Both books are highly recommended for grades four and older, depending, of course, on the child.

Book Review: The Halloween Children by Brian James Freeman and Norman Prentiss

The Halloween children

The Halloween Children  by Brian James Freeman & Norman Prentiss

Earthling Publications, 2014

Available: Limited edition hardcover, lettered traycased hardcover.

          Note: You must order directly from Earthling Publications here.

 

Earthling Publications’ Halloween books are something that no reader of horror fiction, or any genre of fiction, should ever miss, and The Halloween Children is no exception; Freeman and Prentiss  have produced another book that has been knocked out of the park.   This is a disturbing, claustrophobic, enjoyable read that encompasses everything Halloween should be.

This is an everyman’s horror story: the best, most relatable kind, that holds family close to its dark heart. Harris, the handyman for the Stillbrook apartment complex, narrates the events through diary entries.  Harris lives with his wife, Lynn, his son, Matt, and his daughter, Amber.  From the opening diary entries, we learn that Harris’s and Lynn’s marriage is about as frayed as possible, without blood being spilled (for the moment).  Lynn is paranoid about her husband’s work around the complex, assuming the worst. She also believes  something is seriously wrong with their son. Parents can have favorites, and this usually leads to hurt, deceit, and psychological wounds that have far-reaching effects. In this case, mother sides with daughter, and father with son.  Neither parent, however, is aware of what their children are doing, or planning. Then the owner/manager of the complex decides that Halloween should be canceled this year. No party will take place, no decorations will adorn the buildings and grounds. When the children hear about the holiday cancellation,  the slow-motion disintegration of the family, community, and soul is already underway.

Parallels may be drawn to The Shining, but The Halloween Children is utterly original and deserves to be given applause on its own merits. Freeman and Prentiss are talented, far more than has been recognized by the masses.  The storytelling here is near flawless, as is the writing– always a challenge in a collaboration.  If this is what they are capable of as a team, I hope that more writing from both will be on the way soon.  The characters make the story, and it’s actually more frightening than seeing the Torrance family torn apart, because it draws in neighbors, friends, or maybe something much closer.  While The Halloween Children can be read in one sitting, take some time and enjoy it, allowing its effects to take hold.  A perfect tale for any holiday. Well, any holiday that includes a fragmented, fragile family. Highly recommended.
Reviewed by David Simms

Book Review: Professor Challenger: The Kew Growths and Other Stories by William Meikle

Professor Challenger: The Kew Growths And Other Stories by William Meikle

Dark Renaissance Books, 2014

ISBN-13: 978-1-937128-84-5

Availability: Trade Paperback
 
Professor Challenger: The Kew Growths And Other Stories introduces journalist Edward Malone, who is on suspension at his newspaper and is rehabilitating after an ill-fated trip to the Amazon. He craves adventure, but is given nothing but obituaries, flower shows, and weddings to report on. He is considering leaving his employer for the French Riviera when he is given the task of reporting on the opening of a new greenhouse at Kew Gardens.

The greenhouse is a fantastic structure, home to many exotic plants that only serve to remind Malone of what he is missing from a real adventure. That is, until he sees the Kew Growths: three foot tall parasol mushrooms from Mongolia that sing, like a choir of monks in the wind … absolutely charming! The next day, however, ten of the attendees are in the hospital, comatose from an unidentifiable infection, and an investigation commences. Malone meets up with Thomas Carnacki, a student of the arcane, who has deduced that the cause is the Mongolian mushrooms, which are highly dangerous and should not be cultivated under any circumstances. The worst is yet to come! It is time to call in Professor Challenger.

This adventure story was a fantastic read. It is a series of short stories that flow together so well as to be one complete work. The characters are lesser known creations of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, and William Meikle does them proud. Sherlock Holmes and Watson have nothing on Professor Challenger and Malone. The tone was beautifully set right from the start and carried on throughout. The phrases and descriptions felt very 1800’s, and the characters were distinctive and easy to identify; the dialog really made this work for me. The descriptions were very well done– just enough without going too far. The action sections were also superb. The eleven illustrations spread throughout the text were a nice bonus. When I finished the last page, I definitely wanted more. Other works by the author I have read are: Professor Challenger: The Island Of Terror, Island Life, and Watchers: The Coming of the King.

Highly recommended for adult readers.

Reviewed by Aaron Fletcher