MMGM: Nim's Island

Today's Marvelous Middle Grade Monday pick:

Nim's Island, by Wendy Orr
Cover by Chris Riddell

Nim's Island

Written by Wendy Orr
Illustrated by Kerry Millard
Allen & Unwin, 1999
Ages 7-10, Lexile 930L
128 pp, 21500 words


Themes:
father-daughter relationship, tropical adventure


Opening:
"In a palm tree, on an island, in the middle of the wide blue sea, was a girl.

"Nim's hair was wild, her eyes were bright, and round her neck she wore three cords. One was for a spyglass, one for a whirly, whistling shell and the other a fat, red pocketknife in a sheath.

"With the spyglass at her eye, she watched her father's boat. It sailed out through the reef to the deeper dark ocean, and Jack turned to wave and Nim waved back, though she knew he couldn't see.

"Then the white sails caught the wind and blew him out of sight, and Nim was alone. For three days and three nights, whatever happened or needed doing, Nim would do it."


Thoughts:
Nim is a young girl who lives on a volcanic island with her scientist father. When her dad leaves her alone during a three day expedition, Nim must use all her ingenuity and imagination to tackle the adventures that befall her. She is aided by a seal and an iguana who show remarkable intelligence. In tough times, Nim asks advice from her favorite author via email. Despite the dangers, this scrappy heroine protects her island's inhabitants and herself.

I loved this book, discovering it only after I had seen the movie. When you're looking for capable female characters, consider Nim whose independent spirit, boundless imagination, and generous heart see her through both emotional and physical crises.The story is full of scientific exploration, stewardship principles, and just plain fun.You'll find my review of the movie on last Friday's Summer Drive-In.


Bonus: 
1. There are more Nim books by this dynamic author/ illustrator duo. Check out the sequels and collections on Wendy's website.

Nim at Sea,
just one of the available stories
featuring Nim and her friends

2. Looking for books with a similar vibe? You might try the nonfiction Girls Who Looked Under Rocks and Finding Wonders, by Jeannine Atkins or Island of the Aunts, by Eva Ibbotson.

Finding Wonders
by Jeannine Atkins,
Cover by Victoria Assanelli

Island of the Aunts,
by Eva Ibbotson
Cover by Kevin Hawkes

3. Other MMGM bloggers recommend

The Unwanteds, by Lisa McMann, reviewed by Shannon Messenger and Michelle Mason.
The Swiss Family Robinson, by Johann Wyss, reviewed here on Bookish Ambition.
Shipwreck Island, by S. A. Bodeen reviewed by The Reading Nook Reviews
The Explorers, by Adrienne Kress and Orphan Island, by Laurel Snyder, both reviewed by Word Spelunking.

4. Liberty Hill House posted all about their chapter-by-chapter classroom activities while they read Nim's Island. You'll find awesome crafts, field trips, and activities. The author also made a companion book with crafts and recipes, available on Amazon Kindle.

Check out the  Summer Drive-In review of the Nim's Island movie, from August 25, 2017.
View all the Summer Drive-In reviews for 2017.

Check out all the recommended titles for Marvelous Middle Grade Monday for August 28, 2017 available on Shannon Messenger's Ramblings of a Wannabe Scribe.

Feel free to leave your MG recommendations in the comments. Thanks!

MMGM: The Swiss Family Robinson

Today's Marvelous Middle Grade Monday pick:

The Swiss Family Robinson, by Johann Wyss

The Swiss Family Robinson

Written by Johann Wyss
Penguin Puffin, 2009
first English Translation. Godwin, 1814
Ages 10 and up, Lexile 540L
496 pages, 108,000 words


Themes:
Family, Adventure, Science


Opening:
For many days we had been tempest-tossed. Six times had the darkness closed over a wild and terrific scene. Returning light as often brought but renewed distress, for the raging storm increased in fury until on the seventh day all hope was lost. We were driven completely out of our course; no conjecture could be formed as to our whereabouts The crew had lost heart, and were utterly exhausted by incessant labour.
       The riven masts had gone by the board. Leaks had been sprung in every direction. The water, which rushed in, gained upon us rapidly. Instead of reckless oaths, the seamen now uttered frantic cries to God for mercy, mingled with strange and often ludicrous vows to be performed should deliverance be granted. Every man on board alternately commended his soul to his Creator and strove to bethink himself by some means of saving his life.
       My heart sank as I looked round upon my family in the midst of these horrors. Our four young sons were overpowered by terror. "Dear children," said I, "if the Lord will, He can save us even from this fearful peril."


Thoughts:
The Swiss Family Robinson tells the story of a family of Swiss colonists who get shipwrecked on a deserted tropical island. They salvage wreckage to build homes in various locations on the island, and attempt dozens of experiments to survive. The Robinsons build boats, breed livestock, grind flour, spin flax, excavate caves, and learn blacksmithing. Each new craft is explained in detail along with facts about animals from all parts of the world. The book was written at the dawn of the nineteenth century, so be warned the characters shoot and eat every animal they encounter. They subdue the land in true colonial fashion which some people will find offensive. But at the heart of the book is the story of a family working together to survive the threats and terrors of a wholly alien landscape.

