This is MJ. I'm an author, I'm an artist, I'm an analyzer. You can find all my work at MJMuñoz.com.
Today we're doing something a little bit special. We're starting something new.
And I'm very excited about this. So I'll start it like this.
Welcome to the Fortress of Fiction. As a master of middle grade, I am reading an assortment of modern and classic middle grade books.
Join me as I test their mettle and determine which stories are worthy of building up the fortress of fiction
and which stories belong in the dungeon.
So I started off my book, well, I started off this reading list by reading a modern book.
I had erroneously stated in my last episode where I was talking about how I can become the master of middle grade
by stating that the division was like 90s or so.
This book actually was written in 1975. Tuck Everlasting is the one I'm talking about first.
And I'll give you some information, some very neutral information that I had Claude or Frank help me come up with
just to give information about the book itself, because I have a very negative take on this.
And I don't want to be I don't want to color my discussion of the book too much by, you know,
coming up with my own description of the book and, you know, basic information to include about it.
So I'm just going to let my well, I'm just going to share with you what the I came up with.
So here we go. This should be as neutral and PC as you might want it to be.
So here we go. Here's some key information about the book.
Talk everlasting by Natalie Babbitt publication date, 1975.
OK, it's a year, not a date. That's all right.
Plot summary. Ten year old Winnie Foster meets the Tuck family who drank from a special spring that stops them from aging.
She must decide whether or not to drink from it herself and become immortal like them.
Themes, mortality, death, family, coming of age, morality, writing style, poetic and reflective,
told primarily through third person narration from Winnie's perspective.
I disagree with that Winnie's perspective thing, but it is poetic.
I was going to say lyrical, descriptive, natural imagery.
OK, moral content explores complex questions about life, death and what it means to live a full life
rather than romanticizing immortality promotes introspection and examining different perspectives.
Controversial elements, some mild violence, including a man hitting his horse, references to jail and sentencing for crimes, but no graphic events.
Age recommendation ages eight to twelve Newberry Honor Award winner considered appropriate reading for upper elementary school due to accessible writing style and themes.
And that's all the neutral boilerplate, I would say, like common perspective on the book.
So I'm going to say that this book, I would throw it in the dungeon.
Natalie Babbitt, I feel badly about saying this, she very well may still be alive today.
And like my goal is not to attack people on this show.
My goal is not to attack or denigrate books or call for them to be banned or anything like that.
Although, well, yeah, that's not my goal, because I that's not really within my spectrum of values.
And that kind of idea makes me uncomfortable because I worry about that sort of thing being abused as it so often is.
And so anyway, I'm for things existing and for the market deciding.
And if your values align with mine, I would think you'd agree with me about this book.
I will go ahead and say things about it that I found objectionable,
but I will say the things I found about it that were commendable.
So first of all, so I kind of want to get this out of the way.
I will give you the top reasons I do not like this book and the reason I would throw it in the dungeon, so to speak,
which means like I will not recommend this to my children.
If one of them asked me about it, I will say, yeah, you don't want to read this.
Certainly not at their current ages.
And I wouldn't really feel comfortable with anybody under like 15 reading this,
depending on how sheltered they are or how worldly they are.
That age is going to slide.
So I'm not saying an ironclad.
Nobody can read this.
You know, I'm an adult. I was able to read it.
It felt very disturbing and it felt very creepy and it felt very weird in some places.
Again, I was going to describe the writing style as lyrical.
It's very like the weird romance stuff.
Like it's very romantic in that in the way it describes things and like the languages.
It's lofty, but it's still accessible.
Like it makes nature feel beautiful.
It makes the world feel beautiful and it makes life feel beautiful.
Life and death and the change in the cycle.
There's an illustration or a metaphor about how everything is a wheel.
The sun is a wheel.
The sun is the center of the wheel of well, it says the sun is the wheel of the calendar.
The sun is the center point, the fixed point that the calendar rolls around.
But also I thought it was going to go astronomical, but she went with the calendar instead,
which is something a little more mundane.
But still, it works astronomically as well.
There's a couple of other things, but like a wheel and a cycle and this image is used to relate to several things in the book.
It is interesting and it's done well.
