Young Fu of the Upper Yangtze (1933)

Young Fu of the Upper Yangtze tells the story of a young boy, age 13, who is displaced by war in 1920s China. (The date is approximate as I could not find an actual time in the book.)  At his father's death, Young Fu and his mother have no way of working their fields, but someone in the village has connections to a coppersmith in Chungking (now spelled "Chongqing"), and is able to secure an apprenticeship for Young Fu.  Going from the open air and fields of China to the cramped city is quite a change for them.

(A note.  Fu is the family name.  Young Fu's name is actually "Fu Yuin-fah."  In China the family name is first, and he is called "Young Fu" because he is young.)

Young Fu develops a good relationship with the coppersmith and learns his trade well.  He has learning experiences as he grows and develops in his new setting.  These were all very interesting.  He learned the vices of going into debt, the danger of gambling, the stumbling block of pride, the horror of war.  All of these are told with understanding and compassion for Young Fu and those he associates with.

I especially enjoyed watching how his relationship with his mother and the coppersmith develop as Young Fu grows up.  I also learned much about the customs of China during that time.  The people, especially those from the country, were very superstitious.  His mother constantly reminds him to not cross this dragon or that.  But as Young Fu experiences life, he comes to not believe quite so strongly in the old teachings.

One thing that I really liked about Young Fu was his honesty.  Several times in the book he had the opportunity to lie or tell half-truths or keep silent when it was to his advantage, but he always spoke out and told the full truth.

This book had many good nuggets of truth to glean.  Here are some favorite quotes:

"Always these foreigners must hurry.  They waste good time studying their watches. They hasten to earn money and hasten to spend it.  Why then trouble to gain it?  Careful spending increases riches." (p. 34)

"What is fortune without wisdom?" (p. 54)

"No man can rule the unruly until he first rules himself." (p. 164)"No task into which a man puts his heart is too bad.  For the lazy, all work is difficult. 'The superior man finds pleasure in doing what is uncongenial.'" (p. 249)

I would definitely recommend Young Fu of the Upper Yangtze. 

Lewis, Elizabeth Foreman. Young Fu of the Upper Yangtze. Holt, Rinehart and Winston, Inc., 1932.

Waterless Mountain (1932)

A little slow, Waterless Mountain did give me a better understanding of Navajo culture in the early part of the 20th century.  The story revolves around Younger Brother and his growth from an 8-year-old child to a youth on his way to becoming a man, and a medicine man at that.  At one point, Younger Brother decides he must go west to the sea and bring back some sea water to his uncle, the medicine man.  He has many adventures along the way, but eventually, with some help, reaches the sea and is able to return to his people wiser for the journey.

I enjoyed the authors description of how the Navajos felt connected to nature and how nature was connected to the "holy ones," the gods associated with their mythology.  Here is just one example of many.  "The secret joy inside of him responded to the joy of all the desert world and he knew that the holy ones watched him from the heat waves and the mirage which danced before his eyes." (p. 110)  How they related to the world around them and the meaning they gathered from everyday happenings in the world was very enlightening.

Seeing the clash of cultures between the Navajos and "white men" was also interesting..  The way the author describes it, the interactions were very paternalistic, with the white men providing an outlet for selling handmade goods such as rugs and turquoise and silver jewelry, in exchange for tobacco, clothing, etc.  One clash took place when the Big Man, the owner of the trading post, took Younger Brother and his family to see a Western movie.  In it Younger Brother saw the image and heard the voice of a relative who had died.  He ran from the theater scared and yelling, " Chindi!" or ghost.

I liked the telling of their legends of the Turquoise Woman and her journey to the west, the Pack People, the Young Woman Who Tinkles (not the way we use the word tinkle), and many others.

Some memorable quotes:
"There are always doubters but what of it, so long as there are those who believe and dream?" (p. 73)
"At times he was lonely, but not for any particular person.  The loneliness came when he was the happiest.  Then he felt the old longing to share his joy with someone." (p. 106)
"There are some happenings we do not speak of.  It is better to be quiet until one understands."  (p. 206)

Would I recommend this book?  Maybe.  The story was good and the learning about other cultures and times, but it was a very slow-moving book.

Armer, Laura Adams. Waterless Mountain. Longmans, Green and Co., 1931.

