Showing posts with label JTB. Show all posts
Showing posts with label JTB. Show all posts
Thursday, November 27, 2008
Follow up on "Jim the Boy" ~ now he's 17
The Blue Star. By Tony Earley. (Little, Brown, $23.99.) The caring, thoughtful hero of Earley’s engrossing first novel, Jim the Boy, is now 17 and confronting not only the eternal turmoil of love, but also venality and the frightening calls of duty and war.
Tuesday, September 30, 2008
Last chance to vote on a year's worth of books
Voting has been open since the end of August, and you have only one more day to vote. Anyone reading this blog is welcome to vote, so click on your favorites of these twelve ... and also your least favorites in the next poll down the sidebar.
From The Other Side of the Bridge to The Freedom Writers Diary, we've traveled the globe together. Help me remember (in the comments) where we've been.
Essencia Island will continue to be a place for book buddies to talk to each other, so drop by there anytime you want to chat.
From The Other Side of the Bridge to The Freedom Writers Diary, we've traveled the globe together. Help me remember (in the comments) where we've been.
The Other Side of the Bridge (OSB)We have completed a year together, but I think that's enough ... at least for me. I'm sorry, Shirley, but the interest just isn't here. Thanks, Marylyn, for your major effort to make Book Buddies work during August. Thanks to those of you who have read and commented on books we've shared. For now, however, I have decided to devote more time to writing ... and to leading the writers in the Chattanooga region who (foolishly?) try to write the draft of a novel in the 30 days of November. Read about it on Bonnie's NaNoWriMo* 2008 blog.The Boy in the Striped Pajamas (BSP)
Cold Comfort Farm (CCF)
Pictures of Hollis Woods (PHW)
In Lucia's Eyes (ILE)
People of the Book (POB)
The Camel Bookmobile (CB)
Windfalls (WF)
The Devil in the White City (DWC)
Jim the Boy (JTB)
Suite Française (SF)
The Freedom Writers Diary (FWD)
Essencia Island will continue to be a place for book buddies to talk to each other, so drop by there anytime you want to chat.
Thursday, August 28, 2008
Voting for MOST and LEAST enjoyable books
During September 2007, we began to gather ourselves as Book Buddies on this blog. In October 2007, we started reading and discussing books. If you are a current or former Book Buddy, you are invited to vote on the ones you liked MOST and LEAST. If you are a regular ... or even occasional ... reader of our blog, you are also welcome to vote on ones you've read, pro or con.
Please leave a comment on this post about the books, too. Tell us what you did or didn't like about a particular book. Let's see what's been good and bad about this year of plowing through books together.
Oct 2007 ~ The Other Side of the Bridge (OSB) ~ by Mary Lawson
Nov 2007 ~ The Boy in the Striped Pajamas (BSP) ~ by John Boyne
Dec 2007 ~ Cold Comfort Farm (CCF) ~ by Stella Gibbons
Jan 2008 ~ Pictures of Hollis Woods (PHW) ~ by Patricia Reilly Giff
Feb 2008 ~ In Lucia's Eyes (ILE) ~ by Arthur Japin
Mar 2008 ~ People of the Book (POB) ~ by Geraldine Brooks
Apr 2008 ~ The Camel Bookmobile (CB) ~ by Masha Hamilton
May 2008 ~ Windfalls (WF) ~ by Jean Hegland
Jun 2008 ~ The Devil in the White City (DWC) ~ by Erik Larson
Jul 2008 ~ Jim the Boy (JTB) ~ by Tony Earley
Aug 2008 ~ Suite Française (SF) ~ by Irène Némirovsky
Sep 2008 ~ The Freedom Writers Diary (FWD) ~ by The Freedom Writers with Erin Gruwell, 1999
Please leave a comment on this post about the books, too. Tell us what you did or didn't like about a particular book. Let's see what's been good and bad about this year of plowing through books together.
Oct 2007 ~ The Other Side of the Bridge (OSB) ~ by Mary Lawson
Nov 2007 ~ The Boy in the Striped Pajamas (BSP) ~ by John Boyne
Dec 2007 ~ Cold Comfort Farm (CCF) ~ by Stella Gibbons
Jan 2008 ~ Pictures of Hollis Woods (PHW) ~ by Patricia Reilly Giff
Feb 2008 ~ In Lucia's Eyes (ILE) ~ by Arthur Japin
Mar 2008 ~ People of the Book (POB) ~ by Geraldine Brooks
Apr 2008 ~ The Camel Bookmobile (CB) ~ by Masha Hamilton
May 2008 ~ Windfalls (WF) ~ by Jean Hegland
Jun 2008 ~ The Devil in the White City (DWC) ~ by Erik Larson
Jul 2008 ~ Jim the Boy (JTB) ~ by Tony Earley
Aug 2008 ~ Suite Française (SF) ~ by Irène Némirovsky
Sep 2008 ~ The Freedom Writers Diary (FWD) ~ by The Freedom Writers with Erin Gruwell, 1999
Tuesday, August 12, 2008
JTB-DQ ~ Book VI ~ The View from Up Here
Thanks, Jennifer, for coming up with questions for the last section:
21. What do you think of the last section?And these are from questions I found online:
22. What do you think of the book as a whole?
23. What is the significance of the final scene with Jim's grandfather and his two cousins? What realizations does Jim have during this scene?
24. Think about the stories that are told about Jim's father. What is his vision of the kind of man his father was?
25. Both the setting and Jim's life have a simple quality, yet through each flows a more complicated undercurrent. How do the setting and era reflect Jim's character?
26. In just one year, both Jim and the United States experienced tremendous change. How does Earley incorporate the evolving society into Jim's story? Think about education, the economy, electricity, transportation, race relations, and polio. What will Jim experience as society evolves that his uncles and mother never did? How will his adult world differ from theirs?
Monday, August 11, 2008
Jim the Boy -- Book VI: The View from Up Here
Our Boy
This last section had a lot of description of the scenery and the trip up the mountain along with Jim's thoughts and feelings during it. Mama doesn't want to go with Jim and the uncles but she worries that Jim won't come back. I still don't understand why. I doubt she thought Jim would decide to stay and live with his granddaddy over the uncles and her. The story of the panther and the haint only made Jim more uneasy about the trip than he already was. I also don't understand why the uncles and/or Mama decided Jim needed to go see Penn (and his granddaddy) if he didn't want to. I don't think the uncles should have left Jim alone to see Penn nor should Penn's mama. Jim thinks differently of Penn after seeing his large house and knowing that he has traveled to big cites. I think Jim gave Penn the glove and ball because he simply didn't know what else to do, not wanting to wake Penn, and he felt guilty over the events that happened last time they were together and that he was fine and Penn was not. The visit with Penn didn't go very well. More history of Jim's granddaddy and daddy is given but why exactly his daddy left the mountain isn't told, I don't think. Ada and Rehobeth seem to like Uncles Coran and Al. Jim's granddaddy doesn't respond to him as he is very sick. Jim and the uncles watch the sun set and the lights come on in Aliceville. Mama turns on the porch light at Uncle Zeno's. Jim realizes that Aliceville is a small place in the world, but the center of his life as is his family.
