MMGM: I Am David

I initially picked up this book for my son. He’d been studying modern history this year, and I wanted a book about what it was like behind the Iron Curtain. He didn’t read it, but I did. And what a book! Many of you know I have a place in my heart for anything Eastern European or Russian. Honestly, I think it goes back to my own teen years. Before the wall fell, I watched an interview of Russian teenagers on TV.

 “They’re just like me,” I thought. And that one show changed my life. I went on to study Russian in college and live there for a semester because I wanted to meet in person these teens who “were just like me.” I still feel fortunate to call these people, former Soviets, friends.

I think when you read I AM DAVID, you will be struck with the same sort of “ah hah” moment. Yes, he has suffered more than most. He’s never known joy or a loving family or even tasty food. But at its heart, I AM DAVID, is about the strength of the human spirit, about not giving in and rising above those people who’ve sinned egregiously against you. I dare you not to fall in love with his amazing boy.

David's entire twelve-year life has been spent in a grisly prison camp in Eastern Europe. He knows nothing of the outside world. But when he is given the chance to escape, he seizes it. With his vengeful enemies hot on his heels, David struggles to cope in this strange new world, where his only resources are a compass, a few crusts of bread, his two aching feet, and some vague advice to seek refuge in Denmark. Is that enough to survive?

David's extraordinary odyssey is dramatically chronicled in Anne Holm's classic about the meaning of freedom and the power of hope.

What to like:

1. An amazing main character: What I loved about David, more than anything, is despite his various mishaps and misunderstandings of the world outside, he never loses his desire to not be like his captors. “You must hate what is bad or else you grow just like them.”

2. An outsider’s view of the western world: One of the most interesting parts of the book for me is David’s innocence, which seems ironic, seems he's been exposed to so much. But his misunderstandings about babies, families, God, among other things, are quite realistic and endearing.

3. A book in translation. As I shared here, I think we have too few books in translation in the United States. While we are a large country with lots of talented writers, I love reading children’s books from writers from other countries. It expands your view of the world.
 
It's hard for me to come up with bullet points for this book. I loved it because this character touched my heart and gave me a glimpse of a completely different world. I was initially drawn in by David’s unusual experiences and reactions, but I walked away inspired to be like him.

Have you read any inspiring books lately? Or something set during the Cold War?

To check out more Marvelous Middle Grade suggestions, check out Shannon Messenger's blog.  

MMGM: Cloud and Wallfish

I am late to the party on CLOUD AND WALLFISH, although I actually read this last fall. When I picked the book up, I knew the author’s name was familiar. I’d read THE WRINKLED CROWN by her, but though that was intriguing, it doesn’t hold a candle to CLOUD AND WALLFISH. I think this is what happens when a writer really writes from the heart. Nesbit’s heart came through strong and clear in this one—and it was obvious that she knew her setting like the back of her hand.

Here’s the synopsis (from Amazon):

Noah Keller has a pretty normal life, until one wild afternoon when his parents pick him up from school and head straight for the airport, telling him on the ride that his name isn’t really Noah and he didn’t really just turn eleven in March. And he can’t even ask them why — not because of his Astonishing Stutter, but because asking questions is against the newly instated rules. (Rule Number Two: Don’t talk about serious things indoors, because Rule Number One: They will always be listening). As Noah—now “Jonah Brown”—and his parents head behind the Iron Curtain into East Berlin, the rules and secrets begin to pile up so quickly that he can hardly keep track of the questions bubbling up inside him: Who, exactly, is listening — and why? When did his mother become fluent in so many languages? And what really happened to the parents of his only friend, Cloud-Claudia, the lonely girl who lives downstairs? In an intricately plotted novel full of espionage and intrigue, friendship and family, Anne Nesbet cracks history wide open and gets right to the heart of what it feels like to be an outsider in a world that’s impossible to understand.

Cloud and Wallfish

1.    Nonfiction at the end of chapters help kids understand the historical background: I thought this was an interesting way for the author to give kids background about the time period without overloading the actual story.

2.    Setting/time period I’m drawn to: As many of you know, I lived in Ukraine shortly after the Iron Curtain fell, so I could relate to so many of the oddities and situations  described in this book. I loved how it showed the propaganda against the U.S. It rang true for me on so many levels.

3.    Interesting kids: Both Jonah (Wallfish) and Claudia (Cloud) were such interesting, unique characters. Their friendship was beautifully handled and well-done. The “Cloud” scene at the end is an image that will stay for me a long time.

4.    Biblical allusions: I thought the references to the Tower of Babel and Jonah and the Whale added a lot of depth to this story, although it is not a religious book.

Caveat: The interesting thing about this book was that I expected from the first chapter that it was going to be a spy novel with lots of action, people being chased, etc.  And though spies are integral to the plot, and the stakes are high, it was really a character-driven novel about a cross-cultural friendship about what life was like behind the Iron Curtain. Now, I was not disappointed at all, because I love novels about friendships and novels set during the Cold War, but if you’re looking for James Bond-type book set in Eastern Germany, you might be disappointed.

If you enjoy reading about this time period, you might also enjoy SECOND FIDDLE by Roseanne Parry, another favorite of mine, which is about an American violinist in Eastern Germany shortly after communism ended.

Have you read Cloud and Wallfish or any other novels set during the Cold War?

To check out more Marvelous Middle Grade suggestions, check out Shannon Messenger's blog. 

MMGM: Half a World Away

I first heard about this book on Greg Pattridge’s site, and I knew immediately that I had to read it. First, it is about overseas adoption. But not only that, it is mostly set in Kazakhstan. While I haven’t been to Kazakhstan, I lived for several months in the Crimea and have a special affinity for anything set in the former Soviet Union. In fact, parts of this book (i.e. the uniform apartments) brought back lots of memories.

