Death
William, one of many children evacuated from London during the WWII bombings, finds a refuge in the country. Abused, frightened, and withdrawn as a result of his mother’s treatment, William responds to the patience and kindness of Mr. Tom, blossoming into a healthy boy, friendly boy with artistic talent.
For the most part, the story paints an encouraging picture of how a child responds positively to his nurturing surroundings. It also gives historical information about the war in terms of child evacuations. Be warned that William shows signs of physical and emotional abuse. William is reunited briefly with his abusive mother, and his disturbing living conditions are described in detail.
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Madeleine L’Engle has many good books centering on families, and this is one of them. In Meet the Austins, Vicky’s family is discombobulated by the arrival of a troubled orphan. Despite the difficulties Maggy presents, the family honors its commitment and makes a place for her.
Like many of L’Engle’s characters, Vicky cares about her family and her place in it. She is appreciative of her parents and siblings and is sensitive to what is right. She may be awkward and imperfect, but she is secure in her family’s love, which is a reassuring message for any child.
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Peter, orphaned, poor, and living with a crazy old man, searches for truth and deliverance in a European, fairytale-like setting. A series of seemingly unconnected people and events develops into a magical, sophisticated story. The tale is deeply layered with meaning, themes, characterization, loneliness, despair, suffering, and hope.
The style of this book is entirely different from that of most children’s books. There is a grown up element balanced with an innocent element. It is like the author assumes an intelligent, thoughtful reader willing to accept the unexplained and seemingly confusing and patiently wait for the connections to come.
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Eight-year-old Alice moves to a new state with her father and brother (mom has died) and faces making new friends in a new school. She has a hard time with this but identifies her successes and slowly becomes open to friendships with more and more people.
I liked how Alice identified how silly it was to be feuding with a group of girls and then reached out to that group and befriended them. There is some incongruity between how this 8-year-old thinks and acts and how a real 8-year-old thinks and acts, but it did not significantly detract from the story.
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Wow, there is a lot in this book. In fact, there is so much that I would say this is probably suitable for ages 11 and up, even though the main character is 10. Sally Freedman, lover of movie stars and full of imagination, makes a temporary move with her family to Florida for her brother’s health. Her adjustment to the change, the new things she is exposed to there, and growing into the world form the majority of the book. We see an insider’s view of family life in the late 1940’s, complete with stereotypes.
Here are some of the topics covered in the book so you can make up your own mind: Hitler, how Jews were killed, drinking alcohol, racism, breasts, kissing, teenage pregnancy, and where babies come from. As you can see, this book has a lot going on. In fact, it is a little overwhelming from a parent’s point of view. Great fodder for discussion, though!
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Saved by Fern from an untimely death, runty Wilbur the pig thrives in the barnyard. Learning that he is destined for the smokehouse petrifies him, but Charlotte the spider has a plan to fool the humans and save his life.
What a wonderful book about friendship. There is innocence, the delight in a summer day on a farm, humor, talking animals, and a quiet simplicity that pervades the story. I was worried the first time I read this aloud to my kids (when they were each around four) that Charlotte’s death would be too sad, but they were fine, and it turned out to be a nice way to talk about emotions.
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While I would not characterize the American Girl stories as particularly quality literature, when factoring in the historical information at the end, they certainly are. This one gives an account of an immigrant family voyaging from Sweden to Minnesota. The trials of this journey are presented through a child’s (Kirsten's) eyes, including the loss of her dear friend, Marta, from cholera.
The book is a good introduction to the topic of immigration and is presented in an approachable way. I would consider all American Girls books as starting points for developing a child’s interest in a given period of history.
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Eternal life is the subject of this story. Full of symbolism, the book tells of a family who inadvertently gained eternal life by drinking magical water. When 10-year-old Winnie discovers the secret, this family shares the blessings and curses of this fate with her as it tries to protect her.
Aside from prompting a consideration of whether this fate is a desirable one or not, the story also shows the coming of age of this girl, always sheltered by her family, as she learns about the world beyond her safely-controlled yard. The story is set in the past, so the coming of age ideas are more benevolent than one often finds in novels with more modern settings.
Some might consider the scene in which Mae hits the man with the gun to be a too violent, especially as he later dies.
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