The Golden Chain of Reading

Sunday, March 9, 2008

Living on a River

Rivers flow through our life but there is a curious paucity of books in children's literature of stories set on a river. And that is most peculiar when you consider just how central rivers have been in the development of human society. Fortunately, however scarce they might be, the river stories that there are, are wonderful.

Man's first tentative steps away from the trials of living by hunting/gathering came on the shores of rivers, most famously on the Nile, the Jordan and the Tigris/Euphrates rivers but elsewhere around the world as well. Rivers exert an ancient tug at the ancestral memory. The very names are charms calling up romance, adventure, exotic locations of different peoples and different ways: The Nile, the Indus, Mississippi, the Yellow River, the Congo, the Yangtze, the Amazon, the Ganges, the Niger, the Tigris and the Euphrates, the Jordan, the Murray Darling, the Mekong and the Irrawaddy. You can almost smell the romance of adventure with these names.

Few capture it better than that subtle bard of the British Empire, Kipling, as in his poem Mandalay (on the Irrawaddy). See Thing Finder for the full poem.

Mandalay
By Rudyard Kipling

By the old Moulmein Pagoda, lookin' eastward to the sea,
There's a Burma girl a-settin', and I know she thinks o' me;
For the wind is in the palm-trees, and the temple-bells they say:
"Come you back, you British soldier; come you back to Mandalay!"
Come you back to Mandalay,
Where the old Flotilla lay:
Can't you 'ear their paddles chunkin' from Rangoon to Mandalay?
On the road to Mandalay,
Where the flyin'-fishes play,
An' the dawn comes up like thunder outer China 'crost the Bay!

Then there is of course the bucolic brook in an idyllic English setting. (Full poem also at Thing Finder)

The Brook
by Alfred Lord Tennyson

I come from haunts of coot and hern,
I make a sudden sally
And sparkle out among the fern,
To bicker down a valley.

By thirty hills I hurry down,
Or slip between the ridges,
By twenty thorpes, a little town,
And half a hundred bridges.

Till last by Philip's farm I flow
To join the brimming river,
For men may come and men may go,
But I go on for ever.

One of the aspects in which rivers resemble life is that they conjoin in the same entity both change and continuity. The exact path, volume and even to a degree, the nature of a particular river is subject to change on a day-to-day basis. And yet it remains broadly recognizable for what it is, was and will be. Interestingly, in linguistics, river names are one of the markers for linguistic archaeology. River names tend to remain the same regardless of who has settled the territory. In Europe, for example, the Rhine, Neckar, Inn, Seine, Marne, Thames, Severn, Avon, Tyne, Shannon and many others are not Romance names from a Latin based language or Germanic names. Rather, they are all remnants of the earlier inhabitants, the Celts.

Likewise, here in the States, with a new people settling a new land, those that were here earlier can not be forgotten because it is their river names we use: the Mississippi, Ohio, Chattahoochee, Missouri, the Allegheny, the Connecticut, the Arkansas, etc.

The rivers captured in young children's stories are usually places of mild adventure and exploration (The Story About Ping, Wind in the Willows, Where the River Begins, Paddle to the Sea, etc.). That of course belies the reality that rivers are a fundamental force of nature, never to be taken for granted. There are a couple of first rate older reader/ young adult level books that explore the force and potential for terror of rivers such as David McCullough's The Johnstown Flood as well as a picture book, Kate Shelley: Bound for Legend. I think though that the best introduction to powerful rivers for younger children is 'Banjo' Paterson's Mongrel Grey poem (in Thing Finder).

Rivers offer a great object lesson in change and continuity, in the mechanics of force, in ecology, etc. In the woods near us, there are a couple of creeks that are always fun to muck around in, search for pretty stones or Indian pottery, etc. It is always impressive to the kids though, (and to me), after a reasonable rainfall, how swollen the river becomes and just how much raw force there is in this deceptively gentle force of nature. Wading out into the swiftly flowing creek, while it is still raised from the rain, you can feel the hungry, almost insidious tug at your rain boots as if it were wishing to pull you away on its journey.

Being an ever more urban concentrated population, fewer and fewer kids have the opportunity to wade about in a river, scrabble around embankments, and to mess around with boats (per Rat of in Wind in the Willows - "There is nothing - absolutely nothing - half so much worth doing as simply messing about in boats."). While this is regrettable, there are still plenty of books that can introduce your children to the wilds, wonders and charm of a river.

Picture Books

Canyon by Eileen Cameron and illustrated by Michael Collier Suggested

Scuffy the Tugboat by Gerturde Crampton and illustrated by Gergely Tibor Recommended

The Story About Ping by Marjorie Flack and illustrated by Kurt Wiese Highly Recommended

Little Toot by Hardie Gramatky Highly Recommended

The Raft by Lim LaMarche Recommended

Where the River Begins by Thomas Locker Recommended

Kate Shelley: Bound for Legend by Robert D. San Souci and illustrated by Max Ginsburg Recommended

Independent Readers

The River at Green Knowe by Lucy M. Boston and illustrated by Peter Boston Highly Recommended

River Boy by Tim Bowler Recommended

Trouble River by Betsy Byars Suggested

A River Ran Wild by Lynne Cherry and illustrated by Emily Arnold McCully Suggested

A Girl Named Disaster by Nancy Farmer Suggested

The Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame and illustrated by Michael Hague Highly Recommended

Minn of the Mississippi by Holling C. Holling Suggested

Our Only May Amelia by Jennifer L. Holm Recommended

Journey to the River Sea by Eva Ibbotson and illustrated by Kevin Hawkes Highly Recommended

Call of the Wild by Jack London Highly Recommended

The River by Gary Paulsen Recommended

Young Adult

The Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad Highly Recommended

Rising Tide The Great Mississippi Flood of 1927 and How It Changed America by Deborah Kent Highly Recommended

The Blue Nile by Alan Moorehead Recommended

The White Nile by Alan Moorehead Recommended

The Johnstown Flood by David McCullough Suggested

The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain and illustrated by Steven Kellogg Highly Recommended

The Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain and illustrated by Barry Moser Highly Recommended

Johnny Gruelle

Born December 24, 1880 in Arcola, Illinos
Died January 9, 1938 in Miami Springs, Florida

Johnny Gruelle is a TTMD poster child of the type of author we hope to bring to your attention. If you were to mention Raggedy Ann or Raggedy Andy to most people you would quite likely get a vague confirmation that they had heard the names. Even among the community of people generally interested in children's literature, however, many would not place Johnny Gruelle as the author and illustrator of that distinctly American classic, Raggedy Ann. Not the fate that you would expect for the author of a series of stories that have sold in the millions down through the years, and whose most memorable character, Raggedy, still inspires devotion among an intense group of collectors and readers. This year marks the ninetieth anniversary of the first publication of Raggedy Ann. But let's back up and tell the whole story, for it is an interesting one.

