Jennifer, Hecate, Macbeth, William McKinley, and Me (1967)
Written: May 31 '00 (Updated Jun 01 '00)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Funny, sweet
Cons: None!
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| fdknight's Full Review: |
E.L. Konigsburg probably wasn't too upset when this book lost the Newbery Medal in 1968. The winner was her own From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler. I, however, think the wrong book was chosen. Although Mixed-Up Files is a wonderful novel, I don't think it's as funny or as profound as this one is.
Apprentice Witch
New in town and stuck in a too-small pilgrim costume, Elizabeth is lonely on Halloween. Things get interesting when she meets Jennifer, a girl who is wearing a genuine antique pilgrim costume and claims to be a real-life witch. After trick or treating together, Jennifer offers to make Elizabeth her apprentice. Elizabeth agrees, even though it means eating a different strange food each week (raw eggs, raw hot dogs, raw onions, coffee.) Elizabeth will become full-fledged witch when the girls complete their flying ointment, a project that involves assembling many ingredients. One of those ingredients leads Jennifer to give Elizabeth a warning patterned after the warning that Shakespeare's witches give to Macbeth.
Just Good Friends
The plot is less significant here than the characters, who are delightfully real. Elizabeth tells us that she is an only child, a picky eater, and a nag. Although she doesn't seem aware of it, she is also thrilled to be chosen by someone as special as Jennifer.
Whether or not she is a witch, Jennifer is a remarkable character. She can walk without looking where she is going, read seven fat books every week, and produce watermelon in the middle of winter. Her trick or treat routine (which wins her a wagon full of candy) is hilarious and fiendishly clever. As she proved in the recent A View From Saturday, another Newbery Medal winner, Konigsburg is especially adept at portraying the gifted child. Jennifer and Elizabeth, with their interesting conversation and critical observations, are realistically intelligent kids.
I love Elizabeth's family, especially her anxious, wisecracking mother. A highlight of the book is the visit of her father's Aunt Drusilla and Uncle Frank, who drive Elizabeth's mother crazy by spreading seeds all over the place during every meal. Elizabeth is fascinated by their eating habits (she steals samples of many of their odd food for the flying ointment) and their speech habits, which require them to speak only in questions and to repeat everything the other says.
Being Normal
Although she is bright, Elizabeth's mother worries about her. The book is best summed up by a conversation between her parents that Elizabeth overhears:
I had heard my mother and father discussing me one night when they thought I was asleep. My mother told my father that she didn't think it was normal for me to be happy without friends. My father told her that a usual body temperature was 98.6 degrees, but some people were healthy with a temperature of 98.4 degrees. That was normal for them "So who's to say what normal is?" my father said. My mother seemed to understand.
Through her relationship with Jennifer, Elizabeth grows to accept and to enjoy being normal with a temperature of 98.4. Shortly after the above conversation, her mother forces her to go to a birthday party for Cynthia, Elizabeth's least favorite classmate. Elizabeth hates Cynthia because she is mean whenever adults are not around and two-faced sweet when they are. Predictably cast as a princess in the class play, Cynthia is a wonderfully funny, true to life villain.
Elizabeth especially dreads the party because of the taboos she has to follow as a journeyman witch, and the special instructions Jennifer has given, forbidding her to eat cake or play musical chairs. Since she has to be different, she finally decides to enjoy it, amazing the other girls by finding the treasure in the treasure hunt immediately (it was hidden in the couch she was sitting on), winning the clothespin drop (she's the shortest), and accurately saying who each present was from (she arrived at the party first.)
I don't think very many of us feel like we really have a temperature of 98.6. Although lots of children's books teach that being different is good, I think this book is unusually convincing because it doesn't preach. It makes its points subtly and well.
Race could hardly be handled more subtly. Apart from Konisburg's wonderful illustrations, the only time Jennifer's race is mentioned is when Elizabeth recognizes her mother at a school play because "she was the only Negro mother there." It was a bold move in 1967 to make no issue at all of a friendship between a white girl and an African-American girl, and it pays off in a book which is sweetly realistic.
Warnings
I don't think there are any kids' books that won't offend someone. Although it was accepted terminology when the book was written, kids may need some help dealing with the word Negro (the use mentioned above is the only one in the book.) I guess it's possible that some people who are especially sensitive to stereotypes may be offended by the fact that Jennifer gives Elizabeth a watermelon. Even though the witchcraft in this book is not supposed to be real, I think some parents would be bothered by the fact that the girls spend much time chanting spells and trying to be witches. The book does say that witches are bad, so it may also offend some followers of Wicca. The girls aren't bad, nor do they try to be, but Jennifer contrasts witches with "good people."
Recommendations
Because it is so short and because the language is such wonderful fun, this book makes a great read aloud. My third grade teacher read it to us, and I have loved it ever since. Like many other adults who read it as kids, it's a book I come back to every couple of years. It never disappoints. Another reason I think it makes an especially good read aloud is that I think even adults who didn't read the book as a child will enjoy its humor. The book is appropriate for grades three through six, with fourth grade probably the very best place for it.
Write-Off
This review is part of a Write-Off celebration of forkids' four hundredth review. She invited Epinions writer's to share their favorite children's books. Other writers planning to participate are:
forkids, Leah, gracef, KristinThomas, caconti, cornelia, conradd, stonehousellc, Grouch, auntnono, halfsweet, taurusmoon, DoubleCoog, caravan70, kcfoxy, mshawpyle, sleestakk, kchowell, emlin, CurtisEdmonds, WorkingMomof2, expono, kimmiko, Bonies7, pogomom, Redlass, poseidon, jrk, sweetpaulie, ErgoPropterHoc
You can easily get to the other reviews by using this page:
http://www.epinions.com/book-Write_off-forkids
Recommended:
Yes
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Member: F. Douglas Knight
Location: Astoria, OR
Reviews written: 115
Trusted by: 101 members
About Me:
When he awakes the summer night is filled with screams.
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