Ring-rise, Ring-set

Ring Rise, Ring Set (1982) Monica Hughes, Heinemann New Windmills
ISBN: 0 435 12305

This is another book aimed at teenagers that has a message within it. It deals with the issue of science verses nature, of western cultures dismissing older native cultures, and the sacrifice of the few to benefit the many. All of these issues are seen and weighed by a teenage girl named Liza.

The book is set after a natural disaster, and the world is at imminent risk of the next ice age. Scientists have less than five years to prevent the ice sheet overrunning the last human outposts. This disaster happened when a comet skimmed earth’s atmosphere, leaving some of its debris behind. This debris has coalesced into a cloud of dust and tektites (glass particles) that has settled around the equator. This ring blocks out 80% of the sun’s rays in winter, creating severe freezing temperatures. This time is called ring set. When the earth has rotated enough for summer, the ring appears to rise, and more of the sun’s rays filter through.

Liza is part of the western science community, who have survived by building an underground complex inside a hill, where they completely shut themselves off during ring set. These people are called Tecks. Liza was born there, and has not known any other way of life, except from educational materials. Men and women live separately, on different floors, and children do not live with their parents. All women do household jobs such as cooking, cleaning, etc, on a massive scale, rotating each month. They work together as a floor group. Men work on machinery, and go out on expeditions for science research. This is meant to be the best way of advancing scientific knowledge and conserving resources etc. Liza barely sees her parents, and doesn’t really know them.

In contrast, those who were not included in the science bunker have found a way to survive by living like the native tribes of Alaska and Canada. These people are called Ekoes by the Tecks. They depend upon the caribou to survive. They live in extended family groups, and all sleep in one central shelter. They spend time with their families, and children grow up knowing their parents well. The Ekoes think that the Tecks are spirit people, and are afraid of them and anything associated with them.

Liza is unhappy with her life in the hill, and she wants to go on an adventure outside in ring set. She thinks it is unfair that only men get to go out during winter, and stows away on an expedition sled. Finding herself alone with spare supplies in the middle of the ice sheet, Liza begins to regret leaving. She is found by an Ekoe named Namoonie, and taken back to his family. They think that she is a long lost daughter, cousin to Namoonie, and take her in. she spends the whole winter with them, and learns about their culture. Liza feels loved, feels like she belongs in a way that the artificial hill settlement cannot provide. Ekoes believe in Paija, a goddess of the earth. They have created myths and stories that explain the ring, and believe that Paija has put it there after she was tricked by a wolf. This is strange to Liza as the Tecks only believe in science.

Things come to a head when the Ekoes discover “black snow” that smells bad, and is killing the caribou. Liza knows that this must have something to do with the Tecks, and asks Namoonie to take her back to “the spirit people”. Once there she tackles the director, and tries to persuade him not to endanger the Ekoes by killing off their supply of food for the winter months. She is disappointed when all the Tecks agree to do is allow the Ekoes to live inside the hill, something that the Ekoes would never do. The black snow is a mould produced by the Tecks to hold back the ice sheet from spreading. The idea is that it may buy them enough time to create a space net that will deflect all of the matter in the ring, putting the planet’s weather back to rights, and saving mankind from extinction. Tecks look down on Ekoes, and think that they are the true custodians of earth’s culture and knowledge. I lover her reply, that summed up my attitude nicely;

“I’m not that thrilled with a civilisation that won’t count people like Namoonie and his family because they don’t wash too often or clip their toenails”

Whilst Liza can be naive, impetuous, and even irresponsible at times, this is often because she is a fifteen-year-old teenager. Liza does show plenty of learning and growing throughout the novel. I like the way that her character is used as a focus for all of the differing viewpoints, and that she challenges established views, and wants everyone to come up with a solution for all. She is unable to accept that Ekoes are the lesser culture just because they don’t know about science, or read and write. She is also unable to reconcile herself to the idea that the Ekoes, the few, should be sacrificed for the many, the Tecks.