Johnny Gruelle was born Christmas Eve, 1880 in Arcalo, Illinois (home of the Raggedy Ann and Andy Museum). His father, R.B. Gruelle was a landscape artist and portrait painter, later associated with the Hoosier Group of Impressionist artists. One of three children, Johnny and his two siblings (Justin and Prudence) were all encouraged in artistic endeavors through their childhood. Justin became an illustrator and Prudence an author.

Johnny's formal education was somewhat truncated. Instead, he essentially served an artistic apprenticeship at his father's side: there was little formal training per se but rather, much encouragement. Neither R.B. Gruelle nor Johnny Gruelle actually ever received formal training in art, nor did Johnny seek instruction from his father.

Johnny Gruelle showed talent in the area of sketches and cartoons and launched his career as an illustrator when he was nineteen, joining a weekly newspaper, The Indianapolis People, drawing political cartoons. He worked there and at other Indianapolis papers over the next few years including the Indianapolis Sun and the Indianapolis Star. It was while at the Star that the fearsome productivity that characterized all Gruelle's working life became apparent.

Supposedly at the Star, an evening paper, staff cartoonists were tasked with producing their work first thing in the morning. As soon as they had completed their work they were allowed to leave. Gruelle, being a fast worker, basically produced all his work and left by midmorning. As always happens when someone is good at something, this productivity drew negative comment from his fellow cartoonists about the brevity of his hours and his editor asked Gruelle to stick around the offices until the others were done as well.

It was this idle time that diverted Gruelle into writing as a complement to his artistic work. He filled the hours of his confinement by beginning to write articles for the paper. He also began writing short stories for his infant daughter, Marcella, born in 1903.

Joining the Cleveland Press in 1905, Gruelle continued to earn his living through all forms of illustration but also began having articles and stories published in the paper's children's section.

In 1910, Gruelle visited his father who had moved to an artist colony in Connecticut not far from New York City. While visiting, he responded to a national contest run by the storied New York Herald for a comic strip. He in fact submitted two entries; one was entered under a pseudonym. His first entry was based on an elfish character he had created, Mr. Twee Deedle. With this entry, he won first prize. His other entry took second place. Following this win, Gruelle joined the Herald producing the Mr. Twee Deedle comic strip.

Gruelle and family moved east, settling in Connecticut near his father. It was at this time that Gruelle began to branch out beyond newspaper journalism and began producing illustrations and comic strips for the rich panoply of magazines serving the reading public in the 1910s and 1920s. In time he was to regularly produce work for a broad range of magazines ecompassing such titles as Good Housekeeping, Life, College Humor, Judge, Woman's World, John Martin's Book, McCall's, Physical Culture, Illustrated Sunday Magazine, and The Ladies World.

It was while at the Herald (where he stayed till 1921) that Gruelle became a published author with his first collection of comic strips completed in book form as Mr. Twee Deedle in 1913. More significantly in 1914, he produced a volume called The Complete Fairy Tales of the Brothers Grimm, retold by Margaret Hunt and richly illustrated by Gruelle. The Complete Fairy Tales was a significant hit.

The story is told in many different versions but it would appear that it was around this time (1912-1914) that Gruelle's daughter, Marcella, while one day scrounging around her grandmother's attic, discovered a misshapen and well worn doll tucked away in some corner. It would appear that the doll was her grandmother's from her childhood. Marcella brought it to Gruelle who tidied it up a bit, painted on a new smile, put on some shiny black button eyes and a red triangle nose. Grandmother sewed a new dress. Raggedy Ann was born and became a constant companion of Marcella.

Gruelle apparently suggested the name of Raggedy Ann for the newly rediscovered doll based on a couple of poems by the poet James Witcomb Riley (who had been a friend of his father's), The Raggedy Man and Little Orphan Annie. He made up stories about Raggedy Ann to tell Marcella who was in poor health. Presciently he applied and received a design patent for the Raggedy Ann image with which we are all familiar.

Tragically, in 1917 in her early teens, Gruelle's daughter Marcella died from an infection contracted through a vaccination. Gruelle threw himself into capturing the Raggedy Ann stories which Marcella had so loved and in 1918 published Raggedy Ann Stories which became an instant hit. Proving that there is nothing new under the sun, Gruelle and family had decided to help the marketing of the book by making a number of Raggedy Ann dolls and selling those along with the books. The Raggedy Ann dolls were also an instant hit, not only fueling book sales but becoming a significant commercial side-line and establishing a basis for fans to this very day when early Raggedy Ann dolls can command prices in the hundreds and thousands of dollars.

From this point forwards, while he continued with his editorial cartoons, comic strips, etc. (in fact introducing another significant Sunday comic character "Brutus" in 1929), Johnny Gruelle focused the majority of his time and effort on churning out Raggedy Ann stories, later introducing her brother Raggedy Andy.

Raggedy Ann is a child's doll who comes to life, along with all the other dolls in the nursery, whenever there are no people around. She leads them through various doll adventures and traumas but everything always turns out for the best and there is almost always some embedded lesson for a child to take away from the story. There is just enough tension and excitement to grip a young child's attention but always a happy and secure ending. And most reassuringly, Raggedy Ann always has a sunny and cheery disposition.

Gruelle's motto and approach to writing for children was enduringly positive: "It is the Gruelle ideal that books for children should contain nothing to cause fright, suggest fear, glorify mischief, excuse malice or condone cruelty." Much like his contemporary, L.Frank Baum (The Wizard of Oz books), the writing skill reflected in the Raggedy Ann stories is not particularly sophisticated but it has a cadence and directness that has always appealed to children. These stories are great stories for a parent to read to a child. They are heavily illustrated, but there is a lot of text so they are not really early reader type books. By the time a child has mastered reading on his own, the story lines are often too simple to be especially attractive. But from four to ten years of age, these are great books to cuddle up with your kids and read aloud to them all the adventures of what the toys do when no-one is watching.

Gruelle apparently looked on the Raggedy Ann stories a little like a golden goose. He would write and illustrate Raggedy Ann stories and then stash them away in his closet and pull them out as he needed more income. Between the first appearance in 1918 and his death in 1938, Gruelle published seventeen Raggedy Ann and Andy stories (plus a further sixteen children's books not having to do with Raggedy Ann). A further twenty-five or so Raggedy Ann stories were released posthumously from the back of the closet.

The bibliography becomes somewhat murky at this point. One of Gruelle's sons, Worth Gruelle, carried on the family business of writing Raggedy Ann stories and now that some of the titles are out of copyright some publishers are releasing re-illustrated versions.

As was the case with recent Featured Authors L.Frank Baum and L.M. Montgomery who also wrote well-received books stretching into a series, the earlier books tend to be better than the later, though there are favorites scattered throughout the series. Interestingly, and also similar to L.Frank Baum, as popular and firmly rooted as these books are in the reading culture, the author Johnny Gruelle has received (and probably to his benefit) little academic attention. In fact, among the dozen or so textbooks that I most frequently reference, only one had an entry for Johnny Gruelle.