There was no discussion or discussion questions from the sixth and final section of Jim the Boy. Bonnie and Shirley, what did ya'll think of the last section and the book as a whole?
This last section had a lot of description of the scenery and the trip up the mountain along with Jim's thoughts and feelings during it. Mama doesn't want to go with Jim and the uncles but she worries that Jim won't come back. I still don't understand why. I doubt she thought Jim would decide to stay and live with his granddaddy over the uncles and her. The story of the panther and the haint only made Jim more uneasy about the trip than he already was. I also don't understand why the uncles and/or Mama decided Jim needed to go see Penn (and his granddaddy) if he didn't want to. I don't think the uncles should have left Jim alone to see Penn nor should Penn's mama. Jim thinks differently of Penn after seeing his large house and knowing that he has traveled to big cites. I think Jim gave Penn the glove and ball because he simply didn't know what else to do, not wanting to wake Penn, and he felt guilty over the events that happened last time they were together and that he was fine and Penn was not. The visit with Penn didn't go very well. More history of Jim's granddaddy and daddy is given but why exactly his daddy left the mountain isn't told, I don't think. Ada and Rehobeth seem to like Uncles Coran and Al. Jim's granddaddy doesn't respond to him as he is very sick. Jim and the uncles watch the sun set and the lights come on in Aliceville. Mama turns on the porch light at Uncle Zeno's. Jim realizes that Aliceville is a small place in the world, but the center of his life as is his family.
There was no discussion or discussion questions from the sixth and final section of Jim the Boy. Bonnie and Shirley, what did ya'll think of the last section and the book as a whole?
Thursday, August 7, 2008
Jim the Boy -- Book V: Quiet Days
Like the previous section, I thought this section didn't mesh with the beginning of the book either. I don't know if the author just didn't make the transition well when he started going in other directions or what. It just seem discordant. I'm also wondering when Jim's grandpa is going to come into play.
A Game of Catch
There was a lot of rain and everybody was getting on everybody else's nerves. Penn and the mountain boys weren't in school and Jim missed them. On the first sunny day, Jim hears the Carolina Moon stopping and goes to get the uncles. The Moon ran over a cow so it's stopped for awhile. Penn and his father have come down from the mountain. Penn's face is red and shining and his eyes are bright. The conductor tells the boys that Ty Cobb, a baseball player, is on the train but he won't let them on or get them an autograph. I don't think Ty would have minded as much as the conductor thought he would. Uncle Zeno has the idea to have the boys play catch in front of the train, perhaps hoping Ty would see them and come out. Penn wants to use Jim's glove but Jim says no so the catch gets competitive. The boys are angry. Suddenly, Penn falls down and can't move. Something is wrong.
An Afternoon in the Sun
Penn had polio and his father took him back to the mountain, not to the hospital. Aliceville was quarentined. So Jim sat in his room and waited. He felt bad for not sharing with Penn and being angry. He wanted his friend to get better. Abraham came by and brought Jim an apple pie. Pete came by and brought Jim a fossil from his desk saying he was cleaning out and would just throw it away. I think Pete might like Mama. I'd like to see them get together. Whitey came by and gave Jim a Civil War bullet on his way out of town for the last time. He was laid off from his job and going elsewhere to look for work. Jim and Whitey talk about Whitey wanting to marry Mama.
Discussion Questions
18. Why did Jim feel such a strong sense of rivalry toward Penn? What about their pasts and their families' pasts gave them a special bond?
I think Jim had grown up thinking the town boys were superior to the mountain boys. So when he met Penn, they were competitive from the start. After awhile, Jim realized that he actually liked Penn and they became friends. Penn and his father also knew or knew of Jim's grandfather, which bonded them more.
19. Jim has moments of selfishness. How does he begin to take responsibility for his actions as he grows older?
Jim still seems selfish. He wouldn't let Penn use his glove because he only wanted to look good to Ty himself at the expense of his friend.
20. "Penn had polio. The sheriff ... nailed up quarantine notices" (p. 172). Having polio felt like a death penalty to people in the 1930s and 1940s, and I remember not being allowed to swim in a public pool for several summers of my childhood. Polio ruined lives ... and sometimes took lives. If you don't have any stories about polio, see what you can find out about President Franklin D. Roosevelt's polio. News photographers were careful to take pictures when FDR was sitting or already propped up at a microphone.
I have to say it's great that polio is basically eradicated. I remember learning about it when we visited the CDC in Atlanta as a trip for the Biochem department.
A Game of Catch
There was a lot of rain and everybody was getting on everybody else's nerves. Penn and the mountain boys weren't in school and Jim missed them. On the first sunny day, Jim hears the Carolina Moon stopping and goes to get the uncles. The Moon ran over a cow so it's stopped for awhile. Penn and his father have come down from the mountain. Penn's face is red and shining and his eyes are bright. The conductor tells the boys that Ty Cobb, a baseball player, is on the train but he won't let them on or get them an autograph. I don't think Ty would have minded as much as the conductor thought he would. Uncle Zeno has the idea to have the boys play catch in front of the train, perhaps hoping Ty would see them and come out. Penn wants to use Jim's glove but Jim says no so the catch gets competitive. The boys are angry. Suddenly, Penn falls down and can't move. Something is wrong.
An Afternoon in the Sun
Penn had polio and his father took him back to the mountain, not to the hospital. Aliceville was quarentined. So Jim sat in his room and waited. He felt bad for not sharing with Penn and being angry. He wanted his friend to get better. Abraham came by and brought Jim an apple pie. Pete came by and brought Jim a fossil from his desk saying he was cleaning out and would just throw it away. I think Pete might like Mama. I'd like to see them get together. Whitey came by and gave Jim a Civil War bullet on his way out of town for the last time. He was laid off from his job and going elsewhere to look for work. Jim and Whitey talk about Whitey wanting to marry Mama.
Discussion Questions
18. Why did Jim feel such a strong sense of rivalry toward Penn? What about their pasts and their families' pasts gave them a special bond?
I think Jim had grown up thinking the town boys were superior to the mountain boys. So when he met Penn, they were competitive from the start. After awhile, Jim realized that he actually liked Penn and they became friends. Penn and his father also knew or knew of Jim's grandfather, which bonded them more.
19. Jim has moments of selfishness. How does he begin to take responsibility for his actions as he grows older?
Jim still seems selfish. He wouldn't let Penn use his glove because he only wanted to look good to Ty himself at the expense of his friend.
20. "Penn had polio. The sheriff ... nailed up quarantine notices" (p. 172). Having polio felt like a death penalty to people in the 1930s and 1940s, and I remember not being allowed to swim in a public pool for several summers of my childhood. Polio ruined lives ... and sometimes took lives. If you don't have any stories about polio, see what you can find out about President Franklin D. Roosevelt's polio. News photographers were careful to take pictures when FDR was sitting or already propped up at a microphone.