But it truly was Jaden, the protagonist, of this moving book, that made me read on, hardly able to put the book down.

The synopsis (from Amazon):

A kid who considers himself an epic fail discovers the transformative power of love when he deals with adoption in this novel from Cynthia Kadohata, winner of the Newbery Medal and the National Book Award. 

Eleven-year-old Jaden is adopted, and he knows he’s an “epic fail.’ That’s why his family is traveling to Kazakhstan to adopt a new baby—to replace him, he’s sure. And he gets it. He is incapable of stopping his stealing, hoarding, lighting fires, aggressive running, and obsession with electricity. He knows his parents love him, but he feels...nothing.

But when they get to Kazakhstan, it turns out the infant they’ve traveled for has already been adopted, and literally within minutes are faced with having to choose from six other babies. While his parents agonize, Jaden is more interested in the toddlers. One, a little guy named Dimash, spies Jaden and barrels over to him every time he sees him. Jaden finds himself increasingly intrigued by and worried about Dimash. Already three years old and barely able to speak, Dimash will soon age out of the orphanage, and then his life will be as hopeless as Jaden feels now. For the first time in his life, Jaden actually feels something that isn’t pure blinding fury, and there’s no way to control it, or its power. From camels rooting through garbage like raccoons, to eagles being trained like hunting dogs, to streets that are more pothole than pavement, Half a World Away is Cynthia Kadohata’s latest spark of a novel.
What I loved:

1. The strong voice and interiority of the narrator: Jaden is hard to love, because he’s not a very nice kid at the beginning of the book. But I had no problem getting attached to him right away. I think this is in part to Kadohata’s skillful deep 3rd person perspective. Because we're in Jaden’s head throughout the story, we understand his deep pain when he acts out.

2. A spark of goodness from the beginning. A strong character arc, when the main character is less than sympathetic, is hard to pull off. What Kadohata did well, though, was showing us that Jaden had those sparks of goodness. He loved from the beginning, even though he couldn’t name it as that. That’s what made me fall for this character.

3. Setting, setting, setting. It was obvious Kadohata did her research. The setting—from the  apartments, to shopping at the market, to the scene with the eagle, to how the driver drove. All these rang true to me.

4. Interesting characters. Every character had many layers, although Sam, the Turkish driver, was definitely a favorite of mine. Kadohata did an excellent job of giving a glimpse of other characters through Jaden’s eyes, but also showing that he didn't fully understand them.

5. Adoption from the inside out. I really enjoyed getting an insider’s view on the overseas adoption process, especially in a country like Kazakhstan. I think this book would appeal to kids whose parents are adopting and they’re wondering, like Jaden, where they fit with the new sibling. And this book is worth reading just for how Jaden meets Dimash, a toddler at the baby house.

I’m not sure what book to compare it to. It’s very unique, or I just haven’t read much like it. I think it would appeal to kids who like more literary fiction or books with “issues.” Although this book is so much more than that!

Have you read any books that really moved you lately?


If you're looking for Marvelous Middle Grade suggestions, check out Shannon Messenger's blog.

MMGM: Letters from Rifka

This is not a very new book that I’m highlighting today (1992), but it is an important book, especially in light of all that’s going on in the Crimea/Ukraine right now.

I was drawn to this book for many reasons:

It starts in Ukraine, where I studied in college. Actually, I studied in the Crimea, but it was part of Ukraine then.

It deals with the effects of the Ukrainian pogroms, something I’ve been reading a lot about lately.

Pushkin—one of my favorite poets—is integral to the plot.

Here is the synopsis:

Rifka knows nothing about America when she flees from Russia with her family in 1919. But she dreams that in the new country she will at last be safe from the Russian soldiers and their harsh treatment of the Jews. Throughout her journey, Rifka carries with her a cherished volume of poetry by Alexander Pushkin. In it, she records her observations and experiences in the form of letters to Tovah, the beloved cousin she has left behind.

Strong-hearted and determined, Rifka must endure a great deal: humiliating examinations by doctors and soldiers, deadly typhus, separation from all she has ever known and loved, murderous storms at sea, detainment on Ellis Island--and is if this is not enough, the loss of her glorious golden hair.

Based on a true story from the author's family, Letters from Rifka presents a real-life heroine with an uncommon courage and unsinkable spirit.

What I loved about this book:

--The main character: Rifka is one of my all-time favorite MG characters. I loved how she was surprised when she found kindness --and smiled when she talked about trying chocolate, bananas, and ice cream for the first time. I couldn't help but root for her.

--Pushkin, Pushkin, Pushkin! I loved how a book of Pushkin’s poetry, a symbol of her Russianness, is used throughout the story in many ways—as a vehicle for writing her letters, as a medium for teaching a little boy to read, and ultimately what saves her.

--Loved the theme of focusing on your looks vs. being clever for girls. Rifka was always honest about this—sometimes she relied on her looks (until she no longer could). But how she embraces her cleverness was really well done.

--I’m not normally a fan of expository stories. I’m not sure why—maybe I just like to get right into the story. But this form worked well for this novel—I can’t imagine it any other way.

For writers: I took notes on how Hesse conveyed Rifka’s emotions with subtle gestures and details. I also think this book is one of the best examples of how to convey physical descriptions of a first person narrator without it being clumsy or forced. There are no “gazing at the mirror” scenes, but Rifka’s looks (which play an important part in the plot) are very well conveyed, as well as how she perceives herself.

If you like historical fiction, especially books about little known aspects of history, you should check this out.

Have you read any memorable middle grades lately?

To check out more Marvelous Middle Grade suggestions, check out Shannon Messenger's blog.