Kilmeny of the Orchard by LM Montgomery

LM Montgomery, while I love her dearly, can be a teensy weensy bit melodramatic. This book is where she showcases all her mad melodramatic skills. 

The book is told from the point of view of the man you see brooding in the background on the cover, which is somewhat unusual for LM Montgomery. Eric Marshall has just graduated from college and is at a loose end before going to work for his millionaire father. A friend needs a break, so asks Eric to substitute teach for him for a month on PEI in a small town named Lindsay. 

And wouldn't you know it, Eric goes and falls in love with the one impossible girl in Lindsay. Kilmeny Gordon has never been out in public and has never spoken. Her mother decided her own personal beauty was a terrible burden, so decided Kilmeny should stay out of the public eye for fear she would realize she is beautiful. There is a complicated backstory to her mother, which you learn through the book. It is sad, dark, and mildly insane. LM Montgomery was never afraid to bring a little dark into her writing. 

Kilmeny can play violin like magic, is incredibly beautiful, and totally innocent due to her lack of contact with the outside world. One thing I don't exactly like is that Kilmeny's worth is definitely dependent on her beauty. Eric is a millionaires son. Falling in love with a poor girl from a rural PEI town is not really part of his millionaire father's life plan for Eric. Eric tells his father and anyone else who questions his choice of girl "Just wait until you see Kilmeny." Not interact with her and enjoy her wit, but just observe her beauty; that will justify my choice of woman. Kilmeny has a lot of great characteristics, so she is not some vapid beauty. Eric appreciates her musical talent, her wit, her intelligence, her pleasure in life, but it is her beauty that he keeps mentioning. 

There are occasions when stereotypes are brought into LM Montgomery's works, and this is one of them. Kilmeny has an adopted brother-ish sort of person who happens to be Italian. The poor guy is forever being irrational, brooding, and passionate. Because that is how Italians are apparently. At least in 1910's PEI. 

So Kilmeny of the Orchard is melodramatic, somewhat shallow, and stereotypical. If you read this book with a modern sensibility, you will likely roll your eyes. However, most people come to this book after Anne or Emily and already adore LM Montgomery, so they will love this book based on that fact alone. And really, for this time and in this place, the sensibilities in this book are pretty representative.

And guess what? I love this book. I can't take it seriously, but this was one of my first ever LM Montgomery books. (It just so happens this is her shortest novel.) I listened to Anne when I was very little, so loved her, then read this when I was too young to tackle of book of Anne's length, but wanted more LM Montgomery. So I love this book for sentimental reasons. Plus, I was much more melodramatic as a nine year old or whatever I was when I read this. So I probably didn't roll my eyes at all. 

There is poetry in this book, lyrical descriptions of PEI in May, and an overall happy ending. And, it is by LM MONTGOMERY, for crying out loud. So you can do a lot worse. Just don't think you will find LM Montgomery's clever, biting wit or hilarious situations. 

My Friend Isabelle by Eliza Woloson & Illus by Bryan Gough

Today is National Down's Syndrome Day! I saw this book in the library a few weeks ago and brought it home because it was so cute. After reading it, I realized it was about a little girl with Down's Syndrome. 

It is such a delightful little book. And it was written by the mother of a little girl, Isabelle, with Down's in Colorado, which makes it even more delightful! 

The illustrations are so dear and sweet. 

I like all the bright clear colors.

Charlie and Isabelle are good friends that are not the same. 

Charlie is tall, Isabelle is short. 

Isabelle is a little slower on her feet. 

One of the reasons I love this book is that it doesn't talk about Down's Syndrome. In a book for older kids, a discussion of Down's would be great, but for a younger age, it would be useless words. This book just focuses on things young children would notice and understand. 

As a Down's mother, I adore the message this book sends. 

We are all different, but being different can make things interesting and fun! 

A Funny Little Bird by Jennifer Yerkes

This is a fun little book about a bird without an outline. 

You can only see him when he was near other things. 

Most little kids can readily recognize this invisibility as real life. My kids have been listening to Ramona audiobooks and this invisibility is the focus of much of Ramona's life. How do you make people really see you?

The little bird resented this. He felt invisible. So he decided to find things to make him visible. 

Brightly colored feathers! 

Squash flowers!

In all his finery, the little bird forgot the benefits of being invisible. Suddenly he is visible to predators.

He quickly sheds his adopted finery in favor of safety.

And now, he is content being himself. 

And helps his friends disappear when danger comes calling. 

Still, he occasionally puts a little finery on. Just for fun. 

There is still so much fun in trying things out! 

The Story of Ferdinand by Munro Leaf & Illus by Robert Lawson

Ferdinand the bull is a big deal. In 1938, two years after it was written, it was the best selling book in the United States, edging out Gone With the Wind. (Thanks wikipedia!) Hitler burned it. Gandhi loved it. In 1945 US soldiers handed out 30,000 copies to German children to promote peace.

It has been in continuous print since it was written 80 years ago.

Not bad for a book written in less than an hour as a favor for his friend, Robert Lawson who was looking for a book to illustrate. 

Ferdinand is an inspiration to us all. To not run around like crazy trying to impress everyone, but to be calm and enjoy life. And to smell the flowers. Always smell the summer flowers. 

I am going to assume that at some point in your life, some teacher or parent read you this book. 

We all know about the little bull who would rather sit and smell the flowers...

...than run around acting crazy like the other bulls.

In his flowers

Under the cork tree--his favorite spot to sit and smell the flowers.

His mother worried a little.

But after questioning him-- 

His mother saw that he was not lonesome and because she was an understanding mother, even though she was a cow, she let him just sit there and be happy.

Time went by and Ferdinand grew into a big, strong bull that liked to smell the flowers.

All the other bulls had hopes and aspirations to the bull ring.

One day, a group of buyers for the bull ring came to see the bulls. They look a lovely bunch don't they?

The bulls did their thing, showing off as best they could.

Ferdinand was unconcerned. There were flowers to smell.

Unfortunately, as he sat down in his favorite spot, he sat on a bee.

The bee sting pepped him up no end.

He rampaged around the field, impressing the buyers.

So Ferdinand was taken to the bullring. Where all the ladies had flowers in their hair.

The parade into the ring began.

The matador.

Everyone was petrified of the incredible Ferdinand. 

But as Ferdinand came into the ring, he smelled the ladies' flowers and sat down to contemplate them.

Nothing the matador could do would induce Ferdinand to fight.

So they sent him home. 

And for all I know he is sitting there still, under his favorite cork tree, smelling the flowers just quietly. 

He is very happy. 

I love Ferdinand.

 I hope there is some sitting around smelling the flowers in your summer!