The Boy in the Striped Pajamas- John Boyne

Wow! What a read. I read this in the space of a day and could hardly bear to put it down. I had been aware that it was a book that looked at the Holocaust, but in a totally unique way. Nine year old Bruno is being uprooted from his comfortable home in Berlin and moved to what he believes is “Out-With”. His father has been promoted to the position of Commandant by the “Fury.” His father is a kind but stern man, and as Bruno becomes aware of the world beyond the fence, and hears of some of the cruelties, he believes if only his father knew, he would put a stop to it. Out of sheer boredom, Bruno eventually goes exploring and meets a boy on the other side of the fence whose name is Shmuel. Over the space of many weeks, Bruno asks many innocent questions and yet cannot fathom the truth or the reality of Shmuel’s tales of hunger, fear and cruelty. Somehow, Bruno manages to keep this friendship a secret as he senses that his father would not approve. I won’t go any further as this is an ending you will want to read for yourself.

I thought a lot about perspective as I read this book; about the innocent getting caught up in the atrocities of the time. I thought about soldiers who would unthinkingly obey a leader. It is rare to find a book like this written from the viewpoint of an innocent young German boy.

It reminded me of Run Like Jager by Karen Bass; the story of Kurt who wishes to spend a year in Germany to find out just what it was his Opa did in the Second World War and when he does find some answers, cannot come to grips with his knowledge. It reminded me of Four Steps to Death by John Wilson where four different perspectives are explored. It seems to me that in telling stories from many viewpoints, our empathy should grow and our understanding enlarged of how some of the world’s most terrible events could have occurred.

The writing is spare, all is understated and understood. It is a book for older children and for adults. The style of writing is similar to James Clavell in his short story called The Children’s Story. This, too, tells of children who are so susceptible to subterfuge and can so easily be led. But what about the adults? When do they think for themselves? It is a book that will leave you with questions.

The movie is out; I haven’t seen it yet but the trailer looks excellent. I would love to hear from anyone who has read the book or seen the movie.

Getting the Girl- Susan Juby

This was a totally fun read- Sherman, just starting grade 9, is in love with women generally. Upon finding out that girls in the school are put on a D list (D for defiled) and then basically ostracized, he makes it his objective to find out who and why is doing this. So he thinks of himself as a private investigator and gets into the most hilarious escapades during his sleuthing. I chuckled aloud many times. The theme compares nicely to Gotcha by Shelley Hrdlitschka ,with a somewhat lighter touch. Gotcha is the story of a graduating class who traditionally play the game Gotcha. Each student gets a bead which they try to retain and the name of a fellow student whose bead they try to nab. Unfortunately, the game has got out of hand in previous years and is banned by the school, but the student council decide to carry it out anyway. This book has a lot of tension and is an excellent example of something which seems innocent but spins out of control. It shows what can happen when the mob instinct takes over and when winning becomes too serious.

I would recommend both of these titles for high school and with some reservations for elementary; in particular, Getting the Girl. They would certainly need to be housed in a Young Adult section of the library. I would love to hear other viewpoints on this.

Searching for Yesterday- Valerie Sherrard

This is the third Shelby Belgarden mystery that I have read and I believe they are a refreshing addition to the mystery genre. So many of our teen books these days are dealing with harsh issues facing youth and are full of teenage angst. While I understand that there is a place for these stories as well, sometimes it’s just nice to sit down and read some lighter fare that does not demand as much of the reader emotionally. Shelby, the heroine of these stories, seems to fall into situations that require her detecting skills. In this novel, she very kindly befriends a girl in her class named Annie who lives in a foster home and has been ostensibly abandoned by her mother as a three year old. As Shelby and Annie begin to attempt to trace her mother’s whereabouts, it becomes increasingly evident that it was totally out of character for her mother to leave and not return as promised. This ramps up the intensity as they then begin to suspect that her mother has met with misfortune, or even foul play. Although the plot is somewhat predictable, I believe this type of novel, although with characters of high school age, will also meet the reading needs of some of some of our less demanding readers. As well, do not forget to check out Speechless, which has been nominated for the year’s Snow Willow awards, as well as Sam’s Light, which was nominated several years back. I realize that there are other titles that I have yet to read, but I do believe these will be suitable for both elementary and high school. They may also be a nice fit for the Grade 7 Language Arts mystery unit.

Starting Anew- My Views

I have been remiss in posting comments about the books I’ve read and loved (or otherwise) and I am going to make a concerted effort to rectify that. I know how much other people’s insights have meant to me and to my task of choosing books for my readers. I am always thrilled when a new issue of Resource Links appears as well as a number of other bloggers whose reviews I have come to enjoy and trust. But to clarify my blogging style, I do not pretend for a moment to provide the in-depth reviews of Resource Links, CM reviews or many of the other superior publications. My intent is mainly to share my heart: my enthusiasms, my questions, and my feelings about the readers these books may attract and perhaps to pique your interest in these materials for yourself or readers you may know. I confess to reading a lot- it is one of my great joys since I can remember. As a child, I ran out of reading materials and remember that feeling of despair as I searched for new books. I joined a book club sponsored by the Regina Public Library where they would send me one book per month. One Book! It was barely enough to whet my appetite. When around the age of 10, they sent me a copy of Dickens” Tale of Two Cities’, which I dutifully read, I decided that perhaps they were not well qualified to choose my reading for me. So today as I look around my well-stocked library, I sometimes am still overwhelmed with the choices available for students today. For the first time in my life, I am close to saying.” Are there TOO many books being published?” I ask that for two reasons. One, many of the exemplary books are being read by too few. Second, there are books that really aren’t deserving of their place on the shelf. I never want to appear calloused as I do have a glimmer of understanding of what it takes to write and publish a book. But there are times where I read one of my latest acquisitions and question the author’s intent, the editor’s attention to detail, or the somewhat superficial exploration of a topic. That is not to say that all books need to be deep and weighty: but in my opinion need to speak in some way to the human condition. Forgive my ramblings, but know that if you choose to follow my blog, you may occasionally get some of the same. But in the midst of it all, I hope you find some gems, some thoughts to inspire you and the children you serve.
As an aside, I also would ask you to make a comment from time to time. Ask a question, agree or disagree- it doesn’t matter to me. Without comments, a blogger feels that they are writing into a vacuum and motivation dulls. So take a moment to let me know you’re out there.