The Swiss Family Robinson was written with the intent to educate the author's children. It has been inspiring admirers and firing the imagination for over two hundred years. I read this book as a child and, being a daughter of the sixties, I dreamed of living in a tree house (still do.) When I reread the book as an adult I found I didn't remember much at all. Whether that was the result of maturity or originally having read a retelling, I cannot say. Honestly, as I pored over the detailed scientific processes, I wondered if the book would interest my children. For insurance I also bought the Educator's Classic Library annotated edition. And while I still recommend the annotated version for its fascinating content, I can wholeheartedly say my children loved reading the book aloud and still enjoy the audiobook version narrated by Frederick Davidson.

Most unabridged editions are from the same translation, but you'll find several different endings, as the author never settled on just one. I normally eschew adaptations, but in this case, as long as it still contains fascinating animal adventures and clever inventions, a retelling may be just the ticket to excite a sense of wonder in a young reader.


You'll find a book-movie comparison on last Friday's Summer Drive-In.


Bonus: 
1. The adventures of the Robinsons have been illustrated by a variety of artists over the years. Louis Rhead, Milo Winter, and the author's son, Johann Emannuel Wyss. Cover artists are too many to list.

2. Other MMGM bloggers recommend books with a similar vibe:

Both Reading Nook and Always in the Middle review Shipwreck Island on their respective blogs.
Ms. Yingling recommends the non-fiction finds  Survival and Pirates and Shipwreck.
Michelle Mason suggests The Map to Everywhere.
Reading Violet reviewed the first two books in the Crusoe Adventure Series, Dawn of Spies and Day of Ice.
For contemporary tree house story, That's Another Story suggests The Great Treehouse War.
And for treehouse-related mayhem, Alice Marvels reviews The 13-Story Treehouse.

3. Other island adventure classics include quintessential N. C. Wyeth standards

Robinson Crusoe,
by Daniel Defoe

Treasure Island,
by Robert Louis Stevenson

Contemporary survival stories

Hatchet, by Gary Paulson

Shipwreck, book 1: Island
by Gordon Korman

Stories of adventure

Treasure Hunters series,
by James Patterson

Adventure Island series,
by Helen Moss

View all the Summer Drive-In reviews for 2017.

Check out all the recommended titles for Marvelous Middle Grade Monday for August 14, 2017 available on Shannon Messenger's Ramblings of a Wannabe Scribe.

Feel free to leave your MG recommendations in the comments. Thanks!

Now Playing: The Swiss Family Robinson

Perfect Picture Book Friday will return in September.
Until then,

Welcome to the Bookish Ambition 

Summer Drive-In

The Circle Drive-In from my childhood. Still open and now with double features on two screens!

Now Playing: 
The Swiss Family Robinson
Written by Johann Wyss
First publication 1812, first English Translation, Godwin, 1814
Penguin Random House, 2007
Ages 10 and up, Lexile 540L

Swiss Family Robinson, Disney, 1960

Adult edition of The Swiss Family Robinson,
Penguin Random House, 2007

Highlights from the book? 

• High-adventure
• Educational: everything from candle making to sugar production
• Scope for the imagination
• Frequent Christian themes

Highlights from the movie?

• Classic mid-century cinema
• Action and humor
• Dream sets and locations
• Feel-good family movie
• The treehouse!
• Coconut bombs
• Great danes

Opening:

"For many days we had been tempest-tossed. Six times had the darkness closed over a wild and terrific scene. Returning light as often brought but renewed distress, for the raging storm increased in fury until on the seventh day all hope was lost."


Movie Trailer:

The Swiss Family Robinson was written to educate the author's children in an entertaining format. He incorporates his Christian principle as well as various scientific pursuits and facts about dozens of animal species, all from the eighteenth century man's perspective. The family encounters dangers from animals, storms, seasons, and outsiders. They struggle not only to survive but to thrive. Although the story is far-fetched and sometimes encyclopedic, it lights a spark in the imagination. It reads like a bible for the current makers movement. Despite the colonial mindset of  the characters (and the fact they kill and cook every animal that moves) the book makes for good family reading, inspiring readers to question past assumptions and delve into creative projects. Try a variety of English translation, retellings, graphic novels, or audiobook versions.

Reminisce with intermission commercials
from Captain Bijou on You Tube.

Visit Our Snackbar!

We haven't yet mentioned that staple of summer, ice cream!

Stroll to the snack bar during intermission for a Good Humor eclair on a stick or Nestle Drumstick, sundae in a cone.

It's tough to take ice cream to the drive in, but Let's Dish has created "ice cream" cookie sandwiches which are good for on-the-go. Creator Danielle adapts a cool whip/instant pudding recipe I've used for years and sandwiches it between chocolate chip goodness. (Try it with soft peanut butter cookies, too!)

Nostalgic for a drive-in movie?
There are over 5,000 drive-in theaters across the U.S. mapped for you on Cinema Treasures.

The country's second oldest drive-in movie theater, Shankweiler's, opened in 1934.

Visit Shankweiler's Drive-In in Orefield, PA. Still operating after 84 years.

Shankweiler's, the oldest continuously operating
drive-in theater in the United States.

Have you seen any screen adaptations of The Swiss Family Robinson? What's your opinion?

Have you reviewed the book? Please leave the link in the comments below. Thanks!

View all the Summer Drive-In reviews for 2017.
Check out the Marvelous Middle Grade Monday review of The Swiss Family Robinson, coming August 14, 2017.