Who doesn't love a story about a hero who wins the day? Superman flying in to stop the bad guy in his tracks. Spiderman spinning a safety web to help a damsel in distress. Batgirl racing in on her motorcycle to rid Gotham of one more bad guy. The comics have filled young minds (and adult minds as well) with images of good defeating evil. These scenarios have led to discussion "If you were a superhero, what powers would you have?" The possibilities are endless. However, there are other heroes that are a little more down to earth. They have no super "powers" to speak of yet they are able to do heroic things just by being themselves. In children literature, authors and publishers like to call them the unlikely heroes. Children simply call them their favorites. Here are Librarian At Large's top five unlikely heroes. If readers have not met them yet, this summer is the perfect time to get to know them.
1. Roald Dahl's Matlida is quite the intriguing character. Everyone around her under estimates her, except for her observant teacher, Miss Trunchbull. Matilda, who has been neglected by her mother and father, learns ways to get what she wants. It isn't until meeting and befriending her teacher that she begins to want to help someone other than herself.
2. Kate DiCamillo's The Tale of Despereaux has a huge heart in a little mousy body. Who needs a night in shinning armor when Despereaux Tilling is ready to take on a feat that no man, er, mouse has ever taken on before! This is one mouse who reminds all readers that mighty things come n small packages.
3. Percy Jackson of Rick Rioridan's Percy Jackson Olympian series is the perfect example of a hero dealing with multiple challenges at once. Not only does he find out that his dad was a greek god, but on top of that he has ADHD. Percy goes from one adventure to the next with his trusty pals who see to it that the good conquers evil and Percy makes it back to camp in one piece.
4. Never one to shrink away from a challenge, Katniss of Suzanne Collin's Hunger Games has become a favorite female unlikely heroine. With her skillful handling of her bow and arrow, Katniss proves that in a do or die situation, girls can be just a strong and tough as their male peers. Collins brilliantly weaves a plot that has the reader sitting on the edge of their seat asking, "What now?". In every situation, Katniss does the unexpected and comes out the victor not the victim.
5. Gordon Korman has introduced readers to many wonderful characters. However, in Schooled, the unlikely hero is Cap (as in Capricorn) Anderson. One has to admire a character that can beat the odds of growing up in a hippie commune and not only survive middle school politics but breaks the stereotypes and wins the support of his peers. Feel good story told in a very humorous way, making readers wish they could unleash their power of humor to get out of sticky situations.
This is only a list of five. To be honest it was a very difficult list to put together because there are so many to choose from. Perhaps the unlikely hero list should be expanded next time?
Showing posts with label Percy Jackson. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Percy Jackson. Show all posts
Monday, June 8, 2015
Monday, July 11, 2011
The Problem with Hollywood and Young Adult Novels
There is something to be said about characters who have become so familiar with readers that they have become "real". That is why Percy Jackson, Harry Potter and Katniss Everdeen (Hunger Games), have become successful series. Each of these characters, with their likeable, quirky personalities have found their way into the hearts and minds of readers. They are a reminder that anyone can be a hero in their own way. The consequence of this is that the demand for these stories continues to grows because the time spent with these loveable "people" never seems long enough. Time just flies by when they are around. Which is a good thing. However, the not so good consequence of this is that Hollywood tries to force the characters and their adventures onto the silver screen.
The theme for Summer Reading Program for teens "You Are Here", is appropriate when reading the series mentioned above. Each of these series take readers to another place and time that is new, exciting and vastly different from the world that teens are familiar with daily. By placing the reader squarely in the middle of New York City battling ancient Greek mythological monsters, or playing a game of Quidditch along side Harry or getting caught in a survival of the fittest game against Katniss, each of these situations challenges the reader to put themselves in the character's shoes. In the mind's eye the action is exciting and real enough to smell, see and feel everything that the characters are experiencing. Questions come up such as, would the readers make the same decisions that the character made or could a better solution be found? The ultimate question comes down to whether the ride with the characters was satisfying or is there a desire for more stories and adventures? If the story is really good, and with all three of these series it is, the answer is YES, then the trip is worth it and more please. Having said this, who needs the silver screen to help with the imagery?
