#willodeen

[carriagelamp]

Winter reading is the cosiest reading, I love getting to read next to the Christmas tree when the lights are on! As usual, I tried to squeeze at least a couple Christmas reads in because I enjoy seasonally appropriate stories~

And Then, Boom!

An unexpectedly good read! This is a middle grade novel that I picked up on a whim because I had some time to kill and it was there. I figured I’d read the first bit and then be done with it, but I enjoyed it enough to get it out of the library and finish — it helps that it’s all written in free verse poetry and therefore a very quick read. I feel like free verse fiction books have become more and more common lately... as a kid the only ones I can think of off hand were those books like Crank written by Ellen Hopkins, but I’ve read a handful now that have been written in verse.

This book is about a boy who comes from a dysfunctional family. His father isn’t in the picture and his mom is neglectful — she’ll get “the itch” and then up and leave — so he primarily grew up with his grandmother. However in his life he frequently experiences “and then… boom!” moments, when a sudden disaster turns everything on its head. When his mother’s arrested, when his grandmother loses her house and they have to live out of their car, they're all “booms” he needs to weather. The book explorers some of those ups and downs and the difficulty of being a child who lives in poverty until the biggest and then, boom moment happens: his grandmother dies.

The Anxious Generation

My favourite book from this month; I’ve heard a lot of people talking about it and have been very eagerly awaiting my hold at the library to come in. It's a popsci account of Haidt’s research into the sudden increase in childhood anxiety that started spiking in the 2010s, and how smartphones and social media may play a significant role in it. As someone right on the cusp of this age bracket, I found it both an interesting insight into what’s affecting the younger generation, and also a sometimes uncomfortable spotlight on my own experiences and anxieties.

The main argument this book makes, despite the focus on childhood exposure to tablet devices and social media, is less about the internet and much more about the experiences children are being allowed. He points out how much less freedom and independence children are being afforded now, and how overprotective parenting is becoming more and more the norm. Children aren’t being allowed to take risks — not physical risks, but also not social risks. They don’t have time to play independently and unsupervised, they don’t get given chances to make social mistakes and learn how to repair them on their own and without adult mediation, and that’s having a serious impact on their ability to build and maintain relationships going forward in life. This is compounded by technology that further draws them away from important real world interactions and milestones.

It’s a very well-written book and I highly recommend picking it up. Whether or not you agree with every claim that's made, I found it gave me a lot to think about and most of his arguments are well-reasoned. I think it’s valuable to look at how it may be impacting people, both so we can do better by the children our society is raising and so we can do better by ourselves.

Behind the Screens: Illustrated Floor Plans and Scenes from the Best TV Shows of All Time

This was a fun coffee table book. The author researched different sets from iconic showsacross TV history and managed to create cohesive floorplans for them. Each section talks a bit about the show, what made it important for Western television, and some of the details that went into each blueprint. Some of the shows include: The Simpsons, The Office, Seinfeld, Friends, I Love Lucy, Sesame Street, Schitt’s Creek, Killing Even, Sherlock, The Golden Girls… you get it. There’s lots!

The Disabled Tyrant’s Beloved Pet Fish v2

This series continues to be ridiculous! I already have the third book sitting on my shelf, waiting for its turn to be read so I'm pretty bought in!

Li Yu gets isekai’d into a webnovel… but as a pet fish rather than any sort of character. Despite this he’s tasked with trying to help the “tyrannical” Prince Jing. In this book Li Yu has begun to get used to his role, gets more opportunities to transform into  a human, and has even officially met Prince Jing as a human. Li Yu is convinced that he’s being very very sneaky and that Prince Jing has no idea he’s both a human and a fish. Prince Jing is convinced he has somehow acquired a carp spirit and is being very respectful about not mentioning it since his fish clearly doesn’t want it to be known. However if his carp spirit wanted to be a bit more forward about siphoning off his life force, Prince Jing is very ready and willing 👀👀👀

Dracula Daily

For anyone who's been living under a rock unfamiliar with Dracula Daily, it's an "internet book club" that started a few years back during the pandemic. It's the entire, original novel of Dracula as written by Bram Stoker, but re-arranged by Matt Kirkland so that it is being told in chronological order instead, each new entry to the story being emailed to readers on the day it would actually be happening.

When Dracula Daily first started I had read Dracula literally the summer before, so it was too early for a reread but now enough time's passed that I figured I should buy the physical edition that was released and try to follow along this year. It was a ton of fun! The physical copy is nice because it’s included a ton of art, memes, and posts people made while doing Dracula Daily in previous years, so it was a lot of fun getting to see people’s insights as I read along! Obviously I didn’t quite stay perfectly up to date, hence me including this with my December reads rather than my November ones, but I was generally fairly synched up and it really did add to the tension… waiting to see what happened to one character when big gaps of time might elapse between letters or journal entries. This is a very amusing way to read Dracula, I think I even enjoyed it more than the traditional way.