I'm not doing her justice.
I'm not doing bad, but just as in describing how well she wrote the book.
But the reason I say definitely no kid under like 15 ish and again depending is because basically you have a 17 year old boy.
He looks like he's 17 years old, but he's actually one hundred and seven because of this water of immortality that he and his family were, you know, drink from eighty seven years ago.
And he basically flirts on and hits on a little girl.
And I forgot to mention this. I was thinking about this earlier.
I actually read this book in school.
I don't remember the oldest I was because I got kicked out of this school or pulled out because of failing a bunch of classes, which I'm not proud of.
It's just a fact. It was like 12.
So I remember it very well. That's why I was like 12, maybe 11.
So like 12 or 11. So a little bit older than the protagonist.
One, I did not remember how old she was in this book, but I knew it was weird that the guy was 17 and she was like a kid like me close to my age.
And he was he basically says, hey, when you get old enough, drink from the water and you can marry me and we'll just have an adventure and live life and never have to grow old and all sorts of stuff, which is a little weird, a little weird.
So and he's only known her for a day.
Like, just thinking more analytically about this.
Why wouldn't tuck find a 17 year old girl who he likes and tell her, hey, me and my family, we're special, we're different.
By the way, I just need to make a quick amendment. His name isn't tuck.
He's Jesse tuck. So it's the tuck family.
Like, Pawtuck is just called tuck. Then it's May's ma and yeah, me.
That's her actual name. And then the sons are Jesse and the other one.
So anyway, it's just it's weird because like, you know, she's a little girl.
I don't mean I was in school with girls at the time when I read this book and I knew that girls and, you know, as a boy, too, around the same age.
I understand like, oh, that person's attractive like that, you know, teenage girl is really beautiful or a girl saying, oh, that teenage boy, he's so good looking or whatever.
That's fine. But like, Jesse tuck is described as beautiful and like little 10 year old Winifred, like it falls in love with him basically, or at least is infatuated with him.
And like she considers very much doing this thing, becoming immortal and living with him forever.
And it's just like, I don't know, the way it's put forth is really like it's really creepy, honestly.
And I'm not going to let myself get hung up on this, but like it just feels kind of gross.
And that was the strongest thing I remember. I remember this guy, like a creeper with a girl.
And like, it's really weird how he like wants her to be immortal with him.
And I was going to say it would make a lot more sense if she was like 16 or 17 and like she had the choice more immediately.
And, you know, why didn't the author just do that? Dang. That's really weird.
Anyway, that's that's just like a super odd choice to me because it makes it so uncomfortable and it feels so predatory in a lot of ways.
And that's that's really not good stuff. So, yeah, I would say like it's unhealthy, especially for today in today's day and age.
Like this guy, you know, he's 104, but he's presenting as if he's 17. So it's like, well, you know, I'm 40, but I want to go and try to keep this family friendly as possible.
I don't think anything I've said is too too much for discerning family to listen to.
But just you have people lying and pretending that there's something that they're not and using that to deceive people and take advantage of them.
And it almost feels like what Jesse is and how he does things is setting the reader up to be OK with that, even though ultimately spoilers, spoilers, spoilers.
Winifred does not take the opportunity to drink from this fountain of youth and live forever with the Tuck family or at least Jesse Tuck.
She doesn't she chooses not to do that, which is good.
So it's not like the book is telling the readers that that is what they should do.
And we're not saying that children won't be won't face similar, I don't know, quandaries, temptations,
you know, big moral decisions in their lives, like the older you get, the more important the decisions you make are.
But it's just kind of glossed over and I don't know how useful that is. And going back to this idea of, you know,
is this fiction worthy of being a building block in this fortress of fiction?
Like, I think fiction should build people up. I think the stories that we tell are I think storytelling is fundamental to what we are as human beings.
There are several like, I don't know, like six good reasons I could give right now, but I won't.
It just I think that's true. I think a lot of work and research and I don't know.
Philosophizing has been done about this idea, and I agree with I agree with a lot of what has been said and I won't make those arguments.
I'm not prepared to make those arguments at this time.
However, I prefer to say that because I believe story is so important and that it has such a profound effect on people that I think we need to be especially careful.