Reading demands that teens actively turn on their imagination and drift into another time and place. While Percy, Harry and Katniss have the lasting power in books, they also share something else in common. They are all, or soon will be, on the silver screen. Hollywood has taken popular book titles and turned them into movies for years. From a reader's point of view this could be the WORST thing to happen for an author and the beloved characters. Sure, this means that the book is a huge commercial success once it is picked to go on the big screen. However, at what price is it worth the "prestige"? Granted the Harry Potter films remained true to Rowling's work, the same can not be said for Percy Jackson. A serious mistake was made when they omitted Clarrise in the movie. Seriously, she plays such a huge role in the first book that it was hard to believe that she never appeared in the movie. Not even once. As for the Hunger Games, who knows what Hollywood will drop from the plot. It is almost enough incentive to say "pass" when the movie comes out.
The argument can be made that the movie versions of the book can inspire teens to read the books. In some cases, that may very well be true. Although, there is a risk that the difference between the book and the film may be enough to disappoint the reader. The silver screen robs the reader of the joy of stirring the imagination. What's there to imagine what Katniss looks like in her "fire" outfit when the image is right there on the screen? Imaginations need to be exercised on a regular basis. This is precisely why reading is so important. A healthy dose of imaginations prepares the mind to think outside the box and dream of creative ideas. The silver screen may have its uses, but nothing beats a healthy imagination fed by good stories. Perhaps, instead of grabbing every young adult novel and turning into a movie, Hollywood should consider using their own creativity to come up with stories.
As everyone will be clamoring for tickets to see the midnight showing of the last Harry Potter film, this blogger will be safe at home reading the next book of the Kane Chronicles. As each page is turned, fingers will be crossed in hopes that Hollywood leaves this series alone and allow teens to exercise their minds to explore, imagine and enjoy Riordian's tale.
The theme for Summer Reading Program for teens "You Are Here", is appropriate when reading the series mentioned above. Each of these series take readers to another place and time that is new, exciting and vastly different from the world that teens are familiar with daily. By placing the reader squarely in the middle of New York City battling ancient Greek mythological monsters, or playing a game of Quidditch along side Harry or getting caught in a survival of the fittest game against Katniss, each of these situations challenges the reader to put themselves in the character's shoes. In the mind's eye the action is exciting and real enough to smell, see and feel everything that the characters are experiencing. Questions come up such as, would the readers make the same decisions that the character made or could a better solution be found? The ultimate question comes down to whether the ride with the characters was satisfying or is there a desire for more stories and adventures? If the story is really good, and with all three of these series it is, the answer is YES, then the trip is worth it and more please. Having said this, who needs the silver screen to help with the imagery?
Reading demands that teens actively turn on their imagination and drift into another time and place. While Percy, Harry and Katniss have the lasting power in books, they also share something else in common. They are all, or soon will be, on the silver screen. Hollywood has taken popular book titles and turned them into movies for years. From a reader's point of view this could be the WORST thing to happen for an author and the beloved characters. Sure, this means that the book is a huge commercial success once it is picked to go on the big screen. However, at what price is it worth the "prestige"? Granted the Harry Potter films remained true to Rowling's work, the same can not be said for Percy Jackson. A serious mistake was made when they omitted Clarrise in the movie. Seriously, she plays such a huge role in the first book that it was hard to believe that she never appeared in the movie. Not even once. As for the Hunger Games, who knows what Hollywood will drop from the plot. It is almost enough incentive to say "pass" when the movie comes out.
The argument can be made that the movie versions of the book can inspire teens to read the books. In some cases, that may very well be true. Although, there is a risk that the difference between the book and the film may be enough to disappoint the reader. The silver screen robs the reader of the joy of stirring the imagination. What's there to imagine what Katniss looks like in her "fire" outfit when the image is right there on the screen? Imaginations need to be exercised on a regular basis. This is precisely why reading is so important. A healthy dose of imaginations prepares the mind to think outside the box and dream of creative ideas. The silver screen may have its uses, but nothing beats a healthy imagination fed by good stories. Perhaps, instead of grabbing every young adult novel and turning into a movie, Hollywood should consider using their own creativity to come up with stories.