Other connections and parallels abound. It is interesting to compare Johnny Gruelle with Crockett Johnson (of Harold and the Purple Crayon fame) of the next generation who similarly ended up noted by everyone else as a children's author but always viewed himself primarily as an artist. Rachel Field wrote her wonderful story of a doll being handed down through the family, Hitty, Her First Hundred Years, and won the 1930 Newberry Medal. Given the provenance of Raggedy Ann, was there any connection or inspiration from the Raggedy Ann Stories? I can't find any evidence for it but the parallels are close. Likewise, Margery Williams came out with her Velveteen Rabbit in 1922, just four years after Raggedy Ann. No clear connection but lots of parallels. Finally there is the similarity of ethos to that other wonderful Midwestern children's author, Robert McCloskey. McCloskey was also from the next generation of writers and his stories are not framed in the same way as Gruelle's but all of them (Lentil, Homer Price, The Centerburg Tales, etc.) have that same refreshing feel of cleanness, innocence and just plain goodness to them.

Enjoy sharing Raggedy Ann and her stories with your children.

Independent Reader

My Very Own Fairy Stories by Johnny Gruelle Suggested

Raggedy Andy Stories by Johnny Gruelle Highly Recommended

Raggedy Ann Stories by Johnny Gruelle Highly Recommended

The Paper Dragon by Johnny Gruelle Suggested

Bibliography

Mr. Twee Deedle by Johnny Gruelle 1913
Mr. Twee Deedle's Further Adventures by Johnny Gruelle 1914
The Complete Fairy Tales of the Brothers Grimm by Margaret Hunt and illustrated by Johnny Gruelle 1914
The Travels of Timmy Toodles by Johnny Gruelle 1916
My Very Own Fairy Stories by Johnny Gruelle 1917
The Funny Little Book by Johnny Gruelle 1917
Raggedy Ann Stories by Johnny Gruelle 1918
Friendly Fairies by Johnny Gruelle 1919
Sunny Little Stories: The Singing Thread, The Way to Fairyland, Mrs. Goodluck Cricket by Johnny Gruelle 1919
Raggedy Andy Stories: Introducing the Little Rag Brother of Raggedy Ann by Johnny Gruelle 1920
Eddie Elephant by Johnny Gruelle 1921
Orphan Annie Story Book by Johnny Gruelle 1921
Johnny Mouse and the Wishing Stick by Johnny Gruelle 1922
The Magical Land of Noom by Johnny Gruelle 1922
Raggedy Ann and Andy and the Camel with the Wrinkled Knees by Johnny Gruelle 1924
Raggedy Ann and Andy's Sunny Stories by Johnny Gruelle 1925
Raggedy Ann and Andy's Animal Friends by Johnny Gruelle 1925
Raggedy Ann and Andy's Merry Adventures by Johnny Gruelle 1925
Raggedy Ann's Alphabet Book by Johnny Gruelle 1925
Raggedy Ann's Wishing Pebble by Johnny Gruelle 1925
Beloved Belindy by Johnny Gruelle 1926
The Paper Dragon: A Raggedy Ann Adventure by Johnny Gruelle 1926
Wooden Willie by Johnny Gruelle 1927
Raggedy Ann's Magical Wishes by Johnny Gruelle 1928
The Cheery Scarecrow by Johnny Gruelle 1929
Marcella Stories by Johnny Gruelle 1929
A Mother Goose Parade by Johnny Gruelle 1929
Johnny Gruelle's Golden Book by Johnny Gruelle 1929
All about Story Book by Unknown and illustrated by Johnny Gruelle 1929
Raggedy Ann in the Deep, Deep Woods by Johnny Gruelle 1930
Raggedy Ann's Sunny Songs by Johnny Gruelle 1930
Raggedy Ann in Cookie Land by Johnny Gruelle 1931
Raggedy Ann's Lucky Pennies by Johnny Gruelle 1932
Raggedy Ann in the Golden Meadow by Johnny Gruelle 1935
Raggedy Ann and the Left-handed Safety Pin by Johnny Gruelle 1935
Bam Bam Clock by Joseph P. McEvoy and illustrated by Johnny Gruelle 1936
Raggedy Ann's Joyful Songs by Johnny Gruelle 1937
Raggedy Ann in the Magic Book by Johnny Gruelle and illustrated by Worth Gruelle 1939
Raggedy Ann and the Laughing Brook by Johnny Gruelle 1940
Raggedy Ann Helps Grandpa Hoppergrass by Johnny Gruelle 1940
Raggedy Ann in the Garden by Johnny Gruelle 1940
Raggedy Ann and the Hoppy Toad by Johnny Gruelle 1940
Raggedy Ann and the Golden Butterfly by Johnny Gruelle 1940
The Camel with the Wrinkled Knees by Johnny Gruelle 1941
Raggedy Ann Goes Sailing by Johnny Gruelle 1941
Raggedy Ann and Andy and the Nice Fat Policeman by Johnny Gruelle 1942
Raggedy Ann and Betsy Bonnet String by Johnny Gruelle 1943
Raggedy Ann and Andy by Johnny Gruelle and illustrated by Julian Wehr 1944
Raggedy Ann in the Snow White Castle by Johnny Gruelle 1946
Raggedy Ann and the Slippery Slide by Johnny Gruelle and illustrated by Ethel Hays 1947
Raggedy Ann's Mystery by Johnny Gruelle and illustrated by Ethel Hays 1947
Raggedy Ann's Adventure by Johnny Gruelle and illustrated by Ethel Hays 1947
Raggedy Ann at the End of the Rainbow by Johnny Gruelle and illustrated by Ethel Hays 1947
Raggedy Ann's Merriest Christmas by Johnny Gruelle and illustrated by Tom Sinnickson 1952
Raggedy Ann and Marcella's First Day at School by Johnny Gruelle and illustrated by Tom Sinnickson 1952
Raggedy Ann's Surprise by Johnny Gruelle and illustrated by Tom Sinnickson 1953
Raggedy Ann's Tea Party by Johnny Gruelle and illustrated by George and Irma Wilde 1954
Raggedy Ann and the Hobby Horse by Johnny Gruelle 1961
Raggedy Ann and the Wonderful Witch by Johnny Gruelle 1961
Raggedy Ann and the Golden Rings by Johnny Gruelle 1961
Raggedy Ann and the Happy Meadow by Johnny Gruelle 1961
Raggedy Ann and the Kindly Rag Man by Johnny Gruelle and illustrated by John E. Hopper 1975
Raggedy Ann and Andy and Witchie Kissaby by Johnny Gruelle and illustrated by John E. Hopper 1975
More Raggedy Ann and Andy Stories by Johnny Gruelle and illustrated by Johnny Worth and Justin Gruelle 1977
The Raggedy Ann and Andy Storybook by Johnny Gruelle and illustrated by June Goldsborough 1980
The Old Fashioned Raggedy Ann and Andy ABC Book by Robert Kraus 1981
The Little Book of Values: Moral Fables by Laura Elizabeth Howe Richards 1996

Friday, March 7, 2008

Mongrel Grey by 'Banjo' Paterson

Banjo Paterson, one of the iconic Australian poets, wrote Mongrel Grey, the story of an old horse, a small boy and a flash flood. Living in Australia at the time, we were able to find an old illustrated version of this poem which the kids all loved. Tension verging on terror but with a happy ending.

