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Round 1 Match 2: The Graveyard Book vs The Trouble Begins at 8April 13, 2009
Judge Jon Scieszka's Statement What book could possibly beat a story that starts, “There was a hand in the darkness, and it held a knife”? What book could best a story that only gets better from there? The Graveyard Book is a story beautifully told by the prolific Neil Gaiman, and fantastically illustrated by Dave McKean. It is a story that plays on Kipling’s Jungle Book theme of a child being raised by others, and a story whose protagonist grows into his own in a very smart and emotionally satisfying conclusion to a genre-busting tale that rockets beyond its spooky graveyard supporting characters and setting. Oh, and did I mention that this story also won the Newbery Medal for the “most distinguished contribution to American literature for children” this year? Well what if the reader was not really such a big fan of fantasy and gothic stories in general? What if the reader had read more than enough of wizards and ghosts and demon ghosts and vampires in recent kids’ lit? What if the rush that the reader was really craving was some real history, some real facts, and some real pictures? Then Sid Fleischman’s kid-friendly bio of Mark Twain, The Trouble Begins at 8 would be just the ticket . . . and just the book to knock out the Graveyard champ. Fleischman had me in the introduction -- where he explains that when Twain began speaking in public, his first poster said that the doors would open at seven, “The Trouble to begin at 8 o’clock.” And then the first sentence? “Mark Twain was born fully grown, with a cheap cigar clamped between his teeth.” Nice. Even better, to me, than a hand in the darkness, with a knife, because it is so true and so perfectly a Twainian description of the young newspaperman Samuel Clemens deciding which pseudonym to use for his story about a certain jumping frog of Calaveras County that would soon make him famous. Did you know that when Samuel Clemens was born in 1835, Halley’s comet was streaking across the sky? And that when he died 75 years later in 1910, Halley’s comet was back? Did you know that when Twain published the jumping frog story in book form, he dedicated it to John Smith? He didn’t know any John Smith. But he figured sales would be better if the book was bought by all of the John Smiths out there. The Trouble Begins at 8 is stuffed with these facts and a hundred more. It features historical photos, period drawings, a Mark twain cigar label, a handwriting sample, and the entire text of the "The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County." And the writing is not too shabby either. Fleischman knows his audience. He carefully weighs what to include, sets telling action in historical context, and lets the reader discover Mark Twain – the living, wise-cracking, steamboat-piloting, story-scribbling man. Did I mention Fleishman won a Newbery Medal for his book, The Whipping Boy? The Trouble Begins at 8 is also a fantastic teaching tool as a model biography. It includes a biographer’s note on telling truth from fiction, a time line, references, illustration and photograph sources, a bibliography, a list of novels and other works, and an index. The outcome of this match-up might seem like an upset. But The Trouble Begins at 8 is a clear winner. It is a thoughtful, funny, scholarly piece of writing. And it just might be the book to rescue one of the funniest American writers ever from the grave of required school reading. Congratulations, Mr. Fleischman. Let the Trouble Begin Now.
 As I was saying, The Kingdom on the Waves should get a much stiffer test from The Graveyard . . . What? What! Oh, Jon! You troublemaker, you! And what’s with all these what ifs? What if aliens came down and stole all the copies of The Graveyard Book? What if somebody went back in time and kidnapped Neil Gaiman before he wrote the book? What if, indeed! But now that the initial shock of this decision is wearing off, I’m actually very pleased to see a nonfiction book pull the upset. I was hoping that a couple of nonfiction books would punch through to the second round; I just didn’t figure The Trouble Begins at 8 would be one of them. Can Washington at Valley Forge make it two victories in a row for Team Nonfiction? Stay tuned.
Posted by Battle Commander on April 13, 2009 | Comments (23)
April 13, 2009
In response to: Round 1 Match 2: The Graveyard Book vs The Trouble Begins at 8 Cindy Dobrez commented: I'm delighted with this "upset." This is a biography that needed more love, and who makes a better Cinderella story than Mark Twain? Go Jon!
April 13, 2009
In response to: Round 1 Match 2: The Graveyard Book vs The Trouble Begins at 8 Deborah Dietrich commented: Another YA book wins that appeals to adults more than young adults. I'm not surprised.
April 13, 2009
In response to: Round 1 Match 2: The Graveyard Book vs The Trouble Begins at 8 Laura commented: This BLEW my bracket, Jon! The WHOLE bracket. I had Graveyard taking the "Big Kahuna". Now I'll probably owe my colleague a bottle of wine. That said, it was my bad. I should have considered the judge as well as the books.
April 13, 2009
In response to: Round 1 Match 2: The Graveyard Book vs The Trouble Begins at 8 Abby commented: Yay! I'm pretty sure this messed up my bracket a bit, too, but I'm delighted!
April 13, 2009
In response to: Round 1 Match 2: The Graveyard Book vs The Trouble Begins at 8 Melissa commented: Oh, yay! I was hoping this one would beat out The Graveyard Book... Hooray!
