Comments on: Monday movies: Paddle to the Sea

By: Ashley

Ashley — Fri, 15 Apr 2011 11:08:11 +0000

I grew up in the Great Lakes, not far from Lake Michigan, and Paddle to the Sea was one of my family’s favorite books when my brother and I were young. I bought a copy not long ago in anticipation of sharing it with my own children when I start my family.

By: Historiann

Historiann — Tue, 12 Apr 2011 03:59:32 +0000

Susan–I don’t know the specific series you write of but I think I know the genre. All I had were the Bobsey Twins and Nancy Drew, but they were old versions of the series–from the 1930s and 40s as I recall for the most part, so it they were pretty historical to me. I’ll have to look up some of those Colonial Twins or Dutch Twins books.

Where else but in Nancy Drew books from the 1930s would a 1970s girl read about “roadsters?” (I liked the things that put off a lot of my contemporaries.)

By: Susan

Susan — Tue, 12 Apr 2011 03:44:38 +0000

I don’t know either the book or the film. But I love the Red balloon, and I am still moved by the ending. I got the video when my god-daughter was little, because without words it’s easy to show to a little little one.

Other than that, The Secret Garden (which starts with death, but is also all about life and survival.) It’s in the public domain, so I’ve got it on my kindle, and when I was delayed in an airport, it was marvelous to sit and read it.

Also, when we did summer vacations, it seems to me all the places we stayed had old libraries filled with “The Dutch Twins” “Colonial Twins” series or “A Little Maid of Old Virginia/New York/Boston…” I ate them up — 1920/30s girl’s history. Didn’t know it at the time, but I guess women’s history was kind of overdetermined for me.

By: c...

c... — Tue, 12 Apr 2011 01:07:52 +0000

oh! I loved this book as a child and do remember the movie as well. I’m a bit your junior, Historiann, but I guess it makes sense that Minnesota classrooms would have kept the filmstrips around…

I think I taped a reading of _Paddle to the Sea_ on my shoe-box sized cassette recorder as part of a birthday gift to my mother one year. Such a thoughtful gift, given that we owned the book.

By: Historiann

Historiann — Tue, 12 Apr 2011 00:37:30 +0000

Oh, Fratguy–I don’t know if that parent should have fired you immediately or appreciated you even more. I’m not sure which reaction I would gone with.

By: Fratguy

Fratguy — Tue, 12 Apr 2011 00:22:14 +0000

Historiann,
I once made the mistake of mentioning in passing The Velveteen Rabbit to an otherwise well adjusted and reasonalbe parent whose child had scarlet fever. We both were choking back tears in a matter of seconds. There are a few moments like that in Paddle, but I won’t spoil it for the readership.

By: Another Damned Medievalist

Another Damned Medievalist — Mon, 11 Apr 2011 23:03:37 +0000

Never seen the movie, but totally loved the book. I think my sister has our copy of it.

By: truffula

truffula — Mon, 11 Apr 2011 22:37:52 +0000

No Great Lakes childhood but I did once live on the shores of the mighty inland sea, Lake Michigan. Where I grew up, we learned about Ishi, the last of the Yana people.

By: Historiann

Historiann — Mon, 11 Apr 2011 20:27:33 +0000

None of you peoples is from the Great Lakes/Pays d’en Haut/Lawrentian Valley? Geez!

By: Bardiac

Bardiac — Mon, 11 Apr 2011 20:19:47 +0000

I’ve never seen that movie, but now I want to, because that was one of my very favorite books when I was a kid. I pretty much wore out my copy, and when my niece and nephew were almost to “learning to read” age, I got them a copy. That and the Island of the Blue Dolphins. What a great memory to bring up! Thanks!