I have to say it's great that polio is basically eradicated. I remember learning about it when we visited the CDC in Atlanta as a trip for the Biochem department.
Wednesday, July 30, 2008
Jim the Boy -- Book IV: Cold Nights
This section seemed out of place with the book so far. Cold Nights could refer to both the temperature on a December night in the mountains of North Carolina and Mama's coldness to Whitey Whiteside's courtship.
Letter from Elizabeth McBride Glass to Ralph Whiteside
Mama is definitely not interested in Whitey. She seems to be only allowing his courtship because the uncles are making her feel guilty about not have a father for Jim.
Christmas Eve
The uncles sneak Jim out to see the electric lights turned on for the first time in Aliceville. The last few paragraphs at the end of this section signify modern times and technology coming to Aliceville, Jim growing up but in school learning and practical knowledge, and change, in general, in the lives of our characters, including Mama.
Letter from Elizabeth McBride Glass to Jim Glass, Sr.
Did writing this letter help Mama sort out her feelings on the matter at hand and make a decision? She stops writing mid-sentence. Why? Is she interrupted and has to physically stop writing or does she just find that she can't go on writing it?
At the Tenant House
Jim is supposed to go sit with the uncles at the store after dinner. Even though, he isn't usually allowed to do this, he decides not to go in when he gets to the store. As he walks through town, he sees Whitey and decides to follow him. Jim follows Whitey to the tenant house where Whitey speaks to Mama from the front porch with his back to her, seemingly at her request. He proposes. It seems like Mama rejects him. Mama is sad at the end of the section. Is it for Jim not getting another father or for herself having to remarry? Mama says Jim's name as if she either let him down in what the uncles think he needs or to remind herself that she's doing it for Jim.
I wondered this at an earlier point in the book but where do Mama and Jim live? The uncles all have houses, where I assume they sleep, even though Mama cooks for them where she lives. They don't seem to live in the tenant house where Mama and her husband had lived. Before I'd thought they lived in Uncle Zeno's house. But now I'm wondering if they live in the home Mama and the Uncle's parents left? They aren't mentioned in the book so I assume they are dead cause it seems like they would have lived in Aliceville too.
Discussion Questions
15. How do Jim's uncles each play the role of father-figure? Do they make up for his father's absence? Should Jim's mother have remarried when she had the chance in order to give Jim a "real" father?
Jim's uncles pay the role of father-figures by teaching Jim life lessons, right and wrong, and by teasing him. I do think the uncles fulfill the father role in Jim's life very adequately. I don't think Jim's mother should have to remarry if she's not interested in remarrying. She seems to be okay financially and Jim has strong male role models in the uncles.
16. Jim's mother turned down the marriage proposal because she believed she had already met and married her one eternal love. Do you believe, as she does, in the idea of eternal love?
I want to say that I do because I'm sure I will always love my husband but I'm not sure I can since I also think it's possible that I'd remarry if something happened to him.
17. In the section on "Christmas Eve" Jim's uncles take him outside to see something special, the change that came to their town that night. "When he looked up at the stars, they did not seem as bright" (p. 149). Have you ever noticed how lights of a city "hide" the stars?
I grew up in the suburbs of Orlando from the time I was 8 years old to when I was 16 years old. I can remember distinctly that I was out sleeping over at a girlfriend's house which was further out in a more rural area (they also had a library with a rolling ladder!) when I was in eight grade. We went outside in the early am hours and I remember being astounded at the glowing arch in the distance that was (downtown) Orlando and at all the stars so bright against such a dark sky. This was the first time (that I remember) really seeing the stars at night.
Letter from Elizabeth McBride Glass to Ralph Whiteside
Mama is definitely not interested in Whitey. She seems to be only allowing his courtship because the uncles are making her feel guilty about not have a father for Jim.
Christmas Eve
The uncles sneak Jim out to see the electric lights turned on for the first time in Aliceville. The last few paragraphs at the end of this section signify modern times and technology coming to Aliceville, Jim growing up but in school learning and practical knowledge, and change, in general, in the lives of our characters, including Mama.
Letter from Elizabeth McBride Glass to Jim Glass, Sr.
Did writing this letter help Mama sort out her feelings on the matter at hand and make a decision? She stops writing mid-sentence. Why? Is she interrupted and has to physically stop writing or does she just find that she can't go on writing it?
At the Tenant House
Jim is supposed to go sit with the uncles at the store after dinner. Even though, he isn't usually allowed to do this, he decides not to go in when he gets to the store. As he walks through town, he sees Whitey and decides to follow him. Jim follows Whitey to the tenant house where Whitey speaks to Mama from the front porch with his back to her, seemingly at her request. He proposes. It seems like Mama rejects him. Mama is sad at the end of the section. Is it for Jim not getting another father or for herself having to remarry? Mama says Jim's name as if she either let him down in what the uncles think he needs or to remind herself that she's doing it for Jim.
I wondered this at an earlier point in the book but where do Mama and Jim live? The uncles all have houses, where I assume they sleep, even though Mama cooks for them where she lives. They don't seem to live in the tenant house where Mama and her husband had lived. Before I'd thought they lived in Uncle Zeno's house. But now I'm wondering if they live in the home Mama and the Uncle's parents left? They aren't mentioned in the book so I assume they are dead cause it seems like they would have lived in Aliceville too.
Discussion Questions
15. How do Jim's uncles each play the role of father-figure? Do they make up for his father's absence? Should Jim's mother have remarried when she had the chance in order to give Jim a "real" father?
Jim's uncles pay the role of father-figures by teaching Jim life lessons, right and wrong, and by teasing him. I do think the uncles fulfill the father role in Jim's life very adequately. I don't think Jim's mother should have to remarry if she's not interested in remarrying. She seems to be okay financially and Jim has strong male role models in the uncles.
16. Jim's mother turned down the marriage proposal because she believed she had already met and married her one eternal love. Do you believe, as she does, in the idea of eternal love?
I want to say that I do because I'm sure I will always love my husband but I'm not sure I can since I also think it's possible that I'd remarry if something happened to him.
17. In the section on "Christmas Eve" Jim's uncles take him outside to see something special, the change that came to their town that night. "When he looked up at the stars, they did not seem as bright" (p. 149). Have you ever noticed how lights of a city "hide" the stars?
I grew up in the suburbs of Orlando from the time I was 8 years old to when I was 16 years old. I can remember distinctly that I was out sleeping over at a girlfriend's house which was further out in a more rural area (they also had a library with a rolling ladder!) when I was in eight grade. We went outside in the early am hours and I remember being astounded at the glowing arch in the distance that was (downtown) Orlando and at all the stars so bright against such a dark sky. This was the first time (that I remember) really seeing the stars at night.
Thursday, July 24, 2008
Jim the Boy -- Book II: Jim Leaves Home
The Wide Sea
Since I live in the Carolinas, I enjoyed reading as Jim and Uncle Al passed all the cities I'm near. Wished they could have gotten the horses since they traveled all that way but Jim did get to see more beyond him home town and go in the ocean.
