Thoughts on YA Literature: Summer Ball (Mike Lupica)

Mike Lupica’s Summer Ball is a story about a young basketball player named Danny Walker. He is thirteen years old and has arrived at a summer camp run by Josh Cameron. Personally, I am not into sports, so when that name was mentioned in chapter two, I had to look up just who this person was—even after the novel mentions that he was a star point guard of the Boston Celtics. I did not know what a point guard was and I generally do not follow sports at any level.

The portion of the novel that I could relate to was the fact that Danny and his friend’s height differences with other basketball lovers at Right Way camp. I know the feeling of having such a height disadvantage. The author was able to make this to be one of many central themes throughout the book, even though it does not have to be. The novel could have easily been written without the conflict of height; Lupica transcribed his characters to have a love for basketball—so much that Will comments to Danny that, “Basketball always makes you happy. It’s who you are, dude. Your whole life, every single time you need to show somebody new that you have game, you show them. Big-time.” (15) This made me think of things that I am passionate about; realizing then that Dixon was able to relate his character’s love for basketball to his targeted audience’s love and passions for things they enjoy as much as Danny enjoys his sport.

I felt whole at the end of the book because the author was able to show character growth intellectually and physically. The characters of the story start out unable to address their fears and conflicts well. Towards the end of the novel, the characters were able to find ways to address their problems, figure logically ways to proceed with what they have to do, then eventually make a connection. A question I have is why did Lupica pick Josh Cameron (a soccer player)? I wonder if the author has some personal connection with this figure; or was it something random that he decided to generate to fill that particular role? The novel is about basketball, with slight references to soccer; so why Josh Cameron? Was it intentional?

Thoughts on YA Literature: Hunting the Dragon (Peter Dixon)

Peter Dixon’s Hunting the Dragon is an inspiring story of a boy who misdirects his life and comes to find out a bit about himself that he never knew existed, after a series of events—especially after being fired from his job as a surfing guide. The story then transfers into a combined series of events where Billy (the protagonist) finds a new job on a ship called the Lucky Dragon. Not knowing what his job title would consist of, Billy finds himself in a predicament after finding out just how messed up his job consists of.

I was surprised (and I am sure Billy was to) that the story would take this sort of turn. It never occurred to me that Dixon’s novel would turn towards the concept of saving endangered species, such as dolphins. The ideas were laid out as you read the commentaries. At first, I thought that the story would be a rendition of Flipper. I read the commentaries left by Peter Dixon about how he came to writing this story, which guided me in this pre-conception. I did not know that such stories were ever to be implemented into a fictional novel. I realized then that you should not be that quick in making judgments about a novel’s plot. I began to think of other ways that the path of this novel could follow. Some of the elements within the plot were predictable, but it was an overall wonderful experience.

The character, Billy, is a typical teenager who is on a path to find himself. In this sense, I speak of him opening his eyes a bit further. The setting takes place in California, the other side of the United States that I have never been to. California seems to be overly shown in television shows, movies, etc., so it was not all entirely hard to follow in terms of certain activities that Californian teenagers are into. The boy is a surfing guide, which is an occupation that I cannot relate to as someone living in Toledo, Ohio; however, I got a good laugh out of that thought. The novel was different from the others that were assigned. The text is easier to read; I can see how young adults can relate to the language being used throughout the novel. I would suggest this novel for freshmen in high school because of some harsher words being used such as “bitching.” I like the way that the author used tone and language to his advantage. It definitely makes it an easy read for his targeted audience.

**Spoilers** Summary of The Boleyn Inheritance (Philippa Gregory)

Philippa Gregory's The Boleyn Inheritance precedes her novel called The Constant Princess. In such regard, the novel recounts the tales of three different women that all have two things in common: 1) they are, at a certain point in their lives, a lover to King Henry VIII and 2) they all have had their chance in immersing themselves in the Boleyn Inheritance.

The novel takes place towards the middle of 1500s, after the death of King Henry VIII's third wife, Jane Seymour (Katherine of Aragorn being the first wife and Anne Boleyn being the second). The King is once again on the prowl for a new wife. He has his eyes settled on Anne of Cleves. Jane Rochford, after a long stretch of time, comes back to Court. She is the widow of George Boleyn whom was executed along with Anne Boleyn having to be accused of adultery, incest and treason for plotting against the King. It is because of this that Jane Rochford does not have many pleasant memories of Court life. At the same time, a woman by the name of Katherine Howard also enters Court by decree of her uncle to attain high reputation amongst reputable people.

