Village Life: Miss Read’s People and Places

©RKSilipo. All rights reserved.

Summer is less than a month away, so I go to my book shelves and check that Miss Read is where I think she is, ready for my annual visits to Fairacre and Thrush Green. I re-visit Caxley as well, but not quite as often.

I love these books and cannot recommend them highly enough. They have grace, wit and insight into what makes village people tick.

I had enjoyed those five years — the children, the little school, the pleasure of running my own school-house and of taking a part in village life. . .

. . . at last, I believed, I was accepted, if not as a proper native, at least as ‘Miss Read up at the School’, and not as ‘that new woman pushing herself forward’!

That’s how, on the first page of her first book, Miss Read, whose real name is Dora Saint, sets the scene for Village School and all of the delicious novels of Fairacre that followed it.

In far too many places in England today, the agreeable habit of taking afternoon tea has vanished.

Much too fattening . . . Quite unneccesary . . .

Taking tea is a highly civilized pastime, and fortunately is still in favour at Thrush Green, where it has been brought to a fine art. It is common practice in that pleasant village to invite friends to tea rather than lunch or dinner. . .

. . . said Ella, who is fond of her food, ‘when else can you eat home-made gingerbread, all squishy with black treacle?’

Thus begins Gossip from Thrush Green, one of my favourites from Miss Read’s other village series.

These are novels of character and place. There are plots, simple, homely plots– well-meaning villagers match making (disastrously) for the single woman happy to be single; the disappearing lead from the church roof and similarly disappearing supplies from a building site; fires and blizzards and other natural and unnatural catastrophes and the ramifications thereof; a bit of adultery here, obfuscation there– all the stuff of village life in the England of the mid 20th century.

It’s the characters, however, that keep me re-reading the books every summer: Dotty’s Collywobbles, a health condition known only in Thrush Green, always makes me smile. Ella and Dimity, two dissimilar friends who bump along compatibly together until, well into middle age, Dimity falls in love with the local rector and starts a new life. Winnie Bailey, the sensible doctor’s widow. Ben Curdle, grandson of the late Mrs. Curdle, owner and iron-fist manager of the travelling carnival that visited the town annuallyfor years. Thrush Green is filled with characters that every village knows.

The same is true for Fairacre, where the stories are narrated by the village school teacher. These focus on the children and the children’s families — which is to say, the whole village — and on Miss Read’s contented single life.

The third series is the Caxley Chronicles, three books covering four generations of two families in the market town of Caxley. These stories are just as beautifully told, and the characters as defly defined, but the stories of village life always interested me more.

These books are beautifully written. When I’m reading one, I am driven to read out sentences to my husband, adding, “Isn’t that an amazing sentence? It flows, it…” We’re both writers and know a unique and skillful turn of phrase when we read one.

Some of the Miss Read books are still in print, and those that aren’t can still be found in second-hand book shops all over England. It’s harder to find them in the States, but these days you can use the internet to order books from all over the world. I recommend

www.greenmetroplis.com

http://powellbooks.com

http://pickabook.co.uk

I avoid Amazon because, by selling magazines that promote dog fighting, they advocate cruelty to animals. The Humane Society of the United States is involved in legal proceedings to get them to stop. In fact, Pickabook has prices that are sometimes lower than Amazon’s. And all paperbacks at Green Metropolis are £3.75.

David and the Phoenix – Great Summer Read for Pre-teens

©RKSilipo. All rights reserved.

At age ten I read a book about a beautiful, multi-coloured, giant bird and a boy named David. They talked together a lot, and they went on adventures. That story stayed with me for fifty years.

So I decided to try to find the book, just to have it in my library and maybe re-read it someday. Thinking it would be out of print, I started searching the internet book sellers (excluding Amazon*) for it.

To my delight, I discovered that

www.purplehousepress.com

is in the business of finding and publishing modern classic children’s books, from picture books for the very young to books like David and the Phoenix, by Edward Ormondroyd, for older children.