Discussion Questions
6. Why do you think Uncle Al took Jim on the trip out of town? What do the incident with the horses and his first view of the ocean teach him?
I think Uncle Al took Jim to show him more of the world, teach him more about living in it, and for some company on the long drive. The horses incident taught Jim not to make fun of the misfortune of others and to pay as you go. The view of the ocean taught Jim there is so much more to the world than he knows and the world is so vast and also to be brave about trying new experiences.
7. The uncles are always teaching Jim things. What teaching moments have you noticed?
Besides the visit to Mr. Harvey Hartsell and going in the ocean for the first time, Uncle Al taught Jim by taking him on the trip, showing him new places, having a conversation with him about wanting a father figure, and telling him stories of his past in this chapter.
Since I live in the Carolinas, I enjoyed reading as Jim and Uncle Al passed all the cities I'm near. Wished they could have gotten the horses since they traveled all that way but Jim did get to see more beyond him home town and go in the ocean.
Discussion Questions
6. Why do you think Uncle Al took Jim on the trip out of town? What do the incident with the horses and his first view of the ocean teach him?
I think Uncle Al took Jim to show him more of the world, teach him more about living in it, and for some company on the long drive. The horses incident taught Jim not to make fun of the misfortune of others and to pay as you go. The view of the ocean taught Jim there is so much more to the world than he knows and the world is so vast and also to be brave about trying new experiences.
7. The uncles are always teaching Jim things. What teaching moments have you noticed?
Besides the visit to Mr. Harvey Hartsell and going in the ocean for the first time, Uncle Al taught Jim by taking him on the trip, showing him new places, having a conversation with him about wanting a father figure, and telling him stories of his past in this chapter.
Tuesday, July 22, 2008
Jim the Boy -- Book I: Birthday Boy
Breakfast
Jim knows that he makes his mother sad sometimes. Jim wants to eat as much breakfast as he can cause his uncles eat large amounts of food and Jim wants to be like his uncles.
A Day of Work
Well, not a whole day since Jim going home "sick" before it's even noon. Jim can be stubborn when he doesn't want to give the newest hoe up. Jim can be boastful and confident when he claims he knows how to hoe already and in his desire to beat Abraham hoeing. Then he acts like a young child, crying when he finds he's barely accomplished much and goofing off playing instead of working. Jim can be deceitful when he "replants" the corn stalk he has broken in his hoeing. Jim has a lot to learn as he starts his journey to become a man.
An Unexpected Gift
Pete Hunt seems to like Jim. Perhaps because he took a liking to him when Jim was a baby and Pete was living with them or perhaps he took a liking to Jim's mother during that time and so has a soft spot for her boy. The uncles prolly mentioned to Whitey Whiteside about Jim's birthday and what they'd gotten him so he gave Jim a baseball to match their gifts.
Baptism
Uncle Zeno told Jim the story about Uncle Al and the chicks to make a point relating what he did then to what Jim did today. He hopes that Jim will never lie to him again. He also wants to let Jim know that Uncle Al did something similar so not to feel so bad over it.
After Supper
Joking occurs and the air is cleared between Jim and the Uncles. Jim gets his birthday cake and gifts and is very surprised. They had fooled him.
Jim at Bat
The previous five sections were told from Jim's point of view. This one is told from Uncle Zeno's. The uncles want the best for Jim.
Discussion Questions
2. When is Jim's birthday? Check Zeno's letter in the opening pages. So what day is Jim's tenth birthday? If Jim's mother is "not yet thirty" (p. 7) now, she must have been 19 when he was born ten years ago. Would that have been unusual in 1924?
Jim's birthday is June 15, 1924. So Jim's tenth birthday occurs on June 15, 1934. I don't think it was unusual for that time to marry and have children young.
Growing an extra digit in his age seemed a miracle to Jim, now 1-0 instead of merely 9. Do you know anyone who grew a third digit and became 1-0-0? Saturday (tomorrow) will be my oldest granddaughter's 21st birthday, a milestone. For some the special birthday is Sweet Sixteen. For others the darkest one is the half-century mark, celebrated by friends wearing black. 3. What birthday stands out for you?
I had a great aunt, I think or someone of distant relation, turn 100 when I was pretty young. I remember snippets of being at the party.
As for which birthday turning a number year stands out to me, I honestly have to say none have so far and I'm not particularly worried about turning 30 or anything. My family has always really celebrated our birthdays so each has been special. I do have some favorites of spending nice times with my family and friends. Last year, my then boyfriend, now husband and my mom threw a surprise party for me. I had no idea. And I'd never had a surprise party before. This year my mom and I are throwing one for him. He has no idea.
4. What birthday presents did Jim get? Overall, what did you think about Jim's tenth birthday?
Jim got a baseball bat and glove from his mother and the uncles and a new baseball from Whitey Whiteside. I think it was a good birthday for Jim. Sure, the morning wasn't great but it ended well with cake and presents. And I think Jim learned something about growing up and working as a man.
5.What did you make of the scene about baptizing the chicks? And what do the uncles mean by this exchange (p. 39)?
See my comments in the Baptism section above. I might not be getting the meaning of the exchange. Cause all I can think of is that Uncle Al is a good farmer now despite unintentionally harming some chicks when he was young. Maybe Methodists don't dunk during their baptisms?
Jim knows that he makes his mother sad sometimes. Jim wants to eat as much breakfast as he can cause his uncles eat large amounts of food and Jim wants to be like his uncles.
A Day of Work
Well, not a whole day since Jim going home "sick" before it's even noon. Jim can be stubborn when he doesn't want to give the newest hoe up. Jim can be boastful and confident when he claims he knows how to hoe already and in his desire to beat Abraham hoeing. Then he acts like a young child, crying when he finds he's barely accomplished much and goofing off playing instead of working. Jim can be deceitful when he "replants" the corn stalk he has broken in his hoeing. Jim has a lot to learn as he starts his journey to become a man.
An Unexpected Gift
Pete Hunt seems to like Jim. Perhaps because he took a liking to him when Jim was a baby and Pete was living with them or perhaps he took a liking to Jim's mother during that time and so has a soft spot for her boy. The uncles prolly mentioned to Whitey Whiteside about Jim's birthday and what they'd gotten him so he gave Jim a baseball to match their gifts.
Baptism
Uncle Zeno told Jim the story about Uncle Al and the chicks to make a point relating what he did then to what Jim did today. He hopes that Jim will never lie to him again. He also wants to let Jim know that Uncle Al did something similar so not to feel so bad over it.
After Supper
Joking occurs and the air is cleared between Jim and the Uncles. Jim gets his birthday cake and gifts and is very surprised. They had fooled him.
Jim at Bat
The previous five sections were told from Jim's point of view. This one is told from Uncle Zeno's. The uncles want the best for Jim.
Discussion Questions
2. When is Jim's birthday? Check Zeno's letter in the opening pages. So what day is Jim's tenth birthday? If Jim's mother is "not yet thirty" (p. 7) now, she must have been 19 when he was born ten years ago. Would that have been unusual in 1924?
