Tree Girl- Ben Mikaelsen

I first became a Mikaelsen fan after reading Touching Spirit Bear which has been a hit with teachers and students alike. The next book I read was Red Midnight, another amazing read about an unbelievable escape from Guatemala in a sea kayak, which the author manages to make quite believable. My most recent read was Tree Girl, and once again, Mikaelsen has taken a piece of history and brought it to life. Fifteen year old Gabriella’s life in Guatamala is filled with the ordinary happenings of village life, with the highlight being the celebration of her birthday. One of her great joys has been her ability to climb the tall trees of the forest, earning her nickname. She has had the unprecedented privilege of going to school, and one day her teacher and other students are ruthlessly slaughtered. Running home to her village, she is shocked by a scene of horror and destruction. rescuing only a younger brother and sister, she runs for their very lives, She is not able to keep her little brother alive and continues to attempt to find safe haven for her and her little sister. Entering what appears to be a safe village, she climbs into the safety of the highest branches and from that vantage point, witnesses another horrendous slaughter. Having lost her sister, she vows to never again climb a tree, and with great hardship, works her way to a refugee camp. There she must begin to decide how she will be able to find a future for herself, never giving up hope that she may be re-united with her little sister. Gabriella is a young woman with tremendous courage in the face of unimaginable horror. That this stort has its basis in historical fact, is once again an appalling reminder of what so many people in te world endure. This is an excellent novel for young people to examine another culture and become more aware of the world we live in.

The Time Travelers- Linda Buckley-Archer

The Time Travelers is the first of a series called The Gideon Trilogy. The cover suggests that it is for “kids who love Harry Potter.” Although it certainly falls into the fantasy category, there is not really a lot to compare. Nonetheless, this is once again a well-written, interesting fantasy. Pete and Kate, recent acquaintances, are propelled back in time to England of 1763 through an antigravity machine that Kate’s father has been working on. There they are befriended and cared for by Gideon, sometime cutpurse turned honest. Even more terrifying than being swept back into a world which is barely recognizable, is the fact that the notorious Tar Man has their gravity machine and wants to make a deal with them for it. As Pete and Kate travel across England with Gideon and some other very interesting characters, they meet up with adventures you might expect in an England of lawless times. I believe this author has done her research well; the language. the clothing, the characterization has a ring of authenticity. It becomes more intriguing as Pete and Kate discover they can “fade” back to their own world where they appear ghost-like in outlandish costume. Although Kate’s father begins to recognize what has happened, he and his colleagues deem it wise not to release what they believe is happening, much to the annoyance of the inspector in charge of the case.

Again, this is a novel that I found most engaging and would likely appeal to readers from about grade 5 and up. High school fantasy readers might also find themselves engrossed in this tale. Indeed, once again, I will be interested in continuing this series for my own reading pleasure.

Song of the Sparrow- Lisa Ann Sandell

Here I am, minding my almost 20 month-old granddaughter and wondering if I can do to two things at once. Her interest in the computer lies solely in the large number of family pictures stored on it, which she loves to watch. It’s great entertainment for her, unless you have something else that needs to be done. Naturally, if it doesn’t work out, she takes priority over any post.

Well, a short break later, we’ll try again. Back to Song of the Sparrow. What an utterly delightful read! This is definitely a must addition to your Arthurian lore. Written in exquisite free verse style, this is the story of Elaine, hero of Tennyson’s Lady Of Shallot. Elaine’s mother has been killed and she is left with her father and brothers, ending up being the only female in a world of men, living in a war-camp. her services as healer and mender invaluable to the men. As she grows older, her friendship with Lancelot changes into something which she believes to be love. Then arrives Gwynivere, betrothed to Arthur, but beloved of Lancelot. Thus Elaine realizes that her wishes and dreams are not to be realized. With a deft blend of history and love story, this novel then takes us to the battle which Arthur leads against the Saxons, long-time enemies. Unknown to her family, Elaine decides to follow the men to the battle field in order to offer her services, but is caught by the Saxons, only to have Gwynivere unexpectedly come alongside in her efforts to escape.

Each word of each chapter appears to have been chosen with great dexterity by a very gifted author. This novel would suit many of your Young Adult readers and would be a fine addition to a high school collection as well. I am calling it historical fiction even though much of what we know about Arthur and his times is embedded in legend. But surely there is a grain of truth in all of this! I’m a believer!

Run Like Jager- Karen Bass

First time novelist, Karen Bass, has written quite an extraordinary account of Kurt Schreiber who has come to Germany for his last year of high school and is determined to find out exactly what his Opa did in World War II. When he meets his Opa’s life-long friend, also the Opa of Marta, the girl he’s becoming interested in, and begins to hear stories of his Opa’s involvement with the Deutsche Jungfolk , it almost becomes too much to bear. As the stories unfold, he begins to see how young people could be caught up in the Nazi fever and the tremendous power and sway Hitler held. This is a fabulous book to present a different point of view and begin to understand that which has always been viewed as horrific. In many ways, the people who followed Hitler, especially the children, were victims as well. I believe this is a book our students need to read and is likely most appropriate for Grade 8 through high school. It would be an excellent resource for History teachers as well. In some ways, I was reminded of another World War II novel, called Behind The Bedroom Wall. In this novel, Laura comes very close to turning in her German parents for hiding Jews. She is so indoctrinated that she actually contemplates this terrible act.

Four Steps to Death by John Wilson also portrays an extraordinary array of viewpoints. We meet Conrad, a German tank commander,Vasali, a German soldier, and Sergei, a young boy during the battle of Stalingrad. Seamlessly, Wilson invites us into the psyche of the various players and draws us into feeling empathy for each as they themselves are victims of the ideologies of their day.

I also was reminded of an amazing short story by James Clavell, called The Children’s Story. This tale bears evidence to the vulnerability of the minds of children. It would be an excellent story to begin a unit on war and points of view.

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.

The Lady and the Unicorn- Tracy Chevalier

Tracy tackles the origin of the famed medieval tapestries, now hanging in a protected environment in Paris. They depict a mystery; that of a lady seducing  a unicorn. This story looks at the  man who commissioned the tapestries, but even more at Nicolas, the painter hired to paint the pictures.  An arrogant rogue, Nicolas attempts to seduce every young woman that comes his way but in particular is interested in the young daughter of the man who hired him. Throughout we come to gain some knowledge of all that went into the weaving of tapestries and all the rules and regulations that permeated the guild. Chevalier’s gift is to seamlessly weave the story into the history introducing us not just to the facts, but the sounds, sights and flavours of that era. A very worthy read! I just picked up Burning Bright by the same author.