So I bought the book, and I sat down to read it again. I enjoyed it as much now as I did all those years ago. What a treat to read a well-written, gripping narrative that doesn’t talk down to children and gives them challenging ideas to ponder while telling a cracking good story.

David’s adventures with Phoenix are exciting, fairy tale journeys, with the boy riding the back of the huge gorgeous bird. They meet Gryffons (dangerous), a Sea Monster (who guards a pirate treasure), and Fauns (fun), among other creatures, all known well by Phoenix, who calls on them to help him with David’s education.

Resourceful and persistent, David uses all his instincts and abilities to visit Phoenix every day and to help Phoenix escape the over-zealous scientist who wants to capture him or kill him for a trophy. This pursuer adds plenty of threat and conflict to the story to keep the kids reading.

This book is about friendship, trust and loyalty, and, interestingly, about self-reliance along with these qualities. It shows two very unlike characters working and playing together, facing challenges and solving problems by give-and-take and dogged determination.

In the end, the story is about giving up one’s own selfish desires for the good of a friend. What better lesson to learn over the summer vacation?

*The Humane Society of the United States reported that Amazon sells dog fighting magazines on it site and has denied all requests to stop selling them. I refuse to buy anything from a company that promotes cruelty to animals.

“What is REAL?” asked the Rabbit one day.

The Velveteen Rabbit, by Margery Williams, with gorgeous illustrations by William Nicholson, can truly wear the designation, A Modern Classic. First published in 1922, the original edition is now available again from Doubleday, in their “A Book for Young Readers” series. It’s also available in paperback and in various editions with more contemporary art. I recommend the original, however, because the words and pictures are perfect together.

“What is REAL?” asked the Rabbit one day. “Does it mean having things that buzz inside you and a stick-out handle?”

“Real isn’t how you are made,” said the Skin Horse. “It’s a thing that happens to you. When a child loves you for a long, long time . . . “

This is a wondrous book to read to the little ones, and one that older children can read to younger siblings.

The story begins at Christmas, when a sweet stuffed rabbit sits atop the boy’s stocking. It becomes a sweet, but not overly sentimental, story about love and loyalty. The philosophy is deep, but not complex, and the nature of love is its center.

I attended a wedding once where The Velveteen Rabbit was the principal reading. It fitted perfectly.

Follow My Leader

Follow My Leader, by James B. Garfield, one of the best modern books for young readers, is back in print.

The story follows Jimmy Carter, a twelve-year-old baseball player who is suddenly blinded by a firecracker. We see Jimmy when the bandages are unwrapped from his eyes, and feel his anger and fear. We are with him on each step of his recovery from the injury, from the first visit by a social worker to his unprecedented trip to the guide dog school and his day-by-day training there. Ultimately, we are there when he encounters the boy who inadvertantly blinded him, and is able to forgive him and move on.

This book appeals to both boys and girls aged about ten to twelve or thirteen. Depending on reading ability, younger readers can also identify through the character of Jimmy’s kid sister, Carolyn. Parents of children with disabilities will recognize the challenges that Jimmy’s mother has to meet.

I read it when I was ten, and I was riveted by the process of Jimmy’s learning how to work with his guide dog, whom he names Leader. it’s a wonderful story of the relationship between dogs and humans.

I’ve reread the book a number of times over the years, and it holds up beautifully. It’s fascinating, funny, challenging and with a few elements just scary enough to appeal to kids’ need for peril in their stories.

The book is neither sentimental nor cold, and the relationships are drawn very realistically. I highly recommend this one as a book to get your kids away from the computer and television screens and get them interested in reading.

Man-less Pregnancy! (and More!) in Herland

Herland, by Charlotte Perkins Gilman is a book ‘way ahead of its time. Women, particularly young women, will recognize themselves –their thoughts, ideals, dreams for themselves and the world. Men, particularly men born after1960, will scoff at the narrator’s attitudes. Although the premise is a classic hidden utopia tale, there are more than enough plot twists and turns to keep you reading to the end.

