Now this is a childrens literature book that is amazing! I loved it. It kept my interest and most importantly would keep the interest of children. I am hoping Madison will read it and love it too. I loved the 1960s prices of things. The way of life so differently only 50 years ago.
I think I related to Claudia. I am a planner, an organizer and an oldest child.As an oldest child you just don't escape those feeling of being used. You are the the constant, you are the most reliable, you are the oldest, you were always there first. She feels unappreciated and things that running away will make those in her family appreciate her more, love her more and miss what she contributes. I love that she brought her nine year old brother along for his money. He is so frugal and saves his allowance every week and never spends a cent. I found it hilarious that he earned most of his huge lot of about $25 gambling while playing war on the bus.
There were two parts of the book that stood out to me. One is when they are at Mrs. Frankweiler's house and Claudia tells Mrs. Frankweiler that you should learn one new thing every day.
Mrs. Frankweiler answers "NO, I don't agree with that. I think you should learn, of course, and some days you must learn a great deal. But you should also have days when you allow what is already in you to swell up inside of you until it touches everything. And you can feel it inside you. If you never take time out to let that happen, then you just accumulate facts, and they begin to rattle around inside of you. You can make noise with them, but never really feel anything with them. It's hollow."
I loved this idea. How many of us study, read, watch but don't allow any of that knowledge to "swell up inside of you". Do we have a bunch of facts that we have collected and they are just going to "rattle around inside of you." I really could apply this to gospel principles. When I read the scriptures and I doing it just to gain knowledge, learn the stories and the facts. Do I allow it to swell up inside of me so that it touches everything? Is it hollow? This gave a great deal to think about. That sometimes just pondering is the best way of increasing our knowledge.
The other part I found humorous was when they were bathing in the fountain and they found round discs stuck to their bottoms. When they realized it was money they had discovered their source of income. Too bad they didn't think of standing on a corner with a cardboard sign. That seems to work out well for some. They are so amazed that someone would throw a quarter in.
"Someone very rich must have tossed in the quarter, " Jamie said. "Someone very poor, " Claudia corrected, "Rich people have only penny wishes."
I had to think about what she meant by that. I pondered (so as to not just accumulate a rattling piece of information to make noise with). What I think Claudia meant, and this is from a child's perspective, and one that is collecting her income from a fountain, is that rich people are rich because they keep their quarter and only throw their pennies away. Or she could have been thinking that they have everything they want or need so they are just thinking of little penny wishes for fun to throw into the fountain. I don't really know what she was trying to say, but I still found it funny.
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