Story of Mongrel Grey

Andrew Barton ‘Banjo' Paterson

THIS is the story the stockman told,
On the cattle camp, when the stars were bright;
The moon rose up like a globe of gold
And flooded the plain with her mellow light
We watched the cattle till dawn of day
And he told me the story of Mongrel Grey.
He was a knock-about station hack,
Spurred and walloped, and banged and beat;
Ridden all day with a sore on his back,
Left all night with nothing to eat.

That was a matter of every-day
Common occurrence to Mongrel Grey.
We might have sold him, but someone heard
He was bred out back on a flooded run,
Where he learnt to swim like a waterbird,—
Midnight or midday were all as one.

In the flooded ground he could find his way,
Nothing could puzzle old Mongrel Grey.
'Tis a trick, no doubt, that some horses learn;
When the floods are out they will splash along
In girth-deep water, and twist and turn
From hidden channel and billabong.

Never mistaking the road to go,
For a man may guess—but the horses know.
I was camping out with my youngest son—
Bit of a nipper just learnt to speak—
In an empty hut on the lower run,
Shooting and fishing in Conroy's Creek.

The youngster toddled about all day,
And with our horses was Mongrel Grey.
All of a sudden the flood came down
Fresh from the hills with the mountain rain,
Roaring and eddying, rank and brown,
Over the flats and across the plain.

Rising and rising—at fall of night
Nothing but water appeared in sight!
'Tis a nasty place when the floods are out,
Even in daylight; for all around
Channels and billabongs twist about,
Stretching for miles in the flooded ground.

And to move was a hopeless thing to try
In the dark with the water just racing by.
I had to try it. I heard a roar,
And the wind swept down with the blinding rain;
And the water rose till it reached the floor
Of our highest room, and 'twas very plain

The way the water was sweeping down
We must shift for the highlands at once, or drown.
Off to the stable I splashed, and found
The horses shaking with cold and fright;
I led them down to the lower ground,
But never a yard would they swim that night!

They reared and snorted and turned away,
And none would face it but Mongrel Grey.
I bound the child on the horse's back,
And we started off with a prayer to heaven,
Through the rain and the wind and the pitchy black,
For I knew that the instinct God has given

To guide His creatures by night and day
Would lead the footsteps of Mongrel Grey.
He struck deep water at once and swam—
I swam beside him and held his mane—
Till we touched the bank of the broken dam
In shallow water—then off again,

Swimming in darkness across the flood,
Rank with the smell of the drifting mud.
He turned and twisted across and back,
Choosing the places to wade or swim,
Picking the safest and shortest track,—
The pitchy darkness was clear to him.

Did he strike the crossing by sight or smell?
The Lord that held him alone could tell!
He dodged the timber whene'er he could,
But the timber brought us to grief at last;
I was partly stunned by a log of wood,
That struck my head as it drifted past;

And I lost my grip of the brave old grey,
And in half a second he swept away.
I reached a tree, where I had to stay,
And did a perish for two days hard;
And lived on water—but Mongrel Grey,
He walked right into the homestead yard

At dawn next morning, and grazed around,
With the child on top of him safe and sound.
We keep him now for the wife to ride,
Nothing too good for him now, of course;
Never a whip on his fat old hide,
For she owes the child to that old grey horse.

And not Old Tyson himself could pay
The purchase money of Mongrel Grey.

The Brook by Alfred Lord Tennyson

The Brook
by Alfred Lord Tennyson

I come from haunts of coot and hern,
I make a sudden sally
And sparkle out among the fern,
To bicker down a valley.

By thirty hills I hurry down,
Or slip between the ridges,
By twenty thorpes, a little town,
And half a hundred bridges.

Till last by Philip's farm I flow
To join the brimming river,
For men may come and men may go,
But I go on for ever.

I chatter over stony ways,
In little sharps and trebles,
I bubble into eddying bays,
I babble on the pebbles.

With many a curve my banks I fret
By many a field and fallow,
And many a fairy foreland set
With willow-weed and mallow.

I chatter, chatter, as I flow
To join the brimming river,
For men may come and men may go,
But I go on for ever.

I wind about, and in and out,
With here a blossom sailing,
And here and there a lusty trout,
And here and there a grayling,

And here and there a foamy flake
Upon me, as I travel
With many a silvery waterbreak
Above the golden gravel,

And draw them all along, and flow
To join the brimming river
For men may come and men may go,
But I go on for ever.

I steal by lawns and grassy plots,
I slide by hazel covers;
I move the sweet forget-me-nots
That grow for happy lovers.

I slip, I slide, I gloom, I glance,
Among my skimming swallows;
I make the netted sunbeam dance
Against my sandy shallows.

I murmur under moon and stars
In brambly wildernesses;
I linger by my shingly bars;
I loiter round my cresses;

And out again I curve and flow
To join the brimming river,
For men may come and men may go,
But I go on for ever.

Mandalay by Rudyard Kipling

Mandalay
By Rudyard Kipling

By the old Moulmein Pagoda, lookin' eastward to the sea,
There's a Burma girl a-settin', and I know she thinks o' me;
For the wind is in the palm-trees, and the temple-bells they say:
"Come you back, you British soldier; come you back to Mandalay!"
Come you back to Mandalay,
Where the old Flotilla lay:
Can't you 'ear their paddles chunkin' from Rangoon to Mandalay?
On the road to Mandalay,
Where the flyin'-fishes play,
An' the dawn comes up like thunder outer China 'crost the Bay!

'Er petticoat was yaller an' 'er little cap was green,
An' 'er name was Supi-yaw-lat -- jes' the same as Theebaw's Queen,
An' I seed her first a-smokin' of a whackin' white cheroot,
An' a-wastin' Christian kisses on an 'eathen idol's foot:
Bloomin' idol made o'mud --
Wot they called the Great Gawd Budd --
Plucky lot she cared for idols when I kissed 'er where she stud!
On the road to Mandalay . . .

When the mist was on the rice-fields an' the sun was droppin' slow,
She'd git 'er little banjo an' she'd sing "~Kulla-lo-lo!~"
With 'er arm upon my shoulder an' 'er cheek agin' my cheek
We useter watch the steamers an' the ~hathis~ pilin' teak.
Elephints a-pilin' teak
In the sludgy, squdgy creek,
Where the silence 'ung that 'eavy you was 'arf afraid to speak!
On the road to Mandalay . . .