Throughout her life as the new Queen, Anne of Cleves has trouble getting along with King Henry VIII, especially her step-children, since it enrages her husband. She speaks very little English and even mistakes the King for a worthless drunk upon her arrival. Although she tries to make amends, the King is scornful towards her. King Henry VIII questions his marriage with Anne of Cleves, but he does so anyway, perhaps to win the eyes of the public around him. Anne of Cleves has a plain appearance: this is noted in the novel in the perspective of Jane Rochford and Henry VIII himself. Everybody is surprised by the way Anne of Cleves carries herself; she does not dress in high fashion, but rather like a country bumpkin. All in all, it only takes a few months after their marriage that King Henry VIII is already tired of his wife and wishes to get rid of her. In addition to Anne's story, her marriage with King Henry was never consummated. She was eager to sign an annulment that says that she was previously engaged to Francis of Lorraine. Whatever the case, King Henry VIII has already set his eyes on a new woman: Katherine Howard.

King Henry VIII quickly divorces his fourth wife and marries Katherine Howard, one of his previous wife's lady-in-waiting. Again, there is much tension for fourteen year old Katherine Howard. This seems to be a trend for all of King Henry VIII's wives. However, Katherine is infatuated with one of the King's favorite courtiers, Thomas Culpepper. Not only that, but she is unable to win over King Henry VIII's step-children, especially Mary, who thinks that Katherine Howard is too self-indulgent. She is at first in love with the idea of being Queen; however such thoughts began to spiral downwards once she begins to take notice of a few things surrounding her. For one, King Henry VIII is showing age and he has now put on a few pounds. He is disgusting at this point, since he is now too heavy for her liking. He also has a tumor in his leg that is always leaking pus and blood. She begins to sneak out of the King's bedchambers at night to accompany Thomas Culpepper in his room at night, having her friend Jane Rochford guard the door.

Katherine's life takes a turn for the worse towards the end of the novel as an old flame shows up in Court. She gives her former lover a position within her household, but has negative feelings towards this. Her affairs with Culpepper is then found out by her close friends and enemies. Everyone around her deserts her in order to avoid getting themselves into trouble with the King. Katherine becomes frightened and hysterical as she is investigated. She is then found guilty of adultery and treason, executed at the age of sixteen, alongside Thomas Culpepper and all those that were involved, including Jane Rochford.

**Spoilers** Summary of The Constant Princess (Philippa Gregory)

The novel starts out when Catalina (Katherine of Aragorn) is about five years old. She is with her sisters and mother during a time period of great tension between the Catholics and African Muslims. The novel refers to the African Muslims as Moors. These Moors are being persecuted because they refuse to accept the Catholic religion. There is a scene where the girls are expressing their concerns for the Moors that are coming into their encampment. Queen Isabella I of Castile (Catalina's mother) tells her that she will return for her daughters when she is finished taking care of state matters. At the end, the Queen returns and asks her daughter if she was afraid-- in which Catalina says that she was not afraid at all during her absense, thus resulting in the readers to take notice that Catalina, even at a young age was proud to own the title of Infanta of Spain as well as the Princess of Wales, since her betrothal to marry Prince Arthur of England.

The story then skips over to when Catalina is older. She finally meets her fiance, Arthur Tudor, and his father King Henry VII. King Henry VII is strongly attracted to Catalina and Arthur does not seem to show much appeal towards her. Once the two are married, Arthur is nervous to consummate their marriage. The first few months of their marriage is seen to have much tension and awkwardness. The two newlyweds do not understand one another very well. Arthur then orders Catalina to accompany him on a journey to Ludlow Castle; which results in her to become ill because he did not look after her. She was left in a litter just about the enter way in freezing weather. She becomes very frustrated and confronts her husband about how he mistreats her as his wife and as a woman. He acknowledges her needs to having a better husband. The two, at this point, begins a happy and honest marriage. Catalina and Arthur have a deep conversation with one another about what they would like to see changed for England, the customs that her people follow (differences and similarities between her people and the Moors), what sort of family they would have together, etc. Their happiness ends with Arthur falls ill and dies from the sweating sickness. On his deathbed, he asks his wife to promise that she will marry his brother, Henry VIII so that their dreams for England may come true with Catalina as Queen of England. After Arthur dies, King Henry VII proposes to Catalina. He is rejected, gets angry and doesn't allow her to marry his son, Henry VIII.

It isn't until King Henry VII dies, that Henry VIII and Catalina get married. She changes her name to the English “Katherine” when she finally becomes queen. Catalina pretends to be a virgin during her wedding night with King Henry VIII. She is very careful in how she does this. In the novel, she describes herself cutting the bottom of her foot to smear the blood on the sheets, walking limply around for people to see. She makes it apparent to others that she is tired and that she needs rest. Her first pregnancy results in a miscarriage. Because she is desperate to have a child with her new husband, she consults a Moorish doctor since they tend to be more knowledgeable. While Katherine is away having her child, it is discovered that Henry is having an affair with a woman named Anne when he is told that Katherine was not a virgin. With that, the novel ends with the start of King Henry VIII's scandalous relationship with one of Katherine's lady-in-waiting, Anne Boleyn.