Comments on: trying to remember a childrens book i once read

Question: trying to remember a childrens book i once read

butterball — Thu, 20 Oct 2005 17:30:55 -0800

Does anyone remember a childrens book about a place where its dark all the time except for one day a year when the sun comes out? In the story the little gets locked in a closet by other kids on the one day of sun? thanks!

By: flavor

flavor — Thu, 20 Oct 2005 17:34:05 -0800

Ray Bradbury's All Summer in a Day

By: NucleophilicAttack

NucleophilicAttack — Thu, 20 Oct 2005 17:43:37 -0800

Thank you. I saw a video adaptation as a child, but never knew what it was.

By: sohcahtoa

sohcahtoa — Thu, 20 Oct 2005 18:32:08 -0800

I saw the video adaption as a PBS "Wonderworks" (or something close to that) special. I believe they also did a Chronicles of Narnia adaptation.

By: luckypozzo

luckypozzo — Thu, 20 Oct 2005 18:34:02 -0800

I saw it too! I remember how horrified I was. Thanks, flavor.

By: ORthey

ORthey — Thu, 20 Oct 2005 18:44:48 -0800

I wouldn't call it a children's book, isn't it just a short story? In any case it's one of the saddest stories I've ever read.

By: bondcliff

bondcliff — Thu, 20 Oct 2005 19:13:17 -0800

Wow

By: interrobang

interrobang — Thu, 20 Oct 2005 19:45:01 -0800

It's just a short story, not at all a children's book.

By: interrobang

interrobang — Thu, 20 Oct 2005 19:45:50 -0800

(This is kind of a common question to people who work in science-fiction bookstores. That and "where's the travel section?")

By: delmoi

delmoi — Thu, 20 Oct 2005 21:08:45 -0800

I read that story in, I think, middle school (I was going to say Asimov, actually, but it was Bradbury). Since it's already been answered there's not much more to say.

It was a good story, and it's odd that I knew exactly what you were talking about in your question.

By: palegirl

palegirl — Thu, 20 Oct 2005 21:25:24 -0800

I would love to find a copy of the film.

When you look it up on IMDB you find comment after comment after commment posted by people who saw the short film version around 6th or 7th grade and were incredibly moved by it. This is true for me as well.

In fact, I've been thinking about this film a lot since last week (I live in New England) and was going to post here asking for help locating a copy of the film. I hope one of you ask.me geniuses out there can solve this mystery.

By: misterbrandt

misterbrandt — Thu, 20 Oct 2005 22:05:25 -0800

Thank you for asking this. I saw the film as a kid and I never knew what it was.

By: KathyK

KathyK — Fri, 21 Oct 2005 05:38:33 -0800

I saw this video as well in school and have thought about it from time to time since. I remember that it rained all the time and there was one day where the sun came out.

By: Frasermoo

Frasermoo — Fri, 21 Oct 2005 05:49:20 -0800

Holy sh*t ! I saw the video adaptation and always wondered what it was. Thanks !

By: LunaticFringe

LunaticFringe — Fri, 21 Oct 2005 05:54:38 -0800

I too have seen this movie when I was a kid! It was in school and I remember why we watched but there's still a couple scene from it that are etched into my mind. I wonder why this movie seems to have stuck in people's brains as long as it has when I have no recollection of other movies I've seen from the same period...

When I remember that movie now I'm thankful that I don't live in a place like that...I need the sun.

By: Frasermoo

Frasermoo — Fri, 21 Oct 2005 06:22:17 -0800

I live in a place like that, it's called Britain. Bloody weather.

By: ducksauce

ducksauce — Fri, 21 Oct 2005 07:19:43 -0800

That was one of the saddest stories I've ever read... just about as sad as this:

By: widdershins

widdershins — Fri, 21 Oct 2005 09:06:12 -0800

ducksauce, that is truly sad.

.

By: Rash

Rash — Fri, 21 Oct 2005 09:19:41 -0800

a childrens book about a place where its dark all the time

A title popular with the kids these days is the peculiar City of Ember by Jeanne Duprau. If it weren't for their electric lights, it would be dark all the time in Ember. But I'm guessing the question's really about that place where it rains all the time except one day a year, which is of course Bradbury's "All Summer in a Day", one of the short stories compiled in his Medicine for Melancholy (and it's not what I'd consider an appropriate story for kids -- too nightmarish).

By: deborah

deborah — Fri, 21 Oct 2005 19:13:28 -0800

I also saw this a long time ago and it's stuck with me ever since. Thanks for asking the question, butterball.

By: vanoakenfold

vanoakenfold — Sat, 22 Oct 2005 01:42:01 -0800

I saw a similar film in a high school class for generating discsussion, but can't recall the name of it either. It was about a school on Venus that had to go thru daily light exposure and the one day that the sun ever came out in a year, the kids got to frolick in the sunlight. Is this the same story? I specifically remember the aspect of it being on Venus because of the near-incessant cloud cover.

By: interrobang

interrobang — Tue, 01 Nov 2005 17:44:05 -0800

Yes, vanoakenfold, it's the same story.