3.  "It was a week later..."

I like it that Tom realizes how shy and insecure Nona is, and stands up for her when Belinda puts her down.

"You're so slow!" said Belinda.
 "She not," said Tom, "she's careful."

It must feel nice for Nona to have a 'big brother' looking out for her.  And he is very encouraging when she does the Star Festival.

JOC

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I feel sorry for Belinda too. She was obviously used to being the baby and getting all the attention, and then in comes this interloper, lol.  Not that she's handling it well, but I can understand her position. It's part of life to realize you are not the center of the universe, but it comes harder for some than others.

JOC

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I'm sorry that Belinda is displaced as the center of attention in her family, but like her mother, and even her older brother who steps up for Nona, I'm disappointed that she can't see past herself.  There is little empathy or sympathy.  She's a "tough customer" when it comes to wanting her own way, and she doesn't seem willing to back down in the least.  Her behavior is a bit embarrassing, yet she's not the least embarrased by her own rudeness.  She doesn't even make the effort to pretend to be nice.  Happy

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 I found the most awesome thing to use for a quick wall covering and mats. The wall scroll calendars you get from Chinese food restaurants are awesome!. If you cut off the calendar part and reattach the bamboo stick at the bottom, you have a wall mural on a screen. Then you can turn over the part the calendar is printed on, turn under the ends and glue to secure and use the unprinted side for the floor. I will have to take photos later to show. I picked up a couple from the thrift store for less than $1 each, though one of my daughters claimed one for her own room.

 Anna B

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I am finding Belinda very unlikeable and a bit irritating. But there has to be some hope, and these two little Japanese dolls seem to be good wishers. Nona seems to have a lot of inner resources for one so young, perhaps this is what makes Belinda a year younger, seem so immature in contrast. Let's hope that harmony somehow brings in some healing and peace!

Caro

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She is indeed rather unlikeable isn’t she?  You wonder just why she is like this.  Is it because she is the youngest and has been rather ‘spoiled’ and doesn’t like another coming in and perhaps seeming to take her ‘place’.  You wonder why some children do seem like this.    Nona I think having been an only child, is perhaps more independent in thought and actions, she has had to learn to use her inner resources, and even more now she has come to another country and feels very ‘alone’ even though she is now surrounded by other children.    As a book lover myself and one who is always looking things up, I love that she uses the books to their full potential.  I think someone else mentioned that sadly that seems to be less and less of the case in our electronic age.  The joy of books is a discovery that lasts a lifetime.

 Lorraine

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yes, I do agree--Nona being so resourceful makes Belinda look so immature.  She's so jealous of Nona. I do think that Belinda is very jealous.  She probably had the "spotlight" because she was the youngest in the family, and she feels that Nona is (or will be) taking the attention from Belinda.

JOC
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 I think it's possible that Belinda feels threatened by Nona being more like her siblings than she is, and also the dawning realisation that she is brattish and needs to change, but is deeply resistant at present because specifically she knows she should be better behaved .. like Nona and the others. The more the others try to make Nona feel better by saying nice things to her, the more it needles Belinda, she recognises they are right but isn't yet mature enough to admit it. And yes, although she doesn't need to move from the position as youngest since Nona is a year older, she still has to share a further division of parental & sibling time. And perhaps she isn't ever destined to have a 'girlie' personality, she can be a tomboy, but she certainly needs to behave more nicely to others, and especially Nona.

 
Caro

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From friends in the adoption/foster community, I've often heard that it is the child that is closest in age to the new arrival that is impacted the most. So, even though we, from our adult 2014 perspective, find Belinda churlish and unpleasant, perhaps she is simply reacting normally. I am happy to see the group having a bit of sympathy for Belinda.  It can't have been easy for her. We are all rooting for Nona, but her behavior wasn't particularly pleasant, either. It must have been a disappointment for Belinda to imagine having a play-fellow close in age, only to find Nona so "other" and unresponsive.

