Onion John by Joseph Krumgold

A few months ago, I felt that I had read the book version of condensed soup.  I now feel after reading the 1960 Newberry winner I have found the literary version of Leave It to Beaver.  Krumgold chronicles Andy, a plucky 12 year old boy (the Beave) living in Serenity, NY in the 1950s.  Andy's dad runs the local hardware store and is a community leader in the Rotary club.  Baseball, Americana, Roll-up-the-sleeves and stick-to-it-ness abound.  The conflict in this slice of Apple pie narrative comes in the form of Andy's friendship with the titular character, Onion John.

Onion John is the lovable, vaguely ethnic eccentric of Serenity.  Also vaguely middle aged, Onion John is a staple in the community, partitioned off from the town by his inability to clearly speak English and also because of his off beat notions and practices.  Onion John attempts to make gold from lead and believes in all manner of semi-religious rituals. 

At the top of the novel, Andy learns how to decipher Onion John's speech and thus opens the door to all sorts of hijinks and misunderstandings.  Until this new communication line opened with Onion John, Andy was happily growing in the shadow of his father's dreams.  MIT and NASA were in his future.  Andy's father didn't really take his son's wants and needs into consideration.

In a nutshell: Andy befriends Onion John and starts participating in some of his off beat rituals.  Andy's father (Andy Sr.) gets concerned that Andy is losing site of the MIT "dream" (and getting perhaps a bit jealous of Andy's new friend).  Andy's father intervenes in his son's friendship with Onion John and tries to main stream the lovable immigrant.  Onion John (who has previously been living in a house he built himself) can't deal with the new way of living and new-fangled house.  Onion John accidentally burns his new house down.  Andy can't deal with the guilt he feels.  Andy and Onion John plan to run away.  Onion John backs out.  Andy Jr. and Andy Sr. have a heart to heart.  MIT plans put on hold until Andy Jr. decides for himself.  "Awwww" moment ensues.

Fluffernutter sandwiches and Tang will be offered later.

White Noise by Don DeLillo

How to start my several weeks overdue review of Don DeLillo's 1985 National Book Award Winner?  I found myself marking pages throughout the book to cycle back and re-read DeLillo's amazing prose.  His look at an educated and somewhat desperate middle class family was rich and scarily true to our own times. 

Even though it was written in the 1980s, DeLillo's characters operate in a world driven by catch phrases, hollow status and the warm glow of the television.  Even the "chemical event" which drives much of the novel would not be out of place on any current news channel.

Following a professor at a small liberal arts college and his almost cliched mixed family as their lives slowly but inevitably unravel, DeLillo digs away at the initial image of a well functioning existence.  Jack and Babette and their mixed brood of children assembled from various marriages are buffeted on all fronts by mass media culture, fear-mongering, and their own need for each other.  I feel like I can't even begin to describe the way DeLillo has encapsulated the bubble of middle class (we're trapped in our own education and need for security).

I'm sure that I could go on for many pages about the love I have for this book and how well crafted it is.  But I won't bore anyone.  :) I just recommend that you go read it.