With the types of stories we tell our children and with how we tell those stories.
And I firmly believe that stories should be written in such a way that they can be enjoyable by all ages and that all ages can take different things away from them.
And I'm not saying that you can't write, read or enjoy books that are specific to you and your niche.
But I believe specifically because children are this blank slate to some extent, or at least they're this blank slate.
And they have an ability to be influenced that we should be especially careful with what we might give them to be influenced by.
And that if a child were to read something like this, I would worry what it would do to them.
Now, what does it mean that all the kids at my Catholic school read this at a certain age?
I'm not sure. You know, how did this book influence them?
Again, I don't know. There's a line in the book in the very beginning, actually, like the prologue that basically makes it sound like sometimes when it's summer,
you're not responsible for your actions because it's just too hot and August is too strong and you're not really responsible for your own actions.
You are compelled to do things. You know, things happen a certain way.
And that's not true. I mean, obviously there are things that are beyond your control.
However, there is a concept, at least in the world of men now, that is this I can't remember if it's utter ownership or ultimate ownership or something about ownership,
where you just like take total ownership of everything that happens in your sphere of influence.
And you say this didn't happen because I failed to act or this happened because I made this choice.
And I think that's a good thing. I think that's something powerful and profound.
And it's a very useful way for men and women and even kids to look at the world so that they have to face the fact that their actions have consequences.
And I think something in the way that line was written by Babbitt just struck me as, oh, she's saying that you don't need to be responsible for your actions.
And then the story kind of bears that out to some extent, except it also makes arguments to the opposite.
You are responsible for your actions and that your actions do matter.
And the consequences of your actions are everlasting, much like the Tuck family.
And it's I know it's a really weird, bizarre blend of things.
And I don't really understand. Like, I don't know what the criterion are for the Newbery Award to be given out.
But I believe I read a bunch of her, not a bunch, like a good handful of Newbery books in the schools I was in.
And I believe I know this is one of them.
And I can't remember what others were. But I'm just thinking, how how did this get passed?
A bunch of adults to give to children because of how like weird it is and how odd it is, even if the ways it talks, like even if the writing is beautiful, which it mostly is like, I'd say like 80 percent of it's like really, you know,
written in a really lovely way. The craft of it is good.
The word smithery, if you will, is really entertaining.
But like the moral implications of things and the lack of like full, robust conversation about sensitive topics or like looking at things in a more than a one sided simplistic.
Like it presents all these very it presents very complex ideas and concepts.
But because Winnie is a 10 year old girl, it gives them to you like at her level and it only deals with them at her level.
And it doesn't really deal with them beyond her level, which I think is kind of necessary.
And I don't know exactly other than making different choices, not telling the story this way and changing it up.
I don't know how else you make that OK.
And I therefore I wouldn't write this kind of story at this, you know, at this level or towards this audience because it just seems inappropriate out of place a little too much.
And yeah, that's why I mean, I'm not going to keep this thing in the dungeon forever.
It's it doesn't belong here, I think. I don't see I guess I don't see how this would benefit somebody.
What do you mean by that? I think the Hobbit reading through the Hobbit or the Lord of the Rings will have a lasting won't not even a lasting necessarily, but it will have a positive.
Reaction or not a positive. It'll have a positive impact on the reader. It will be inspiring. It will lead them to think about things in a different way and to consider
just consider how they conduct themselves. This book is not able to do the same thing.
I think I didn't like it as a kid. I was frustrated and confused by it. I thought it was kind of gross then.
And it just it made me feel like uneasy now. Maybe it's because I'm a father of girls and like I wouldn't want them being presented by the same situation, even though like so, you know,
when he gets kidnapped in this book, sort of, but not like I even hesitate to call it kidnapping. She definitely gets taken by the tux.
But it's understandable. And like the conversation about how necessary a part of death or a part of life death is and how it is part of this cycle in the circle.
Like, it's a really interesting conversation. But like, hey, my son is trying to get you to marry him, which the dad didn't know about.
Like that's not addressed. So it's like, I don't know. It's very strange. It's very strange. I don't like it.
It made me uncomfortable as a kid and it makes me uncomfortable as an adult with my own kids. And I'm older than or my eldest is older than I was at the time that I read it.
