Difficult Topics Done Well

Lowry, Lois. Number The Stars. HMH Books for Young Readers; Reissue edition May 2, 2011 (originally published 1989). ISBN 0547577095

Bauer, Marion Dane. On My Honor. Yearling, 1987. ISBN 0440466334
 
Yes, yes. I know. Anything 5 to 10 years old is typically not going to catch the attention of a tween. I've been told this by seasoned children's librarians, and know that newer, more relevant chapter books should replace outdated ones frequently. 

Unless, of course, the book is so stellar and well-written it should not be ignored. And this is especially true if the topic and content of the book transcend the changing fads of the decade. 

What I absolutely love about both of these titles is the author's ability to truly tell the story from a middle grade point of view. I felt their fear in a way that reminded me of being that age. I could completely understand the decision making process, and even the distractions that masked the "bigger picture" that only an adult could truly grasp. 

And both of these books are excellent introductions for their prospective topics. 

Number The Stars is a title I would recommend to a young reader who is first coming to learn about and grapple with historical genocide and Nazi Germany. It's not overly political, and neither is it gory or overly depressing. The story simply takes the reader and drops them into the shoes of an average middle-grade girl living in Nazi-occupied Denmark. She's simply trying to go about the business of living while noticing changes in her society, worry on her parents' faces, and sensing that secrets abound. 

Soon, her best friend (who is a Jew) comes to live with her and assume the role of her sister. Annemarie understands that something important is at stake, and yet does not grasp the full gravity of the situation until the climax of the story. Ideals of an ultimate sacrifice - giving one's life for another - are demonstrated through minor characters. This does not lessen the impact or realism of the tragedy, but instead realistically tells it in a way a young reader could more easily handle. 

And it was not all dreary. It had beautiful moments, fun moments, and a heartwarming description of the bonds of family that extend beyond blood relation. 

On My Honor is an exploration of traumatic accidental death, as experienced by a middle grade boy. 

This book is heavy, and it doesn't offer clear answers or a happy ending. 

But it can explain to a young reader (or an old one) the cataclysmic wave of emotions and thought processes that one goes through in such a circumstance. 

Shock, fear, regret, anger, and finally acceptance played out across this small volume in about a 24 hour period. There are no gory details. The friend is there and then simply isn't. 

But the emotions are real, and the characters are genuine. A young reader will be left with a lot of questions that will spark an introspective examination of their own feelings and gut reactions. It may even help cultivate empathy. 

These are books that should be read and discussed. If you are a religious person, it will open the doors for deeper conversations about free will, accidents, life, choices, and sacrifice that you could coincide with belief and scripture. 

If you are not religious, the questions of faith (the Jews under Nazi Germany) and the afterlife (a boy asking his father if there is a heaven) will be raised. This will be an excellent opportunity for discussions about tolerance, empathy, and facing the unknown and seeking answers. 

I highly recommend both of these reads!

 

Crosetto, Alice and Rajinder, Garcha. Death, Loss, and Grief in Literature for Youth: A Selective Annotated Bibliography for K-12. Scarecrow Press, 2012. ISBN: 9780810885615

This is an excellent resource for any librarian, teacher, parent, or youth worker. Stories and literature are a reflection of the human heart and soul. Our aspirations, pains, and joys can all be played out before our eyes in the form of a fictional character. By seeing this from a distance, we can connect, think, and reflect. 

But this title does not only survey fiction. Nonfiction, online resources, and other media are also explored. 

Broken into sections covering topics such as "Death of a Family Member", "Death of a Classmate or Teacher", or "Non-Fiction", detailed annotated bibliographies of books covering said topic are presented.

I was pleased to see some of the books I have read listed in the bibliography, as well as the fact that the books chosen included both classics and recent titles.

Another helpful feature was the appendixes. There were several of them, arranged to cover such topics as award winners, by author, etc.   

If you are a parent or work with youth, you will not be sorry you added this title to your collection. It can lead you down a literary path that will spark discussion, address questions, and perhaps foster healing when in conjunction with guidance from a caring adult.  

