|
|
May 9, 2003/Iyar 7 5763, Vol. 55, No. 37
History, hardship explored in children's texts
BETH OLSON
Staff Writer
"Dave at Night" by Gail Carson Levine (HarperCollins, $15.89 hardcover)
Dave Caros is an orphan. His mother died during childbirth and, when Dave is 11, his father dies in an accident. The year is 1926, and Dave's stepmother can't afford to care for him and his brother after his father's death. A relative steps forward to take in Dave's brother, the intelligent, soft-spoken Gideon, but no one is willing to care for the rambunctious Dave.
Dave is deposited in the HHB, Hebrew Home for Boys, with his one treasured possession - a carving of Noah's Ark created by his father. Life at the HHB is tough. The building is always cold, there's never enough food, and the school superintendent, Mr. Bloom, is abusive and cruel, and locks Dave's carving in a glass case in his office.
On his first night in the HHB, Dave sneaks out and finds himself befriended by an old fortune-teller, Solly, and a wealthy young black girl, Irma Lee.
Over the next few weeks, Dave finds himself caught up in the exciting nightlife of the Harlem Renaissance, and also growing closer to his fellow "elevens" at the HHB.
Despite his desire to run away from HHB, the carving and his new friends hold him back. Eventually, with help from Irma Lee's "high society" aunt, life at HHB becomes more bearable, and Dave's heart begins to heal.
This novel is an absolute must-read. Dave is the type of character who could light up a whole series of stories - rebellious, spirited, intelligent and kind.
The story is fast-paced and will appeal to readers of a variety of ages. For middle-grade students, this is a perfect read aloud book, since parents will love it as much as the children do.
This novel is recommended for ages 8 and up.
"Anne Frank in the World" compiled by the Anne Frank House (Knopf, $18.95 hardcover)
This is the story, told mostly through pictures, of the history behind the oft read "Diary of a Young Girl." Beginning with a stunning family portrait of the Frank family circa 1900, featuring Anne Frank's father, Otto, as a young boy, this book includes a collection of more than 200 photographs.
From Anne Frank's young life, through World War II and into racism and anti-Semitism in modern times, these pictures paint a picture that couldn't be told merely with words.
Children who have knowledge of Anne Frank's story may be particularly interested the collection of pictures of Anne and her family prior to the Nazi occupation of the Netherlands - photos of Anne with her friends, in school and at the beach.
The pictures were part of a traveling collection produced by the Anne Frank House and are well selected and powerful.
This book is recommended for ages 8 and up.
"The God Book: A Necessarily Incomplete Guide to the Essence of God" by Paul Yedwab (UAHC Press)
The author of this book, Rabbi Paul Yedwab - the son of a rabbi and a Jewish educator - says he was an atheist as a teen, and he created this book as "an antidote to premature atheism" in young people.
Each chapter examines questions about God and religion that have been contemplated for centuries and then poses a question or series of questions to be responded to in the "My God Diary."
Each chapter skillfully weaves primary texts and commentary, along with history, literature and popular culture to explore the essence of God.
In the introduction, Yedwab says: "This is not a theology textbook. It is, however, a thinking book, and a believing one. It is about ideas, scientific reality, about the nature of the universe and of our lives. It is about God, and about the Jewish conceptions of God that are often ignored in our religious school classes."
This would be a great book to use in a religious-education class for b'nai mitzvah students through high-school age, or would make a good gift for an introspective Jewish teen.
Contact the writer at beth_olson@jewishaz.com.
|
