I can’t do it, I don’t like fantasy. It’s not because I haven’t tried I have, but it’s just not for me. As a youth Harry Potter was the book that got me back into reading and here I am, studying to be a Public Librian but it’s the exception to the rule, not the rule.
When I looked at the books “Lord of the Rings” I said no way, and I still have zero desire to read them so I gave the movies a try. It’s 3 movies about people walking. I get bored when there isn’t a battle going on. Maybe when I’m in forties I’ll enjoy it but I saw all of them in theaters and ya it was alright, but nothing that I went crazy for– and I know I’m not in the norm.
I do appreciate young adult fiction though. I can see the influence it has had on my friends, family and peers and that it is something that has had a profound influence on them as people. Fantasy is also something that doesn’t hit morals on the head with a hammer repeatdly, it slips it in which is nice in a world where even riding the bus is telling me what to do with my life and how to be a good person. I respect young adult fiction for those that it speaks to but I’m not one of those people.
I’m always willing to take suggestions that I’ll look into trying.
This is a link from Kevin Smith’s “Clerks 2” that sums up my feelings about LOTR.
Dancer is the story of sixteen year old Hilary ‘Mousie’ James and the remarkable life experiences she has with her house, Dancer. The story begins with Mousie riding Jumper in the Royal Winter Fair where unexpected events resulted in English royalty noticing Dancer. Over the next year Mousie is continually challenged at school and in the Equestrian world. She is rewarded through her determination and by unwavering young love. Through these adventures, Mousie connects to a Spirit that speaks to her in her dreams, helping her to keep her stallion safe from those who wish to either own or destroy him. Dancer is a story about unbreakable bonds of love, horses, loss and surviving. This novel is written in the third person by Shelley Peterson. Peterson is an Ontario local who is currently involved in the Equestrian industry.
Characters
Hilary “Mousie” James is the main character in this novel, following her experiences with her horse Dancer, with whom she has an untouchable bond with. Mousie shows a level of maturity above her young age of sixteen throughout the entire novel.
Dancer has a personality unlike any other horse and an unwavering loyalty to his owner. He is willing to risk his own life in order to protect his rider, Mousie.
Christine James is the mother of Mousie and struggles to afford necessary farm maintenance.
Samuel Owens is the owner of a nearby stable and a man who desperately wants to own Dancer for his niece Sara to ride.
Rory Casey plays an important supportive role to Christine over the course of the year.
Sandy Casey is a support for Mousie when she needs one most and helps her overcome some of her fears of being betrayed.
Setting
This novel primarily takes place in Caledon, Ontario on or near the James’s farm Hogscroft. A secondary location in this novel is Highgrove, England while Dancer and Mousie perform for the Royal Family.
Series Information
This is the first in a series of three by Peterson, Dancer (1996), Abby Malone (1999) and Stagestruck (2002). All three novels have characters and locations that carry over and appear in one another. The intended audience for this novel is young adults.
Citation
Peterson, Shelley. Dancer. Erin: The Porcupine’s Quill, 1996. Print.
Reflection:
I chose to film this project while at home in order to use my horses as visual aids to the story being told. Developing this book talk was interesting for me because it was a book that I had read for many years but was able to look at it from a new perspective in the academic setting. In order to record my book talk, I found it easy to use the recording function on my iPhone but editing became a challenge. I had previous experience using Windows Movie Maker but their most recent update made the program much less user friendly and I had to re-learn how to use the program. Using various resources I was able to understand the editing functions and began to experiment with the credit pages as to how the effects influence the presentation. Creating a book talk was an enjoyable process that I would enjoy doing again.
I recommend this novel for young adults based on the strong female lead, Tris Prior. This is a sixteen year old female who is faced with the challenge of leaving her family for another way of living and finding out that her new home, along with others are planning on killing her family and everyone from her previous life. With this she must also survive through an intense initiation process and deal with her feelings towards one of her trainers, feelings she has never had before. Tris is an example of a young woman dealing with the challenges of the world and not acting in the typical teenage, love driven way that many teenagers in popular culture are displayed as.
The writing in this novel is fluid and keeps the audience engaged, wondering what will happen next. As each new character enters there is a mystery as to what benefit may come to them based on their actions and how those actions will affect the outcome of the story.
A disadvantage to the book is its length of 487 pages. Some readers will be turned off form the novel from the sheer volume. The description in the novel allows for a clear picture of the settings, had Roth used less imagery she would have been able to have a smaller book in size that would have appealed to a larger audience. I would refrain from allowing readers under fourteen from reading due to violence.
I would place this novel in the Young Adult section of my library as it appeals to both young adults and adult readers.
The article Point of Departure by Joseph Bruchac in response to Clare Bradford’s essay highlights the importance of Native writers writing about their heritage. It talks about how those that study and even immurse themselves in other cultures cannot fully understand what it is like to be part of them. Bruchac who is of “mixed blood” (Bruchac, 343) explains that he is someone who struggled to find his identity in Native writing as he grew up during a time where it was safer for your family not to be Native. It is also explained that while someone can be born Native, it does not mean they are instantly born with the understanding of what those before them have experienced.
I found this article to be interesting because it provided a different view on the writings of Native people that I have not often found in academic writing. It is important to remember that studying a culture does not mean that you have lived it, the experiences from generation to generation affect how the family lives.