Staying Nine and Silver For General Washington

This month I couldn't decide which book to review, so I am doing two. Both are aimed at the same age range, but one is geared more towards a girl, while the other a boy would enjoy reading. 

While taking juvenile literature classes in grad school, I was vehemently told to stick to new books only. My professor explained that young children and tweens cannot identify with children from even a decade ago and, with the exception of classics, (which are usually read by older tweens and teens) I would be doing them a disservice by introducing them to older books. 

However, I feel that relevancy plays a huge part in this. If the book covers certain feelings, circumstances and truths that will not fade with time, it will not only stay relevant for today, but can also be a treasured volume to read. 

  

Conrad, Pam. Staying Nine. Illustrated by Michael Wimmer. HarperCollins, 1990 ISBN 0064403777


The reason this book is so appealing, is because it deals with a subject every child and tween experiences: that in-between stage, when one is no longer a baby, but not yet an adult. I distinctly remember these emotions. 

In one particular example, I remember stomping around the house, and my grandmother admonished me to "walk more like a young lady." At that moment, I felt an almost overwhelming desire to not become a "lady". I didn't want to grow up. I didn't want to stop being a kid who could climb trees and stomp around the house. However, it was also at that moment that I realized the hand of time could be stopped by no one. 

Heather, the young protagonist in this Chapter Book (suitable for readers who are not yet ready for a Novel, but too old for Easy Readers) does not want to grow up. She decides to try and stay nine by having an unbirthday party and wearing the same clothes as last year for the school picture, among other things. This causes conflict with friends at school who do not understand her need, but is offset by a supporting mother. (These moments, both humorous and somber, are enhanced beautifully with Wimmer's detailed pencil sketches.)

One fear of Heather's is that growing up will take the fun out of life. No more make believe, no more climbing up the door frames, and no more fun. However, in probably the best moment of the story, a 23 year old friend takes off her shoes and stealthily climbs up the door frame -- thus proving that you can choose to stay young in the ways that matter most to you. 

Meadowcroft, Enid LaMonte. Silver for General Washington: A Story of Valley Forge. Scholastic, 1974. ASIN: B000PC5CYM


I wanted to mention this title because, like the above title, I have a memory associated with it. To refute the idea that, unless a book is a classic, tweens and teens will not read older books, I remember my brother and I both reading Silver for General Washington more than a decade after it was first published. 

The only reason I read it was because my older brother said that he had loved it. I balked at first (it looked like a boring war book, and the cover art harkened back to the 70's -- SO old!) but since my brother insisted it was good, I decided to give it a go. 

It didn't take long before I was swept into the world of two cousins living at the time of the revolution. Their patriotism and decision to risk taking a a dangerous journey to retrieve their family's stash of silver, for the sole purpose of giving it to General Washington (in order to help with the war effort), was instantly appealing to me. 

Would I have taken such an adventure? Why did it mean so much to them? What must it have been like, to live during the time of the revolution?

The excitement of the story kept my interest, even though the protagonists were boys. In fact, by the end of the book, I longed to take such a journey on my own. My brother had been right: it was a good book!

Guys Read

Here is a website I simply must share! It is promoted by none other than popular children's book and young adult writer Jon Scieszka, and addresses an issue that is becoming more prominent in our society: the fact that many tween boys do not enjoy reading.

Why is that? Is it because of marketing? Lack of literature or material aimed at tween boys? Lack of attention paid to these members of our population? Perhaps all of the above.

Scieszka, as well as other male authors, use this website in a very guy-friendly and often hilarious manner to better engage and excite tween boys into becoming fluent readers who enjoy the written word. Features such as, "This Guy Reads" (which highlights a "cool" guy and what he likes to read), "Book of the Month", "Guys Listen" (audio books), and online interaction all work to achieve the goal of getting young boys (and men!) to read.

My favorite, however, is the categories in which book reviews are listed. Here is a sampling of a few of them: "Funny", "Outer space, but without aliens", "How to build stuff", "Mysterious occurrences", and "Cars, trucks, etc."

Age and reading level are also briefly covered in the reviews.

www.guysread.com