Gulliver and Ramona

One of the classes I'm teaching this year is one where I introduce a novel, give a plot outline, and then just read. I came up with this format first because I enjoy reading books out loud, and second, because I firmly believe hearing good literature is one of the best educational tools there is. By reading the first couple of chapters, students will get a feel for the book, and hopefully become engrossed enough in the story to pursue reading it on their own. 

Today's book was Gulliver's Travels by Jonathan Swift. As I was reading, I couldn't help but think about the Ramona books by Beverly Clearly. This isn't as random a leap as it would seem. 

Ramona is one of my favorite characters in children's literature. Beverly Clearly nailed what it is like to be a child. As a parent reading them, you can both remember what it was to be that age,  it also commiserate with the adults who populated Ramona's world. 

I'm not sure which book it is, but I'm pretty sure it's the one where Ramona is in kindergarten. The teacher is reading Mike Mulligan and his Steam Shovel (also a popular title here), and tells his Mike and his steam shovel, Mary Ann, can dig the basement of the new town hall in a day. Ramona interrupts the teacher to ask where Mike Mulligan went to the bathroom. A question that immediately piqued the interest of the other kindergartens. Ramona points out that stories often leave out important details like this.

Ramona would have loved Gulliver's Travels if the teacher had chosen to read it instead. After Gulliver ends up the captive of the Lilliputian, there are two different parts where he describes both needing to pee and have a bowel movement. You know, I don't remember any of the children's movie versions of the book including these details. It's not graphic, but Swift also leaves the reader in no doubt about what is going on. And even without detail, actually paints a rather vivid picture. 

Which is why I found myself thinking about Ramona today. Because who doesn't love to be caught off guard reading about bodily functions out loud to a group of teens? 

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