Clementine- Sara Pennypacker

Clementine- by Sara Pennypacker. Pictures by Marla Frazee.

I'm a bit of a scifi/fantasy head, so on this blog I'm really making an effort to expand my genre horizons. Clementine is not necessarily a book I would have chosen to read if I were not trying to expose as many people to as diverse a range of children's literature as humanly possible.

Clementine actually appeals to me in a very nostalgic way. Some of the earliest books I remember LOVING were the works of Beverly Cleary. From the adventures of Ralph S. Mouse to Henry Huggins' puppy, to Otis Spotford finally getting his comeuppance, Cleary's works filled me with laughter and imagination, and were clearly responsible for the bibliophile I grew into. I'm sure I am not the only reviewer to make the comparison between Pennypacker's Clementine and Cleary's most enduring creation, Ramona Quimby.

Both heroines are young, irrepressible, and march to the beat of their own drummers. Both see more than their fair share (or exactly their fair share, depending on your point of view) of trouble thanks to their refusal to do things the way others want them to. Both authors wonderfully create characters whose idiosyncratic world views makes the reader root for these square pegs inhabiting a world full of round holes. In Clementine, Pennypacker has created a 21st century heroine beloved by readers who find Ramona a bit dated. (The first Ramona book, Ramona and Beezus, was first published in 1955.)

Clementine is having a horrible week. No matter what she tries to do, it ends up getting her in trouble. Clementine's adventures show that one good deed is truly worth one thousand good intentions. No matter how she tries to correct her mistakes (cutting off her friend's hair, then cutting off her own hair to make up for it), she keeps getting deeper in trouble.

I won't go into too much detail concerning her misadventures, but I will say that Clementine is full of laugh out loud moments, one of the highest compliments I can pay any book. For example, consider the following exchange concerning why Clementine helps her elderly neighbor with grocery shopping:
"But if she asks me I have to say yes because A) she is four hundred years old and I am polite, and B) I need the money because I am saving up to buy a gorilla and I bet they cost L-O-T-S, lots."
A gorilla? How awesome is that. I mean, personally, I would save up to but an orangutan, but I think we can all relate to the desire to have some sort of great ape as a friend and companion. My orangutan would be named Roger, and he would wear a tuxedo.

Also, here's Clementine on naming her kittens:
"Since I have discovered that the most exquisite words in the world are on labels you will find in the bathroom, I carried the kittens into the bathroom and looked around until I found them beautiful names."
Fluoride and Laxative off to live with strangers, while Mascara goes to live with her neighbor Margaret. Later in the book she receives a new kitten whom she promptly names Moisturizer. If you don't know why Laxative is a hilarious name for a kitten, ask your parents.

Long story short, If you've ever gotten in trouble for doing something that is clearly awesome (but the adults in your life just can't understand the awesomeness of your actions), then Clementine is the book for you. If you liked Clementine, then there are two sequels as well, The Talented Clementine, and Clementine's Letter.

Once Upon a Time in the North- Philip Pullman

Once Upon a Time in the North- Philip Pullman

Astute readers will infer from the title of this blog that I am at least passingly familiar with the world of Philip Pullman's His Dark Materials. (The first person to correctly identify the reference in the comments wins a prize.) Passingly familiar is, however, a massive understatement. HDM is the series that revitalized my love of children's literature as an adult. It proved to me that the stories could be morally complex and ambiguous, while at the same time remaining true to notions of bravery, heroism, and sacrifice for the greater good. It also proved that stories for children could contain powerful ideas that maybe aren't so easily digested. These books made you THINK! I still remember finishing The Subtle Knife around 9:30 at night, and rushing out to my local bookstore to purchase The Amber Spyglass before it closed. Despite the disappointing (to me at least) movie, I remain a fan.

OUATITN is the second slim volume Pullman has written describing the exploits of characters from the original trilogy following Lyra's Oxford. OUATITN details the exploits of a young Lee Scoresby and his initial encounters with an extraordinary panzerbjorn named Iorek Byrnison. Apparently, before Pullman is finished, there will be a third mini-story featuring the adventures of Will. Perhaps Pullman will then turn his attentions to the long-rumored follow up trilogy to HDM.

The story begins with Lee and his beloved hare deamon Hester in dire straits as his newly-acquired balloon is losing altitude near the arctic island of Novy Odense. Lee makes quite an impression on the local populace (after a barely controlled crash landing.) Being the iconoclastic, fair-minded individual that he is, it doesn't take Lee long to run afoul of the local powers that be.

It seems Novy Odense, despite the best efforts of local government, is controlled by the machinations of the Larsen Manganese mining company. More interested in turning a profit than conducting fair business, the company is currently preventing a captain from loading his rightful cargo and departing the Port before paying extra taxes and fees. The captain cannot afford those prices, and risks losing his entire cargo and livelihood. Anyone who remembers Lee's selfless sacrifice from HDM knows that Lee Scoresby will not abide in the strong lording over the weak.

Lee and Iorek Byrnison team up to help the captain free his cargo. Along the way they run into a crooked mayoral candidate, a terrifyingly merciless gunfighter, and other assorted ne'erdowells. Will their efforts be enough? Can even the might of a panzerbjorn stand against the awesomeness of an early tank prototype? I won't give away the answer, but if you know anything about Iorek, then you can probably guess....

The story is brief, less than 100 pages, but the pace is brisk, and the reader is left wanting more. The volume is beautifully crafted, illustrated with engravings from John Lawrence. It is also interspersed with ephemera from the HDM such as pages from The Elements of Aerial Navigation, a how-to ballooning manual Lee uses, the rules for the board game Peril of the Pole (the actual game itself is also included in the book), and a newspaper article describing incidents from the book from a different perspective from that of the main characters. There are even hints at Lyra's future scattered toward the back, so make sure you read everything!

Overall, I highly recommend it, although there are some scary scenes in the book where violence is frankly discussed. Also, being British, Pullman is more casual toward some of the milder swear words that we are unused to in our American fiction for children. None are used gratuitously, and all fit in with the nature of the characters. In particular, I'm referring to the B word, the D word, the H word, and the A word. If you enjoyed the original HDM trilogy, then you'll love Once UPon a Time in the North.