Dragons at Crumbling Castle and other stories

A collection of some of Terry Pratchett’s old children’s short stories. Not a lot to say about it — it was fine. They’re fun little stories, and Pratchett’s talent as an author always shines through, no matter what he finds things to be satirical or clever about, things that make you laugh along with or actually stop to consider. By they are, ultimately, from earlier in his career and just short stories for kids so they obviously don't have as much meat on their bones as his other work. Still, it made for a nice audiobook to listen to at bedtime.

Juniper’s Christmas

A really cute Christmas novel, I read it at the very beginning of the month to start getting into a festive mood. In this story, Santa has long since retired but many people still miss and honour him. Juniper’s family, who works as caretakers in a city park, are one such family and they host a “Santa Vigil” every year that's one part Christmas festivities and one part a time for people to donate to support disadvantaged people in their community. However when officials threaten to shut down the vigil, Juniper’s mom goes missing, and a mysterious, gift-giving woodsman appears Juniper finds herself thrust into a action-filled Christmas adventure around London. This book as comically evil villains, flying reindeer, good social messages, and lots of magic! A very worthwhile read!

Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation (MDZS) v1

@redoftheturks has made and posted fan-audiobooks of the entire MDZS (and TGCF!) series!!! So really, it was completely impossible for me not to start rereading it, not when it was delivered up to me on a silver platter like that! And honestly what a blessing 🙏 this has been helping me unwind during some high-stress nonsense that's been cropping up over the past month. No matter how bad things are going for me, at least I know things are going worse and weirder for Wei Wuxian. And it is such an excellent reading. I swear this is just going to be how I imagine Wei Wuxian’s voice from now on, it’s so perfect. More than anything (maybe it's rereading with a fuller understanding of the characters and story, or maybe it's thanks for the great line delivery) it's really making me appreciate how much fun Wei Wuxian and Lan Wangji are having together which I'm not sure I fully grasped my first time around.

Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation follows Wei Wuxian, the feared and powerful creator of demonic cultivation, who was finally killed before he could rain any more terror down on the world. The story starts 13 years after his death, with Wei Wuxian very unexpectedly waking up in a new body, in the middle of a strange, supernatural murder mystery, and with a need to hide his presence before people start coming for his head again. It should all go great!!! right?

Out of My Mind

This is a book I’ve been peripherally aware of for a while and knew was supposed to be a pretty good middle grade novel, so I figured I’d finally read it. It was… fine. The story is about Melody who has cerebral palsy, and it follows her time in grade five and the difficulties she has in connecting to her peers and communicating the thoughts in her head. Everyone expects very little of her, but things begin to change when she gets a new computer to replace her old communication board and suddenly has a whole new range of communication options open up to her… and gives her a chance to show just how much she actually knows in time for the big trivia contest that her school competes in annually.

It’s a fine book, well-written, and I certainly don’t regret reading it but I can’t say it did much for me. Of course, I’m not the target demographic and I’ve never been a huge fan of contemporary fiction, so take my opinion with a grain of salt.

Street Gang: The Complete History of Sesame Street

A fun nonfiction book that looks into all the people, work, and thought that went into the creation of Sesame Street. Honestly when I think of Sesame Street I do tend to just think of it as Jim Henson’s creation, so it was shocking to realise how late in the planning process he actually joined! So many people went into creating this show, and it was all done in such an intense, methodical way! They really were determined to try to bring early childhood education to disenfranchised families who couldn’t afford things like preschool. They had no idea if it could even be done, if this would be a failed project or not, and in the process they created a cultural behemoth! I really enjoyed reading this and learning about it all! ...And it gives you an excuse to think about the muppets, which, in my opinion, is always welcome <3

This Winter

I’ve been meaning to read this Heartstopper novella for ages, and am glad that I finally did. It’s a cute little story set between book 4 and book 5 (or is a prequel for Solitaire, though I haven't read that novel), which focuses in on Charlie’s on-going struggles with / recovery from his eating disorder during the holidays, his anxieties, and his relationship with Nick. It manages to touch on some serious or emotional topics, while also being sugary sweet and heartwarming in a way you want your Christmas stories to be. You get to see all three of the Spring children’s POVs throughout the course of the novella, which is a nice treat since that’s not something the graphic novels can really deliver.

