Module 2: The Middle Moffat

Book cover image:
Book Summary: Jane Moffat likes things that are in the middle, which describes her perfectly, as the middle of four children. When she introduces herself as the Middle Moffat to the oldest inhabitant of Cranbury, she begins a year long adventure in which she witnesses her first eclipse, plays her first basketball game, is the middle bear in a production of Goldilocks, and most importantly, works to ensure that the oldest inhabitant of Cranbury makes it to his 100th birthday, which leads to the largest celebration the town of Cranbury has even seen.

APA Reference of the book:

Estes, E. (2001). The middle Moffat. San Diego: Harcourt, Inc.

Impressions: When I first began reading this book, the best word I could think to describe it was "quaint." About halfway through, I thought to look at the copyright date, and realizing that the book was written in 1942, I was able to read the book with the right expectation of the time the book was written, which was reinforced by the illustrations. By the end, I was engrossed in the story and wanted to see what happened next. Overall I think it is a well told story that would probably surprise today's kids with its lack of gadgets and electronics, but does point back to a simpler time to live. However, it also shows some of the  things that kids still do for fun today, such as playing sports, getting involved in theater, or choir, as Jane's sister Sylvie does.

One thing I did notice was that the stories, while all loosely tied together with Jane's continuing concern that the oldest inhabitant reach is 100th birthday, can also stand alone. The story could have been published as a series of very short books had the publisher chosen to do so. This provided a small challenge in that it was hard to tell how much time had passed between each chapter and made it a little harder to keep engaged in the story since they seemed more as separate stories than as a part of a whole.

Professional Review: "Jane thinks "middle" things sound good, like the middle of the night or the Middle Ages, so she asks to be called the middle Moffat—or maybe even the mysterious middle Moffat. Jane's appealingly tenacious personality emerges as she attempts to read every book in the library, single-handedly win a basketball game the first time she plays, host an organ recital that is ruined by swarming moths, and do everything she can to help Mr. Buckle, the town's oldest inhabitant, reach his hundredth birthday. These stories and others reflect the simplicity of life in the 1940s, but readers will relate to problems that are timeless, like trying to stay awake to hear Santa Claus, or wanting to give your mother a store-bought handbag but having to settle for one you've made, or losing the head to your bear costume minutes before the curtain rises. Jane makes the middle child seem indispensable, not just to her family, but to everyone in town. The charm of these stories lies in their subtle humor and abundance of heart. Because each tale can stand alone, many selections would be excellent for reading aloud. It is part of the "Young Classics" series."

Hicks, B. (n.d.). [Review of The Middle Moffat by Eleanor Estes]. Barnes and Noble Reivew. Retrieved from: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/middle-moffat-eleanor-estes/1100303319?ean=9780152025298

Library uses: This book illustrates the different roles that kids take on in families, and although families have changed in many ways since the forties, the dynamic between oldest, youngest, and middle children is still largely the same. This book can be used to discuss those dynamics between siblings. Because each chapter can act as a standalone story, it would be easy to read a single chapter to discuss with students.