Page 10 December 26, 2019 EL SEGUNDO HERALD
Check It Out
Secret Rescuers series
by Paula Harrison
Reviewed by Kristina Kora-Beckman,
Librarian, El Segundo Public Library
Growing up, I loved reading fantasy books
about faraway lands, magical powers, and
characters that were tested to prove their
worthiness. Lately, I’ve gotten to share
that passion with my daughter, and one of
The Secret Rescuers: The Storm Dragon by Paula Harrison.
our favorite new series is Paula Harrison’s
the Secret Rescuers. Each book focuses on
a magical creature that is in danger from
those that distrust them, and the girl (or
boy) that cares about them. With the help of
magical speaking stones, the children find a
way to rescue and protect them from future
harm. The creatures are inventive, including
storm dragons, who can control the weather,
Entertainment
star wolves, with magical singing voices and
foxes that camouflage so well they seem to
disappear.
I like that the series imparts values of
caring for others, particularly those with
different, often wondrous, abilities, who are
often misunderstood. The stories teaches
The Secret Rescuers: The Magic Fox by Paula Harrison.
tolerance, working together and not giving
up in seemingly impossible circumstances.
They also promote empowering every day kids
who see injustice and work towards rectifying
it no matter how difficult or challenging.
To check out any of the titles from The
Secret Rescuers series or browse more magical
chapter books, please visit the library to apply
for your free library card. For more young
reader picks and staff favorites, stop by our
Youth Services Desk, our friendly Youth
Services librarians would love to help you
find your next great read! •
Film Review
Greta Gerwig’s Little Women
Proves An Empowering Remake
Morgan Rojas for cinemacy.com
I am generally not a fan of remakes/reboots;
I believe the reliance on doing what has already
been done distracts from the discovery of new
and inspiring voices in cinema. Greta Gerwig,
however, has changed my mind. Did society
need another rendition of Little Women, the
Louisa May Alcott novel that was first published
in 1868 and has been remade over 14
times? Will this be the quintessential female
empowerment film of the year released at a
perfect time? Are we all the better for it? A
resounding yes! To all of the above.
This interpretation of the life and times of the
March sisters stays faithful to the novel while
embracing Gerwig’s charm and quick-witted
Courtesy of Sony Pictures
charisma. A story of love, loss, and coming of
age, these four sisters – Jo (Saoirse Ronan),
Meg (Emma Watson), Amy (Florence Pugh),
and Beth (Eliza Scanlen) – rely on each other
to navigate life’s unpredictability and hardships.
All independent thinkers with unique
personalities, the women are headstrong in
their quest to find personal fulfillment, which
means different things to each of them. Jo, the
outspoken feminist of the group, is committed
to her work as an aspiring writer. Despite
her admiration for her wealthy neighbor, the
charming and confident Theodore ‘Laurie’
Laurence (Timothée Chalamet), she turns
down his marriage proposal in favor of a life
she can call her own. Her views on love and
marriage stand opposite to Meg and Amy’s,
who find love in very unexpected partners. The
youngest and more reserved sister, Beth, finds
happiness through music but, as we learned
150 years ago when the novel was released,
even her passion and purity can’t protect her
from contracting an incurable illness.
Despite being set in a post-Civil War era,
the script, which was adapted for the screen by
Gerwig, feels fresh with sharp, sassy humor. The
dynamic between Jo and Laurie feels like any
modern-day teenage couple trying to figure out
their relationship through the ups and downs of
tears and laughter. In addition to modernizing
the characters, Gerwig takes some creative
liberty in her storytelling by jumping through
the timeline, with the only distinction between
past and present being the more saturated color
palette of the past as opposed to the more bleak
and gray reality of the present. It’s a stylized
decision that works wonders.
Aside from being a directorial knockout, the
assembly of this all-star cast is an exciting who’s
who of legendary and iconic artists. Laura Dern
provides an emotionally moving performance
as Marmee, and Meryl Streep is unmatched in
her cattiness as Aunt March. Saoirse Ronan is
fierce as the protagonist, Jo, but perhaps the
film’s biggest surprise is Florence Pugh, whose
hypnotic voice and measured understanding of
comedic timing both enhances the ensemble
cast while simultaneously stealing every scene.
The vibrancy that radiates from Little Women
feels reminiscent of Gerwig’s past both as a
director in Lady Bird and as an actor in Frances
Ha. What all of her films have in common
are strong female leads whose confidence in
themselves and their dreams surpass any societal
expectations. No matter if it’s 1868 or
2020, the timelessness of Little Women, now
playing in theaters everywhere, is undeniable;
there will always be women who strive for
personal fulfillment and love on their terms. •
Morgan Rojas
Kristina Kora-Beckman
The Secret Rescuers: The Star Wolf by Paula Harrison.
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