Anyways, we're back again this week with a great recommendation from one of my word-nerdy facebook groups. Besides the recommendation, what really caught my attention was the cover art. I know Brett Helquist because of his work on Lemony Snicket's Series of Unfortunate Events, and I really enjoy his artistic style. Next week, I was going to start "A Month of Bradbury" with Dandelion Wine, but my husband recommended something else that he's wanted me to read for a while.
Also, our first ultrasound! Meet baby Smalls!
Lookit the fat little baby head! The eyes! The pudgy little belly!! Baaahh!
The Rise and Fall of Mount Majestic
Jennifer Trafton
339 Pages, Reading time: a week, maybe?
Back cover reads: Ten-year-old Persimmony Smudge lives a boring life on the Island in the Middle of Everything, desperately longing for high adventure. But when she overhears life-altering secret, she suddenly finds herself in the middle of an amazing and perilous journey. Mount Majestic, the rising and falling mountain in the center of the island, isn't actually what everyone thinks it is. And now it is up to Persimmony and her new friend, Worvil the Worrier, to convince the island's quarreling inhabitants, including the stubborn young king, that they must come together to face the truth. The question is, will she be able to make everyone believe this unbelievable tale?
Initial Reaction:
She likes to compare things to potatoes. The entirety of events in chapter 14, In Which It Pays to be Polite, but Grammar Can Get Sticky, stems from a character correcting the grammar of another. Love it. Overall, it's a great story, and an amazing book for to read aloud.
Promote Virtue? Yes. Indescribably. Virtue is rampant in this work. I love it because Persimmony does struggle with her situations and battles, but overall, we know that she is a character of the Light. She does not sink into darkness. That's not to say that there isn't injustice, danger, and evil in her world, but the author does not focus on those things. There isn't really a villain in the book- no one is painted as the enemy, except for maybe the poisonous tortoises. King Lucas is a bit of a jerk, but he's a childish one, and not a tyrant. Everyone is afraid of the giant, but he's asleep and doesn't really do much.
Also, the story did kind of drag in the middle, but it picked up in the last 75 pages or so. I don't think I'd feel that way if I read it in like 2 days instead of 7.
Lastly, I was disappointed that her father didn't come back.
Transcendentals? Yes. The majority of Trafton's characters fight for what is good, true, and beautiful. This is really apparent in each of the different races on the island. The Leafeaters are great artists who cherish tradition, good manners, and nature. The Rumblebumps are simple creatures that are clever tricksters, but they also have a sense of humor that either confounds everyone or keeps everyone in a good mood. Persimmony herself desires to share truth and be an adventuring heroine. The only group of people (surprise!) that are lacking are the human townspeople. Most of them are grumpy and have a mob mentality, but one can't really be surprised at this because of the enthroned spoiled brat that is their king.
Overcome human condition? Yes. I think we see the transformations of Persimmony, King Lucas, and Worvil the most. Persimmony and Worvil grow in bravery, virtue, and ability. King Lucas has undergoes a metanoia and doesn't want to by lofty anymore, but humble, so that's good.
Attitude toward Catholicism? This is a work of fiction, but it definitely smacks of influence by Tolkien. (Confirmed by reading her webpage bio. She has a miniature rooster named Tom Bombadill). There are certainly Christian themes and heroic virtue, but I think that this quote explains it best: "Perhaps there are somethings that we are not meant to understand. Without a few mysteries and a few giants, life would be a very small thing, after all" (256). BOOM. I immediately thought about things like The Holy Trinity, The Eucharist, and Purgatory. These are all gigantic mysteries of the Catholic Faith that really can't be explained or understood fully (Purgatory is an especially difficult one for me to wrap my head around).
Paganry? Nope
Swearing? Nill
Violence? Swashbuckling, adventure type. Not much.
Appropriate age? To hear during a read-aloud- I'd say 6 or 7+. For independent reading, I'd say 4th or 5th grade +.
Writing Style: Trafton writes a great adventure story that keeps moving. Her description injects us into the world of Persimmony, and the plot keeps us captivated. She also throws in great words, a few malapropisms, and some overall foolishness. I think the only reason that I felt like the book dragged was because I was tired whilst reading it. Trafton does an excellent job developing her protagonist and even some of her secondary characters.
Notable Quoteables:
"There is a very good possibility that you will not believe a word I say" (1). First sentence of the prologue. What a great hook! I'm a sucker for good hooks.
"Prunella broke down in another fit of crying. She had tried so hard. She really had. The teacups were neatly stacked" (33). This paragraph has such weight to it. It shows how the little things can be overlooked during times of exasperation.
"King Lucas was one of those people who wanted to be known as wise but didn't particularly like to think" (49). This kid. I've only just met him, and I want to punch him in the face. I do like that he uses malapropisms.
" 'The sea goes on forever,' the professor said, gritting his teeth, 'because there is no proof to the contrary, and if there is no proof to the contrary, then it is true' " (53). Nice little does of societal norm right there.
"Books, my dear, books! You can learn a lot by reading" (73).
"...you are two quacks short of a roast duck" (110). bahahaha.
"His forehead was stamped with the footprints of a hundred worries..." (141)
"Please believe that under normal circumstances I would never harm a girl," said the Leafeater standing behind her, "but if you don't put away your sword I shall be forced to run my pickax through her insides" (238). Well. That escalated quickly.
"How could she have thought that she could save anyone? She wasn't enough" (286). Feminine wound surfacing, right there.
Great words:
comeuppance, lurch, bulbous, preposterous, decipher, imminent, expound, retort, balderdash, bemoaning, sparsely, envious, indefatigable, eloquent, valiantly, pondering, slathering, dismally, dolorously, calamitously, lamentably, flailing, convulsed, vulgar, indecorous
Final Summation: The Rise and Fall of Mount Majestic is a great book for kids. It will make an awesome read aloud for the youngsters, and an amazing adventure story for middle grades. Trafton does a great job keeping her characters in the light, even though they face some pretty harsh circumstances. All of these qualities are quite admirable, but I'm still not turning backflips over it. It was clever, but not charming. It was interesting, but not intriguing. It's a good book, but I don't LOVE it. Therefore:
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