Although this is a serious, very thoughtful novel about an all-woman country, Gilman writes with a wicked sense of humour. The book is full of hilarious moments, not least because they are couched in the observations of a twenty-something man of his time (1915). The story never strays from from the important issues Gilman is addressing through her imaginary women’s country, but it’s told with the wisdom of a light touch.

Just a couple of quotes, my favourites from many flagged pages–

[In the context of a courtship in which he can't smooth things over with flowers:]

When a man has nothing to give a woman, is dependent wholly on his personal attraction, his courtship is under limitations.

[In comparing the world's idea of patriotism with the peaceful and productive Herland:]

Patriotism, red hot, is compatible with the existence of a neglect of national interests, a dishonesty, a cold indifference to the suffering of millions. Patriotism is largely pride, and very largely combativeness. Patriotism generally has a chip on is shoulder.

This book is a quick, enjoyable read, a story that fascinates and entertains and makes you think all at the same time. The Shangri-La, lost world elements will appeal to science fiction afficionados as well as fantasy fans. Intelligent teenagers will find it a fun read that also challenges some of their assumptions.

I have a Dover Books Thrift Edition, which was cheap and is very sturdily bound. I’m sure there are editions with critical introductions, discussion topics, etc. available, but I like my Dover Books edition. You can buy it directly from Dover at http://store.doverpublications.com/

or try

www.greenmetroplis.com

http://powellbooks.com

http://pickabook.co.uk

• I do not buy anything from Amazon because they promote dog fighting. This is not something I want to do; I don’t care how low their prices are. As a matter of fact, Pickabook often has prices lower than Amazon’s. And all paperbacks at Green Metropolis are £3.75.

• The Humane Society of the United States is involved in legal proceedings to get Amazon to stop selling magazines that advertise tools used to torture animals.  For more information on this issue, click Against Torturing Animals at the top of the list of “Sites to Visit” on the right side of this page.

Children’s Anger and Transformation

©2008, Ramona K. Silipo. All rights reserved.

THE PEACE EMPOWERMENT PROCESS
HELPS PEOPLE TRANSFORM VIOLENCE INTO CREATIVITY

The World Wall for Peace transforms the lives of people, children and adults, through the Peace Empowerment Process® (PEP), taught by its creator, Carolyna Marks. The process comprises two distinct sections, the PEP®, and the Blueprint of Emotional Wisdom®. The PEP gives people simple, repeatable techniques which allow them to dissipate anger and the impulse to violent reaction, and to respond to violence or the threat of violence with creative thinking and compassion.

The PEP focuses not on unlimited freedom of the self, but on the free choices available to the whole individual in the context of a vital and responsive community. In many programs, self- esteem is often overemphasized to the detriment of responsibility and service. We are one with other people, and in the PEP self esteem is not emphasized to the exclusion of these things. The objective is for people to grow together; to be interrelated, not singular; to live creative individuality without sacrificing community.

In nearly thirty years of peace work, Carolyna Marks has observed lasting changes in attitudes of both children and adults with whom she has worked building peace walls; and participants who have learned the Peace Empowerment Process relate moving experiences of recognizing the transformations in their own consciousness and emotions.

The listing of Peace Powers, one of the first exercises in the PEP, leads children to redefine, as valuable abilities, qualities often seen as weak or “wimpy.” By writing down and reading them out, children see and own as powerful skills such as listening, drawing, or being persistent. In one school, a very quiet girl at the back of the classroom amazed her teacher by raising her hand, eager to read her list of Peace Powers to the class. The girl had never seen her quietness or her thoughtful nature as powerful until then. The teacher told Ms. Marks that the girl was the shyest child in the class and was literally transformed by learning the PEP.

The Walk-a-Mile exercise opens compassion and empathy. The procedure is to pair off from the circle and listen very closely to the story of another person’s experience; then return to the group and become the other person, to relate your partner’s story in the first person. In a recent PEP workshop, an African American man and a sixteen year old Chinese boy were partners.