Kaleidoscope 9 Children’s Literature Conference

My dream come true- to just once in my career to have the sheer privilege of attending a Kaleidoscope Conference. Be still, my heart! By far the hardest part was to choose sessions from the amazing array of talented authors and illustrators who were there to share their enormous gifts with us. For one who has always held these great people in awe, it was incredible to sit and listen, laugh, sometimes cry, and then head to the bookstore for more of their books. The other hard part was not to be super jealous when the other delegates talked about their sessions, and you knew you’d missed out, but you simply could only attend a small percentage of them. So here is a glimpse into my joyful weekend.

Choices, choices, choices! And all of them worthy of my rapt attention. But here are the ones I made. First, off to see Robert Heidbreder. This had a personal connection for me. When Drumheller Dinosaur Dance was nominated for the Saskatchewan Shining Willow award several years ago, it was my favourite. I purchased it for my then 4 year-old grandson, who also loved it. He immediately set up his own Drumheller Dinosaur band with the neighbouring children. Attending kindergarten in Ontario, he also wished to purchase it for his teacher that year. Arriving at the session early, I was able to share my little story with him. He also autographed another copy of the book I had purchased for another grandchild. Robert Heidbreder was, in a word, a hoot! He told us about his love of word play from the time he was little. When his mom suggested he was having a “duck fit”, he shared the amazing imaginative world of words and word associations this led him to; not only words but actions. He talked about his adventures as a kindergarten teacher. He inspired us to share more poetry in the classroom, and to just have fun!

I also had the opportunity to listen to Beverley Naidoo. Beverley left apartheid ridden South Africa after being detained in her own country. Her stories reveal the great social injustices in the country of her birth. Having read Chain of Fire with great enjoyment many years ago, I look forward to reading many of her other writings in the future.

Melanie Watts will assuredly continue to delight us with her extraordinary characters and humorous illustrations. I was pleased to see that she is young, so we have lots to look forward to. My favourites are Scaredy Squirrel and now Chester. She primarily uses acrylics and watercolours and draws on her background in computer graphics. This author was a delight to listen to as she allowed us a glimpse into her thinking as she creates these wonderful characters. Although in the case of Chester, perhaps he has created Melanie Watts!

Lois Lowry is an author of young adult material whose work I have long admired. Who could ever forget their first reading of The Giver and feel great delight upon the discovery of a sequel many years later, Gathering Blue.  Number the Stars has long been used to teach younger children about the Holocaust, which she told us was based on the childhood of a Norwegian friend. I can’t wait to read Autumn Street, which is autobiographical. It became very clear during her session that hers was a fascinating life. Gossamer, now being made into a play, is an intriguing look at the world of dreams. It’s also a delight to see her turn her pen to novels for the younger set with the Goonie Bird Greene series and of course, the much talked-about, The Willoughby’s. So many great books to read- so little time.

Two of our plenary session speakers, Janet Stevens and Michael Morpurgo were nothing less than inspiring. Janet Stevens, illustrator and author, had us chortling at her varied characters, each of whom was delightful as she herself was. It reminded me again of just how much fun it can be to read great picture books aloud. I purchased her illustrated, To Market, To Market (written by Anne Miranda) for my 16month-old granddaughter and it has fast become a favourite. It bore 5 consecutive readings the very first time. She loves to pick out the various animals and calls it the “uh-oh” book.It also inspired me to make “market soup.” I know that I will be promoting her books greatly in my school library.

Michael Morpurgo was born at the end of the second world war so was under the spell of that dark, uncertain time. His playground was often the remains of a bombed-out building; where a sign might read ,”Do not enter.” His books are reflective of the war years and varied in their approach, with War Horse being told from the viewpoint of the horse. Michael was an absolute card to listen to, and if we hadn’t been staid librarians, he would have had us rolling in the aisles. Bring back this author from “across the pond” any day, I say! Although I have not yet read many of his works, he is now at the top of my list.

If you ever get a chance to attend a conference of this calibre, do so. It is to be in the presence of greatness.

The Shack- William P. Young

A friend sent me this book awhile back and asked me to tell her what I thought of it. When I first read the back cover, I was somewhat skeptical as I come from a fairly traditional Christian background. But when another good friend told me how much she was enjoying it, and a bit of the basic premise, I was ready to give it a go. This, indeed, was no ordinary read, but a journey. The story is about a man names Mack, who is haunted by The Great Sorrow, after the abduction of his young daughter. When a note arrives at his mailbox, asking him to meet him at the shack, where evidence of Missy had been discovered, and signed by Papa (his wife’s name for God), he is at once affronted, afraid and intrigued. Eventually he makes the life-altering decision to accept the offer, and leaves for this encounter. The sentence under the title states, “Where tragedy confronts eternity” and I believe this is exactly what this book does. It brings us into the presence of a loving Father who is willing to meet us at any place in our lives, and walk us through an understanding of our pain. It reminds us profoundly that His grace is sufficient, if we are willing to call on Him. It is not a typical religious book, as you might expect; it is one that speaks to the heart about very real questions we might have about faith, about God and how this might fit with tragedy in the world around us.

This is the one must-read book of the year. This is the one I will purchase for others and recommend to all.