LOS MARGINADOS: Abused children escape WWII bombings

sábado, 16 de abril de 2016

Abused children escape WWII bombings

Reading Matters is MercatorNet’s blog about children’s literature. Our goal is to enable parents and educators to find quality books for young people. For an explanation of our evaluation system, click here. We welcome reader input and new reviewers. We love comments on the book reviews. Write to us at jennifer.minicus@mercatornet.com.

FRIDAY, 15 APRIL 2016

Abused children escape WWII bombings

BY JENNIFER MINICUS

1 |

The War that Saved my Life
by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley
written for ages 11-14 | recommended with reservations
published in 2015 | Dial Books | 320 pages - See more at: http://www.mercatornet.com/bookreviews/view/abused-children-escape-wwii-bombings/17910#sthash.A3xp4XFW.dpuf

Ada has virtually no knowledge of the outside world. For the
ten years of her short life her mother has forced her to remain
in their apartment. Ashamed of her daughter's club foot, "Mam"
allows her only to sit in a chair and look out the window,
crawling occasionally around the small apartment to help make
tea or care for her younger brother Jamie.

Realizing that her brother will soon attend school, Ada decides to
teach herself to walk. Mam is not pleased by Ada's ambition, but
has little time to crush the girl's spirit. The threat of German
bombers over London forces all parents to send their children to
the countryside for safety. Mam has no intention of allowing Ada
to accompany Jamie, but Ada sneaks out with him and manages
to integrate herself into his group of schoolmates on the train out
of the city.

Upon arrival in a small coastal village, all the children await selection
by the locals. No one wants to take Ada and Jamie, who clearly have
been neglected. Lady Thorton, the woman in charge of the Londoners,
brings them to the home of Susan Smith who is forced to take them
in spite of her protests. Suffering from depression brought on by the
recent death of her best friend Becky, Susan has no desire to take on
this responsibility. She rises to the occasion, however, and proves to
be the salvation of these two abused children.

Kimberly Brubaker Bradley helps the reader to see many things that
most people take for granted. Ada's ignorance, brought on by her
isolation, is astounding. She must learn even the simplest things,
like how to use a toilet and what grass is.

Susan, the most compassionate character in the story, has a
mysterious past. The implication that she and Becky may have been
more than just friends, although subtle, is reinforced several times.

Much of the book takes place in Ada's head, where she recalls the
abuse she suffered at her mother's hands in more detail than the
publisher's suggested target audience (9-12 years) may be ready to
handle. Her psychological problems also manifest themselves in ways
that adults will understand, but that younger readers may find
disturbing.

A former teacher, Jennifer Minicus is currently a full-time wife and mother

- See more at: http://www.mercatornet.com/bookreviews/view/abused-children-escape-wwii-bombings/17910#sthash.A3xp4XFW.dpuf

A former teacher, Jennifer Minicus is currently a full-time wife and mother

- See more at: http://www.mercatornet.com/bookreviews/view/abused-children-escape-wwii-bombings/17910#sthash.i8yFISVs.dpuf

You can't plan things like this on MercatorNet: I just realised that nearly all of today's articles centre on the theme of courageous witness to conscience. Mathew Otineo writes about a doomed company of Kenyan soldiers who were overrun by al-Shebaab terrorists and how they remembered their families. Campbell Markham remembers Antigone, the heroine of one of the greatest dramas of Ancient Greece. Walt Heyer speaks up against a movement to ban "reparative therapy". And Jennifer Roback Morse takes a backward look at the sexual revolution. That's for starters...

They mesh nicely with our search for contributions to our list of books about "Heroes and heroines of conscience". Click here to do the survey: http://goo.gl/3um2fe