The Twenty-One Balloons by William Pène du Bois

About The Twenty-One Balloons by William Pène du Bois: Professor William Waterman Sherman just wants to be alone. So he decides to take a year off and spend it crossing the Pacific Ocean in a hot-air balloon the likes of which no one has seen. But when he is found after just three weeks floating in the Atlantic among the wreckage of twenty hot-air balloons, the world is naturally eager to know what happened. How did he end up with so many balloons ... and in the wrong ocean?

My take

I got this for a steal at a recent book sale, still wrapped up in plastic. I was having second thoughts but realizing that it is a Newbery winner, I decided that it was a good buy not just for me but for D too (eventually).

***

I didn't regret this read. And at the risk of spoiling things for you, I come back with more questions ... questions one step ahead of those above:

If you were shipwrecked (ok, balloon-wrecked) on a supposedly uninhabited island, only to discover that on that island, you are probably among the richest people in the world with close to a billion dollars to spend a day. Everyday could be a vacation and there is no limit to what you occupy your time with. Would you want to stay or go? What if you were forced to stay as a perennial guest? What if you had to stay even in the light of dire circumstances?

This is what the Professor went through in his three-week disappearance.

It's a very tall tale. But its told with such an incredible amount of detail as well as plausible descriptions of inventions and the science behind them that you want to believe everything written down. Take note that this book won the Newbery in 1948, an era where great inventions were being made.

What makes the story even moreso charming is that Mr. Du Bois also happened to draw all the illustrations. One of my favorite inventions is the balloon merry-go-round.

Definitely a classic.

My Brother Sam is Dead by James Lincoln Collier and Christopher Collier

Back blurb of My Brother Sam is Dead by James Lincoln Collier and Christopher Collier: All his life, Tim Meeker has looked up to his brother, Sam. Sam is smart and brave and always knows the right thing to do. Everyone in town admires him. Until now.

Sam has enlisted in the new American Revolutionary Army. He talks about defeating the British and becoming independent and free. But not everyone in town wants to be part of this new America. Most people are loyal supporters of the English king - including Tim and Sam's father.

War is raging and Tim knows he'll have to make a choice. But how can he choose when it means fighting his father on one side and fighting his brother on the other?

My thoughts

It's been a while since I've gotten my thoughts about some of the books I've read up on this blog. In fact, I've started a small notebook where I scribble down whatever comes to mind while reading. [That is the problem with computers, not as handy! ;)]

Although My Brother Sam Is Dead is a children's book, how it tackles the issue of war, its hardships and consequences, and inevitably, its utter senselessness is very adult-like.

This is historical fiction and while the main characters are fictional, the setting - Redding, Connecticut - and some of the people are real. The book has a section in the back which answers "How much of this book is true?" A great introduction for children who have yet to try historical fiction.

This book is also about family dynamics. How do families cope in the face of war?

The relationship of the two brothers was the focus. Do you have an older brother or sister? Then you'll easily be able to empathize with Tim who idolizes Sam. But as the war goes on, Tim comes to the realization that he cannot be Sam ... he learns to be his own person, with his own ideas, opinions, and his own stand about the war itself:

I knew he was wrong. He was staying in the army because he wanted to stay in the army, not because of duty or anything else… knowing that about Sam gave me a funny feeling. I didn't feel like his little brother so much anymore, I felt more like his equal.

The relationship of father and son(s) is also pictured - a tense generational and idealogical clash of Sam and his father. The family dynamic shifts throughout the book, with Tim taking on more and more responsibility with Sam gone. And when Tim's father is captured, Tim automatically steps in as the man of the family.

As a parent, I also realized the dilemma that Sam's parents faced. What do you do with a rebellious son? What do you do when you know that consequences of your child's beliefs could very well kill him and the family?

It's interesting that the women in the story are add-ons, save for the character of Mrs. Meeker. Make no mistake about it, the world depicted here is a man's world. (Thank goodness there are other books that tackle this period from the viewpoint of women).

This is beautifully written, empathetic. I highly recommend it to both children and adults.

[This is a Newbery Honor Book.]

No More Magic by Avi

Back blurb of No More Magic by Avi*: There's no such thing as magic ... is there? When Chris's bike mysteriously disappears on Halloween night, he's sure that magic is to blame. But his science-whiz bother insists that there's a rational explanation for everything. And his dad is always saying "Get the questions right before you get the answers wrong." There's just one problem: The facts don't make sense. All the evidence points to a shadowy figure who Chris is convinced is a warlock. Only his new friend, Muffin, agrees. Everyone else says there's no such thing as magic. Maybe not. But maybe ...

My take 

... but maybe you should go read this book and maybe, just maybe, you will drop the adult tendency to dismiss magic ... and just believe. I love this book because it is so unpredictable! And I actually feel like I am 11 years old again - probably Chris's age - reliving and experiencing the worries and insecurities of a child. It incorporates kid's interest in comic book heroes, good looking bikes, of children's rationality and logic, and the importance of fitting in.

But there is never a time that the author has treated these worries condescendingly, giving Chris a voice that is clear and true.

I truly enjoyed this book! After having read this, I looked up Avi, and realized the following:

1. This is a debut novel.
2. From this novel, Avi (yes, that's his name) later went on to write other great books and became a Newbery Honor Author.
3. Avi suffered from dysgraphia, a learning disability that makes writing difficult because it causes letter reversals and misspelled words.

“In a school environment,” Avi recalls, “I was perceived as being sloppy and erratic, and not paying attention.” Still, in the face of unending criticism, Avi persevered. “I became immune to it,” Avi says. “I liked what I wrote.

This is a very special book, highly enjoyable, great for reading together with your child.

Book Depository*