Torn Apart The Partition of India by Swapna Haddow

2021  

This tells the story of Ibrahim and Amar at the time of the partition in India in 1947.  Ibrahim, Muslim, is separated from his family as they flee to Pakistan. Amar is Hindu and lives on the streets of Delhi. Despite the fact that Amar’s best friend was killed by Muslims he decides to help Ibrahim get to the border. We don’t get to find out whether Ibrahim survives or meets his family again.   Neither do we learn whether Amar eventually gets a better life for himself.

Unusually for this age group we have two first person narratives.    

This book almost become a hi-lo.  It is short at just 119 pages but the text is blocked and uses an adult font with difficult ‘a’s and ‘g’s.  It is quite a tricky subject.

There is a glossary of the most important words at the front of the book and a longer one at the back.

The author gives us a note about what happened in 1947 and there is also a useful time line.

This is a thought-provoking book for the young reader.   

 

Find your copy here  

Note, this is an affiliate link and a small portion of what you pay, at no extra cost to you,  may go to Bridge House Publishing

 

Friend or Foe by Brian Gallagher

2015 

This book really does straddle two reading groups. Because of the age of the protagonists it fits the fluent readers group.  However, complex issues, including politics, and sophisticated language make it also suitable for the older reader.    

Emer Davey and Jack Madigan are members of a close circle of friends. Emer saves Jack from drowning. Emer’s father is a member of the Irish Volunteers, who are fighting for a free Ireland and Jack’s is a member of the Dublin Metropolitan Police who has to keep law and order for the British.  During the uprising Emer’s father is shot and Jack’s is kidnapped.  Jack and Emer stage a daring rescue to get Sergeant Madigan out of the clutches of the Irish Volunteers. Friendship proves to be stronger than politics.

All of the characters are interesting.  The really poor Gerry lives with his uncle.  Joan ends up marrying an American naval officer. Gladys is a model student and goes on to be a teacher. Phelim and Brother McGill are ardent nationalists. Miss Clarke is a teacher who really gets her students to think. Sister Assupmta is a stickler for discipline and routine. All of these characters are fictitious but they are made to seem all the more real when Brian Gallagher gives us an epilogue at the end of the story that tells us what happens to the children when they grow up. Of course the Easter Rising is a real piece of history.

The story should provoke a few talking points.       

The novel is 235 pages long but has endpapers which contain the epilogue and an historical note from the writer. There is as short biography of him at the beginning.

The text is blocked with a serif font that has difficult ‘a’s and ‘g’s.  

Find your copy here  

Note, this is an affiliate link and a small portion of what you pay, at no extra cost to you,  may go to Bridge House Publishing. 

The Boy who Stepped Though Time by Anna Ciddor

2021

The story is set in the modern day in France, and in the same place in Roman times.  Perry gets whipped back in time to the villa the ruin of which he is visiting with his family. He has to learn to become a Roma slave.  

There he meets the girl whose coffin he has seen; she would die very soon if he and his fellow slave Carotus doesn’t save her. He has found a way of getting back to his own time but he postpones this in order to help Valentia, the daughter to his master.

We get a good insight into the Roman way of life both for the nobility and for the slaves. We find out how they were educated, what they ate and what their homes were like.  There ae some surprises; Perry and Carotus go to school with Valentia. At the feast of Saturnalia, a little like our Christmas, the masters become the slaves and the slaves the masters.

Perry gets back to his home time and has not been missed at all. He is not able to tell his family of his adventure in Roman times.  However the label on Valentia’s coffin now says she lives to be 55. He is quite surprised to see who she married.  

The book is 309 pages long –though the text is double spaced.  I uses a young reader friendly  font: 12.25 Bembo though it is serifed and has difficult ‘a’s and ‘g’s.  There are a few line drawings at the beginning of the book which give an impression of what the two homes look like and how some of the young people looked. Each chapter has what looks like a coin with a Roman numeral on it, as part of the chapter heading. There is also an ordinary number and a title for each chapter.  

At the end of the book there is a glossary of terms, notes from the author and notes from the researcher.  We also have bios for the author and the researcher.   

Goodnight Mister Tom by Michelle Magorian

Set in World War II, this story brings us the themes of war, death, abuse, friendship and growth. Young William Beech poses reclusive set-in-his ways Tom Oakley a challenge when he arrives as an evacuee in Little Weirworld. There are some grim scenes and both Will and Tom have a hard time of it but the ending is upbeat.   

This is perhaps the best known of Magorian's books, many of which are set in this era. This one could be described as a modern classic.  

This is clearly suitable for the fluent ready in the latter stages of Key Stage 2 and the last two classes of junior school, ages 9-11. It would also appeal to slightly older readers and adults. 

Magorian's characters are richly drawn. She uses a close third person point of view and we get to know each one of them really well. She does flit from head to head a little which may disturb the modern reader somewhat but nevertheless we remain gripped until the end. 

I was very happy to reread this book.         
      

Peter in Blueberry Land by Elsa Beskow

2003, pre-school, ages 3-5  

This book was originally published in 1901 in Sweden. The pictures and the story are delightfully old-fashioned.  Peter wears a smock over short trousers.   As always in good picture books the pictures tell more of the story.       

There is rather more text than in a modern picture book. The text uses a serif font with difficult ‘a’s and ‘g’s.  Oddly, every other page is blank. 

Peter is looking for cranberries and blueberries to give his mother on her birthday but there are none to be found.  He is helped by the King of Blueberry Land and Mrs Cranberry.  (Are blueberries more important than cranberries and / or men more important than women?)  Anthropomorphic animals also help. 

There is a fantasy element; Peter is shrunk to the size of the blueberry and cranberry children then returns to his normal size easily at the end of the story.     

Friendship is a strong theme here.