Jim's birthday is June 15, 1924. So Jim's tenth birthday occurs on June 15, 1934. I don't think it was unusual for that time to marry and have children young.
Growing an extra digit in his age seemed a miracle to Jim, now 1-0 instead of merely 9. Do you know anyone who grew a third digit and became 1-0-0? Saturday (tomorrow) will be my oldest granddaughter's 21st birthday, a milestone. For some the special birthday is Sweet Sixteen. For others the darkest one is the half-century mark, celebrated by friends wearing black. 3. What birthday stands out for you?
I had a great aunt, I think or someone of distant relation, turn 100 when I was pretty young. I remember snippets of being at the party.
As for which birthday turning a number year stands out to me, I honestly have to say none have so far and I'm not particularly worried about turning 30 or anything. My family has always really celebrated our birthdays so each has been special. I do have some favorites of spending nice times with my family and friends. Last year, my then boyfriend, now husband and my mom threw a surprise party for me. I had no idea. And I'd never had a surprise party before. This year my mom and I are throwing one for him. He has no idea.
4. What birthday presents did Jim get? Overall, what did you think about Jim's tenth birthday?
Jim got a baseball bat and glove from his mother and the uncles and a new baseball from Whitey Whiteside. I think it was a good birthday for Jim. Sure, the morning wasn't great but it ended well with cake and presents. And I think Jim learned something about growing up and working as a man.
5.What did you make of the scene about baptizing the chicks? And what do the uncles mean by this exchange (p. 39)?
Uncle Zeno: "Allie turned out to be a pretty good farmer, when you consider how he started out."
Uncle Coran: "At least we can be thankful he didn't try to become a preacher."
Uncle Al: "That's for sure ... I would've had to be a Methodist to keep from drowning people."
See my comments in the Baptism section above. I might not be getting the meaning of the exchange. Cause all I can think of is that Uncle Al is a good farmer now despite unintentionally harming some chicks when he was young. Maybe Methodists don't dunk during their baptisms?
Sunday, July 20, 2008
Jim the Boy--Questions 15-17
15. How do Jim's uncles each play the role of father-figure? Do they make up for his father's absence? Should Jim's mother have remarried when she had the chance in order to give Jim a "real" father?
I think the uncles provided excellent role models for Jim. They showed Jim love, tried to expose him to things in the world, provided guidance, and allowed him to be himself.
Although the uncles provided him with good father figures, I think there was still a hole in Jim's life caused by his father's death.
I think that remarriage when there are children involved is very tricky. Some work well and others are disasters. I think Jim's mother did the right thing by listening to her heart and not remarrying in spite of the advice of her brothers.
16. Jim's mother turned down the marriage proposal because she believed she had already met and married her one eternal love. Do you believe, as she does, in the idea of eternal love?
I think that one can retain the love one has had of a departed one and still love again.
My son's girlfriend has had a difficult time adjusting to the loss of my son last August. She loved him dearly and has been a comfort to our family. She has shown her love for him in many ways (such as until his marker was placed, she continually put up personalized wooden crosses at the cemtery even though the cemetery kept taking them down. I hope that she is able to find someone else as she is only 28. My daughter said that even at the hospital when Brendan died, I encouraged her not to let their love prevent her from finding someone else after she said that she'd never find someone else as good as he was.
17. In the section on "Christmas Eve" Jim's uncles take him outside to see something special, the change that came to their town that night. "When he looked up at the stars, they did not seem as bright" (p. 149). Have you ever noticed how lights of a city "hide" the stars?
When trying to look for constellations and eclipses, the lights of the city do make it difficult to see the natural lights.
I liked the way the uncles turned the historical event into something special and made it more memorable for Jim.
I think the uncles provided excellent role models for Jim. They showed Jim love, tried to expose him to things in the world, provided guidance, and allowed him to be himself.
Although the uncles provided him with good father figures, I think there was still a hole in Jim's life caused by his father's death.
I think that remarriage when there are children involved is very tricky. Some work well and others are disasters. I think Jim's mother did the right thing by listening to her heart and not remarrying in spite of the advice of her brothers.
16. Jim's mother turned down the marriage proposal because she believed she had already met and married her one eternal love. Do you believe, as she does, in the idea of eternal love?
I think that one can retain the love one has had of a departed one and still love again.
My son's girlfriend has had a difficult time adjusting to the loss of my son last August. She loved him dearly and has been a comfort to our family. She has shown her love for him in many ways (such as until his marker was placed, she continually put up personalized wooden crosses at the cemtery even though the cemetery kept taking them down. I hope that she is able to find someone else as she is only 28. My daughter said that even at the hospital when Brendan died, I encouraged her not to let their love prevent her from finding someone else after she said that she'd never find someone else as good as he was.
17. In the section on "Christmas Eve" Jim's uncles take him outside to see something special, the change that came to their town that night. "When he looked up at the stars, they did not seem as bright" (p. 149). Have you ever noticed how lights of a city "hide" the stars?
When trying to look for constellations and eclipses, the lights of the city do make it difficult to see the natural lights.
I liked the way the uncles turned the historical event into something special and made it more memorable for Jim.
Thursday, July 17, 2008
Jim the Boy -- Prologue
At first I thought Jim (the boy) was the subject of Zeno's letter and the body of the novel would take place as a flashback telling the story of the events that lead up to Jim's death. But I quickly realized that Jim's (the boy) father was the one who died.
I wonder why Jim (the father) is estranged from his father, Amos, and will Amos ever meet his grandson. I think he will and the letter foreshadows this being an event later in the book.
Discussion Question
Read these lines from a review of Jim the Boy, and tell me what you think.
It would make me wonder if there would be much action or excitement in the book or if it was a series of anecdotes in the daily life of a 10 year old coming of age in rural North Carolina. After reading the prologue, I realized there is going to be an element of mystery in the book as there are now some questions to be answered.
I wonder why Jim (the father) is estranged from his father, Amos, and will Amos ever meet his grandson. I think he will and the letter foreshadows this being an event later in the book.
Discussion Question
Read these lines from a review of Jim the Boy, and tell me what you think.
"Jim is 10. His mother is a widow. They live in the small town of Aliceville with Jim's three uncles, Zeno, Coran and Al. And they're content."1. Does it make you want to read the book? If you like thrillers, it could be a turn-off. Did reading the prologue change your mind?
It would make me wonder if there would be much action or excitement in the book or if it was a series of anecdotes in the daily life of a 10 year old coming of age in rural North Carolina. After reading the prologue, I realized there is going to be an element of mystery in the book as there are now some questions to be answered.
JTB-DQ ~ Book V ~ Quiet Days
18. Why did Jim feel such a strong sense of rivalry toward Penn? What about their pasts and their families' pasts gave them a special bond?