As everyone will be clamoring for tickets to see the midnight showing of the last Harry Potter film, this blogger will be safe at home reading the next book of the Kane Chronicles. As each page is turned, fingers will be crossed in hopes that Hollywood leaves this series alone and allow teens to exercise their minds to explore, imagine and enjoy Riordian's tale.
Saturday, October 23, 2010
Musings on Teen Read Week
The third week of October is a unique for teens and YA literature. When ALA decided to dedicate the week to Teen Reading with its inception in 1998, they truly stumbled on a great idea. This week long celabration would have nice to have back in the seventies. Maybe we didn't have this week because adults figured kids would read eventually. As a matter of fact, going out on a limb here, but getting a teen to read forty or so years ago may not have been as difficult as it has become today. Way back in the dark ages, as teens in my library describe that era, there were no video games, cable TV or computers to compete with teens’ attention. After all, there were three major network channels and they went off air (yes, that means no programming) at around 1:00 AM. The only thing that could ruin an evening is if the President was going to make a national address or the power went out. (For my younger readers of this blog, if the President was on TV he was on all three channels! Yippee, right? ) Today’s teens have so many more distractions. I don’t believe I could count them all on one hand or even both hands. The list begins with cell phones and ends at ripping songs off the net and the all time favorite texting!
When do today’s teen find time to read? The good news is that they are making time to read. Why? Because of Teen Read Week? Partially. However, it is probably due to the fact there are so many talented YA authors that keep their interests up and imagination flowing.
This is precisely why adults are a bit jealous of today’s teens. Never mind the fact that they have cooler toys than we could have ever dreamed of but they have such great authors that it blows our mind. Don’t get me wrong. Judy Blume, S.E. Hinton and Robert Cormier all have a tender spot in my heart, but today’s author’s are going places that could never be imagined until now. As a Youth Services librarian, it is a perk for me not only to read the array of YA books, but as an added bonus it’s a real hoot to talk to teens about our favorite characters in the series. In the past decade there have been a steady flow of authors who have stimulated the imagination, challenging teens and adults to discuss topics from alcoholism, suicide, the supernatural and reality games with deadly consequences. Readers have much to choose from that it has become difficult to decide which book or series to read first.
It is hard to pick a favorite chracters among the new comers that have graced YA pages. Percy Jackson has taken us on flights of mythological fantasy better than old Odysseus did in his day. Grace and Connor of Vampirates are the dynamic brother and sister team that can beat pirates and vampires with their arms tied behind their backs. Let’s not forget how Katniss Everdeen of Hugner Games proved beyond a shadow of a doubt that girls are strong, smart and survivors. These brash new breed of characters support the theory that reading for entertainment among young readers is not going to stop anytime soon. That is welcomed news to librarians who serve teens, but also it should be great news for educators and parents too. Today’s YA authors have not only found the heart of where teens think, dream and live but they ahve also sparked interest in finding other treasures, old and new, for them to enjoy.
With so many great novels it is hard to believe that there are teens who are missing out on the rich stories because they don’t like to read. That remains the one constant element for professional librarians serving teens, reaching out to reluctant readers. Teen Read Week themes help grab teens attention, but ultimately it is the books that get them hooked. Maybe this is a Pollyanna dream to have but hopefully one year, Teen Read Week will entice 100 % of teens in America to read for entertainment. Yes, I know lofty goal but it is worth the effort to achieve. Besides, with rich stories lining up on the shelves or ready for downloads, it just may be that we will reach that goal sooner rather than later.
When do today’s teen find time to read? The good news is that they are making time to read. Why? Because of Teen Read Week? Partially. However, it is probably due to the fact there are so many talented YA authors that keep their interests up and imagination flowing.
This is precisely why adults are a bit jealous of today’s teens. Never mind the fact that they have cooler toys than we could have ever dreamed of but they have such great authors that it blows our mind. Don’t get me wrong. Judy Blume, S.E. Hinton and Robert Cormier all have a tender spot in my heart, but today’s author’s are going places that could never be imagined until now. As a Youth Services librarian, it is a perk for me not only to read the array of YA books, but as an added bonus it’s a real hoot to talk to teens about our favorite characters in the series. In the past decade there have been a steady flow of authors who have stimulated the imagination, challenging teens and adults to discuss topics from alcoholism, suicide, the supernatural and reality games with deadly consequences. Readers have much to choose from that it has become difficult to decide which book or series to read first.
