Wild Things: Acts of Mischief in Children's Literature by Betsy Bird, et al.

The world of children's books is easily imagined as an idyllic place full of fluffy bunnies. The authors should always be upstanding, proper citizens, and the books they write are happy, moral teaching tombs that will both stand the test of time and entertain audiences of all ages. Yeah right.

Three bloggers, Betsy Bird, Julie Danielson and Peter D. Sieruta bring to light the stories and the history behind some of the biggest names and books for children. From picture books being called subversive to authors of theses works choosing to live adult lives, no stone of scandalous behavior in and out of print, is left unexplored.

Fans of authors like Shel Silverstein may be surprised that he started out writing for Playboy, and Mary Poppins author may have more in common with E.L. James than most parents would care to share with their children. Beyond sex, there are issues of subversive themes in picture books, the private relationships of popular authors, and even those lovely books that booksellers,Wild Things: Acts of Mischief in Children's Literature by Betsy Bird, et al. librarians and teachers love, yet children are not drawn to (and vice versa).

Teachers, and those who work with children will want to check out Wild Things, and maybe learn a bit of the scandalous history behind the books we love to share with children.

Check out Wild Things: Acts of Mischief in Children's Literature by Betsy Bird, Julie Danielson and Peter D. Sieruta @ the library!

Let the Great World Spin by Colum McCann

On August 7, 1974, a tightrope walker, Philippe Petit, walked across a high wire rigged between the newly-built Twin Towers of the World Trade Center, 1350 feet above the ground. The stunt was unauthorized and a surprise to all who saw it.  In Let the Great World Spin, Colum McCann uses this event to unite the stories of various New Yorkers: prostitutes and the Irish priest who ministers to them; the priest’s brother who works as a bartender; a group of mothers who have lost sons in the Vietnam War; a judge and his wife; an immigrant nurse; two artists visiting from upstate and various other New Yorkers whose lives intersect in surprising ways. This is a character driven novel. More than ten different voices tell the story of strangers drawn together by a trial, an automobile accident, and a death. Lurking in the background are the defining anxieties of the early 1970’s: the Vietnam War and the resignation of President Nixon. Petit kept his balance while walking between the towers. The same could not be said of some who watched him from New York’s streets. Lives fell apart. People died. “NOBODY FALLS HALFWAY,” read a sign Petit kept on his wall.  This was as true of the ordinary people in the book as of the acrobat. And those who kept their balance throughout life put their own sorrows aside and stepped up to help friends and strangers deal with theirs. A book that celebrates the generosity of the human spirit, Let the Great World Spin a heartfelt look at a city and its citizens.

Check out Let the Great World Spin @ the library!

Quiet Dell by Jayne Anne Phillips

In 1931, a widow from suburban Chicago, Asta Eicher, began to correspond with a man she met through a lonely hearts club advertisement. Deceived by his promises of marriage and financial security, she agreed to accompany him on a trip to his farm in West Virginia. He later returned without her to fetch her three children. None of them were seen again. But Asta was not as alone as the other victims of this serial killer, Harry Powers. Friends and neighbors became alarmed and alerted the police and press to their disappearance. Emily Thornhill, a journalist for the Chicago Tribune, traveled to Quiet Dell in West Virginia, where the Eichers’ bodies had been found. A woman in what was then considered a man’s profession, she used her intelligence, skill, fortitude and intuition to track down Powers’ true identity as well as report the story for her newspaper. Quiet Dell is based on a true crime, one that author Jayne Anne Phillips heard about from her mother who grew up in the Quiet Dell area. Despite its subject matter, this book is neither a mystery nor thriller. It is rather an examination of the human condition, of love, hate, fear, hope, greed, generosity and loneliness. And as Phillips tells the story, some good comes out of unspeakable evil.

Check out Quiet Dell @ the library!