The solution is never found before the end of the novel, but it ends with Liza’s final challenge. She refuses to go back to the hill, choosing to live with the Ekoes and marry Namoonie. Liza reminds the Tecks that they can’t forget about Ekoes while she is with them, and that if they cause harm to the Ekoes they will also be arming her, one of their own as well. It is a neat solution even though it is temporary, and leaves the reader still wondering if the ring ever gets deflected.

I think that this novel touches on very worthwhile issues, which are eve more relevant today than when the book was first written. This is especially so for environmental and cultural issues. I really liked the way a book for teenagers looked at other cultures with a positive light, and that equally, it wasn’t afraid of showing weaknesses in modern western societies. The fact that this is all viewed through the lens of a teenager’s eyes helps other teenagers to understand and think about the issues involved. I liked this book a lot, and it was clearly well thought out and planned. I wonder if this author has written any other books? They might well be worth a read!

What I have learned;

· Not to be afraid of highlighting cultural differences.
· Keep the viewpoint of the book to the main character, and remember to adapt it as that character learns and grows.
· Use real life research as a base but alter it slightly to fit your fictional story.

Flat Stanley

Flat Stanley (1964) Jeff Brown, Mamouth

ISBN: 0-7497-0137-4

Stanley is a boy who lives with his brother Arthur, and his parents, Mr. And Mrs Lambchop. The premise of the tale is as follows; a huge and heavy notice board falls on Stanley as he is lying in his bed. This squashes him flat, and he is about as deep as a piece of paper. He remains this way, and even the doctor says that all they can do is monitor him. He mother gets his clothes altered by a tailor.

Rather than let this get him down, Stanley has fun seeing what he can now he is flat. He can go through the gap at the bottom of doorways, and rescues his mother’s ring from down a drain. His brother becomes quite jealous of these new abilities. At one point, Arthur even tries to make himself flat by piling heavy books on top of his chest. He is stopped by his parents and sent to bed.  They explain to Stanley that his younger brother is jealous, and ask him to be nice to Arthur. Stanley does this by volunteering to let Arthur fly him like a kite, so that he will be more popular!

Stanley becomes a hero when he poses as a painting in the art gallery to foil the plans of a gang of sneak thieves. He ends up with his name and picture in the paper, and he is very happy. After a while people stop giving him positive attention, and they point, stare, and laugh at the ‘flat boy’. Stanley becomes very unhappy, and it is Arthur, desperate to make up for leaving Stanley trapped in the tree, who saves the day. He blows Stanley up with a bike pump, and all is well.

Stanley’ parents also post him via airmail to his pen friend’s house in the school holidays. The hundreds of Flat Stanley projects in schools take up this theme, as does the international Flat Stanley Project based online. Pupils read the story, and they all create their own Flat Stanley on paper. The children are all encouraged to post their Stanley to friends and relatives around the world. People take their photograph with Stanley and send a written account back to the child along with the photograph. The website has many of these stories and pictures from across the globe. I first heard of this book when a friend of mine received a Flat Stanley from her niece in America.

Throughout the book there is reference to good manners, tolerance and respect. “Mr. And Mrs Lambchop were both very much in favour of politeness and careful speech”. This is an important message for children, and I think that it was done in a very sensitive and clever way. Making good manners something that is important to characters that are so appealing to children can only help to get the message across.

The message on page 58 is obvious and even a little trite, but it is aimed at children;

“Shame on them,” Mrs Lambchop said. “It is wrong to dislike people for their shapes. Or their religion, for that matter, or the colour of their skin.”

This book was written in America during the sixties, and that was a vitally important message. People were fighting for equality, and against discrimination. It is a little sad to say that some sections of society are still in need of that very same message.