But that's all shove be'ind me -- long ago an' fur away,
An' there ain't no 'busses runnin' from the Bank to Mandalay;
An' I'm learnin' 'ere in London what the ten-year soldier tells:
"If you've 'eard the East a-callin', you won't never 'eed naught else."
No! you won't 'eed nothin' else
But them spicy garlic smells,
An' the sunshine an' the palm-trees an' the tinkly temple-bells;
On the road to Mandalay . . .

I am sick o' wastin' leather on these gritty pavin'-stones,
An' the blasted Henglish drizzle wakes the fever in my bones;
Tho' I walks with fifty 'ousemaids outer Chelsea to the Strand,
An' they talks a lot o' lovin', but wot do they understand?
Beefy face an' grubby 'and --
Law! wot do they understand?
I've a neater, sweeter maiden in a cleaner, greener land!
On the road to Mandalay . . .

Ship me somewheres east of Suez, where the best is like the worst,
Where there aren't no Ten Commandments an' a man can raise a thirst;
For the temple-bells are callin', an' it's there that I would be --
By the old Moulmein Pagoda, looking lazy at the sea;
On the road to Mandalay,
Where the old Flotilla lay,
With our sick beneath the awnings when we went to Mandalay!
On the road to Mandalay,
Where the flyin'-fishes play,
An' the dawn comes up like thunder outer China 'crost the Bay!

Thursday, March 6, 2008

Nevil Shute moment

Journalist and blogger, Megan McArdle, has a post over at her blog, Asymmetrical Information, relating her reading of a Nevil Shute novel, Most Secret.

Somewhere along the time when I was perhaps 15-20 years old, I read a series of Nevil Shute novels and, though not generally a reader or appreciator of ficition, enjoyed them for the subtelty of his story lines and language.

What is striking is not so much her original post, though it does contain some interesting observations. More striking is the high level of engagement and dialogue in the comments section with many recommendations of other Nevil Shute books as well as those of other writers. The first several commenters grapple with the politics of McArdle's original post with some of the snippiness and bile that is often charactersitic in so many blog comments. Then, mercifully, the conversation takes a turn and begins to build on both the observation McArdle originally made and in doing so, also begins to yield recommendations on other Shute novels as well as books by others. There is an interesting link to a pertinent but relatively obscure article. This is the blog world at its best: useful and respectful sharing of information.

Among the recommendations from the commenters:

Novels By Nevil Shute

Most Secret
On the Beach
A Town Like Alice
The Rainbow and the Rose
The Trustee from the Toolroom - I have never heard of this one but apparently a favorite among several of the commenters.
Slide Rule
Pied Piper
Pastoral
The Chequer Board
Beyond the Black Stump
Requiem for a Wren

By Other Authors

Night Soldiers by Alan Furst
The Polish Officer by Alan Furst
Headquarters Nights by Vernon L. Kellogg
A Desert Called Peace by Tom Kratman
C.S. Forester's Hornblower books such as Mr. Midshipman Hornblower
Brown on Resolution by C.S. Forester
The African Queen by C.S. Forester
A Rifleman Went to War by Herbert McBride
Patrick O'Brien's sea stories such as Master and Commander

Tuesday, March 4, 2008

Little Orphant Annie by James Whitcomb Riley

Here is another of Riley's dialect poems. This was probably the favorite among our kids chiefly because of the refrain. There for a while, it was a routine that when one sibling commited some infraction the other two would happily chant:

An' the Gobble-uns 'll git you
Ef you
Don't
Watch
Out!

That line in the dedication was also a favorite for some reason: "and all the lovely bad ones."

Little Orphant Annie
by James Whitcomb Riley

Inscribed With All Faith and Affection

To all the little children: - The happy ones; and sad ones;

The sober and the silent ones; the boisterous and glad ones;

The good ones - Yes, the good ones, too; and all the lovely bad ones.

Little Orphant Annie's come to our house to stay,
An' wash the cups an' saucers up, an' brush the crumbs away,
An' shoo the chickens off the porch, an' dust the hearth, an' sweep,
An' make the fire, an' bake the bread, an' earn her board- an-keep;
An' all us other childern, when the supper-things is done,
We set around the kitchen fire an' has the mostest fun,
A-listenin' to the witch-tales 'at Annie tells about,
An' the Gobble-uns 'at gits you
Ef you
Don't
Watch
Out!

Wunst they wuz a little boy wouldn't say his prayers, -
An' when he went to bed at night, away up-stairs,
His Mammy heerd him holler, an' his Daddy heerd him bawl,
An' when they turn't the kivvers down, he wuzn't there at all!
An' they seeked him in the rafter-room, an' cubby-hole, an' press,
An seeked him up the chimbly-flue, an' ever'-wheres, I guess;
But all they ever found wuz thist his pants an' roundabout: -
An' the Gobble-uns 'll git you
Ef you
Don't
Watch
Out!

An' one time a little girl 'ud allus laugh an' grin,
An' make fun of ever' one, an' all her blood-an'-kin;
An' wunst, when they was "company," an' ole folks wuz there,
She mocked 'em an' shocked 'em, an' said she didn't care!
An' thist as she kicked her heels, an' turn't to run an' hide,
They wuz two great big Black Things a-standin' by her side,
An' they snatched her through the ceilin' 'for she knowed
what she's about!
An' the Gobble-uns 'll git you
Ef you
Don't
Watch
Out!

An' little Orphant Annie says, when the blaze is blue,
An' the lamp-wick sputters, an' the wind goes woo-oo!
An' you hear the crickets quit, an' the moon is gray,
An' the lightnin'bugs in dew is all squenched away, -
You better mind yer parunts, an' yer teachurs fond an' dear,
An' cherish them 'at loves you, an' dry the orphant's tear,
An' he'p the pore an' needy ones 'at clusters all about,
Er the Gobble-uns 'll git you
Ef you
Don't
Watch
Out!

The Raggedy Man by James Whitcomb Riley

I was not wild about these American dialect poems by Riley when I first came across them. However, Sally loved them as a child and in reading them to our kids, they seemed to exercise a particular and infectious fascination on the children. I have come around to enjoy these poems a lot and recommend them for a flavor of a different time and life.

The Raggedy Man
by James Whitcomb Riley

O the Raggedy Man! He works fer Pa;

An' he's the goodest man ever you saw!

He comes to our house every day,

An' waters the horses, an' feeds 'em hay;

An' he opens the shed -- an' we all ist laugh

When he drives out our little old wobble-ly calf;

An' nen -- ef our hired girl says he can --

He milks the cow fer 'Lizabuth Ann. --

Ain't he a' awful good Raggedy Man?

Raggedy! Raggedy! Raggedy Man!

