MMGM: Berries in the Scoop, by Lois Lenski
You probably know by now that I have a great love for Middle Grade books for the newest readers. Nowadays, even while the books you will find in this category are often of the highest calibre, it's a slim shelf. Some of my favorite early reader books are those I can only find in used book stores, library sales, and the shelves of friends with a taste for old books.
Today's book is one I found at a used book store, published originally during my parents' childhood: Berries in the Scoop, by Lois Lenski. It is part of her series of books for early readers, highlighting the lives and cultures of children around the United States of America, and it features a young girl of Portuguese descent, living with her family in Cape Cod. They make a good deal of their living harvesting cranberries--but while this feature of the setting plays a large role in the plot, it's hardly a boring window into the lives of immigrant workers. Instead, it shows a family that is real and loving and complicated and struggling and rich in what matters. A book that seems surprisingly current, surprisingly needed in today's world.
I only recently discovered Lois Lenski's books for early readers (like most of you, I was familiar with her Newbery-winning Strawberry Girl and some delightful picture books reprinted in Board Book form). For me, this was one of those good news/bad news cases. The good news: she is amazing at writing for very young readers in a way that is engaging, respectful, and sometimes even educational (without being obvious about it). The bad news: almost all her books are out of print. Some have recently been republished as e-books, but I'm not a fan of letting my kids read on electronic devices. And some--like the book I'm spotlighting today--you can't find in any form. At the moment, you can't even find it on eBay.
So why bother highlighting it? Well, let's consider this a public service announcement and a plea to publishers everywhere. We love new books, we really do. I blister inside every time a homeschooling mom friend tells me that she only buys books for her kids that were written before 1960. (Really?? Do you know what you're missing out on? And how do you expect publishers to print the kind of books you'd like now if buyers like you are only sticking to the used book sections?) One of the main reasons I need to keep building new bookshelves around here is that my friends and other authors I admire write awesome books and I want them to be readily available to my children.
But. Isn't there a way to marry a love of new books with a respect for the old ones? Isn't there a small publisher who can bring these books back to life? Wouldn't the fans of Strawberry Girl, still assigned in some schools, be happy to discover Lois Lenski's other stories? Wouldn't all the little girls who adore Betsy-Tacy be thrilled to get their hands on Maud Hart Lovelace's The Tune is in the Tree or The Trees Kneel at Christmas? Marguerite D'Angeli's gorgeous illustrations and simple stories would be just as loved by readers now as they were 100 years ago. And our early reader shelves could get a whole lot fatter and a whole lot richer.
Of course I'm curious: what are your favorite out-of-print books? (Even if they're fairly recent! There are a few books from the past decade that I fully expected to win loads of prizes--but when they didn't, they slipped off the bookstore shelves fairly quickly. And it made me cry a little. :/)
For more Marvelous Middle Grade Monday reviews and recommendations, check out Greg's blog!
Yes, it is a world dominated by the next new release. Lois Lenski is one of my favorite authors and I haven't read this one. I use to devour any book written by the late Paula Danziger. The Cat Ate my Gym Suit, Can You Sue Your Parents for Malprsctice? and There's a Bat in Bunk Five. Thanks for your inspiring post.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the suggestions, Greg!
DeleteI don't have any out-of-print favorites but I just reread a Nancy Drew book and really enjoyed it.
ReplyDeleteOh, those books we loved as kids are always the best comfort-reads. :) I did have a hard time trying to read Nancy Drew aloud to my girls, but it was a great re-read to myself.
DeleteWonderful post, Faith! I love old books AND new books! One of my favorite old books for younger middle grade readers is STUART LITTLE by E.B. White, which has never been out of print. I still have my hardcover copy from my own childhood. But many books do go OP, and it's sad. My father had a falling-apart copy of Lois Lenski's SPINACH BOY from 1930. Have you ever read that? Not sure what happened to it when he died.
ReplyDeleteI haven't read that one, Joanne! Of course I'm looking it up right now... ;)
DeleteWhat a great find! Oh, your kids will love Catwings by Ursula leGuin. I've been picking up older oop books at the library sale because shelf space is limited. Let's see, I almost picked up Nectar Through a Sieve but was moneyless on my walk and my hands were cold so am hoping it's still there this week. Favorite oop books are those by AJ Cronin. It's his Adventures in Two Worlds that began the writing dream for me at age 12. I wanted to be just like him: a physician-turned-writer.
ReplyDeleteI STILL have to get that! Every time you recommend Catwings, I mean to request it right away, then get caught up in other things. :) And I've read The Keys to the Kingdom, by Cronin, but that's all...I'll have to look up the others.
DeleteExcellent post Faith! Berrys in the Scoop reminds me a bit of Cynthia Lord's "AHandful of Stars," and it would pair well with it. I had some favorite titles I read as a child but I can't remember the titles. One sticks in my mind about the life of gypsies -- a MG. I'm sad that many books in the 2000's are out of print, like Julie Andrew's MG series "Bo" about a sea-worthy cat -- only one grandchild got the series. Like Natalie I read a lot of Nancy Drew and Pippy Lonstocking.
ReplyDelete"Bo" is out of print?? My girls love that series--my MIL bought it and kept in on her shelves for all the grandkids to read. They're great little stories.
DeleteI am happy to say my library has a copy of Berries in the Scoop which I already have on hold. I read about this book somewhere else recently. Isn't that a coincidence? Anyway, I'm looking forward to reading it. My favorite out-of-print book is The Winter Cottage by Carol Ryrie Brink, better known for Caddie Woodlawn. I would love to find a copy, but they are rare as hen's teeth. But, again, my wonderful public library has a copy, so I can read it whenever I want. I agree, some of these wonderful books need to be republished. The problem is if something was published after 1923, it is not in the public domain.
ReplyDeleteThat's great! My library seems to have an "out with the old, in with the new" policy, because they have very few old books. However, a nearby library does have a copy of The Winter Cottage, so I just requested it! It sounds like the perfect read for this time of year--thanks for the recommendation!
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