4 of 6

I finished Mansfield Park, Jane Austen book four of six. I'm nearing the end. And am still really enjoying it. Though every time I read this book, I wonder what had happened to Austen or what made her think she had to make Crawford such the cad she made him. Or perhaps it's just that I get suckered into his charm (not easily, not quickly; I take the cautious approach like Fanny) every time, even though I know what he's going to do. Austen has written him so well as to guide the reader to think that it's quite possible, indeed, it's likely that Henry Crawford is changing, that he's endeavoring to become worthy of Fanny Price, that her patience and steadiness and deep feelings are more than just playthings to him and he is determined to show that he is what she wants. He goes so far as to visit Fanny in Portsmouth, to offer her a means to return to Mansfield, to show he cares enough about her to seek her, to be the gentleman with her. You think, through his attentions, that he truly is changing.
And then he sleeps with Maria Rushworth.
It always seems to me a shoddy thing, that it had to happen last minute to get Crawford out of the way, but as I read I think that perhaps Austen wanted Fanny to be with Crawford, but something about her great desire to pair her with Edmund causes her to make Crawford do the most horrendous thing he could have done to lose Fanny. Perhaps Austen believed we couldn't change; we are who we are born and there is nothing we can do to change that. Crawford was born a cad (though she makes enough remarks about education and the influence of others, so I can't satisfy myself that that's the case) and he was to remain a cad. Part of me is always just a tiny bit disappointed that this happens, but I'm usually pleased that Fanny ends up with Edmund. Not someone I would like to end up with. Edmund doesn't assume that Fanny will always agree with him and be submissive to him, but he did form her tastes and education and so the likelihood that they would disagree is not very high.
Trying to read a short book (Alvin Ho: Allergic to Girls, School, and Other Scary Things) between now and my vacation (with the goal of vacation to be reading Stephenie Meyer's Twilight) and am very excited by the sequel to Quantum Prophecy: The Awakening by Michael Carroll (fabulous teen book about the disappearance of superheros and their reappeance years later); the new one is Quantum Prophecy: The Gathering. Psyched to read it.
If I don't finish anything before vacation, keep reading.
I remain, the Savage Librarian.

Underrated

I've finished a good book, a quick read, a novel in verse, but not rhyming, light verse that flows well, and makes great sense with some wondrous line breaks. It's called Minn and Jake by Janet Wong and, at least at my library, hasn't gotten the attention (or circulation!) it deserves. Minn and Jake are 5th graders; Minn is the tallest kid in the class and Jake (the new kid) the shortest. They become rather unlikely friends, as Minn's a great lizard catcher and Jake has just been transplanted from Los Angeles. The verse certainly doesn't deter one from reading the book; in fact I think it helps the book move faster. It doesn't make the story confusing or too lofty for readers in 3-5th grades. Minn is a great female character, she's tall and feeling awkward about her height (but never awkward about her lizard catching skills), she's kind of a tomboy, but until last week, her best friend was Sabrina. So Minn is somewhere in between the tomboy and girly girl, which is kind of realistic, I think. The friendship that grows (and starts in an unlikely and seemingly unable to make it way) between Minn and Jake is nice to watch unfold and you feel that two characters who feel out of place have finally found somewhere they're not. It's a clever book with a sequel that's already out, Minn and Jake's Almost Terrible Summer, which the first book set up nicely. Definitely recommended.
In the midst of Mansfield Park (Austen 4 of 6!)and will probably finish it tomorrow. And then, yes, and then I'll join most of the world and read Stephenie Meyer's Twilight.
In between reads I remain,
the Savage Librarian.