W'y, The Raggedy Man -- he's ist so good,
He splits the kindlin' an' chops the wood;
An' nen he spades in our garden, too,
An' does most things 'at boys can't do. --
He clumbed clean up in our big tree
An' shooked a' apple down fer me --
An' 'nother 'n', too, fer 'Lizabuth Ann --
An' 'nother 'n', too, fer The Raggedy Man. --
Ain't he a' awful kind Raggedy Man?
Raggedy! Raggedy! Raggedy Man!

An' The Raggedy Man one time say he
Pick' roast' rambos from a' orchurd-tree,
An' et 'em -- all ist roast' an' hot! --
An' it's so, too! -- 'cause a corn-crib got
Afire one time an' all burn' down
On "The Smoot Farm," 'bout four mile from town --
On "The Smoot Farm"! Yes -- an' the hired han'
'At worked there nen 'uz The Raggedy Man! --
Ain't he the beatin'est Raggedy Man?
Raggedy! Raggedy! Raggedy Man!

The Raggedy Man's so good an' kind
He'll be our "horsey," an' "haw" an' mind
Ever'thing 'at you make him do --
An' won't run off -- 'less you want him to!
I drived him wunst way down our lane
An' he got skeered, when it 'menced to rain,
An' ist rared up an' squealed and run
Purt' nigh away! -- an' it's all in fun!
Nen he skeered ag'in at a' old tin can ...
Whoa! y' old runaway Raggedy Man!
Raggedy! Raggedy! Raggedy Man!

An' The Raggedy Man, he knows most rhymes,
An' tells 'em, ef I be good, sometimes:
Knows 'bout Giunts, an' Griffuns, an' Elves,
An' the Squidgicum-Squees 'at swallers the'rselves:
An', wite by the pump in our pasture-lot,
He showed me the hole 'at the Wunks is got,
'At lives 'way deep in the ground, an' can
Turn into me, er 'Lizabuth Ann!
Er Ma, er Pa, er The Raggedy Man!
Ain't he a funny old Raggedy Man?
Raggedy! Raggedy! Raggedy Man!

An' wunst, when The Raggedy Man come late,
An' pigs ist root' thue the garden-gate,
He 'tend like the pigs 'uz bears an' said,
"Old Bear-shooter'll shoot 'em dead!"
An' race' an' chase' 'em, an' they'd ist run
When he pint his hoe at 'em like it's a gun
An' go "Bang! -- Bang!" nen 'tend he stan'
An' load up his gun ag'in! Raggedy Man!
He's an old Bear-shooter Raggedy Man!
Raggedy! Raggedy! Raggedy Man!

An' sometimes The Raggedy Man lets on
We're little prince-children, an' old King's gone
To git more money, an' lef' us there --
And Robbers is ist thick ever'where;
An' nen -- ef we all won't cry, fer shore --
The Raggedy Man he'll come and "'splore
The Castul-halls," an' steal the "gold" --
An' steal us, too, an' grab an' hold
An' pack us off to his old "Cave"! -- An'
Haymow's the "cave" o' The Raggedy Man! --
Raggedy! Raggedy! Raggedy Man!

The Raggedy Man -- one time, when he
Wuz makin' a little bow-'n'-orry fer me,
Says "When you're big like your Pa is,
Air you go' to keep a fine store like his --
An' be a rich merchunt -- an' wear fine clothes? --
Er what air you go' to be, goodness knows?"
An' nen he laughed at 'Lizabuth Ann,
An' I says "'M go' to be a Raggedy Man! --
I'm ist go' to be a nice Raggedy Man!"
Raggedy! Raggedy! Raggedy Man!

Saturday, March 1, 2008

L.M. Montgomery

Born November 30, 1874 New London, Prince Edward Island, Canada
Died April 24, 1942, Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Lucy Maud Montgomery was born November 30, 1874 in Clifton (later renamed New London) on Prince Edward Island in Canada into a family of thorough-going Scotch Presbyterians. Her mother, Clara Macneill Montgomery, died of tuberculosis at only twenty-three and when Maud was just short of two years old. Her father took to traveling extensively on business leaving Maud in the care of her maternal grandparents, strict, serious and dutiful more than effusive about taking in a high-spirited young girl. Her father moved to Saskatchewan (where he remarried) in western Canada in 1884 when Maud was only ten years old - between the death of her mother and the departure of father, Maud was left with a strong sensibility and sense of being an orphan.

I guess I should say right here that the circumstances of Montgomery's life are not that exotic. She grew up in a strict and not particularly emotive household but had much time of her own and an open environment to explore. She carved an independent path for herself writing but, duty bound, spent material chunks of her life caring for and nursing others.

She did not wed till she was thiry-six and then to a Presbyterian minister who had a somewhat checkered employment history. They moved to Toronto. She had two children. She wrote her first book, Anne of Green Gables, in 1908. Her contract was not very favorable but she rectified that in the future and became prosperous through her subsequent writings including nine further books charting the life of Anne.

There was a very large part of the Anne story which was either a recapitulation of Montgomery's own life and/or the aggregation of experiences of others with whom she was close.

There is nothing particularly remarkable in the circumstances of her life. There is much that is remarkable about the books that she wrote, their entry into the world and their continuing effect on readers today.

Anne began as a simple idea for one of the many magazine stories by which Montgomery earned money. Plucking through her writer's notebook, she came across an entry she had jotted down some years before "Elderly couple apply to orphan asylum for a boy. By mistake a girl is sent them." From this seedling of an idea, Montgomery nurtured first a brief tale, and then as she became fascinated by her own creation, extended it into a series of stories, incorporating many elements of her own life and people she knew. Deciding that a serialized magazine story just was not the vehicle for this girl she had created, she resolved that this would be her first book. She wrote Anne of Green Gables over 1904 and 1905. Having finished it to her satisfaction she sent it off to a number of publishers.

And was rejected. And rejected. And rejected again. She put the book aside for a couple of years. Looking at it with fresh eyes in 1907 she made some revisions, finalized the manuscript and sent it off to a publisher, L.C. Page, in Boston. Acceptance at last. Her first book, Anne of Green Gables, came out in 1908.

The effect of Anne of Greene Gables is something akin to a combination of Tom Sawyer (high-spirited out-doors child), Pippi Longstocking (red-headed mischievous girl), Jo of Little Women (independent girl whose life story is told over a series of books and captures the rhythms of family dynamics), and Laura Ingalls Wilder's Little House on the Prairie series (girl in an open, frontier-like environment encompassing a life journey, romance and adventure).

Anne Shirley is an orphan. Orphaned at birth, at the beginning of the story she is eleven years old and her life has so far consisted of being let out to a series of indifferent families who view her as a temporary babysitter for their other children. Anne is inadvertently sent by the orphanage to an elderly brother and his sister (the Cuthberts) who had requested a boy to help them on their farm.

