I was happy there all by myself, alone at the End of the World.
M.T. Anderson’s Me, All Alone, at the End of the World is a fascinating book about the joys of solitude. It has an underlying environmental message as well, and the illustrations by Kevin Hawkes are outstanding.
The book begins with a boy who lives alone with his mule at the End of the World. He fills his days with activities such as listening to the wind and looking for treasure. Then, one day a man named Mr. Shimmer comes along and builds an inn. At first, the boy enjoys the new-ness of the inn. He has fun playing with friends and exploring new activities. In the end, however, he misses the silence and the solitude he once enjoyed. So he leaves the End of the World and moves to the Top of the World where he finds happiness in simplicity once again.
In all honesty, Me, All Alone, at the End of the World is right up my alley. I love books that introduce children to the pleasures of self-sufficiency and the beauty of an untarnished wilderness. This book is poignant and creative and reminds me of the great depths of childhood imagination, without being too heavy on the message. So although it is aimed at older children, I still show Anderson’s book to Charlotte as often as I can. She does not have the patience to sit through an entire reading, so I paraphrase the story and talk about the illustrations with her instead.
Reading with Aunt R - what a perfect way to spend the holiday weekend!
Pros: This book serves as a foundation for many important conversations with children about topics such as solitude, the natural world, self-sufficiency, and capitalism. As well, Hawkes is a brilliant illustrator.
Cons: I do not feel that there are any cons, but a few people I know feel that it is a little heavy on the environmental message. Personally, positive environmental messages never bother me.
Borrow or Buy: Buy.
What to do: You can enter this giveaway by leaving a comment below or sending me an e-mail answering this question: what (if anything) do you enjoy about solitude? All you need is an e-mail address. The giveaway ends Sunday evening at 9 P.M. Pacific Time and the winners will be announced next Tuesday morning. You can leave one entry every day, for a total of up to six entries.
For extra entries: This is on the honor system, so please be honest. I will award you one extra entry if you vote for me at Top Mommy Blogs or at Top Baby Blogs. Each day you vote, I will award you two additional entries. I am hoping to maintain or move into a spot in the top ten on both sites so that we can slowly begin to reach more parents about the joys and importance of reading with children.
To purchase this book: You can buy Me, All Alone, at the End of the World through Amazon.com (that link uses my affiliate code) or locate a local retailer through Indie Bound.org.
An announcement: The winner of last week’s book series giveaway was Julie. Yay, Julie!
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I enjoy the time to quiet my mind and think.
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LOVE that picture of you and Charlotte - you look great!
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I like having time to slow down, calm my thoughts (or at least TRY) and relax. If I’m reading a good book, I’ll curl up on the couch with it. Ah….
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I haven’t read this book, but from your review it sounds like the protagonist, while being apart from other people, is with his mule and surrounded by other animals. That is one of the things I love about “solitude”, being quietly in company with other critters besides people.
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I voted for you on Top Mommy Blogs.
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I voted for you on Top Baby Blogs.
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I love many things about solitude - reading, sewing, napping. As an extrovert, I don’t require too much of it, which is good with a 14 month old running around.
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I love the peace and quiet and the opportunity to sort out my thoughts and put them on paper.
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Oh, how I used to love being alone. I enjoyed doing things on my own schedule, living in my head and drinking copious amounts of coffee. I used to go everywhere alone. By choice. Movies, dinner, coffee shops…wherever.
Now? I am never alone. And I am oddly ok with that. :)
(I voted at both sites, of course…)
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Looks like a good one !
That must be your sister ...she looks just like you :-) -
I enjoy the quiet! I have a toddler who talks all day long, and, while I love that, sometimes it’s nice to have silence!
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I am definitely voting for you right now on both Baby Blogs and Mommy Blogs. Even moreso because due to their listing I found your site & I have a very soft spot for anyone promoting good literature…especially for the next generations! I am a lifelong book nerd, writer, and hope (as I begin to prepare for trying to conceive :)) to pass along my passion for and belief in literature to another generation of my own :).
Alicia
Crossing my fingers I win! :)
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Ps: the story line reminds me of one of my favorite childhood tomes: Wump World. No idea if anyone remembers that but for me as a toddler and up it was a heartwrenching story of a natural world destroyed and restored. Still have a copy!
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My favourite thing about solitude is the QUIET. I love taking a break from the ongoing noises of busyness and everyday life.
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As an only child, I think I value and NEED some solitude in my life… I recharge while I’m alone. I think clearer if I can have some moments to myself…
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Solitude allows me to focus and helps me re-prioritize
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I am a quiet person, so solitude is my best friend. I love a quiet house on a quiet morning any day of the week.
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I love just being able to refresh and re-energize. It gives me a moment to stop, breathe and then go on. :)
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i love being alone. nobody around to interrupt my thoughts. it’s how i recharge.
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I miss being alone now that I have my little one, but not as much as I miss my little one when I am alone. Still, sometimes a bath, a book, and a cup of tea feel like a weeks’ vacation.
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I enjoy solitude because it means I don’t have to speak. I can devote more of my thoughts to things other than what the next words out of my mouth will be!
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Of course, I voted for you on Top Mommy Blogs today.
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Of course, I voted for you on Top Baby Blogs today.
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I lived alone for a year in college and in many ways it was the least stressful year of my life. I love having time along just to think, to enjoy the quiet, and to not feel guilty for doing absolutely nothing. I do my best thinking in quiet solitude.
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just voted for you on both sites!
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I enjoy solitude because generally when I am experiencing solitude it is in a place with little industrial noise, so I can better enjoy the sounds of nature.
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I voted for you on Top Mommy Blogs today. —
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I voted for you on Top Baby Blogs today. —
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I enjoy the quiet. and the feeling that I can be myself totally and not have to answer to anyone
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Another reason I enjoy solitude is that being in solitude usually means that I can read uninterrupted!
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I cast a new vote for you on Top Mommy Blogs today!
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I cast a new vote for you on Top Baby Blogs today!
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I am enjoying some solitude right now. I just put a very fussy baby down for a nap, and I think I might spend some of my alone time sleeping too. ;)
I voted at both places, of course.
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just voted on both blogs again!
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I enjoy solitude because I find it restful.
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-I cast a new vote for you on Top Mommy Blogs today!
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-I cast a new vote for you on Top Baby Blogs today!
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I like solitude because it gives me time to reflect and read.
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Hi, Sarah.
I voted for you on Top Mommy Blogs!
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I like solitude because I get so little of it! Since my husband currently works at home most of the time and I have an almost-8-month old, I love any solitude I get! Just time to sit in silence and read, write emails, or play my guitar, it’s nice to be alone!
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I enjoy solitude because solitude to me means more than just being alone. Solitude is inherently an experience of quiet, peace, and reflection. Everyone needs such times to recharge and become reinvigorated for the next thing.
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-I cast my vote for you on Top Mommy Blogs today!
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-I cast my vote for you on Top Baby Blogs today!
By Cambria on September 07, 2010
I like being able to calm my thoughts without distraction. Read. Write. Nap as I please.
But this is no longer my reality, but am thankful for the time it was as it prepared me for this phase of my life.