The Cat Who Went to Heaven (1931)

(Before I dig into The Cat Who Went to Heaven, I want to make one other comment about Hitty.  I realized a few days ago that something bothered me about the book.  The main character never made a single choice to impact any other character in the book.  Her presence was appreciated by her owners, and she was missed when removed from the scene, but she, herself, did not have the ability to choose and to make a  difference in the lives of those around her.  Now on to the current book...)

How many different ways are there to say, "I liked this book."?  Since I am reading Newbery winners, I expect that most of them will be ones I like.

Elizabeth Coatsworth tells the story of a poor artist in Japan.  Nobody buys his paintings and there is barely enough for him and his housekeeper to fend off starvation.  But one day the housekeeper brings home a three-colored cat, considered good luck, who they name "Good Fortune".  The artist's luck does change when the priest from the Buddhist temple in their town commissions him to depict the death of the Buddha.  It is a very great honor.

The artist takes the job with deep gratitude and humility.  He greatly desires to make his art worthy of the Buddha, so he meditates on the life of the Buddha.  How he began as Prince Siddhartha, wealthy and pampered.  How he came to know of death and disease and sadness in the world.  How he gave up all of his worldly possessions to find peace and love in the world.  How he was prepared when the time of death came.  All of this, the artist imagined in great detail, putting himself in the place of Buddha in order to have the empathy necessary to create a work of truth.

The artist then goes on to imagine each of the animals he will depict in the picture and how they loved and revered the Buddha.  He thinks of stories of each animal and in all his imaginings, he remembers that the cat would not be allowed into paradise.  "'Ah, the cat refused homage to Buddha,' he remembered, 'and so by her own independent act, only the cat has the doors of Paradise closed in her face.'" (p. 20)  This made him sad, for he had come to love Good Fortune.  As with us, it is be our own independent acts that will close the doors of heaven.

When he looks upon his completed work, he knows that something is missing.  He adds a cat, even though the priest might not accept the painting with the cat in it.  He knows it might ruin him.  When the priest sees the cat, he does indeed reject the painting, and would in fact burn it, but the artist is glad that his beloved cat looks out from the painting.

The story has a bittersweet ending which I will not reveal.  I loved learning about Buddha, his teachings, and some of the stories surrounding him.  I was recently asked to speak in church on the topic of humility.  This book has made me think about how Buddha was so humble and gave all his possessions away to come to enlightenment, peace and love.

A good, quick read.

Coatsworth, Elizabeth. The Cat Who Went to Heaven.  Macmillan Publishing Company, 1930.

Hitty, her First Hundred Years (1930)

Hitty is a sweet doll, fashioned by a peddlar for young Phoebe Preble around 1825.  The book chronicles the doll's adventures, covering 100 years, told from Hitty's point of view.  I was not too excited to read this one, but it turned out better than I expected.

Hitty has many adventures from being carried away by crows to meeting Charles Dickens, from surviving the a shipwreck and being worshipped by natives as an idol to being stuck in a sofa for years (better than finding a quarter) before being found and living in a Quaker household.  She always keeps her wits about her and stoically endures every hardship. 

What I am not sure about is how Hitty managed to keep her sanity.  If I were sentient doll, I think I would go mad.  Mad I tell you!  Mad!!  She thinks, feels and hopes, but has no way of communicating or indicating in any way that she does so.  It made me wonder how it would be to have some disease or illness that would close those doors.  What would I do to retain sanity?  Are there illness like that?  The good news is that I haven't lost sleep over the issue.

Field, Rachel.  Hitty, her First Hundred Years.  Macmillan Publishing Company, 1929.

The Trumpeter of Krakow (1929)

(If any of you noticed, I skipped the 1928 winner, Gay Neck, the Story of a Pigeon, due to its being checked out at the library by somebody else.  I never thought that I would have any competition on that one.  Not only is it checked out, but there is another patron who has a hold placed, so it may be several weeks before I get to comment on the pigeon book.)

A few weeks ago, one of my faithful followers asked which was the earliest Newbery book I remember reading as a child.  This is it.  I must have read this book in late elementary or maybe middle school.  When I saw it on the list I remembered liking it, but couldn't have told you any plot or character details.  I don't like it now as much as I think I liked it then.  Which isn't to say that I was not entertained. (One of my sisters-in-law recently decided to not reread books she had enjoyed as a child for just that reason, she wants to keep the high opinion of them that she formed on first reading.) 