Anne, bubbling over with the spirit of life, full of imagination, seasoned with a quick temper, is a cyclone of disruption and breath of fresh air into the lives of the Cuthberts, their neighbors and everyone in the immediate vicinity. Perhaps her most notable attribute is an optimism so strong, a faith in a better future so unrelenting that it colors all her actions and shapes the narrative of her life.

Like many great children's stories, the Anne series operates at several levels which is in part why they are popular among both children and adults. In fact, Montgomery actually targeted her writing at adults as well as children and it is primarily with time that the Anne stories have come to be considered primarily children's stories.

The startling thing about the effect of Anne of Green Gables is two-fold. One is that a story written one hundred years ago this year, still reads in such a contemporary fashion. If you were to select a sampling of randomly picked children's books from 1908, most of them have a mustiness in their language and a stiltedness to the structure of the story-telling that jars and is something of a barrier to their endurance. Anne of Green Gables, like a handful of other enduring stories, reaches across the century and seems as fresh and accessible today as it did then.

The second aspect of Anne of Green Gables which is hard to comprehend is how quickly and how completely Anne spanned the globe. For example, a year after it's publication in North America, Anne of Green Gables was released in translation in Sweden in 1919 where it has remained a popular staple. The prolific and accomplished Swedish children's author, Astrid Lindgren has identified Montgomery's books as a major influence. Poland and France were two other countries in which a significant presence was established in these very early years. Even more curiously, leaping language and culture, Anne of Green Gables became a perennial and well established children's and young adult favorite in Japan with numerous fan clubs, discussion groups, and now web sites. She is such a staple that Japanese tourism to Prince Edwards Island to visit sites from Montgomery's childhood numbers in the thousands annually.

A century on, Anne is still well established in the English speaking world (particularly Canada, the USA, Great Britain, Australia and New Zealand) as well as the above mentioned of fandom, Japan, France, Sweden and Poland. It is intriguing to me how quickly Anne of Green Gables established a presence around the globe in radically different cultures and has sustained that enduring appeal over a century.

While the Anne series of books are frequently stereotyped as "girls" books, and they are extremely popular among girls from eight or nine years through perhaps fifteen, these stories are enjoyed by boys as well when they get past the stereotype of being girls books. Just as girls can and do enjoy Tom Sawyer, boys can and do enjoy Anne; they just might not admit it.

There are ten books in the Anne Shirley series of books: Anne of Green Gables, Anne of Avonlea , Chronicles of Avonlea, Anne of the Island , Anne's House of Dreams , Rainbow Valley , Further Chronicles of Avonlea: Which Have to Do with Many Personalities and Events in and about Avonlea , Rilla of Ingleside , Anne of Windy Poplars , and Anne of Ingleside . Montgomery wrote other series such as the Emily books, as well as collections of short stories and standalone novels. The other series drift in and out of print as do some of the standalone novels. The collections of short stories are mostly appreciated primarily by die-hard fans. Anne though, across the years and across language and cultures continues to capture and refresh hearts around the world.

Lucy Maude Montgomery passed away on April 24th, 1942 in Toronto, Ontario.

Independent Reader - The Anne of Green Gables Series

Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery Recommendation

Anne of Avonlea by L.M. Montgomery Recommendation

Chronicles of Avonlea, in Which Anne Shirley of Green Gables and Avonlea Plays Some Part by L.M. Montgomery Recommendation

Anne of the Island by L.M. Montgomery Recommendation

Anne's House of Dreams by L.M. Montgomery Recommendation

Rainbow Valley by L.M. Montgomery Recommendation

Further Chronicles of Avonlea: Which Have to Do with Many Personalities and Events in and about Avonlea by L.M. Montgomery Recommendation

Rilla of Ingleside by L.M. Montgomery Recommendation

Anne of Windy Poplars by L.M. Montgomery Recommendation

Anne of Ingleside by L.M. Montgomery Recommendation

Independent Readers - All Other Books

The Alpine Path: The Story of My Career by L.M. Montgomery Recommendation

Emily Climbs by L.M. Montgomery Recommendation

The Blue Castle by L.M. Montgomery Recommendation

Emily's Quest by L.M. Montgomery Recommendation

A Tangled Web by L.M. Montgomery Recommendation

Pat of Silver Bush by L.M. Montgomery Suggested

The Road to Yesterday (short stories) by L.M. Montgomery Suggested

The Poetry of Lucy Maud Montgomery by L.M. Montgomery Suggested

Christmas with Anne and Other Holiday Stories by L.M. Montgomery Suggested

Bibliography

Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery 1908
Anne of Avonlea by L.M. Montgomery 1909
Kilmeny of the Orchard by L.M. Montgomery 1910
The Story Girl by L.M. Montgomery 1911
Chronicles of Avonlea, in Which Anne Shirley of Green Gables and Avonlea Plays Some Part by L.M. Montgomery 1912
The Golden Road by L.M. Montgomery 1913
Anne of the Island by L.M. Montgomery 1915
The Watchman, and Other Poems by L.M. Montgomery 1916
Anne's House of Dreams by L.M. Montgomery 1917
The Alpine Path: The Story of My Career by L.M. Montgomery 1917
Rainbow Valley by L.M. Montgomery 1919
Further Chronicles of Avonlea: Which Have to Do with Many Personalities and Events in and about Avonlea by L.M. Montgomery 1920
Rilla of Ingleside by L.M. Montgomery 1921
Emily of New Moon by L.M. Montgomery 1923
Emily Climbs by L.M. Montgomery 1924
The Blue Castle by L.M. Montgomery 1926
Emily's Quest by L.M. Montgomery 1927
Magic for Marigold by L.M. Montgomery 1927
A Tangled Web by L.M. Montgomery 1931
Pat of Silver Bush by L.M. Montgomery 1933
Courageous Women (biography) by L.M. Montgomery 1934
Mistress Pat: A Novel of Silver Bush by L.M. Montgomery 1935
Anne of Windy Poplars by L.M. Montgomery 1936
Jane of Lantern Hill by L.M. Montgomery 1937
Anne of Ingleside by L.M. Montgomery 1939
The Road to Yesterday (short stories) by L.M. Montgomery 1974
The Doctor's Sweetheart and Other Stories by L.M. Montgomery 1979
My Dear Mr. M.: Letters to G. B. MacMillan from L. M. Montgomery by L.M. Montgomery 1980
Spirit of Place: Lucy Maud Montgomery and Prince Edward Island by L.M. Montgomery 1982
The Poetry of Lucy Maud Montgomery by L.M. Montgomery 1987
Akin to Anne: Tales of Other Orphans (short stories) by L.M. Montgomery 1988
Along the Shore: Tales by the Sea by L.M. Montgomery 1989
Among the Shadows: Tales from the Darker Side by L.M. Montgomery 1990
Days of Dreams and Laughter: The Story Girl and Other Tales (includes The Story Girl, The Golden Road, and Kilmeny of the Orchard) by L.M. Montgomery 1990
After Many Days: Tales of Time Passed by L.M. Montgomery 1991
Against the Odds: Tales of Achievement by L.M. Montgomery 1993
Christmas with Anne and Other Holiday Stories by L.M. Montgomery 1995
Across the Miles: Tales of Correspondence by L.M. Montgomery 1995
Rainbow Valley by L.M. Montgomery 1995
The Story Girl by L.M. Montgomery 1996
The Green Gables Letters, from L. M. Montgomery to Ephraim Weber by L.M. Montgomery 1905-1909
The Selected Journals of L. M. Montgomery, Volume 1: 1889-1910, Volume 2: 1910-1921 by L.M. Montgomery 1985-87.