19. Jim has moments of selfishness. How does he begin to take responsibility for his actions as he grows older?
20. **SPOILER** (Don't read this question if you haven't read Book V ~ Quiet Days.) "Penn had polio. The sheriff ... nailed up quarantine notices" (p. 172). Having polio felt like a death penalty to people in the 1930s and 1940s, and I remember not being allowed to swim in a public pool for several summers of my childhood. Polio ruined lives ... and sometimes took lives. If you don't have any stories about polio, see what you can find out about President Franklin D. Roosevelt's polio. News photographers were careful to take pictures when FDR was sitting or already propped up at a microphone.
19. Jim has moments of selfishness. How does he begin to take responsibility for his actions as he grows older?
20. **SPOILER** (Don't read this question if you haven't read Book V ~ Quiet Days.) "Penn had polio. The sheriff ... nailed up quarantine notices" (p. 172). Having polio felt like a death penalty to people in the 1930s and 1940s, and I remember not being allowed to swim in a public pool for several summers of my childhood. Polio ruined lives ... and sometimes took lives. If you don't have any stories about polio, see what you can find out about President Franklin D. Roosevelt's polio. News photographers were careful to take pictures when FDR was sitting or already propped up at a microphone.
JTB-DQ ~ Book IV ~ Cold Nights
15. How do Jim's uncles each play the role of father-figure? Do they make up for his father's absence? Should Jim's mother have remarried when she had the chance in order to give Jim a "real" father?
16. Jim's mother turned down the marriage proposal because she believed she had already met and married her one eternal love. Do you believe, as she does, in the idea of eternal love?
17. In the section on "Christmas Eve" Jim's uncles take him outside to see something special, the change that came to their town that night. "When he looked up at the stars, they did not seem as bright" (p. 149). Have you ever noticed how lights of a city "hide" the stars?
16. Jim's mother turned down the marriage proposal because she believed she had already met and married her one eternal love. Do you believe, as she does, in the idea of eternal love?
17. In the section on "Christmas Eve" Jim's uncles take him outside to see something special, the change that came to their town that night. "When he looked up at the stars, they did not seem as bright" (p. 149). Have you ever noticed how lights of a city "hide" the stars?
Sunday, July 13, 2008
Jim the Boy
8. What role does Abraham play? What lessons does he teach Jim, both in the field and in the alley?
At first my mind went totally blank on Abraham, but now I think he was the one that Jim tried to take the nicer hoe away from and his uncles would not allow it.
9. What do we know about Whitey Whiteside, "the unexpected guest" (pp. 96-101)?
Whitey gave Jim the softball. When they were discussing him going to the Big Day opening, I noted the comment, "Hush, you two...the corn has ears." This was a new expression to me, but an interesting way to indicate that one should be careful of what is said in front of children. After my niece's recent death, when my 10-year-old nephew was told about it (they are cousins and this was the second cousin he lost in less than a year) he said that his parents are going to be burned (his expression for cremation)and had my sister promise him that if she was alive when he died that she would make sure that he was not burned and that she would put KU stuff on his grave. I wish my brother (his father) and wife had followed the adage that "the corn has ears" and not discussed their plans for cremation in front of him. He has always been so sensitive and the losses of his cousins and realization of deaths is hard enough on him as is without the added burden of the practice of cremation.
10. Jim woke up on the first day of school thinking, "The morning smelled like school. The previous morning had smelled only like summer, like dew and grass and crops growing in the fields." What does school smell like to you?
The main smell I associated with school was the chalk. When my kids went to school, I was surprised at the strong smell of mass quantities of food being prepared. It is a smell similar to that in other institutions and not a smell I like so I am glad they didn't have school cafeterias in grade school and junior high when I went. I am so old that most kids went home for lunch when I was growing up which was sure a nice break from the school day.
11. When he went to the old school, Jim knew who he could outrun (see p. 76). Things were different at the new school. Do you remember going to a new school? Do you remember who you could outrun?
I lived a dull life and my only changes in schools were transitions from grade school to junior high and then to high school.
I can't remember any feeling of competitiveness about running skill--I wasn't very athletic. The one time I won someone at something (box hockey), the girl I won was so made that she purposely hit my hand holding my hockey stick with hers and broke my middle finger. I remember both the way they brought her to the office where I was waiting for my dad to pick my up to take me to the hospital and she was supposed to apologize (this is why I never used the forced apology method with my kids) for what she did and it was obvious that she said the words, but did not mean them. I also remember that having a cast on my middle finger was quite the talk of the sixth grade class.
12. On the "Big Day" there's a Ferris wheel (yes, it's capitalized) at the open house for the new school. Last month we read about the wheel that Mr. Ferris designed for Chicago, so compare it with the one in the town of Aliceville, North Carolina.
The Aliceville Ferris wheel was much more humble than the Chicago one. Actually, as small as the Aliceville community was I was surprised that they even had a Ferris wheel for the Big Day.
13. Zeno told Jim, "Everybody knows you ain't got much of a town if a railroad track runs though it but the train won't stop" (p. 88). Explain how the train figured in the naming of Aliceville. And maybe tell us about the name of your town. Do trains figure into your town's history?
The engineer's stopping at Aliceville allowed it to continue as well as it did as a town. The town showed its gratitude by naming the town after his daughter.
Topeka was a stop on the Atchison, Topeka, and Santa Fe Railroad (now merged into the Burlington Northern railroad so is the BNSF)so the railroad helped put or keep Topeka on the map. My husband worked for the other railroad in town (Union Pacific) and my oldest son developed a major passion for trains (especially steam engines) so railroads have played a major role not only in the livelihood of my town, but also in my family.
14. I can imagine "the red school on top of the hill" (p. 109). What was your school like?
My grade school was a fairly typical neighborhood school built of bricks. My mother often told the story of my older brother's concern about starting school and having trouble opening the "big doors" and I remember that the school did seem a lot larger when I was attending it than when I went back many years later. Although parents attended school programs, the school was not the center of the community like schools were when my mother grew up and taught at the one room rural schools of her day.
Alicevillie's consolidation in the 1930's of the rural schools was interesting in that this happened in the late 1950's in the community where my mother grew up. The one room school that my cousins were attending (their dad, uncle, and my mother had all graduated from 8th grade in the same school) was consolidated and all the rural kids were bussed to the town school. This was especially hard on my cousin who was around 9 at the time. He got literally sick every morning when the bus came. I wonder about the wisdom of the elimination of community schools. Bigger isn't necessarily better.
At first my mind went totally blank on Abraham, but now I think he was the one that Jim tried to take the nicer hoe away from and his uncles would not allow it.
9. What do we know about Whitey Whiteside, "the unexpected guest" (pp. 96-101)?
Whitey gave Jim the softball. When they were discussing him going to the Big Day opening, I noted the comment, "Hush, you two...the corn has ears." This was a new expression to me, but an interesting way to indicate that one should be careful of what is said in front of children. After my niece's recent death, when my 10-year-old nephew was told about it (they are cousins and this was the second cousin he lost in less than a year) he said that his parents are going to be burned (his expression for cremation)and had my sister promise him that if she was alive when he died that she would make sure that he was not burned and that she would put KU stuff on his grave. I wish my brother (his father) and wife had followed the adage that "the corn has ears" and not discussed their plans for cremation in front of him. He has always been so sensitive and the losses of his cousins and realization of deaths is hard enough on him as is without the added burden of the practice of cremation.