The boy related that he had come to the United States when he was about five. He said that, although his whole family, seven children and his parents, all lived in one room, they were a close, happy family, even though they were poor. His father, who regularly went out with friends on Saturday night, one night went out as usual, and was shot and killed in an argument with his friends. It completely changed the boy’s life: He began to steal and was arrested, but fortunately was placed in a program, in which he learned from career prisoners what it would be like if he did end up in jail. The experience woke him up and started him back toward a more constructive life.

The African American man had been raised in minister’s family, and rebelled dramatically against his father as a young man. As he matured, however, he found great respect for and began to understand the power of his father’s ministry and ideals. The black man and the Chinese boy were from a neighborhood where friction between their two races was a daily fact of life. But they bonded instantly and intimately when they realized their experiences of loss and family conflict were not all that different from one another. Both had a fundamental change of attitude through experiencing the other’s story.

In working with the second component of the PEP, the Blueprint of Emotional Wisdom®, children learn to look at their emotions and identify the source of their anger. Marks’ work is based largely on the concept that underlying all violent actions is anger; and under anger are fear, guilt and grief or disappointment.

In one PEP session, children began spontaneously to share their grief by telling stories about the deaths of dogs and cats, grandparents, an aunt. They were very emotional stories, filled with anger, fear and guilt. Soon a wave of tears swept through the room. Everyone was crying because the schoolroom had suddenly become a safe place for them to express their feelings. The teacher reported that for the next several days the children were extraordinarily kind to each other. One boy had a foster sister who had died, and didn’t know what to do with his feelings about it. After this PEP training he decided to draw and write about it. Children do make creative choices when they have permission not to be violent.

For more information on the World Wall for Peace, go to www.wwfp.org. Marks’ book, Creativity in the Lion’s Den, is available from the organization.

Christmas Stories (2)

An Oxford Book of Christmas Stories includes both traditional and modern tales, and the illustrations are evocative and lush. These are stories for grown ups to enjoy and to read with children.

Some of the titles will give you an idea: “Burper and the Magic Lamp,” by Robert Leeson. “Ghost Alarm,” by Nicholas Fisk. “The Anarchist’s Pudding,” by Geraldine McCaughrean. Mr. Pickwick’s adventure sliding on the ice is included as well.

How about an opening to whet the appetite: “Jeremy James first met Father Christmas one Saturday morning in a big shop. He was a little surprised to see him there, because it was soon going to be Christmas, and Jeremy James thought Santa Claus really ought to be somewhere in the North Pole filling sacks with presents and feeding his reindeer” — from “Father Christmas and Father Christmas,” by David Henry Wilson.

Several of the stories have sinister or macabre twists, and the Christmas ghost story is a classic form, thanks to Charles Dickens.

Stories by Paul Auster, Ann Beattie, Ray Bradbury, Italo Calvino, Annie Dillard, Patricia Highsmith, Jane Smiley and others are included in A Literary Christmas, Great Contemporary Christmas Stories, a collection from the Atlantic Monthly Press. These are stories for avid readers and for those who want to sample the work of some of the most interesting writers of our time. Some entries are excerpts from previous works, and some are topical short stories. A great read for the Christmas season.

For stories in song, The Penguin Book of Christmas Carols is very handy. It includes all the verses of fifty Christmas carols as well as the music, and it’s small enough to slip into a handbag on the way to Midnight Mass or Christmas service. The carols are from throughout Europe, some dating as far back as the Middle Ages. The book includes a brief history of each carol and an introduction with a short history of Christmas caroling, as well as notes on the carols in performance. Like all Penguin Books, it’s a fantastic bargain.

And don’t forget, there are many editions of A Christmas Carol available, from economy paperbacks to lushly illustrated coffee table versions. The movies are fun, especially the musical, Scrooge, with Albert Finney in the title role; but reading the story with your family or friends is a wonderful way to spend Christmas Eve.

Speaking of the movies, let me put in a vote for the oldie with Alistair Simm as Scrooge. Yes, it’s in black and white. But Simm is such a wonderful Scrooge, and he looks like such a jovial granddad, this is a perfect version for children. The Ghost of Christmas Future is really scary, too, which the kids really like!

©2007, RK Silipo. All rights reserved.