Willodeen

Another book that was… fine. I do love Katherine Applegate’s works and I have no complaints against this one. It was a lovely story set in a world separate from ours that seems to be going through its own form of industrial (or at least steam related) revolution. It follows Willodeen, who was orphaned after a fire swept through her village and destroyer her home, killing her parents in the process. Fires like this are an on-going problem for the village which is struggling from climate change that is affecting everything from crops to the migration of hummingbears which their tourism industry relies on. While everyone else is worrying about the adorable hummingbears though, Willodeen is concerned for the disappearance of the screechers — an ugly, loud, smelly pest that most villagers are happy to kill and drive away.

The book is a very beautifully written story that looks at environmental change, charismatic vs uncharismatic species and how they fit together, and what a community can do for each other. I enjoyed reading it, it was clever, and it was quick. However my main complaint is that it feels like the novel equivalent of Oscar-bait. Very very beautiful and meaningful and it knows it, and it feels a little… hollow. Not fully formed. But whatever.

[wulfbrews]

i love her so much. i’m unwell.

[funkyllama]

Happy birthday, dearest Eloise <3

Viviana II (Eloise Willodeen Kezia Honor; 17 October, 2000) is Queen of the Ionian Union. She is the third monarch and second Queen Regnant in the nation's 67 year history.

[miss--soapy]

[COMMISSION]

Eidel for willodeens on TikTok!

[kathrynalicemc]

The Norwegian Ministry of Magic: A Timeline

HPHL - WW1 (up to 1920s)

Magiens Mester (Master of Magic): Von Hyrrokkin

Magiens Mester is the Minister of Magic

Von is still a WIP but I think he’s no good (maybe evil) and he gets thrown out and then Iolanthe gets the job

Magiens Vokter (Guardian of Magic): Johann Hyrrokkin

Johann is Von’s son

Vokters are like vice presidents and are second in command. They protect and advise the Mester and step in when they are unavailable

Usually it’s common for Vokters to eventually become Mesters so he was expecting to become the minister

He’s also maybe evil and salty when Iolanthe gets the position especially being so young and inexperienced

HPFB (1920s)

Magiens Mester: Iolanthe Arcano

She is the first to become Magiens Mester so young and also with hardly any experience working at the ministry

But she is very deserving and proves everyone who doubts her wrong

Puts in more work in research and out in the field exploring and visiting other countries for diplomatic relations than actually doing paperwork in an office all day

Magiens Vokter: Elidon Greyloc

Elidon is Iolanthes most trusted second in command

He believed in her from the start and helps her when others try to sabotage or belittle her authority

He’s older and sees her as a daughter he’s never had

He doesn’t become Mester after her and instead goes off to have a family of his own

Head of Vakt (Guard): Dreki Hymir

Under the two leadership positions there are three main sections of government. Vakt is the guard department that is essentially Aurors. There is one leader and then a bunch of smaller jobs under that.

Dreki can look intimidating but he is good humored and treats Iolanthe like a little sister

Head of Mystisk (Arcane): Sade Willodeen

The Mystisk department deals with magical misuse, spell invention, and research and other things

Sade has been the head for a long time and she knows how to hold her own in leadership positions and to not take any shit

She is cold at first and judges Iolanthe’s ability but then quickly becomes a mentor figure to her and guides her

They also really get along with their love of magic

Maybe she was Iolanthe’s boss when she just started and Sade could be upset she was passed over for Mester for this new hire

Head of Natur (Nature): Akkeri Windcaller

The Natur department deals with trade, magical animals, exploration, and other misc jobs

Akkeri is also relatively young for having a higher up position

I think Iolanthe is the one to hire him and she is also judged for picking someone young

He’s a wildcard as he is a natural sailor and has survived many storms at sea

He seems very quiet but I think he could snap if really provoked but ultimately he’s kind

HPMA (2010s)

Magiens Mester: Semele Thorne @endlessly-cursed

Being part of the Arcano family (and since Iolanthe’s run was a huge success) Semele is warmly greeted as Mester

She is a hardworking take no shit woman who excels even with an idiot husband (affectionate) and three screaming children

She also manages to stay active in Skalafell as much as possible when not at work

A/N: I’ve been putting this together for a long time (the positions themselves I have thought about for months lol) but I have just quickly made up the majority of the OCs (fcs, names, ideas of personality/story) in the last 3 days so lmk if I’ve used any names or FCs already used!!

