Newbery Buzz #3: Ferris

Betsy and Hayley discuss Ferris by Kate DiCamillo, another new favorite. (See our starred review, here.)

Hayley: Betsy, it’s no secret I love Ferris. In fact, I loved it so much I spent one newsletter last fall talking about it! I’m going to unashamedly steal some of what I wrote then and incorporate it into our discussion.

I finished listening to Ferris by Kate DiCamillo while doing the dishes. I almost cried, several times.

Sometimes a book comes along that reminds me why I do what I do … and this was that kind of book. (I didn’t even need to worry about how to review it because Janie already has written a lovely starred review.) It’s a book with a plot that is, well, not what you would expect!

Betsy, I have to ask … did Ferris make you almost cry? What was your first impression?

Betsy: Oh, I don’t remember crying outright, but I definitely teared up at times. It’s just such a sweet story—not a saccharine sweetness, but a genuinely tender book. I loved Ferris’s character and this was a book I read very quickly.

Hayley: Was it you who talked about how DiCamillo uses a Wodehouse level of humor concerning one of the characters? If not, would you agree? I thought that was a great comparison and it helped me put this book within a broader frame of reference and chortle over quotes like this:

Pinky was six years old, and even though Ferris was her older sister, she did not understand Pinky on a cellular level.
Pinky was a fearsome mystery.

Or this:

“Wouldn’t Pinky be a better spy?” said Ferris.
“Your little sister is a proper terror. Yes, she is. A genuine terror. That child would be entirely at home with Robespierre. However, she lacks subtlety. You do not.”

Betsy, did you have any favorite quotes or laugh aloud moments? Pinky’s run-in with the nurse had me laughing aloud!

Betsy: I don’t remember comparing it to Wodehouse, but that’s a clever comparison! Both authors demonstrate such keen insight into what makes people tick, and what makes people funny. Those little quirks and eccentricities—these authors take it just far enough that we see the humor in both the characters and ourselves. Pinky is such a funny little person all through. It’s been a little while since I read it, so I don’t have quotes I can pull from.

Hayley: The thing about what makes Ferris wonderful isn’t just the humor though. There is this beautiful, lyrical theme that runs through the whole story and kindles hope without being sappy:

“But then, every story is a love story. Or every good story is a love story.”

Within this frame, the characters and their lives, loves, foibles, and even follies are kindled into something bigger. By the end, one of the characters captures this, talking about Bede’s story of sparrows at a feast. In the illustration, I felt like DiCamillo had reached beyond the characters and her story and had somehow captured wonder and holiness in the life of one young girl. Betsy, now I’ve shown my hand … What was your impression? Do you think it worked?

Betsy: I do think it worked, Hayley. Janie and I were commenting the other day that we think DiCamillo is just getting better and better at what she does. Her ability to show the transcendent in the everyday, tangible world that God made is second to none. I do think Ferris worked—and I think her realistic fiction is where we see her best (with the exception of Despereaux perhaps).

Hayley: Something that I found rather unusual was the use of the ghost in the story. I remember Janie saying it was just a plot device. How would you describe it to a reader uncertain of a ghost cropping up in a children’s book?

Betsy: The ghost is an interesting element, to be sure. I’m honestly not sure how I feel about it. I think the grandmother could easily have believed in a ghost, but I do not think the reader is supposed to. In other words, as a reader, we sort of know what the author does and if the grandmother believes, it’s a a “there, there, now…” sort of feeling about her. As in, if she’s drawing comfort from this, that’s fine. The ghost IS a key plot device to be sure, and the resolution of the story involves the ghost finally resting. But it’s Ferris’s grandmother that is driving that understanding, so I can easily believe that the ghost is her imagination. What do you think?

Hayley: You know, I think Boomer, the dog, convinced me of the ghost, Betsy! Yes, Charisse, Ferris’s grandmother believes, and it’s a plot device. But Boomer’s responses had me as a reader certain that there was something. To quote from the opening pages,

“Boomer refuses to enter the room if he sees her standing there, said Charisse. “He is a very perceptive dog.”

But the whole ghost element didn’t feel like hooey or creepy … and I think that’s because of how Charisse responds. Ghosts? She isn’t afraid of ghosts. Rather, she is afraid of “indignities” and is very happy Ferris has no idea what that means!

Betsy, I know you’ve read more of DiCamillo’s work than I have … how do you think Ferris compares? Do you think it could add to DiCamillo’s collection of Newbery medals? Or could it be another honor?

Betsy: I don’t know if it will add to DiCamillo’s medals, Hayley. This would be her FOURTH win, if I’m doing my math correctly. That’s unprecedented. The committee isn’t supposed to consider the author’s whole body of work but judge each title on its own merits. I almost think it’s too sweet to win. It’s a very gentle story, and usually the winners seem to have a bit more punch or agenda or issue driving them. What do you think?

Hayley: Ooh, you might be right. But dang it all, Betsy. Sweet, gentle books should have a chance to win too if they’re this good!