10. Jim woke up on the first day of school thinking, "The morning smelled like school. The previous morning had smelled only like summer, like dew and grass and crops growing in the fields." What does school smell like to you?
The main smell I associated with school was the chalk. When my kids went to school, I was surprised at the strong smell of mass quantities of food being prepared. It is a smell similar to that in other institutions and not a smell I like so I am glad they didn't have school cafeterias in grade school and junior high when I went. I am so old that most kids went home for lunch when I was growing up which was sure a nice break from the school day.
11. When he went to the old school, Jim knew who he could outrun (see p. 76). Things were different at the new school. Do you remember going to a new school? Do you remember who you could outrun?
I lived a dull life and my only changes in schools were transitions from grade school to junior high and then to high school.
I can't remember any feeling of competitiveness about running skill--I wasn't very athletic. The one time I won someone at something (box hockey), the girl I won was so made that she purposely hit my hand holding my hockey stick with hers and broke my middle finger. I remember both the way they brought her to the office where I was waiting for my dad to pick my up to take me to the hospital and she was supposed to apologize (this is why I never used the forced apology method with my kids) for what she did and it was obvious that she said the words, but did not mean them. I also remember that having a cast on my middle finger was quite the talk of the sixth grade class.
12. On the "Big Day" there's a Ferris wheel (yes, it's capitalized) at the open house for the new school. Last month we read about the wheel that Mr. Ferris designed for Chicago, so compare it with the one in the town of Aliceville, North Carolina.
The Aliceville Ferris wheel was much more humble than the Chicago one. Actually, as small as the Aliceville community was I was surprised that they even had a Ferris wheel for the Big Day.
13. Zeno told Jim, "Everybody knows you ain't got much of a town if a railroad track runs though it but the train won't stop" (p. 88). Explain how the train figured in the naming of Aliceville. And maybe tell us about the name of your town. Do trains figure into your town's history?
The engineer's stopping at Aliceville allowed it to continue as well as it did as a town. The town showed its gratitude by naming the town after his daughter.
Topeka was a stop on the Atchison, Topeka, and Santa Fe Railroad (now merged into the Burlington Northern railroad so is the BNSF)so the railroad helped put or keep Topeka on the map. My husband worked for the other railroad in town (Union Pacific) and my oldest son developed a major passion for trains (especially steam engines) so railroads have played a major role not only in the livelihood of my town, but also in my family.
14. I can imagine "the red school on top of the hill" (p. 109). What was your school like?
My grade school was a fairly typical neighborhood school built of bricks. My mother often told the story of my older brother's concern about starting school and having trouble opening the "big doors" and I remember that the school did seem a lot larger when I was attending it than when I went back many years later. Although parents attended school programs, the school was not the center of the community like schools were when my mother grew up and taught at the one room rural schools of her day.
Alicevillie's consolidation in the 1930's of the rural schools was interesting in that this happened in the late 1950's in the community where my mother grew up. The one room school that my cousins were attending (their dad, uncle, and my mother had all graduated from 8th grade in the same school) was consolidated and all the rural kids were bussed to the town school. This was especially hard on my cousin who was around 9 at the time. He got literally sick every morning when the bus came. I wonder about the wisdom of the elimination of community schools. Bigger isn't necessarily better.
Thursday, July 10, 2008
JTB-DQ ~ Book III ~ Town Boys and Mountain Boys
8. What role does Abraham play? What lessons does he teach Jim, both in the field and in the alley?
9. What do we know about Whitey Whiteside, "the unexpected guest" (pp. 96-101)?
10. Jim woke up on the first day of school thinking, "The morning smelled like school. The previous morning had smelled only like summer, like dew and grass and crops growing in the fields." What does school smell like to you?
11. When he went to the old school, Jim knew who he could outrun (see p. 76). Things were different at the new school. Do you remember going to a new school? Do you remember who you could outrun?
12. On the "Big Day" there's a Ferris wheel (yes, it's capitalized) at the open house for the new school. Last month we read about the wheel that Mr. Ferris designed for Chicago, so compare it with the one in the town of Aliceville, North Carolina.
13. Zeno told Jim, "Everybody knows you ain't got much of a town if a railroad track runs though it but the train won't stop" (p. 88). Explain how the train figured in the naming of Aliceville. And maybe tell us about the name of your town. Do trains figure into your town's history?
14. I can imagine "the red school on top of the hill" (p. 109). What was your school like?
9. What do we know about Whitey Whiteside, "the unexpected guest" (pp. 96-101)?
10. Jim woke up on the first day of school thinking, "The morning smelled like school. The previous morning had smelled only like summer, like dew and grass and crops growing in the fields." What does school smell like to you?
11. When he went to the old school, Jim knew who he could outrun (see p. 76). Things were different at the new school. Do you remember going to a new school? Do you remember who you could outrun?
12. On the "Big Day" there's a Ferris wheel (yes, it's capitalized) at the open house for the new school. Last month we read about the wheel that Mr. Ferris designed for Chicago, so compare it with the one in the town of Aliceville, North Carolina.
13. Zeno told Jim, "Everybody knows you ain't got much of a town if a railroad track runs though it but the train won't stop" (p. 88). Explain how the train figured in the naming of Aliceville. And maybe tell us about the name of your town. Do trains figure into your town's history?
14. I can imagine "the red school on top of the hill" (p. 109). What was your school like?
Wednesday, July 9, 2008
Jim the Boy
6. Why do you think Uncle Al took Jim on the trip out of town? What do the incident with the horses and his first view of the ocean teach him?
I think Al thought the trip would allow Jim to see more of the world and give him a chance to buy the horses. When they realized that the owner had shot the horses to avoid having to sell them, Jim realized that things do not always turn out the way one planned.
7. The uncles are always teaching Jim things. What teaching moments have you noticed?
When Jim first saw the ocean at Myrtle Beach, Uncle Al told Jim not to ever make fun of the misfortunes of others and gave an interesting analogy about making fun of others: "No good will ever come of it. God will bring you down. If you use his blessings to look down on other people, it's like cussing. I't like taking his name in vain."
The education that Jim received from his uncles was practical and compassionate.
I think Al thought the trip would allow Jim to see more of the world and give him a chance to buy the horses. When they realized that the owner had shot the horses to avoid having to sell them, Jim realized that things do not always turn out the way one planned.
7. The uncles are always teaching Jim things. What teaching moments have you noticed?
When Jim first saw the ocean at Myrtle Beach, Uncle Al told Jim not to ever make fun of the misfortunes of others and gave an interesting analogy about making fun of others: "No good will ever come of it. God will bring you down. If you use his blessings to look down on other people, it's like cussing. I't like taking his name in vain."
The education that Jim received from his uncles was practical and compassionate.