Miss Happiness and Miss Flower, humbling themselves, wish hard for the cushions and, when Nona includes Belinda, by pleading for the opportunity to make the cushions, the wish is felt by Belinda. "..and she was suddenly ashamed". She not yet ready to be gracious, though. Sigh...

Now, how does one differentiate between a doll's "wish" and Hitty's "demands"?

Caro: "You could make a doll's house", said Tom.

Jane

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 I totally agree--Nona has had a hard time, but she is attempting to overcome her timidity and so forth. Poor Belinda doesn't seem to get any sympathy.  I think she is being rude and, as you say--churlish!  But there is to me a good reason she is acting so poorly.

JOC

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 Backtracking just a bit, I do understand how Belinda must have felt displaced as the household darling when Nona showed up.  She was the baby and naturally was indulged to some extent.  I'm actually a bit peeved with Mrs. Fell, who doesn't seem to do a lot to encourage Belinda to develop manners, even if the child doesn't like the guest.  I was taught to be nice, no matter what, but there doesn't seem to be much in the way of manners instruction going on there.  Belinda's reaction to receiving the gift of the dolls was one of an indulged, entitled child: "They're not even new," said Belinda in disgust.  It's hard to feel sympathetic toward an ungrateful child who calls her great aunt "stupid."  Again, there is no reprimand from Mrs. Fell, so I assume that Belinda's behavior may be a result of poor parenting.  Maybe Mom got tired after the first two, although she seems quite kind toward Nona.

 
On to Chapter three.  I like that Nona asked Tom how he learned to build his galleon. She wanted to do something, didn't know how, and found someone to ask.  It shows determination, curiosity, and a kindness toward others, the dolls she perceives need her help and attention.  I appreciate how fearful Nona was of going off on her own, yet she did it anyway for the sake of the dolls.  That is true bravery: being afraid but still doing it.  It did seem like a bit of conspiracy that nobody was available to go with her.  They just sent her out the door as if it were the most natural thing in the world, which it probably was for the rest of them.  She was also very brave when she spoke up about having washed her hands so she could touch the books.  Mr. Twilfit, despite his reputation, turned into an old softie when he recognized in her someone who both loved books and needed a bit of help.  It was very kind of him to listen to her and to loan out his books, since he was in the business of selling rather than lending.  I like this chapter because it reminds us all that sometimes we need to step outside of our comfort zones and try something new.   Happy

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 Sometimes it's hard to step from your comfort zone--the city must be a scary, scary place for Nona, all the traffic and all the people!

JOC

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I don't think Mr Twilfit is really horrible at all . He like a librarian I once knew just wants children to respect the books and not touch them with dirty sticky hands or rip them. Pauline 

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yes, I agree--his experience with children was probably not all that positive. When he discovered Nona was determined and her hands were clean, lol, he realized he had discovered a kindred spirit.

JOC

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Chapter 3

 Nona has had her confidence built up through Tom, Anne, and Mother.  She doesn't know it yet, but she will go on to bigger and better things.  Belinda is still being a typical spoiled baby of the family through no fault of her own.  I was so please when the book store owner really did have a soft side and helped Nona.  The story continues with intrigue and speculation.

 
Denise M

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I think Tom, Anne and Mother are doing this deliberately, to give Nona some confidence!

JOC

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I agree with you there, Nona needs to break free of her fears. This book was written in a time where children could go to stores on their own, not like today where going places on your own is dangerous.  They realized Nona needed to take a risk to gain confidence.  Mr. T. does seem scary I remember as a child when first reading about him he was frightening- but I had no experiences going to bookstores only the library. I didn't discover this book until I was in my 20's, but Little Plum the sequel was one of my favorite books. I always wanted a Japanese doll house. Too bad I found the book to late to have my dad build it for me.  I did build one out a box for a Japanese neighbors little girl.  I made the dolls out of fabric and dipped the heads, lower arms and legs in thinned plaster of Paris.

Lorraine

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