Also fun fact the positions have inspiration from the founders era with the 3 Valhalla founder families (Ymir, Arcano, Varangr) ,,, if that wasn’t completely obvious 😂

I am also totally open to give some of these OCs away for adoption or any position in a diff time period not specified is always open for anyone!!! I have a few already made OCs who I might insert (like Azora Arcano) but she would just be a minor Auror maybe? And she doesn’t stick around long.

Shout out to @magicallymalted this one’s for you since you asked for lore 😌♥️

[hesfrombarcelona]

Titles I Have Reviewed

Bea Wolf, by Zach Weinersmith

Pizza: A Slice of History, by Greg Pizzoli

Dear Mothman, by Robin Gow

Scythe, by Neal Shusterman

Brooms, by Jasmine Walls and Teo DuVall

Firekeeper's Daughter, by Angeline Boulley.

All Boys Aren't Blue, by George M. Johnson

The Last Cuentista, by Donna Barba Higuera

Hot Dog, by Doug Salati

Sam’s Super Seats, by Keah Brown

The Girl With a Mind for Math, by Julia Finley Mosca

Fugly, by Claire Waller

Willodeen, by Katherine Applegate

Before She Was Harriet, by Lesa Cline-Ransome

White Bird, by R. J. Palacio

[lovebooksgroup]

#BookReview Willodeen by Katherine Applegate, Charles Santoso (Illustrator) @kaaauthor @kellyalacey #bookblogger #AuthorTwt #booktwt #Sharingiscaring

Willodeen by Katherine Applegate, Charles Santoso (Illustrator) The earth is old and we are not, and that is all you must remember . . . Eleven-year-old Willodeen adores creatures of all kinds, but her favourites are the most unlovable beasts in the land: strange beasts known as “screechers.” The villagers of Perchance call them pests, even monsters, but Willodeen believes the animals serve a…

[totodiletears]

On a completely separate note the Avatar The Last Airbender fandom should adopt the "hummingbear" creature from Willodeen as something that exists in the Avatar world. Just put it in all your fanfics, authors. It's perfect! Throw in the screechers too, but the hummingbear in particular is exactly the sort of creature that should exist in Avatar.

so I rewarded myself by actually BUYING neocash (I know, wild, but hey there's a sale and i want it so may as well) and getting the other five pet slots I can have on main, thus maxing out how many pets I can have on one account without premium.

I am not using my nostalgic faerie yurble token right now so I figure, well, let's fix that, shall we? Let's get a permanent pet to fill one of these slots. So I start looking into names that are available, whether they're not taken at all or they belong to pound pets.

Anyway I have two separate Katherine Applegate references I can use and I cannot decide which one I wanna do. They're equally good! How do I pick?

[sigmastolen]

ok willodeen was lovely and whimsical and full of hope and willodeen the character is awkward and angry and traumatized and complicated and smart and i love her and connor is kind and smart and open-hearted and i love him and i love birdie and mae and i love duuzuu and quinby and i even love miss rossitt and mr burke

applegate hits it out of the park once again

[timothyfernandezphotos-blog]

Willodeen Swaffield

[representativecharacters]

Character: Willowdeen Dickson

From: Dumplin’

Representation: Body type

Their Importance: There is an annoyingly prominent number of teenage girl characters defined mostly by insecurity. Willodeen isn’t one of them. While she does have hang-ups about entering a romantic relationship and the possibility of being ridiculed it doesn’t stop her from entering a very public competition or entering a new relationship. Seeing a fat girl in a full-fledged love triangle was also nice to see. The story also doesn’t feel the need to explain body positivity or why Willowdean doesn’t feel any angst about her size. Also, she’s the only fat character I’ve come across whose size is addressed in the plot who isn’t obsessed with food- she barely thinks about it at all in fact.

Issues: Some might find her conversations with her mother about her weight as uncomfortable. The film adaption features more overt scenes where Willodeen is harassed over her weight. Also, a prominent disabled character is removed and a lesbian character is straightwashed. 

The movie definitely had some highlights, but I can’t recommend the book highly enough, there’s a lot of wonderful characterization the movie had to cut out.

Thanks to anon for the write-up!

[shrimperz]

what’s your main fandom?? and what’s your favorite book?

my main fandom is probably IT if you haven’t guessed

and I don’t read much anymore (I don’t rly have good books, but I put some on my Christmas list so hopefully I get some) but my favorite book (series) might be wing of fire idk it’s cool.. but willodeen was also quite cool

[readingjunky]

Katherine Applegate, author of THE ONE AND ONLY IVAN and WISHTREE, has just release another hit. WILLODEEN takes readers into a world of both fantasy and realism. Combining imagined creatures with real world problems, Applegate emphasizes the importance of the environment and the actions necessary to preserve the delicate balance that makes everything work.