It is hard to pick a favorite chracters among the new comers that have graced YA pages. Percy Jackson has taken us on flights of mythological fantasy better than old Odysseus did in his day. Grace and Connor of Vampirates are the dynamic brother and sister team that can beat pirates and vampires with their arms tied behind their backs. Let’s not forget how Katniss Everdeen of Hugner Games proved beyond a shadow of a doubt that girls are strong, smart and survivors. These brash new breed of characters support the theory that reading for entertainment among young readers is not going to stop anytime soon. That is welcomed news to librarians who serve teens, but also it should be great news for educators and parents too. Today’s YA authors have not only found the heart of where teens think, dream and live but they ahve also sparked interest in finding other treasures, old and new, for them to enjoy.
With so many great novels it is hard to believe that there are teens who are missing out on the rich stories because they don’t like to read. That remains the one constant element for professional librarians serving teens, reaching out to reluctant readers. Teen Read Week themes help grab teens attention, but ultimately it is the books that get them hooked. Maybe this is a Pollyanna dream to have but hopefully one year, Teen Read Week will entice 100 % of teens in America to read for entertainment. Yes, I know lofty goal but it is worth the effort to achieve. Besides, with rich stories lining up on the shelves or ready for downloads, it just may be that we will reach that goal sooner rather than later.
Friday, February 19, 2010
Don't Judge a Book By It's Movie... Percy Jackson
Percy Jackson books are a hit again. Since the movie was released on February 12, the books have not been on our shelves at the library. Which is a good thing. The series is wonderful! Every book in the series is a page turner. So why get all upset about the movie? The only good thing that the movie has done for the series is getting more readers for the series. Other than that, it proves that not all books should be made into movies. Which is a disappointment, because Riordian's series seemed to spell out movie magic, instead it was movie hack job. Sorry, it didn't do the book justice and here's why.
The movie lacked the suspense that the carried the series. Reading The Lightning Thief, it was hard to pick out who was the real thief. What the movie did was pick out one other camp member besides Anna Beth and Grover, which happened to be Luke, as a way of pointing out the possible thief. Good let's just point the finger at the only person in the camp as he possible thief. Wouldn't you know it? The thief was Luke. Didn't see that coming? Than you must slept through the movie. One of the most memorable character of the series was no where to be found. Clarisse is a character everyone loves to hate. She has all the elements of the arch enemy but in a pinch you want her on the hero's side. So where was she? For that matter where were Ares and his cool motorcycle, Dionysus, the Wine god who had a bad attitude or The Fates, the three women who hint at Percy's destiny. So many wonderful supporting characters that would have added more depth to the movie, were eliminated. The movie cuts her out. To bad, the director missed out on a golden opportunity to add the suspense that was desperately needed.
What else was missing? Percy's mission. Throughout the series the mention of how Percy was to be the "one" that all the prophecies spoke about. This demigod. son of Poseidon, would either destroy the gods or save them. There was no mention of this mighty mission. Instead, Percy was thrown into the middle of a war between gods over Zeus' lightning bolt. There is no clue to Percy's destiny other than getting his name cleared. The meeting with Zeus on Mount Olympus was less than satisfying to say the least. When Zeus asks why Luke would want to steal the bolt, Percy answers lamely that Luke wanted more power. Duh! It left the question hanging, Why? Was he working alone? Does he want power for himself? Nope just wanted the gods to destroy themselves so he can have power.
The books let the reader escape reality for a while. It is pure entertainment. Hollywood always tries to add a commentary that they feel is relevant from the headlines. Examples of this in the movie comes at least twice. First when Grover explains to Percy that demigods are everywhere even in the White House. Okay, we get it. Hollywood loves Obama, but does it have to put that in the movie. It is so cheesy. Again, Grover’s got something to say about reality when he tries to pay for the fare across the river Styx. When his money bursts into flames, he makes the statement about the recession. The whole reason to go to the movie is to escape from reality. Politics has no place in this story.
