LIGHT COMES TO SHADOW MOUNTAIN A Guest Blogger Review by Mara Scudder

 I've been on the "other side of the pond" for the last two weeks and just returned home. I look forward to sharing a few of my European adventures, particularly as they relate to my next WIP, Nightmare in Nuremberg. But while I get over jet lag, I have a review for you by a new young guest blogger, Mara Scudder.

REVIEW

Light Comes to Shadow Mountain surprised me with the skill and warmth of the tale it told. Completely immersed in the world of Cora Mae Tipton, the author, Toni Buzzeo, let her voice shine throughout the work. With distinct figures of speech and an optimistic worldview, Cora shares the story of her struggle to help bring electricity to her mountain home in southeastern Kentucky. 

Cora knows the only way for her to fulfill her dream of becoming a successful journalist is to make it through high school, but she can’t imagine passing the exams without electric light at night to study by. Her days are filled with the tedious chores that are necessary on the mountain -- chores that Cora could imagine would be a breeze with the electrical appliances she’s seen in magazines from the city -- and she simply doesn’t have time for schoolwork during the day. Unfortunately for her, electricity is relatively expensive for a small town in the Depression, and far worse, her mother views electricity as the end of their way of life. 

Cora and her mother repeatedly clash, sometimes over electricity and many times over other issues, some of which were out of Cora’s control. Cora finds it challenging not to make electricity a personal matter to her. She knows a good journalist should be objective, examining both sides of an issue before forming an opinion, but she can’t help but feel frustrated that her mother is so stubborn. Over the course of the novel, Cora attempts to not only understand her mother’s side of things but also recognize and work to change her own flaws. She learns how to forgive those who have hurt her and works to stay positive despite frustrating circumstances. Cora’s passion for her dreams does not hinder her from recognizing her own faults and putting her family first. She risks her life to save her newborn sister and gives up the money that she hoped would bring light to Shadow Mountain to help pay hospital bills. 

As a character, Cora works to shed light not only on her mountain home, but also on the issues of the time, the challenges she faces, and most of all the opposition to her cause. Her desire to understand even those who are firmly opposed to her only chance at fulfilling her dreams is one of the biggest things that makes her a memorable protagonist. She seeks to put aside her feelings and step into the shoes of someone else, making her an unusual, but especially perceptive character. Whether it is her mother, her cousin, or the cranky neighbor down the road, Cora always seeks to understand different perspectives. It is this understanding that finally enables her to reconcile with her mother and resolve the tension in their family. 

Cora’s vibrant personality, her understanding of her faults, and her willingness to sacrifice anything for her family (even if certain members of that family make such sacrifices especially difficult) make this novel stand out from the many other middle-grade works on the shelf. Light Comes to Shadow Mountain chronicles a little-told story in an unusual setting, but this uniqueness only adds to its beauty and originality. Cora’s story sheds light not only on a little-known setting with long-forgotten perspectives, but also on crucial themes such as love, forgiveness, and family that make this a heartwarming read.

REVIEWER

Hi! My name is Mara, and I’m a Christian artist, violinist, and blogger. I remember the day that I decided that I would learn something new about what makes a good story from every book I picked up — whether it was good, bad, or a mixture of both. I use my blog as a way of sharing some of the tips and tricks I’ve learned and highlighting which books, cartoons, and movies have taught me the most about writing an awesome story. I’m in tenth grade and live in Philadelphia. 

                                                                            *****

Congratulations to Emily Weitz who won ETHEL'S SONG from my last blog post. 

Franz's Phantasmagorical Machine: A Picture Book Biography, Author Interview with Beth Anderson, and Giveaway

Yes. Phantasmagoric is really a word. Go look it up! But, just make sure you come back here afterward. It's a hard word to pronounce. But the story is well worth the tongue-twisting effort. 

Beth Anderson's newest picture book is everything that Franz Gsellmann's fantastic world machine was: Creative! Imaginative! and full of Discovery! 

REVIEW

Franz was a very curious little boy. When the cuckoo clock in his parent's Austrian home chirped, Franz wondered, 

What makes the sound? He looked at the gears. What makes them move? He peeked behind the small door. What's going on in there?

Although the nudge to imagine, discover, and create grew louder every year, his family needed him on the farm. At a young age, he left school to help out. 