The story centers on a family from the Ukraine (under Polish control at the time) who travel to Krakow after their estate has been ravished by treasure hunters.  The hunt continues in Krakow, while the family change their name and try to lay low and be as inconspicuous as possible.  They meet several very nice people in Krakow who help them find work and get acclimated.

The treasure hunters seek the Great Tarnov Crystal that the Charnetski family have been guarding for hundreds of years--father passing to son with an oath to protect the crystal or deliver it to the king, if their secret is ever discovered.  It is said to have magical properties, allowing those who gaze into its depths to see the future, gain hidden knowledge and access to mysteries.

One of the themes in the book is the making of oaths and how important it is to keep our word.  The Charnetski family had taken an oath to protect the crystal.  They kept that oath.  Andrew, the father, was willing to sacrifice his livelihood and his very life, to keep the crystal safe. 

Another oath kept was that of the trumpeter of Krakow.  This is actually a true part of the story.  You can read about the trumpeter and listen to his song at http://www.krakow-info.com/hejnal.htm .  The trumpeter took an oath to keep watch over the city and sound the heynal on the hour from each side of the tower of St. Mary's cathedral.  When Andrew and his son, Joseph, become sounders of the trump, they take that oath as well.

Another theme of the book is that of wisdom verses wealth.  A couple of the characters practice alchemy, the "science" of trying to turn baser metals into gold.  Of course, they do not succeed, but they have some good conversations on whether wealth will help them obtain what is really important to them.  In the course of trying their experiments, they end up destroying half of the city in fire.  We can draw some conclusions from that...

To sum up, I enjoyed rereading The Trumpeter of Krakow.  I think children would like it with the fighting, mystery, castles, spies, and just a touch of romance.  Adults would probably like it too.  I did not like it as well as I remembered, I think because the ending was too clean--all loose ends were tied up, but children probably need the sense of closure and to know that all is well in the world.

Kelly, Eric P. The Trumpeter of Krakow.  Macmillan Publishing Co., Inc, 1928.

Smoky the Cowhorse (1927)

Sometimes, you read a book that keeps you thinking.  You might not have thought much about it while reading it, but it keeps coming back.  I finished Smoky the Cowhorse several days ago.  Today I drove to Athens, TX, about 2 hours drive each way, and had time to listen to the radio.  I started out with news about Egypt and the great revolution which has recently unfolded.  I went on to sing-along to Bohemian Rhapsody and other fun songs.  And then I spotted some horses in a field.  Brown with white on their noses and legs.  And the first thing I thought of was Smoky.

Smoky the Cowhorse is written from the perspective of the horse, mostly, and partly from the man who loved and trained him, Clint.  A strong cowboy accent pervades the writing, which I found slightly annoying at first, but then it kind of grew on me.

Smoky, a wild mustang pony in Wyoming, was owned by the Rocking R ranch, although he did not know that.  His herd ranged the hills and plains, fattening up in spring and summer, foraging through snow and bizzards in winter, until he is spotted and kept to be broken for a cattle horse.  Clint did the breaking for the Rocking R.  When he saw Smoky, he knew he had found a horse worth keeping for life.  He loved him and taught him all he could as gently as he could, although Smoky resisted mightily.  But Smoky comes to love Clint as well.

Smoky and Clint gain a reputation for their devotion.  Smoky will not let another rider on him and had saved Clint's life more than once.  But, as in life, a little opposition keeps it interesting. 

A really bad dude rustled Smoky.  He did not just steal him, he broke him.  Clint "broke" him to the saddle and to work.  This man broke his spirit and trust.  He beat him cruelly and eventually, Smoky fought back.

I won't go into all the details, but after years of separation, Clint and Smoky reunite.

This book has caused me to look a little differently at how animals are used.  Clint took these wild animals of immense power and beauty and trained them.  He didn't make them tame, but made them useful.  The work they did was necessary for the running of the ranch and having hardy ponies was imperative.  But, it felt wrong to me, to take them out of the wild and the life they had known of freedom, rather than taking stock that was bred for usefulness. (I'm not sure if I'm making the difference I feel about this clear.) 

