An Old Book Republished: The Secret River

  Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings (1896-1953), the author of The Yearling, wrote only one book that was not intended for adult readers. That book was The Secret River, which was originally published posthumously in 1956. It has been republished with new and striking illustrations by Leo and Dianne Dillon, two-time Caldecott Medal winners.



Although The Yearling is read by many youngsters, fewer of them were ever introduced to a little girl named Calpurnia--a budding poet--and her little dog, Buggy-horse.

The Secret River is a tale--not quite a fairy tale, but with magical and surprising elements. Hard times have fallen on the forest, and her father can catch no fish to sell at his fish market. Calpurnia decides to find some fish to catch to help her father, and seeks out the help of Mother Albirtha, the wisest person in the forest. Mother Albirtha tells Calpurnia about the Secret River, and that the only way to find it is to follow your nose.

Calpurnia thinks Mother Albirtha's directions are silly, but does as she is told. As forest creatures catch her eye, she turns her head and finds a new direction to follow. Before long, she emerges from the forest onto the banks of a river she had never seen. Calpurnia and Buggy-horse catch so many fish--especially catfish--that they are almost unable to carry them home.

It is dark when Calpurnia and her dog head for home, and they meet several hungry creatures along the way. Calpurnia gives each a catfish or two, and then realizes they are lost. Once again, she decides to follow her nose. Soon she finds herself at Mother Albirtha's place, gives her a fish, and makes her way home, still carrying enough fish for her father's market.

Some time later, Calpurnia once more seeks out the Secret River, following her nose but never reaching its banks. When she tells Mother Albirtha, the old woman explains that the river allows itself to be found only when there is a need. However, the river exists in her mind and Calpurnia can see it any time she wants simply by closing her eyes and picturing it.


The publisher recommends this book for children aged 4 to 8 years, but it is a lovely story for older children to read aloud to younger siblings or just for their personal enjoyment, especially of the beautiful illustrations. This is a book that is certain to become a favorite.
















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Effa Manley Loved Baseball

She Loved Baseball: The Effa Manley Story is beautifully written by Audrey Vernick and illustrated by Don Tate. The book tells several stories: the Negro baseball leagues and their contributions to major league baseball, a woman brave enough to organize boycotts of white-owned businesses in New York's Harlem that employed no people of color, and the first woman to be honored by the National Baseball Hall of Fame for her contributions and hard work to have great players from the Negro baseball leagues honored.

Intended for the 5- to 10-year-old age range, this is a brief biography that could easily interest older readers and motivate them to learn more about Effa Manley and her work--not only in baseball, but in civil rights movements as well. Although Effa serves as a great role model for girls, it is more a story about how one person can help change the way many people think. Effa made people question what is right rather than drift along with the status quo. Don Tate's illustrations complement the prose, and add emotional charge to Vernick's words.

Whether for Black History Month or just for fun, She Loved Baseball is a great little book that concentrates on a woman involved with America's national sport. However, in just a few pages, it also covers a lifetime of achievement by one woman. Everyone can enjoy this book.
















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Chains: A Book about Slavery in the Northern Colonies

Most books about slavery seem to deal with slavery in the southern colonies/states. Thus, many people believe that slavery was not an issue in the northern states around the time of the American Revolution. Chains, by Laurie Halse Anderson, is told from the point of view of Isabel, a young Negro 'tween, and gives 'tweens and teens a personalized trip into the life of a girl who experienced slavery under kindly owners and under more abusive owners in the North.  It is a book that deals with separation from family in Rhode Island and life as a slave in New York City.  It deals with the death of a mother, and the sale of a sister.  It also deals with the politics of the time--especially how both the rebels and the British military used American slaves to further their own aims.  Even Isabel became embroiled in the politics, despite a vow to stay away from them.  But Chains is also a story of caring, which sometimes came from unlikely sources.

Chains, aside from being an interesting fictionalized historical journal, is narrated by Isabel in the language of the times.  The story spans about eight months of the revolutionary period, from May of 1776 through January of 1777.  During this period, British soldiers in New York took over homes of wealthier colonial rebels after reestablishing British control, and allowed less affluent Tories (British sympathizers) to do the same.  This period was a time of heavy American losses in the fight for freedom--but freedom can mean more than political separation from a country far across the seas.

In Chains, each chapter is introduced with an important quotation from patriots, newspaper items, and the Declaration of Independence, or an excerpt from actual letters found in historical archives.  These sources range from familiar names such as Ben Franklin, Thomas Jefferson, and King George, to unknown British and American soldiers, Tories, and unknown Londoners.  Despite the colloquialisms of the time, the language is easy to understand.  Many readers will be interested in how American English has both changed and endured.

Of particular interest to me was the descriptions of life in revolutionary New York City.  Some of the sites mentioned by Isabel exist today only as plaques, but the names of neighborhoods in lower Manhattan remain the same.  It is difficult for modern New Yorkers and visitors to imagine parts of Manhattan--especially upper Manhattan--s wilderness, but large cities during this period were not what large cities are today, and the author reminds us of this.

Chains is an excellent book for readers 10 and older, and is good enough to hold the interest of adults. Whether Chains is read during Black History Month or another part of the year, it is an great read.  But adults should be warned--you might learn something new!
















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