Willodeen lives with two aging aunts. A fire destroyed her previous home and killed her mother, father, and brother. She spends most of her time wandering in the forest exploring nature. Living in Perchance means awaiting the annual Autumn Faire that celebrates the famous migration of the hummingbears. This year there is concern because no one has seen any hummingbears arriving to nest in the blue willows. How can there be a Faire if there are no hummingbears?

Willodeen has also noticed that the number of screechers living in the area has dwindled. No one likes the pests known for their awful odor and their frightening cries. Hunters have been killing them for the reward offered to rid Perchance of this annoyance. Willodeen believes she witnessed the death of the one remaining screecher.

When she meets a young boy named Connor, Willodeen discovers there is someone else just as concerned about the fate of the hummingbears and screechers as she is. One day Willodeen stumbles across something she thinks could be the result of magic. She discovers a baby screecher she immediately bundles up and carries home. Figuring out how to care for the creature takes both Willodeen and Connor's problem solving. When it is discovered the screecher loves eating peacock snails, another magical thing begins to happen. Could the presence of screechers be the answer to getting the hummingbears to return?

[funkyllama]

How many Kids will your Next Generation have? Can you share their names?

Hiya anon!

There's Seven kids, between Raheem and Eloise. Eloise's kids are, in no specific order: Sigismund Phillippe [redacted] Agathe Simone [redacted] Lenerd Yannik [redacted] Georgiana Margarethe [redacted] Willodeen Loren [redacted] Raheem's are: Marta Adriane [redacted] Paula Rosina [redacted] Erik and Eddie don't want kids. Their cats names are Hugh and Butter.

[miss--soapy]

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[hesfrombarcelona]

Willodeen by Katherine Applegate

Genre:

This is a middle grade fantasy fable (Bluebonnet winner category).

Target Age Group:

Willodeen is written for middle grade readers, generally ages 8-12.

Summary:

Animal-loving Willodeen lives with her adoptive mothers, Mae and Birdie, in the town of Perchance. Something has upset the balance of nature lately; wildfires, (like the one that killed her family), are becoming common and creatures that were once plentiful are now scarce. With the help of her new friend Connor, Willodeen is determined to figure out the cause and hopefully help fix it.

Justification:

Willodeen received starred reviews in Booklist and Publishers Weekly, and was awarded the Bluebonnet Award by the Texas Library Association.

Evaluation:

For this book I will be evaluating characters, style and language, and theme.

Characters

The main characters in Willodeen have depth, meaning they have multifaceted personalities and their actions and motivations generally make sense. They are flawed but basically good. Most characters, including those who remain in the background, show believable growth over the course of the story. Willodeen herself becomes more assertive and willing to speak up to adults around her, Connor's father becomes more tolerant and willing to listen to Conner and Willodeen, even the nameless townspeople come to understand the effect of their actions on their environment, and work to protect it. Willodeen and Connor are 11, close to the age of the typical reader, and their challenges are relatable for this age group, including frustration about getting grownups to listen, awkward feelings about making friends, and reluctance to do schoolwork. These everyday concerns against the backdrop of the larger events in the story could help young readers to picture themselves in the same circumstances.

Style and Language

Willodeen uses varied and expressive language, especially when describing the natural world, which is at the heart of the story. Figurative language is used to great effect, helping the reader to really imagine the world of the story. For instance, the animals known as screechers are not just said to be smelly, but as stinking like, "a hundred rotten eggs", "dead fish and a splash of skunk." The story is told in the first person, from Willodeen's perspective. The vocabulary and level of perceptiveness make sense for someone of her age.

Theme

The themes of Willodeen are that everything in nature is interrelated, and that it is important to respect and care for the environment. The themes are shown through the events of the story; one of the species of animals prized by the town is disappearing, and Willodeen discovers how the actions of the town's residents are causing it. As she observes the world around her and solves the mystery of what is happening, the readers are invited to reach the same conclusions as the main characters.

I listened to Willodeen as an audiobook through my library. The reader, Ariadne Meyers, expresses emotion clearly throughout the story. She also lends different voices to the main characters, and makes it easy to tell who is "speaking" at any point. Both of these qualities help the listener to follow the storyline, and also make for an enjoyable experience. When perusing a print copy of the book, I did notice that I had missed out on some lovely illustrations by Charles Santoso, a factor that readers may wish to consider when picking a reading format. However, I also believe there is some merit in allowing the reader to develop their own vision of what the fantastical animals of the story look like.

References

Applegate, K. (2021). Willodeen. (C. Santoso, Illus.). Feiwel and Friends.