tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26414616.post2833368981555561275..comments2024-02-20T12:43:55.753-08:00Comments on R. L. LaFevers: The Oft Maligned OrphanRobin Lhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02960833482145500665noreply@blogger.comBlogger8125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26414616.post-77053549934900878582010-03-31T21:28:36.125-07:002010-03-31T21:28:36.125-07:00Well thank you, artsymommachic and Katy! If I ever...Well thank you, artsymommachic and Katy! If I ever DO write a book a writing, you'll be two of the first to know!<br /><br />Mrs. Yingling, you make an excellent point! I don't think I know any orphans either!Robin Lhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02960833482145500665noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26414616.post-22527394573541456232010-03-31T07:30:43.523-07:002010-03-31T07:30:43.523-07:00What Artsymommachic Said.
I've been lucky eno...What Artsymommachic Said.<br /><br />I've been lucky enough to be on the receiving end of Robin's wisdom for a long time, and I can't even begin to tell you how much I've learned from her. This is why I have her blog bookmarked at home <i>and</i> at the day gig.Katy Cooperhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10631346527514599876noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26414616.post-2330198506900220632010-03-31T03:02:36.437-07:002010-03-31T03:02:36.437-07:00I don't mind orphan characters, but it seems m...I don't mind orphan characters, but it seems more realistic to have children with absent parents because I don't think I've ever met an orphan. The clueless parent is also a good one-- Theodosia certainly gets into enough trouble and adventures, and it's somehow more fun that her parents just don't get it!Ms. Yinglinghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17805324364289597178noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26414616.post-53529922986277305252010-03-30T15:21:59.097-07:002010-03-30T15:21:59.097-07:00I've been meaning to tell you this for awhile ...I've been meaning to tell you this for awhile now, if you ever wrote a book on writing I would be first in line to get a copy! I love your easy way of writing and am so happy I found your blog!Jennifer Darlingtonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09932700501849109285noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26414616.post-50885389247212809672010-03-29T15:19:40.120-07:002010-03-29T15:19:40.120-07:00Jinnyd, I adore the Sammy Keyes books, although I ...Jinnyd, I adore the Sammy Keyes books, although I have not read all of them. I think you bring up an EXCELLENT point though, about kids with parents feeling like they can't have exciting adventures.<br /><br />Wow Icarus, you have so many great additional examples of orphans in kid lit! I should have consulted with your first. :-)<br /><br />LOL Vonna, at your son's enthusiasm for a similar vacation. I think that enthusiasm does a good job of validating the exact point Jinnyd made.R.L. LaFevershttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14646274781361864901noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26414616.post-26428485048344259012010-03-29T12:50:49.811-07:002010-03-29T12:50:49.811-07:00In one of my manuscripts, my MCs' loving paren...In one of my manuscripts, my MCs' loving parents are lulled into a false sense of security by the family friendly atmosphere at their vacation resort. The kids are left to have dangerous adventures on their own. When my son read this, he got very excited and asked if we went to such a place would he be allowed to run wild like that. <br /><br />Of course not. That's why we have books.Vonnahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17228707287799345805noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26414616.post-73427704040285090872010-03-29T12:36:37.725-07:002010-03-29T12:36:37.725-07:00I agree that the orphan motif is a long tradition ...I agree that the orphan motif is a long tradition because it WORKS, and I love it, for all of those reasons you said.<br /><br />Anyone who thinks that is "new" hasn't been paying attention. I would add Huck Finn and Tom Sawyer from American lit, several Dickens novels, many fairy tales, the picareque novel from European lit. <br /><br />Orphans abound in popular culture as well. Movies tha I loved as a kid would be, the Jungle Book, Witch Mountain, Peter Pan, Homeward Bound (okay they are animals, but isn't it the same thing?), Star Wars, Superman, Spiderman. One of my favorite series of books as a kid was The Boxcar Children, who were a whole family of orphans. James of the Giant Peach fame. The kids in the Narnia books were "part-time" orphans. Even the Hardy Boys and Nancy Clue were orphan-ish with deceased mothers and mostly absent fathers.Icarushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09309439348637297089noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26414616.post-65050992608196944412010-03-29T11:01:26.941-07:002010-03-29T11:01:26.941-07:00It does seem like as if only kids without parents ...It does seem like as if only kids without parents get all of the cool adventures (I also loved the <i>Secret Garden</i> and <i>A Little Princess</i>!), because my experience has told me that parents would NEVER let a kid just go out and about on their own. <br /><br />Another one of my favorite series has a heroine who has a mother, but lives with her not-very-controlling-but-still-cares-about-her grandmother. Have you ever read Sammy Keyes? The books are GREAT! Anyway, Sammy's grandmother usually lets her go around the city by herself or with her friends, and that's how all of her adventures start. <br /><br />But I also think that these orphan stories could be a little discouraging to kids with two wonderful, loving parents. They might start feeling like as if they can't have any "exciting" adventures just because they don't have as much freedom as their favorite orphaned characters do.Jinnydhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06276758520098532432noreply@blogger.com