The book is only short, but very engaging. The story is completely improbable, but so charming that I really did not mind. The popularity of the book worldwide would indicate that many share my view. It is a useful little book that schools have used to promote reading, but also manners, tolerance, and world awareness. I wish I had read this book when my children were smaller, as I would have done our own Flat Stanley project. Keep your eyes pealed for Stanley as he goes on his travels. He’ll be easy to spot, he’s the flat boy!


Find the official project at http://flatterworld.com/?nav=home

Out of The Shadows

WALLACE, JASON OUT OF SHADOWSAndersen Press (Ages 14+)
ISBN: 9781849390484

This story is set in the 1980’s as Robert Mugabe came to power in Zimbabwe. The conflict between white settlers and native Africans are apparent, as is the fear and violence of the country at that time. The conflict between the Shona tribe and the Matabele tribe is another source of racial tension within the novel. Matabele are in the minority, and Mugabe is Shona. Therefore the Matabele are very badly treated. There is also conflict between the British settlers and the Afrikaners, as well as between the schoolboys themselves.

There is institutionalised violence at the school, and that spills over into the boy’s every day life.  One boy even voices the fact that is ‘normal’ to be beaten by your father or older brother. Mugabe’s soldiers are seen at various intervals patrolling the area and shooting people. The police are also violent. The boys grow up with this outlook, and they are not shocked by the most savage things, and expect that poor black people who are Matabele will be maimed, raped, and even killed. Only Robert Jacklin, from whose perspective the story is told, realises how indoctrinated it all is, and how wrong. This is because he spent his early childhood in Britain and was therefore not as susceptible as the other boys. All through the book we hear his conscience, but even he spends part of the time carried away with the violent and prejudicial status quo. This is mostly due to good old-fashioned peer pressure, and an increasing sense of isolation as his father becomes a workaholic and his mother dies of alcoholism.

The story is a fascinating glimpse into the politics and culture of the area in a time of real change and struggle. It is also an insight into traditional public schooling, those supposedly superior places. Every page contains violence or offensive remarks directed atone character or another. It is certainly not for the squeamish to read. However, some teenagers are able to cope with the subject matter, and it is important that these lessons are not lost and forgotten, and that we remember what actually happened. The book is very evocative and the characters are so well drawn that as a reader I feel some sympathy for even the worst offenders. The reasons for a character’s behaviour are explained, and whilst not an excuse, they are certainly food for thought. It gives teenagers a chance to understand that every situation is made up of shades of grey, that there is no black and white. That statement is all the more appropriate given the novel’s subject matter.

All in all it is a good book with good aspirations. It is fiercely honest and therefore not for everyone. 6/10

What I have learned;

·        To represent both sides of any issue so that it gives the reader food for thought.

·        Use real life events to inspire writing.

The Death Defying Pepper Roux

McCAUGHREAN GERALDINE THE DEATH DEFYING PEPPER ROUXOxford Children's Books (Ages 10+)
ISBN: 9780192756022

This is an adventure story as seen through the eyes of a fourteen-year-old boy. Although he has been brought up to believe in his impending death, Pepper does not want to die. He is very aware of danger, and ways in which to die, but apart from that, he is very innocent of how the world works. The reader sees the world through Peppers eyes, complete with his wonder and confusion as he muddles through a series of increasingly surreal situations.

Pepper runs away from home on his birthday, trying to outrun his death. He has been told that he will die before he is fourteen, and his family believe it utterly. The first line of the book reads,

“On the morning of his fourteenth birthday, Pepper had been awake for fully two minutes before realizing it was the day he must die”.

During his travels, Pepper assumes different roles, characters, and even names. He becomes everything from a newspaper journalist to a salami sausage slicer, and even joins the foreign legion. Each time he moves on as someone is following him, who later turns out to be his only friend, Duchess.

