tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1265120169320473011.post7536564771254732765..comments2024-03-29T02:40:16.271-05:00Comments on Charlotte's Library: Thirteenth Child, by Patricia WredeCharlottehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11835101886202235868noreply@blogger.comBlogger6125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1265120169320473011.post-21590116094190383562009-05-19T08:36:00.000-05:002009-05-19T08:36:00.000-05:00I just finished The Thirteenth Child, and I missed...I just finished The Thirteenth Child, and I missed this. And I feel so bad for not picking up on it. I enjoyed the book, though now I'll pass on talking about it on my blog. Author takes the time to add Black characters even going as far to mention slavery, which makes the exclusion of Native American even worse. I know the series will continue but it might be too late for redemption. Wash traveled the land for years, and in the stories he shared never mentioned Native Americans. So I find it diffcult to believe Eff will travel a greater distance than Wash her first time out.Dorethttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08676911030014718403noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1265120169320473011.post-32598033560067085252009-05-17T19:08:00.000-05:002009-05-17T19:08:00.000-05:00That's what's so scary about the book. If it is so...That's what's so scary about the book. If it is so easy for educated, articulate people not to notice something that is so problematic, it just shows how deeply rooted the American mythology of an empty land is, which is troubling, and which everyone of us involved in rearing and educating children needs to address. I would rather have my kids read Little House on the Prairie, where at least the rascist attitudes are in your face. Even a child reading that can see that it's troubling, whereas an 11 year reading this one would almost certainly not notice that they were being given a view of the past that is so wrong. Unless, of course, that 11 year old was a Native American.<br /><br />And I use the word "wrong" deliberately. I think that what Wrede did was wrong, because of the historical context of Indian/White relations, and the on-going ramifications of the past.<br /><br />Reading some of the reactions to this book, I was reminded, Bookbk, of your own strong negative feelings about The Boy in the Stripped Pajamas.Charlottehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15750715350958105088noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1265120169320473011.post-8961284480252856432009-05-17T16:34:00.000-05:002009-05-17T16:34:00.000-05:00Thanks so much for this review, and for the link t...Thanks so much for this review, and for the link to Jo Walton's post. I did some further reading and link-hunting and am struck by how bifurcated the responses to the book have been so far: from the science fiction & fantasy online community there's already a whole lot of discussion and critique of the absence of Native Americans in the book and how it relates to various speculative fiction tropes and white privilege and previous controversies and etc. <br /><br />From the kidlit blogs, almost uniformly positive/neutral reviews that (except for yours) don't engage with the topic. <br /><br />I bet I wouldn't have noticed the issue either if I'd just picked up the book without any background. Definitely food for thought.ElsKushnerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08584616838165132885noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1265120169320473011.post-62647903619850460532009-05-17T12:34:00.000-05:002009-05-17T12:34:00.000-05:00Yikes! I feel bad for not noticing that... It does...Yikes! I feel bad for not noticing that... It does take the shine off this series' potential, but perhaps she'll make some changes.Kate Coombshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10138566291199003171noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1265120169320473011.post-29213249759000238172009-05-17T01:04:00.000-05:002009-05-17T01:04:00.000-05:00I just heard about the controversy around this boo...I just heard about the controversy around this book earlier. That's a shame because she is a really good author...Kailanahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11136262232046813471noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1265120169320473011.post-51988482435529365582009-05-16T17:25:00.000-05:002009-05-16T17:25:00.000-05:00I adore Patrica Wrede, so this is a disappointing ...I adore Patrica Wrede, so this is a disappointing review -- I had such hopes that she'd return to the brilliance and fun she showed in the Magician series. Hm. Going to read what Jo Walton said...tanita✿davishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01671822274852087499noreply@blogger.com