Page 2 August 9, 2018
Reviewed by Kristina Kora-Beckman,
Librarian, El Segundo Public Library
This week, I’m reviewing my daughter’s
favorite book series, Pinkalicious by Victoria
Kamn. For those who have not experienced
Pinkalicious, she is a little girl who… gasp,
loves all things pink and goes to sometimes
extraordinary lengths in her adoration of the
color. Kann’s books are whimsical, colorful
and beloved by fans.
In many titles, Pinkalicious goes on adventures
looking for fairies (Pinkalicious: Fairy
House), meeting a mermaid (Aqualicious) or
Entertainment
Dretzin’s Far From the Tree is a
Celebration of Our Differences
Check It Out
Pinkalicious by Victoria Kamn
chasing kites to faraway lands (Pinkalicious:
Cherry Blossom). The series also highlights
more routine experiences such as losing her
first tooth (Silveralicious) and trying a dance
class for the first time (Pinkalicious: Tutu-rrific).
The Pinkalicious series includes picture
books that are perfect bedtime reading for
pink aficionados and I Can Read! titles that
are great for beginning readers. My personal
favorite is Story Time, in which Pinkalicious
meets her favorite author and -- due to his
encouragement -- starts writing and illustrating
her own books, which she then shares with
the rest of her school class in a book fair.
To check out or browse Kahn’s fun fiction
titles, please visit the library to apply for
your free library card. We’ve got lots of
great titles for readers of all ages-stop by the
Adult or Youth Information Desks for help
in finding your next summer read! •
Kristina Kora-Beckman.
Film Review
Far From the Tree, Courtesy of IFC Films.
Morgan Rojas.
By Morgan Rojas
for www.cinemacy.com
In a world where it seems everyone is
looking to stand out as unique and special,
being called “normal” is almost considered
an insult. However, for the subjects of Rachel
Dretzin’s documentary Far From the Tree,
“normal” is the only label they desire. Based
on the New York Times bestselling novel Far
From the Tree: Parents, Children, and the
Search for Identity, Dretzin and the book’s
author Andrew Solomon explore the ways
in which the actual relationships within a
family dynamic can prove to be drastically
different from our expectations.
Even though we share some of the same
DNA as our parents, there is no guarantee
that we are going to grow up to be like them
or have shared interests. The phrase “you’re
turning into your mother” is often said in a
joking manner with a negative connotation.
But what if there was no possibility of turning
out to be anything like your mother or
father? Forty-one-year-old Jason was born
with Down syndrome -- and early into his
diagnosis, his mother did everything she could
to give him a shot at living a normal life.
For the most part, it worked. Jason became
a minor celebrity as the face of someone who
was “overcoming physical disabilities.” He
appeared on Sesame Street, was interviewed
by Barbara Walters, and his future looked
bright. But as he grew older, his mother
knew that he would never be a man who
could function normally in society. As she
talks about her fears of what will happen to
him when she passes away, Jason is sitting
in his bedroom dressed in all blue and wearing
a tiara, watching Frozen over and over
again as he talks about his plan to travel to
Norway to visit his crush, Elsa.
The parent/child relationships explored in
the documentary are not typical ones. The
primary caretakers talk of overwhelming
hardships due to their extreme differences and
challenges they face -- but even throughout
these trying times and feelings of overwhelm,
there is a love like no other. For example,
13-year-old Jack has such a severe form
of autism that he is not able to speak. To
communicate, he uses a special keyboard to
indicate the letters which then reads the sentences
aloud for him, much like how the late
Stephen Hawking was able to articulate his
thoughts. While it may seem like a burden to
endure the process of stringing together letter
by letter, his parents recount their disbelief
and overwhelming joy when a speech therapist
first exposed Jack to this new form of
communication and he was able to “talk” to
his parents for the first time in his entire life.
Far From the Tree doesn’t just focus on
families of children with disabilities. We
also hear the intimate stories from a couple
with dwarfism and a mother and father
whose son committed murder. How these
children turned out to be so much different
from their biological parents is something
that has always fascinated Solomon, who is
a self-proclaimed “weirdo.” He was at odds
with his parents for most of his life when he
came out as gay, and eventually wrote the
book as a sort of an investigative catharsis
to understand how and why parents and their
children can be so different from each other.
On some level, we are all imperfect. That is
what makes us human. The biggest takeaway
from Far From the Tree is to not discredit
people due to visual differences because they
might just surprise you. Original music by
Nico Muhly and Yo La Tengo add to the film’s
emotional undercurrent and offers a sense
of optimism for those undergoing difficult
times. Far From the Tree should be required
viewing for all, but be warned: side effects
include a lump in the throat, goosebumps
and occasional teary eyes.
Far From the Tree is not rated. 93 minutes.
Now playing at Laemmle’s Royal. •
Series Spotlight: Pinkalicious
“There are many little ways to enlarge your
world. Love of books is the best of all.”
– Jacqueline Kennedy
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