Characters in the book are cartoon like, and fit with the perceptions of a child. The unlikely becomes every day, and the story bounces along at a swift rate of knots. A fellow reader described the book to me by saying, “it’s a good story but its bonkers”. This I can agree with wholeheartedly. I enjoyed reading it as a one off, but found it more like reading Baron Munchausen than anything else. I can see how the speed, humour, and adventure would appeal to young readers, and especially boys who may wish they were on an adventure like that. I can also appreciate that more crafted or well-rounded characters would not suit the story, and would indicate a more adult viewpoint than Pepper. There is skill and thought in this novel, but it is not one that I would usually read.

Bonkers, a fast paced tale with cartoon like characters. 5/10

What I have learned;

·        To think about the characters perspective and how they see the world

·        Unusual and quirky things can add humour

The Prisoner of The Inquisition

BRESLIN, THERESA PRISONER OF THE INQUISITIONDoubleday (Ages 12+)
ISBN: 9781406310276

This is a dual narrative book that tells the story from two completely different perspectives. Firstly there is Zarita, a young woman from a privileged background, and secondly Saulo, from a desperately poor family. The perspectives only really come together at the end, during the dramatic conclusion. I won’t spoil it by giving details, but suffice to say that the two are forced to view things from the other’s perspective, and come to a mutual understanding.

The whole story is set against the backdrop of the Spanish inquisition, and it does not shy away from the grisly reality of that, although it is not overly graphic. Breslin is successful in getting across the fear and paranoia the inquisition brought about as well as a sense of helplessness. Along with the despair felt be those affected by the officers of the inquisition, is the despair of all those forced to watch the sentences being carried out. Citizens are prepared to do anything to get attention away from themselves, often informing on others. This book coveys all of this emotion and the reader becomes invested in the characters and the outcome.

There is a side plot about Christopher Columbus and his mission to prove that the world is round and not flat. He wants to prove that you can sail all around the world. He is labelled a blasphemer, and those with the knowledge he his after, commune in secret. The inquisition is a threat to these men. Saulo becomes good friends with Columbus, and learns a great deal from him. As Saulo learns about navigation and charts with Columbus, he grows and matures as a person.

Zarita also grows and matures as a person under the tutelage of her aunt, who has founded an order of nuns. This order is progressive for the times, and tolerant of others faiths. Nuns study educational texts from the east, and have learnt many things. The inquisition is appalled, and only the letter from Queen Isabella herself saves the nuns. 

I view the whole book as a metaphor for progress in the form of knowledge and tolerance. Columbus represents knowledge that the priests of the inquisition were inadvertently suppressing. Focusing on the narrow prescriptive world that they dictated would mean that many things would not be discovered, and knowledge would not be advanced. The priests feared that they would loose their place of power and control, and thus tried to stop this type of progress. Similarly, the nuns used their knowledge to aid others, and when forced to stop, those in desperate need were left without that help. Zarita causes hardship to Saulo, and the death of his father out of ignorance, and the way she has been taught to behave. She is later appalled by her own actions. Saulo is angry and desperate, and not looking beyond himself. When the two of them begin to talk and look at things through each others eyes, their relationship becomes positive, bringing friendship and even love.

In short, the inquisition represents narrow intolerant thinking, and this gets in the way of knowledge, trust, respect, tolerance, and genuine understanding. When the inquisition is winning, all these values suffer, halt, or disappear completely. When the characters are free to act outside of the inquisition’s influence, all these values abound, and progress is made. Negative outcomes are seen to arise from inquisition thinking, and positive outcomes from independent thought and action. At no point does Breslin indicate that being Catholic is bad, in fact the opposite is true. It is only the inquisition that engenders that negativity.

This book is very clever, and the setting of the story in such a troubled period in history gives the characters plenty of scope. Breslin has produced well-rounded characters that have human fears and foibles, making them all the more appealing. I wanted to find out what happened to these two young people, and I was swept away on the tide of their journey. I was hooked right from the prologue, a  short one page entry that has a woman being burnt at the stake. It is a very dramatic opening, and hooks the reader in. There is no way that I could put the book down and not find out what happened in the end.

