REVIEW: Read your way through finals
Going back to old favorites, from favorite places to favorite foods, is what keeps my spirits up when I’m overwhelmed or stressed. Revisiting things I know and love reminds me of the fun, carefree, contented parts of myself that sometimes get buried, especially toward the end of a semester.
So, looking to the month ahead, I offer you the same escape I have when I re-read these childhood favorites again and again.
“From the mixed-up files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler” by E.L. Konigsburg
If you have ever wanted to run away – like, maybe today – this is your pre-finals week read. It will get out all the impulses to flee without jeopardizing your grades, career or relationships. Konigsburg’s award-winning tale of two young runaways is a classic adventure. Claudia, frustrated with her life as the oldest child and perfect student, takes her younger brother Jamie and runs away from home. The siblings end up hiding out in the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City and, while trying to live on their allowance and whatever they could pack into their violin cases, discover a mystery right under their noses.
As an oldest child, this book spoke to my 10-year-old self like nothing else ever had. I could totally be Claudia, bathing in the plaza fountain and eluding night security guards for the sake of my independence. And so can you, for 176 charming and delightful pages.
“No Coins, Please” by Gordon Korman
If you are graduating and entering the real world soon, and it scares the pants off you, this is the book for you. Let’s admit it, when we were young, we all thought we were going to be rich and famous. In this 1985 book, an 11-year-old boy sets off for summer camp on a bus with five other boys and their counselors. Along the way, Artie becomes the world’s youngest con artist, or entrepreneur, depending on your point of view.
His get-rich-quick schemes are brilliant and hilarious and of course, cause all kinds of trouble. You have to wonder if Mark Zuckerberg read this one as a kid. This one is especially good in light of the recent economic crises and the age of the Internet.
“Everest” (trilogy) by Gordon Korman
This is one of several trilogies written by one of my favorite juvenile fiction authors. My introduction was the “Island” trilogy, of a handful of delinquent children who become stranded and find a crime ring operating out of their little island – among other surprises. The “Everest” novels are about a group of the youngest people ever to summit Mt. Everest and the perils that await them on their climb. Korman has the ability to make an unbelievable story seem utterly real. His other series like “Dive” and “Titanic” keep with this theme, as do his standalone books like the aforementioned “No Coins, Please” and the best thing I read in eighth grade, “No more dead dogs.”
And of course, there’s Harry Potter.
Yes, it’s a series, which totally ruins the whole list-of-five thing, but whatever. The Harry Potter books have seen me through everything since age 12. I refused to read them on principle (they were popular, I was an elitist, I was wrong.) at first, but my best friend in seventh grade convinced me to “just try one” (Hey, at least it was children’s fiction, it could’ve been drugs).
I was hooked. Entirely apart from the story and the adventure, the themes of love and loyalty and friendship wrap me in a cocoon of happiness as soon as I settle into page one. But, this is probably not a good choice for the weeks leading up to finals, so I’ll offer a quick disclaimer. Warning: You may be engrossed, and 4,000-plus is a lot of pages.
These children’s novels can be enjoyed by big kids, too, but if none of them appeal to you, think of what you read as a kid or the last book you really enjoyed. When you need a break from work or studying or writing and you’ve already exhausted Redbox and your roommate’s DVD collection, try an easy, relaxing read to take you somewhere else for a while – rejuvenate, re-motivate, re-read.
– Chelsey Gensel enjoys science fiction, young adult and classic novels with a long list of favorites. Her column appears monthly. Comments, review suggestions and questions can be sent to chelsey.gensel@aggiemail.usu.edu.