April 13, 2009
In response to: Round 1 Match 2: The Graveyard Book vs The Trouble Begins at 8 hope commented: "Well what if the reader was not really such a big fan of fantasy and gothic stories in general? What if the reader had read more than enough of wizards and ghosts and demon ghosts and vampires in recent kids’ lit? What if the rush that the reader was really craving was some real history, some real facts, and some real pictures?"
April 13, 2009
In response to: Round 1 Match 2: The Graveyard Book vs The Trouble Begins at 8 Lisa Yee commented: Hmmm . . . it seems that Trouble Begins at Round 1 Match 2. So happy to see that Mark Twain can still slug it out!
April 13, 2009
In response to: Round 1 Match 2: The Graveyard Book vs The Trouble Begins at 8 Kaethe commented: I'm really eager to read Fleischman's book, now. Because I loved Graveyard Game, and because I've always thought Twain was a master of the one-liner, but not such a great novelist.
April 13, 2009
In response to: Round 1 Match 2: The Graveyard Book vs The Trouble Begins at 8 Tricia commented: Isn't this a case of the adults deciding what is best for the kids to read, rather than picking what a kid likes best? Sorry, but your basic YA can't get enough of ghosts, adventures, kids like him/herself. Pretty much, as good as "
April 13, 2009
In response to: Round 1 Match 2: The Graveyard Book vs The Trouble Begins at 8 Laura commented: Yeah, I have to agree with Tricia: when you booktalk each of these, which one is more likely to snag readers? Easy: "Graveyard." Sure, you can argue that "Trouble" might...but you'd have to give the entire booktalk without mentioning Mark Twain...because that's when the lights dim, thanks to all the adults that shove Twain's books down their throats.
April 13, 2009
In response to: Round 1 Match 2: The Graveyard Book vs The Trouble Begins at 8 Oh Really commented: Tsk, tsk, tsk. There was a hand in the dark, it held a glove, and it smacked you silly. An obvious lapse in good judgment and literary taste.
April 13, 2009
In response to: Round 1 Match 2: The Graveyard Book vs The Trouble Begins at 8 Team Gaiman commented: For kids:
April 14, 2009
In response to: Round 1 Match 2: The Graveyard Book vs The Trouble Begins at 8 jess commented: But Twain's got duels and the Wild West and tall tales and adventure - and Fleischman's style is fantastic. I would booktalk this in a heartbeat. I thought The Graveyard Book was great, but there's definitely an audience out there for something different. Mr. Scieszka won't be getting any trouble from me (and I don't even like reading Twain).
April 14, 2009
In response to: Round 1 Match 2: The Graveyard Book vs The Trouble Begins at 8 Lisa commented: Am I the only librarian who couldn't get through the Graveyard Book?
April 14, 2009
In response to: Round 1 Match 2: The Graveyard Book vs The Trouble Begins at 8 an author commented: Um...can't kids read both books? That's the great thing about literature -- it's not about the smackdown. As if the whole Newbery and blog circus weren't demeaning enough, thanks for taking it to a whole new level.
April 15, 2009
In response to: Round 1 Match 2: The Graveyard Book vs The Trouble Begins at 8 Library Lady commented: Jon, I loved you before and now I ADORE you.
April 15, 2009
In response to: Round 1 Match 2: The Graveyard Book vs The Trouble Begins at 8 underwhelmed commented: It's not that I think they are is anything necessarily wrong about choosing the Fleischman over the Gaiman book. It's the Scieszka makes the book sound so . . . virtuous. And dull.
April 15, 2009
In response to: Round 1 Match 2: The Graveyard Book vs The Trouble Begins at 8 Anon. commented: A lot of defensiveness and anger from the graveyard shift here! Something strangely interesting in the tone. And suddenly people don't trust Jon Scieszka (JON SCIESZKA!) to have a sense of what kids will like? Eh?
April 16, 2009
In response to: Round 1 Match 2: The Graveyard Book vs The Trouble Begins at 8 hope commented: Oh, Anon,
April 16, 2009
In response to: Round 1 Match 2: The Graveyard Book vs The Trouble Begins at 8 Lauren Downey commented: I love broccoli
June 6, 2009
In response to: Round 1 Match 2: The Graveyard Book vs The Trouble Begins at 8 Jenny commented: Ok - I'm very late to this battle. But can someone tell me why you would pit a fiction book against a nonfiction book? I don't get it! Kids will pick a fiction book everytime. Though I mean no disrespect to Sid Fleishman. The Trouble Begins at 8 is a good book.
October 7, 2009
In response to: Round 1 Match 2: The Graveyard Book vs The Trouble Begins at 8 late to the party commented: I would have picked The Graveyard Book. Oh and I do love broccoli.
November 18, 2009
In response to: Round 1 Match 2: The Graveyard Book vs The Trouble Begins at 8 Mark's Mom commented: The real problem with The Graveyard Book is that it lacks a soul. The protagonist is nasty and vengeful and the plot is contrived. The Graveyard Book was dull to read and made no sense.
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