Science Experiments in the Kitchen

One of my treasured but regretted books of childhood was The Boy Mechanic published in 1960 by Popular Mechanics magazine. I do not know where or under what circumstances it was acquired but it was always there on the bookshelf. I used to love leafing through its pages filled with diagrams of things one could build, illustrated with those wonderful old blue prints, drawings and sketches of that era. A go-cart tank, your own cannon, a crystal radio - it had it all. Unfortunately all I could ever do was gaze at these marvelous projects. We lived in third world countries which undermined the opening paragraphs of each project. "Go to your local hardware store and obtain the following items to construct this . . ." Most places we lived either did not have a hardware store, or if it did, it did not have the things required. I loved that book and its projects but it was a vicarious and unrequited love.

In fifth and sixth grade I was living in Sweden and attending the Anglo-American School (now the International School) in Stockholm. We had a nice little school library, big enough for the basics and a bit more, small enough to never feel overwhelmed. Small enough also to never feel out of the direct eyesight of Miss White, the stern librarian. Once you got to know her, and particularly once she knew you liked the books under her care, she was very approachable and friendly but all of us were usually on eggshells in her presence.

From that period there are two library books in particular that I recall and which I regularly checked out and read; repeatedly. One was a bright orange book titled something along the lines of Can Pigs Swim? It covered all sorts of improbable questions such as whether pigs can swim or not, with the answers jocularly written but based on factual information.

The other book I can see so clearly in my minds eye and yet I cannot recall the title at all. Judging by my recollection of the accompanying photo illustrations, it must have been written in the late fifties or early sixties. The substance of the book was a series of experiments one could conduct in the home with readily available household products. The author described the materials required, how to conduct the experiment and then had a very short essay elaborating the underlying scientific principles. Whether it was well written or not, I don't recall, but it did deliver on that premise - the experiments were easy to do and the materials were readily available.

Whoever wrote it kept everything simple but infused each experiment with a sense of magic. One of the simple ones, which you can do at home right now if you want, involved only an egg and some salt. The author used this experiment to discuss granularity and friction but presented it as a magic trick. From recollection, the instructions were along the following lines.

Practice this on your own first before trying it with a friend. Obtain an egg and some salt from a salt shaker. Shake a small amount of salt into the palm of your hand then put away the shaker. Not too much. Keep your hand discreetly hidden so that the salt cannot be seen.

Find a subject upon whom to play your trick. Standing by a table or some other hard flat surface, hand your friend the egg and challenge them to make it stand up straight without breaking the shell. They might try balancing the egg a number of times but will soon abandon the effort as impossible. Tell them that it is easy. They will almost certainly challenge you to prove it.

Take the egg back from them. Lick the base of the egg and then cup it in the palm of your hand (the one with the light sprinkling of salt). Hold it out to your friend to show them how easy it is to make the egg stand upright. They will protest that that is cheating, that you need to make it stand upright on the flat surface of the table. Acting surprised, take the egg from the cupped palm of your hand. Make sure that there is a small, unnoticeable amount of salt adhering to the base of the egg where you licked it. What you will find is that as you carefully place the egg on the table, the small crystals of salt will act as a base for the egg and will support it upright. If you were suitably sparing in the use of the salt, it will not be apparent to your friend and you will appear to have done the impossible.

Literacy, numeracy and experience - three pillars upon which the intellectual and, later, moral, health of our children are built. Or to translate using George Orwell's counsel (Politics and the English Language ) to always use old Anglo-Saxon words in order to make it more concrete: Reading, counting and doing. If you can, one of the more fun aspects of bringing your kids along is the doing part. Whether it is hikes in the woods, visits to zoo and museums, building things or doing science experiments in the kitchen, they can be fun and illuminating. The trick is to keep it simple, especially with regard to finding the really simple experiments.

Even without knowledge or instruction, simply having chemistry sets around or Erector sets or Meccano or Lego gives a child the freedom to discover, to try things by trial and error, to build. I received a chemistry set when I was about six or eight years old and spent many happy hours with it. Sometimes I attempted to follow the instructions to achieve some end such as copper crystals or some such. Sometimes I just randomly mixed chemicals to see what would happen. Either approach was like as not to lead to an interesting outcome.

Letting the kids help in the kitchen as early as possible is a great way to build key skills they can later use for science. It takes invested time at first to supervise kids in the kitchen but they pretty quickly become almost useful for other purposes such as fixing a meal. But while they are in there, enjoying your company and the smells of the dishes and the easy conversation, they are also learning the rudiments of science; How to measure things; Why it can sometimes make a difference the order in which ingredients are mixed; The fundamental principles of thermodynamics (cooking things and freezing things).

It is not uncommon then, at an early age (four to six perhaps), for them to want to stretch their experimental wings and start trying to prepare food on their own. One of ours would spend many happy hours mixing the most improbable ingredients to come up with some threatening looking liquid, goo or dish of some sort, with the confident declaration (despite having tasted it) that it was delicious. This is about as safe an environment for the practice of experimentation as you can get (as long as you limit their access to sharp blades and powerful mixers).

Messing around in this safe proto-lab imparts far more knowledge than one can reasonably anticipate. It doesn't take much scratching around to find all sorts of kitchen experiments, whether intended or not. I have on occasion shared with the kids the story of Sally in the kitchen with a mixer to illustrate the concept of centrifugal force.

It was early in our marriage, maybe a Friday or Saturday afternoon/evening. Sally was in the kitchen baking a cake for some party. As she stood over a large bowl with a handheld beater, I came in to ask her a question. Half turning to answer me, she inadvertently raised the handheld beater out of the batter with unexpected but predictable results. When we moved out of that house a couple of years later we were still finding traces of batter in the nooks and crannies around the kitchen. Exhibit A for centrifugal force.

Below are a series of adequate books that can help serve as a catalyst for science experiments that can more or less easily be done around the house or in the kitchen. I am afraid I have not recently seen any that stand out as truly excellent or that are available in print. These are, however, useful as reference type books to get started with. If there are any books you would particularly recommend, please respond in the comments section below or by e-mail.

Independet Readers