I'm looking at this story now in an allegorical sense.  If you look at Clint as the God figure, and at Smoky as us, people, it kind of makes sense.  Clint took Smoky and did not change his being, or sense of self or lessen his abilities.  Clint took Smoky and made him something more than he was before.  He took Smoky's natural abilities and taught him how to use those to greater purpose.  And he did this out of love.

God takes us, rebellious wild things, and does the same.  He doesn't want to change who we are, we are his children.  He does want us to be more than we think we can be.  And through his gentle training and coaxing, we can become great.  The Lord shows us what we can do and be with his power.  I recently read a quote that I really liked.  "We become what we want to be by consistently being what we want to become each day." (Richard G. Scott, "The Transforming Power of Faith and Character," Ensign, Nov. 2010,43.)

Smoky was a good read.  I don't know that kids these days would like it as much as I did.  It isn't fast- paced, and the subject matter is far removed from these modern days, but I liked the development in the relationship between Clint and Smoky.  I liked the pace and the flavor and learning about cowboys and life in the olden days.  I think if you could get a child into it, they would enjoy it as well.

James, Will.  Smoky the Cowhorse. Charles Scribner's Sons, 1926.

Shen of the Sea (1926)

Although entertaining, many of the stories in this collection do little to encourage industry or common sense, while at the same time rewarding the characters.  The first story, for instance, "Ah Mee's Invention," explains how printing came to be invented.  The main characters, a father, son, and uncle, through temper and intemperance accidentally invent printing and end up revered.  Another one, "As Hai Low Kept House," tells of how a man with no common sense whatsoever ends up, quite by accident, becoming king.  There are more examples, but I don't want to belabor the point.

Several stories showed great thinkers who got themselves and others out of a bind by using their heads.  The book's namesake story, "Shen of the Sea," is about King Chieh Chung and how he tricked the shen of the sea so that his city would not be flooded. ("Shen" means demon or demons, kind of like "sheep" is singular or plural.)  "Long he stroked his beard, pondering, grieving, praying." (p. 34)  We could benefit by being more like that--pondering and praying.

My favorite story was "Four Generals."  Prince Chang left home to see the kingdom, but was very inexperienced and so got into a few binds and was helped by a fiddler (Tang), a tailor (Wang), a shepherd (Mang), and an archer (Lang).  To each of them he promised a generalship when he became king, at which they each laughed, thinking Chang just a poor traveller.  The old king soon died, and Chang did indeed become king, and at the same time, enemy armies approached the city.  Chang sent for his new friends--Tang, Wang, Mang and Lang--and made them generals.

The first battle was won by General Wang, the tailor.  He had all of the tailors in the city make uniforms for the army, hundreds and thousands of uniforms.  The small army marched past the enemy in one uniform, quickly changed to another color of uniform and marched past again, and again, and again.  Each time in a new color of uniform.  The enemy, scared of such a huge army, retreated.

The General Tang won the second battle.  He played such a song on his violin that made all the enemy soldiers weep and long for home.  "Morning saw the hostile camp deserted.  Soldier after soldier had stolen away in the darkness, thinking only of home" (p.93-94) 

Then comes Mang.  General Mang outsmarted the enemy in the next encounter by running sheep through the their camp.  Tired and very hungry, the men chased after the sheep and while they were gone, Mang burned their empty camp.

General Lang, the last of the group to show his colors, asked the king to decree "that all cases at law be settled by a trial with bow and arrow." (p. 95)  He showed great wisdom in this, for all cases brought to court would be decided by target practice.  Hence, all those going to court practiced with the bow many hours to be sure they would win.  When the enemy came again, the kingdom had a large force of archers with which to defend the kingdom.  Enemy spies had seen the new army of archers and simply went home.  "Thus, without loss of a man, was the kingdom saved for Chang, by Wang, Tang, Mang, and Lang." (p. 97)

Shen of the Sea and Tales from Silver Lands were not my favorites.  I prefer books that have a narrative running throughout.  I'm sure that cultural differences also influence my opinion.  Both of these books contain good stories, but I found it difficult to put myself into the characters' positions.  And that is what really draws me into a book, being able to see myself in the people living in the story.

Chrisman, Arthur Bowie.  Shen of the Sea.  E.P. Dutton & Co., 1925.