Very enjoyable read, very clever book. 9/10 The one I would have picked as the winner (although I still haven’t read monsters of men, which did win)

What I have learned;

·        The importance of a good opening to hook the reader

·        That the setting can be used to develop character through the necessary things they go through.

·        Setting and backdrop should be directly relevant to the story, and not just there for effect.

The Bride's Farewell

ROSOFF, MEG THE BRIDE'S FAREWELL
Puffin (Ages 12+)
ISBN: 9780141383934
The story starts on the morning of Pell Ridley’s wedding. Awake before the rest of her family, Pell creeps out of the house, collecting her horse as she flees. She has no real wish to marry and face a lifetime of hard work and constant child bearing. Before Pell gets away from the house she is stopped by her little brother who cannot speak, but makes it clear that he wants to go with her. Very reluctantly Pell agrees and they set off.
Set at the start of the industrial revolution, girls of that time were all expected to marry, look after a home, and raise a large number of children. Pell’s father is a farmer, but as he is also a gambler and a drunk, they never have enough money. Every thing from food to clothing is rationed, recycled, and kept to a minimum. Pell grows up seeing the poverty, but hearing even worse horror stories about conditions in the overcrowded cities of the industrial north. Desperate workers flock there in the hope of work, and many die from the conditions. Pell also sees her mother be constantly pregnant as father is fond of his marital rites. The frequent pregnancies, births, and hard physical work have taken a toll on her once beautiful and educated mother, who now has ill health and looks old beyond her time.
To Pell, this means that marriage is on a level with slavery, and to a wild spirited tomboy like her, it fill her with dread. Pell also has a gift for working with horses and is employed by a local horse breeder. Marriage would mean that she would have to relinquish the job, and the only joy and freedom that she has in her life. Pell is most concerned that she does not follow in her mother’s footsteps. It is the thought of this wedded drudgery that has Pell running away on the morning of her wedding, in search of a new and different future.
With no money, and nowhere to go, the twosome look for work, and find themselves at a horse fair. Finding temporary work, things start to look better for them, but then the trader leaves without giving them payment. Pell takes off after him, and the two become separated. Misfortune happens to both of them. During the rest of the book, Pell has to keep earning enough not to starve, and have somewhere to stay. She is looking for her brother, and never gives up on him. She even returns home to see if he was there, only to find out the house burned down, her parents are dead, and her siblings in the workhouse. Pell must find them and rescue them before they all die from the overwork and lack of food.
Between the cover and the title, I thought this book was a girlie tale of romance. Indeed, Pell does meet some during her exploits, and they end up together, but it is not a gushing romance. The story simply says “they lived as man and wife from then on”. The tale is much more about Pell’s struggles and her indomitable spirit throughout the novel. There is lots of good historical detail that adds colour to the story, allowing the reader to accurately pictures Pell’s surroundings as travels, and the people she meets. The novel could also be seen as a social comment on the role of women, and on how it is often children who pay the price when things go wrong. They often bear the brunt of the suffering. It is also important to remember that Pell is only fifteen or sixteen when all of this happens. She becomes sole caretaker of the family unit, and is responsible for feeding and clothing her sisters.
Pell’s small brother Bean chooses to live with the gypsy family that Pell meets on her travels. Neither Pell nor Bean find out that the gypsy mother is Bean’s real mother. Apart from adding colour and interest, the gypsy family are there to give us an important message; how you treat others will come back to haunt you. Pell’s father raped the gypsy woman, and left her pregnant. Her partner, and father of all her other children left her, thinking she had had an affair. The woman then handed over baby Bean to her attacker, and had to leave to try to eek out a living on her own, with her children in tow. All this comes back to bite Pell’s father on the bum so to speak, as he looses everything. Again the children suffer, being sent to the workhouse. They gypsy woman helps Pell and Bean. In short, what you dish out comes back two fold, so make sure you dish out good deeds.
I was pleasantly surprised by this book, and did not want to put it down. It is a mid to high ability read, but very easy to digest. I read it practically in one sitting. A character driven tale, 7/10
What I have learned;

· How threads of a story can keep intertwining and enhancing each other.