JTB-DQ ~ Book II ~ Jim Leaves Home
6. Why do you think Uncle Al took Jim on the trip out of town? What do the incident with the horses and his first view of the ocean teach him?
7. The uncles are always teaching Jim things. What teaching moments have you noticed?
7. The uncles are always teaching Jim things. What teaching moments have you noticed?
Friday, July 4, 2008
Book I
2. When is Jim's birthday?
Jim's 10th birthday is June 16, 1934.
I don't think his mother being about 19 when he was born is that unusual for that time (or unfortunately in today's society as it seems that there are lots of teen pregnancies; there are also lots more people who wait to start their families when the mother is in her late 20's and 30's). My grandmother on my Dad's side married at age 15 while my other grandmother married at age 25. I was 29 when I had my first child.
I remember that one of my brothers and my oldest son found turning 13 to be an extra special day although the same son was also pleased about turning 10 as he got a kick out of becoming two digits old.
3. What birthday stands out for you?
I can't think of a birthday that was outstanding. Old age must be setting in. I'll turn 60 this year. It sounds so old when I say it, but except for my body reminding me otherwise, I really don't feel as old as I'd always thought that 60 was. Over time the ages that had seemed old have shifted upwards.
4. What birthday presents did Jim get? Overall, what did you think about Jim's tenth birthday?
I thought that the baseball, glove, and bat were each very special gifts that were given with love during a time when money was scarce. Each of the gifts were both useful and helped enrich Jim's life.
Jim's decision that at age 10 he was old enough to work with his uncles was interesting as it showed his developed work ethic that he had internalized rather than being told to do. The way that the uncles handled Jim's attempt to take the best hoe was also done in a manner which showed their respect for their workers.
I thought that the way the family kept their planned celebration of his birthday a secret was interesting--poor Jim thought his birthday had been forgotten when they had planned an extra special celebration for him.
5. What did you make of the scene about baptizing the chicks?
I thought the chick baptism story gave fascinating insight into the past generation. The baptizing uncles showed typical childhood reenactments of portions of adult life while also showing the closeness of the brothers and the value that was placed on honesty.
And what do the uncles mean by this exchange (p. 39)?
Uncle Zeno: "Allie turned out to be a pretty good farmer, when you consider how he started out."
Uncle Coran: "At least we can be thankful he didn't try to become a preacher."
Uncle Al: "That's for sure ... I would've had to be a Methodist to keep from drowning people."
Even though Al's early venture in farming involved the disastrous drowning of the chicks, he still wound up being a good farmer. Perhaps Methodists are like Lutherans and baptize by sprinkling instead of the immersion used by Baptists so Al would have had to have been Methodist if he preached to avoid drowning people when baptizing them.
Jim's 10th birthday is June 16, 1934.
I don't think his mother being about 19 when he was born is that unusual for that time (or unfortunately in today's society as it seems that there are lots of teen pregnancies; there are also lots more people who wait to start their families when the mother is in her late 20's and 30's). My grandmother on my Dad's side married at age 15 while my other grandmother married at age 25. I was 29 when I had my first child.
I remember that one of my brothers and my oldest son found turning 13 to be an extra special day although the same son was also pleased about turning 10 as he got a kick out of becoming two digits old.
3. What birthday stands out for you?
I can't think of a birthday that was outstanding. Old age must be setting in. I'll turn 60 this year. It sounds so old when I say it, but except for my body reminding me otherwise, I really don't feel as old as I'd always thought that 60 was. Over time the ages that had seemed old have shifted upwards.
4. What birthday presents did Jim get? Overall, what did you think about Jim's tenth birthday?
I thought that the baseball, glove, and bat were each very special gifts that were given with love during a time when money was scarce. Each of the gifts were both useful and helped enrich Jim's life.
Jim's decision that at age 10 he was old enough to work with his uncles was interesting as it showed his developed work ethic that he had internalized rather than being told to do. The way that the uncles handled Jim's attempt to take the best hoe was also done in a manner which showed their respect for their workers.
I thought that the way the family kept their planned celebration of his birthday a secret was interesting--poor Jim thought his birthday had been forgotten when they had planned an extra special celebration for him.
5. What did you make of the scene about baptizing the chicks?
I thought the chick baptism story gave fascinating insight into the past generation. The baptizing uncles showed typical childhood reenactments of portions of adult life while also showing the closeness of the brothers and the value that was placed on honesty.
And what do the uncles mean by this exchange (p. 39)?
Uncle Zeno: "Allie turned out to be a pretty good farmer, when you consider how he started out."
Uncle Coran: "At least we can be thankful he didn't try to become a preacher."
Uncle Al: "That's for sure ... I would've had to be a Methodist to keep from drowning people."
Even though Al's early venture in farming involved the disastrous drowning of the chicks, he still wound up being a good farmer. Perhaps Methodists are like Lutherans and baptize by sprinkling instead of the immersion used by Baptists so Al would have had to have been Methodist if he preached to avoid drowning people when baptizing them.
JTB-DQ ~ Book I ~ Birthday Boy
2. When is Jim's birthday? Check Zeno's letter in the opening pages. So what day is Jim's tenth birthday? If Jim's mother is "not yet thirty" (p. 7) now, she must have been 19 when he was born ten years ago. Would that have been unusual in 1924?
Growing an extra digit in his age seemed a miracle to Jim, now 1-0 instead of merely 9. Do you know anyone who grew a third digit and became 1-0-0? Saturday (tomorrow) will be my oldest granddaughter's 21st birthday, a milestone. For some the special birthday is Sweet Sixteen. For others the darkest one is the half-century mark, celebrated by friends wearing black. 3. What birthday stands out for you?
4. What birthday presents did Jim get? Overall, what did you think about Jim's tenth birthday?
5. What did you make of the scene about baptizing the chicks? And what do the uncles mean by this exchange (p. 39)?
Growing an extra digit in his age seemed a miracle to Jim, now 1-0 instead of merely 9. Do you know anyone who grew a third digit and became 1-0-0? Saturday (tomorrow) will be my oldest granddaughter's 21st birthday, a milestone. For some the special birthday is Sweet Sixteen. For others the darkest one is the half-century mark, celebrated by friends wearing black. 3. What birthday stands out for you?
4. What birthday presents did Jim get? Overall, what did you think about Jim's tenth birthday?
5. What did you make of the scene about baptizing the chicks? And what do the uncles mean by this exchange (p. 39)?
Uncle Zeno: "Allie turned out to be a pretty good farmer, when you consider how he started out."
Uncle Coran: "At least we can be thankful he didn't try to become a preacher."
Uncle Al: "That's for sure ... I would've had to be a Methodist to keep from drowning people."
Wednesday, July 2, 2008
JTB-DQ ~ Prologue
Read these lines from a review of Jim the Boy, and tell me what you think.
"Jim is 10. His mother is a widow. They live in the small town of Aliceville with Jim's three uncles, Zeno, Coran and Al. And they're content."1. Does it make you want to read the book? If you like thrillers, it could be a turn-off. Did reading the prologue change your mind?
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