Middle Grade Gallery II

This week in the Middle Grade Gallery, a work of art which might be more familiar than the portrait of Oldknow children we looked at last week, and maybe even instantly recognizable.  As you read, try to imagine what this work of art looks like (I'm not a visual thinker, so I have to remind myself to do this):

It was a picture of a ship--a ship sailing nearly straight towards you.  Her prow was gilded and shaped like the head of a dragon with wide open mouth.  She had only one mast and one large, square sail which was a rich purple.  the sides of the ship--what you could see of them where the gilded wings of the dragon ended--were green.  She had just run up to the top of one glorious blue wave, and the nearer slope of that wave came down towards you, with streaks and bubbles on it.  She was obviously running fast before a gay wind, listing over a little on her port side.  All the sunlight fell on her from that side, and the water on that side was full of greens and purples.  On the other, it was darker blue from the shadow of the ship.

[Me again.]  It doesn't look anything like Fitz Henry Lane's Lumber Schooners at Evening on Penobscot Bay, 1853 (NGA), does it?  In many ways the two paintings are exactly opposite, yet I think they share the same magical quality (hint).  If you can identify the source, please be sure to leave a comment so I don't lose faith in my readership.

[See this post for the answer.]

Children of Green Knowe

Last week's featured work of art in the Middle Grade Gallery came from L.M. Boston's The Children of Green Knowe (1955; this edition, Harcourt Young Classics, 2002). No one guessed.  I hope this is a reflection of how many people visit books together and not of how many people read Lucy Boston, because the Green Knowe Chronicles are wonderful. Old-fashioned, yes, but in the very best sense of the word. There's an ancient manor house, an almost equally ancient great-grandmother, and the ghosts of the three children in the painting--Toby, Alexander, and Linnet.

The painting of the Oldknow children (which can be glimpsed in the background of Brett Helquist's cover illustration for this edition) is at the center of the second book in the chronicles, Treasure of Green Knowe. It's gone to an exhibition in London and may have to be sold.  Worst of all, its ghosts (but not all of them) have gone with it.  I think I like it even better than the first.

Middle Grade Gallery

I've been collecting written descriptions of works of art that appear in middle grade novels (fairly frequently, as least in the sorts of middle grade novels I like).  I'll post them here every now and then; bonus points if you know the source of the one below (leave a comment!).

As you read, ask yourself:

• Would you recognize this work of art from the author's description?
• What do you think it looks like?

Over the fireplace hung a large oil painting of a family, three children and two ladies.  There were two handsome boys, wearing lace collars and dark green silk suits.  They had long hair but looked anything but girlish.  The elder of the two, who might be fourteen years old, was wearing a sword, and it looked so natural to him that [he] was filled with hero-worship.  He had his hand on the collar of a tame deer.  The younger brother had a book under his arm and a flute in his hand.  The little girl had a smile of irrepressible high spirits that seemed to defy the painter to do a serious portrait of her.  she was holding a chaffinch, and beside her on the ground was an open wicker cage.  One of the two ladies was young and beautiful.  At her feet was a little curly white dog with a black face; on her arms was a basket of roses.  The other lady was old and dressed in black.  They all had large dark eyes and all their eyes seemed fixed on [him].  If he moved to one side all the eyes moved after him.

[Me again]  One more question:  If you were an artist (or a child; regretfully, I am neither), how would you recreate this work of art?  Imagine a whole series inspired by fictional works of art!  Someone should get on that.

Meanwhile, I'll unveil the title and author next week.  Hint:  It's a timeslip.

[For comparison to the written description and to each other:  Joshua Johnson, The Westwood Children, c.1807 (top) and Johann Zoffany, The Lavie Children, c.1770; NGA.  Does one or the other of these match your image of the painting described?  Mine is closer to The Westwood Children.]

[Unveiled!  Jennifer (Jean Little Library) and Charlotte (Charlotte's Library) knew but alas, didn't comment in time.]

Half Magic at the library sale

I had to return some books before the library opened on Sunday morning and (I swear I didn't plan this) got there just in time for the big Friends of the Library book sale.  I managed to limit myself to a handful of middle grade paperbacks and a hardcover copy of Anno's Journey by Mitsumasa Anno, but I really shouldn't have:  apparently everything is half price on the last day of the book sale.  Do you think that was good news (I only spent half as much as I thought I would) or bad (I could have bought twice as much as I did)?  Me, too.

I did pick up a copy of Edward Eager's Half Magic to read with the kids, although sadly not the glorious 50th anniversary edition (Harcourt, 2004) shown here.  I'm beginning to think I picked up the magic charm in the book (it grants you half of whatever you wish for) somewhere along the way, too.