Good characterisation can drive a book

White Crow

WHITE CROW, Marcus Sedgwick, Orion (Ages 12+) ISBN: 9781842551875
White Crow is a modern gothic novel. It follows three narrative voices that each give a perspective to the story. The first is Rebecca, a teenage girl who has moved to Winterfold with her father after a tragic event. She is isolated and unable to effectively communicate with her father. She explores the village out of boredom, but what she is really looking for is a companion that she can bond with.
Rebecca then finds the strange and intriguing Ferelith, and a partnership starts to build, although Ferelith holds more of the cards than Rebecca does. Readers are left to wonder if this is a real friendship or a manipulation, a trap, or desperation. We learn most of the history of the village from interaction between the two girls, and from the third narrative, the parish rector, through his journal dated 1798. What happened at that time seems to have an impact on the modern age, and on Rebecca and Ferelith. As more of the book is read, we learn that the rector, along with a doctor who moved there from France, had been conducting experiments to find proof that there was life after death.
The idea of the book is that the reader is asked to think about life and death, and the possibility of an afterlife. The white crow of the title is a summation of this argument. There are no proven communications from an afterlife, and people require proof. All crows are black, because no-one has ever seen any that are not black. Until they see a crow that is not black, for instance, a white crow, everyone will continue to believe that all crows are black. In the same way, until there is proof of life after death, there will always be many who do not believe in it. This example is explained to the reader in the book.
The village of Winterfold is isolated and decaying. The sea is slowly swallowing it, with frequent landslides along the coast that will eventually lead to total destruction of the village. As part of this process, churches and graveyards are lost over the cliff edge bit by bit, revealing bodies, coffins, and artefacts as they go along. This provides suitably gothic detail, especially when we learn that Ferelith collects things from the exposed graves as souvenirs, including someone’s skull. The characters lives are slowly unravelling, producing secrets just like the ground is producing grave goods. All live are slowly rotting and decaying, piece by piece, heading towards our own personal destruction, death. This brings the quest for proof of the after life into focus again.
When I read this novel, I found switching the narrative voices irritating. It made the book appear choppy, a little too choppy for my personal taste. I later went back and re-read some of the text, and it was much easier the second time around, and I picked up on things that I had missed. My concern is that this would confuse children much more than it did me, and so make them unlikely to continue with the book, or re-visit it a second time. I talked to some colleagues who had also read the book, and they shared my concern. They also found the book choppy and stilted. One person I spoke to said that they did not get the book at all. Certainly, I have been putting off writing this review for at least two weeks, as I was unsure what to write. The question of proof of life after death is never fully dealt with, and of course, is never proven, even fictionally. There is a twist at the end of the story, but it failed to surprise me. I found the ending rushed, and I was unsatisfied at leaving the story there.
In conclusion, White Crow is a clever book that causes readers to think about important concepts such as life after death. It weaves narratives from different perspectives and timelines to piece together the story. However, in doing so it looses its flow, and becomes difficult to read. I found the initial reading of the book somewhat of a chore, but it is better a second time around. It is one of those books that grow with you, and that you take more from each time you read it. I can see that there has been careful thought given to how the book has been structured, but it just didn’t float my boat so to speak. The image, or indeed idea, of the white crow, is only dealt with briefly at the beginning and the end of the novel. In my opinion, more should have been made of it, especially given the title of the book.
Choppy, but carefully planned. Doesn’t deal with the question posed. 4/10
What I have learned;

· Be careful when using different narrative voices so as to avoid confusion, and not loose cohesion of the whole work.

· If imagery and concepts are central to the work, make sure that is reflected in the finished text, and not just in the title