As an adult, he had an amazing dream about a fantastic, magical, phantasmagorical machine! ....Franz pondered and paced, sketched and crumpled, fussed and fretted. The machine he saw in his dream was unlike anything in the world.

When he heard about a unique and amazing structure at the 1958 world's fair in Belgium, he took a train to go see it. Franz was amazed by the Atomium and bought a small replica to take home- a reminder of how ordinary shapes and lights could become something extraordinary.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atomium

Experiencing that structure changed Franz's life. 

Franz listened to his imagination and started dreaming, planning, and building. 

He found treasures and trinkets at the local flea market. He explored junkyards for the right parts. Hula-hoops! Horseshoes! A hairdryer! Wagon heaping, he returned home with his haul. 

Although Franz wasn't sure what he was creating, he knew he'd figure it out eventually.

His neighbors bugged him. "What is going on in there?" They made fun of him. And when he plugged his machine in, the entire village lost electricity!

When newspaper reporters showed up to see the whirring machine, they were disappointed in what they saw. 

"Is it going to do something?" they asked.

Franz's hope fizzled. The machine was doing something. Something amazing.

After the reporters' and his neighbors' negative reactions, Franz withdrew to his attic. But in the middle of his despair, he heard excited voices outside his window.  

"One by one, Franz flipped the fifty-three switches and the machine awoke."

Spellbound, a little girl whispered, "What's going on in there?"

Franz's face crinkled into a smile as he watched the children's eyes twinkle with wonder. His phantasmagorical machine did have a purpose--and finally, Franz had figured it out.

 

AUTHOR INTERVIEW

CAROL: What was your inspiration behind this story?

BETH: Franz Gsellmann’s story was one of the first true stories that I tackled in my writing journey. I was smitten by the quirkiness of it and had great fun playing with all the sensory information and odd details. The heart of his story actually came through as questions - questions about expectations and the value of creative endeavors and processes, questions that I hope will linger and provide kids an opportunity to think past the usual. Though editors often ask for “quirky,” it’s a challenge to shape such a story, and also to find an editor who "gets it" and loves it enough to take it on. After several years and many revisions, I can see so clearly now how this story of one man’s creative endeavor is like a metaphor for us writers and so many other creatives. His story is an apt reflection of my story of writing his story! 

CAROL:  How did you stumble upon Franz Gsellmann?

BETH: I think I saw the machine on Atlas Obscura. I subscribe to newsfeeds from various sites, and every once in a while there's something that grabs my attention. 

CAROL: That just goes to show you how curiosity is an important tool for every writer! By the way, how did you come up with the title?

BETH: I spend a lot of time with an online thesaurus - ha! Always looking for the right words. I was gathering words like “fantastic” but the usual ones just weren’t enough. I stumbled on phantasmagorical, looked it up, and it was absolutely perfect for the machine. And who doesn’t love a great big crazy word like that? AND it’s made up of other pieces, just like his machine!

CURRICULUM RESOURCE

Without a doubt, this book stirs the curiosity of PreK-third-grade readers. If they're anything like my three grandkids (ages 2-7) they will also enjoy the story, as well as the alliteration, onomatopoeia, colorful illustrations by Caroline Hamel, and the counting image search inside Franz's World Machine, at the end of the book. End Pages also include an author's note, more information about Franz and his machine, and an invitation for readers to share their ideas about machines. 

After reading Franz's Phantasmagorical Machine to my grandkids, I showed them this youtube video which narrates Franz's life and shows a few clips of the machine working. 

My 4-year-old grandson, Luke, kept asking where the flower lights were--something he'd seen in the book. We went from this video to a few simple science videos about gears. I'm not sure who enjoyed it more--him or me!

Speaking of grandchildren...Here are the two grandsons studying the "Golf Ball machine" at The Franklin Institute. 

After watching the video Luke also wanted to know where the balls were in Franz's machine. Goes to show you that literacy happens all around us.

GIVEAWAY

Please leave a comment by July 23 with your name and email address if you are new to my blog. You can also send me an email if you prefer.  U.S. addresses only. If you are any type of educator (home, classroom, librarian) please let me know and I'll put your name in twice. 

Congratulations to Hewi Mason who won The Peach Pit Parade.