Besides basically re-writing Percy’s story. The acting in the film was average. The only bright spot, was Medusa. Uma Thurman did a wonderful job protraying the most feared woman in Greek Mythology. Too bad her presense in the movie was brief. The casting of Pierce Brosnan as Chiron was fatal. Brosnan’s performance was not up to par. It was very hard to get past the fact that James Bond is now half man/half horse. Shouldn’t Brosnan, with his stunning good looks, been one of the gods? (Minor complaint that has nothing to do with the book to be sure, however still worth mentionng.) The casting of Logan Leman as Percy was perfect if all the Producer was interested in was someone who “looked” like Percy. Other than that, he and his co-stars Brandon T. Jackson and Alexandra Daddario couldn’t bring the charactes alive. Could it be that the script gave them so little to be inspried by?
If Hollywood decides to go ahead with the series and release Sea of Monsters, I will pass. Instead, I’ll pick up the book and get lost in between the pages using my own immagination to create the scenes of the book. I’m sure it will be much more satisfying.
The movie lacked the suspense that the carried the series. Reading The Lightning Thief, it was hard to pick out who was the real thief. What the movie did was pick out one other camp member besides Anna Beth and Grover, which happened to be Luke, as a way of pointing out the possible thief. Good let's just point the finger at the only person in the camp as he possible thief. Wouldn't you know it? The thief was Luke. Didn't see that coming? Than you must slept through the movie. One of the most memorable character of the series was no where to be found. Clarisse is a character everyone loves to hate. She has all the elements of the arch enemy but in a pinch you want her on the hero's side. So where was she? For that matter where were Ares and his cool motorcycle, Dionysus, the Wine god who had a bad attitude or The Fates, the three women who hint at Percy's destiny. So many wonderful supporting characters that would have added more depth to the movie, were eliminated. The movie cuts her out. To bad, the director missed out on a golden opportunity to add the suspense that was desperately needed.
What else was missing? Percy's mission. Throughout the series the mention of how Percy was to be the "one" that all the prophecies spoke about. This demigod. son of Poseidon, would either destroy the gods or save them. There was no mention of this mighty mission. Instead, Percy was thrown into the middle of a war between gods over Zeus' lightning bolt. There is no clue to Percy's destiny other than getting his name cleared. The meeting with Zeus on Mount Olympus was less than satisfying to say the least. When Zeus asks why Luke would want to steal the bolt, Percy answers lamely that Luke wanted more power. Duh! It left the question hanging, Why? Was he working alone? Does he want power for himself? Nope just wanted the gods to destroy themselves so he can have power.
The books let the reader escape reality for a while. It is pure entertainment. Hollywood always tries to add a commentary that they feel is relevant from the headlines. Examples of this in the movie comes at least twice. First when Grover explains to Percy that demigods are everywhere even in the White House. Okay, we get it. Hollywood loves Obama, but does it have to put that in the movie. It is so cheesy. Again, Grover’s got something to say about reality when he tries to pay for the fare across the river Styx. When his money bursts into flames, he makes the statement about the recession. The whole reason to go to the movie is to escape from reality. Politics has no place in this story.
Besides basically re-writing Percy’s story. The acting in the film was average. The only bright spot, was Medusa. Uma Thurman did a wonderful job protraying the most feared woman in Greek Mythology. Too bad her presense in the movie was brief. The casting of Pierce Brosnan as Chiron was fatal. Brosnan’s performance was not up to par. It was very hard to get past the fact that James Bond is now half man/half horse. Shouldn’t Brosnan, with his stunning good looks, been one of the gods? (Minor complaint that has nothing to do with the book to be sure, however still worth mentionng.) The casting of Logan Leman as Percy was perfect if all the Producer was interested in was someone who “looked” like Percy. Other than that, he and his co-stars Brandon T. Jackson and Alexandra Daddario couldn’t bring the charactes alive. Could it be that the script gave them so little to be inspried by?
If Hollywood decides to go ahead with the series and release Sea of Monsters, I will pass. Instead, I’ll pick up the book and get lost in between the pages using my own immagination to create the scenes of the book. I’m sure it will be much more satisfying.
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