Module 4: Newbery and Printz Award Winners

The Tale of Despereaux, being the story of a mouse, a princess, some soup, and a spool of thread by Kate DiCamillo is just that. Despereaux is the name of a mouse who was born very small with very large ears. This isn't the only thing that makes him strange. Instead of running from humans, he falls in love with Princess Pea. The Tale of Despereaux is not only the tale of Despereaux, but also the tale of Princess Pea, a rat named Roscuro, a maid named Miggery Sow, and how their lives become intertwined. The book reminds me of the fairy tales I read when I was a kid, which makes me wonder if, centuries from now, The Tale of Despereaux, might be treated the way we treat the Hans Christian Anderson fairy tales.

Reviews:

• "A charming story of unlikely heroes whose destinies entwine to bring about a joyful resolution. Foremost is Despereaux, a diminutive mouse who, as depicted in Ering's pencil drawings, is one of the most endearing of his ilk ever to appear in children's books. His mother, who is French, declares him to be "such the disappointment" at his birth and the rest of his family seems to agree that he is very odd: his ears are too big and his eyes open far too soon and they all expect him to die quickly. Of course, he doesn't. Then there is the human Princess Pea, with whom Despereaux falls deeply (one might say desperately) in love. She appreciates him despite her father's prejudice against rodents. Next is Roscuro, a rat with an uncharacteristic love of light and soup. Both these predilections get him into trouble. And finally, there is Miggery Sow, a peasant girl so dim that she believes she can become a princess. With a masterful hand, DiCamillo weaves four story lines together in a witty, suspenseful narrative that begs to be read aloud. In her authorial asides, she hearkens back to literary traditions as old as those used by Henry Fielding. In her observations of the political machinations and follies of rodent and human societies, she reminds adult readers of George Orwell. But the unpredictable twists of plot, the fanciful characterizations, and the sweetness of tone are DiCamillo's own. This expanded fairy tale is entertaining, heartening, and, above all, great fun." - School Library Journal

 

• "Forgiveness, light, love, and soup. These essential ingredients combine into a tale that is as soul stirring as it is delicious. Despereaux, a tiny mouse with huge ears, is the bane of his family's existence. He has fallen in love with the young princess who lives in the castle where he resides and, having read of knights and their ladies, vows to "honor her." But his unmouselike behavior gets him banished to the dungeon, where a swarm of rats kill whoever falls into their clutches. Another story strand revolves around Miggery, traded into service by her father, who got a tablecloth in return. Mig's desire to be a princess, a rat's yen for soup (a food banished from the kingdom after a rat fell in a bowl and killed the queen), and Despereaux's quest to save his princess after she is kidnapped climax in a classic fairy tale, rich and satisfying. Part of the charm comes from DiCamillo's deceptively simple style and short chapters in which the author addresses the reader: "Do you think rats do not have hearts? Wrong. All living things have a heart." And as with the best stories, there are important messages tucked in here and there, so subtly that children who are carried away by the words won't realize they have been uplifted until much later. Ering's soft pencil illustrations reflect the story's charm." - Ilene Cooper, Booklist

The other book I read this week is The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman. His family is assassinated when he’s only a toddler, but he manages escape and finds himself at the graveyard, where the ghosts take him in and keep him safe from the assassin. He’s given the name Nobody so that no part of his old life on the outside clings to him, but Bod grows up, and he won’t stay in the graveyard forever. I loved this book. It was intriguing to have a living boy raised by ghosts and hunted by an assassin known only as Jack. Some may be concerned that the book is too scary. After all, Bod’s family is killed in the first chapter. The rest of the book, however, is so much about family and finding yourself that later scenes in the book that might be considered scary didn’t have the same punch of horror. But again, I loved the book, and despite being called The Graveyard Book, I didn’t expect to be scared.

Reviews:

• "A lavish middle-grade novel, Gaiman's first since Coraline, this gothic fantasy almost lives up to its extravagant advance billing. The opening is enthralling: 'There was a hand in the darkness, and it held a knife.' Evading the murderer who kills the rest of his family, a child roughly 18 months old climbs out of his crib, bumps his bottom down a steep stairway, walks out the open door and crosses the street into the cemetery opposite, where ghosts take him in. What mystery/horror/suspense reader could stop here, especially with Gaiman's talent for storytelling? The author riffs on the Jungle Book, folklore, nursery rhymes and history; he tosses in werewolves and hints at vampires — and he makes these figures seem like metaphors for transitions in childhood and youth. As the boy, called Nobody or Bod, grows up, the killer still stalking him, there are slack moments and some repetition — not enough to spoil a reader's pleasure, but noticeable all the same. When the chilling moments do come, they are as genuinely frightening as only Gaiman can make them, and redeem any shortcomings. Ages 10 — up." Publishers Weekly (Starred Review)

• “This is an utterly captivating tale that is cleverly told through an entertaining cast of ghostly characters. There is plenty of darkness, but the novel's ultimate message is strong and life affirming." Booklist (Starred Review)

I would use this book around Halloween, and I don’t think that, for the age group, it would be too macabre to let the kids create tombstones. They could make up names and epitaphs, or could use names from the book, and decorate them. I think it would be great to use their creations as part of the library’s Halloween decorations.