And I still think, yeah, I would not I would not recommend this book to anybody. Really. Again, I'm not calling for it to be banned.
I'm not calling for it to be maligned. I'm not saying it's, you know, groomer. And, you know, I'm not saying any of those negative things.
I'm just saying I don't understand what the point is. I don't understand what the utility is.
And I'm shocked that it's so well received. I even looked on early on in life.
I found resources like folks on the families, you know, kids plugged in online is what it's called.
And there's another offshoot of that, I think. And it's where parents and kids will review all sorts of things and give their perspectives on it.
And I was surprised by how many people were positive about this thing.
And again, there were a few people who were definitely with me thinking that the whole Jesse and Winnie relationship dynamic was super bizarre.
So, yeah, I know it's it feels like it's almost written with a child like me of a day, which I don't know how old bad it was when she wrote this.
But it's I wouldn't imagine that she was young and just yeah, this is like a never recommend book, in my opinion.
If anybody asked me about it, I would definitely warn them away from it.
So that's about all I have to say. I don't know if the rest of the of the series will be like this.
I mean, I hope I have a lot more positive interactions with these books than negative interactions,
but I'm going to give honest interactions or honest reactions to them. And yeah, I can't predict whether or not the positive or negative.
But I will be honest and I will let you know my full thoughts on it.
And I would like to know if you like Tuck Everlasting, if you've read it either.
Well, if you've read it and you have thoughts on it that are corresponding to mine or contrary to mine,
I would like to hear them and have a conversation about it. You know, what are your thoughts on this thing?
And what I guess what use it? What good is it? And does it need to be a good? Does it need to be good?
I guess because some I argue doesn't need to be good. Just needs to be entertaining.
It was it made me so uncomfortable. I couldn't be entertained.
Basically his is how I felt a lot of the time. So like it almost felt like I shouldn't be reading.
It almost felt wrong in some way. And yeah, definitely not for this market.
It was like a teen book. It was like if it was a YA book, I could sort it like to me.
If it was appropriate for a younger young adult, I would think that would be fine.
But it seems to be fairly widely categorized as middle grade.
And that just feels wildly inappropriate to me.
So I'm done talking about Tuck Everlasting for now, as far as what I have to say.
I did put out a call for people to give feedback and their thoughts on the book and I didn't receive anything.
So I'm going to put out the call for the next book early, which is right now.
I'm going to be talking about Lewis Carroll's Alice in Wonderland, which I think is the actual title.
If not, maybe it's Alice's Adventures in Wonderland. I don't know.
Through the Looking Glasses second book, I'm only talking about the first book where she goes down the rabbit's hole.
And Alex's Adventure in Wonderland. No, that's the other one. Anyway, Alice in Wonderland, the first one by Lewis Carroll,
where she goes underground and counters the Queen of Hearts and other things.
And I will be talking about that book. And I do invite people's comments and you can leave those on the blog
and anywhere else where you have access to this recording this episode.
And yeah, I'd love to hear from people and have a conversation about these books because, well, conversations are always better.
It's all as you'll hear me say in a moment or two. And yeah, that's about it.
So I think these book chats are a cool thing to do.
I think the fact that these books are so short offers people an opportunity to jump on them and get the audio books,
which is basically what I'm going to be preferencing stuff with audio books.
And if anything, well, I think I have a list already, but I'll adjust it as I need to if there are things that don't have audio books.
So I have a little bit of homework to do on my end to make sure my whole big list has audio books so that I don't screw things up.
Because I want to do them in chronological order. Basically, I'm doing the classic books first, like Tuck Everlasting,
and then the modern books first, like Tuck Everlasting, and then the classics, which are the old, old books like Alice in Wonderland,
which is from, well, the late 1800s, I believe. If I'm wrong, I'll correct myself in the notes for it next time.
But you'll get to hear that in the future. So until then, adieu.
I hope you enjoyed that. Subscribe to keep up with me.
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And go to MJMunoz.com to find your next favorite thing.
And don't forget to let your voice be heard. Stories are always better when you're part of the conversation.
Until next time, be well. This is MJ signing out.
This has been a Story Over Everything production.