This Month's Book Reviews

A novel that provides a kids' guide
to survival in the wilderness

"My Side of the Mountain" by Jean Craighead George was first published in 1959. The little novel has remained popular for almost 50 years and holds up well, even into the 21st century. It tells the story of a New York City boy who wants to prove that he can make it for a year surviving on his own in a wilderness section of the state, an area his ancestors had homesteaded decades earlier before abandoning it. The boy has prepared himself for the venture and has the blessing of his parents to carry it out. He knows and his parents know that, although he is in a wilderness area, he is close enough to "civilization" to abort the venture if it becomes too much for him. It's to their credit they let the boy make the attempt. It's to his credit that he makes it the full year, proving to himself and them that they both made good decisions.

Noted children's author writes trilogy
about Irish immigrants of 1840's

Patricia Reilly Giff, two-time recipient of the Newbery Honor, is the author of "Nory Ryan's Song." The novel begins the saga of the Ryan family which is continued in "Maggie's Door" and "Water Street." A young reader learns the background behind the Irish immigration to the United States that took place in the 1840's. A reader comes to understand the horror of the "potato famine" and the bitterness of the Irish toward absentee English landowners, who not only overlooked the plight of their Irish tenants but profiteered from it. Because so many Americans have Irish ancestry or certainly know those who do, the story is one children should know about.

Increasing crime in the neighborhood follows
as a family moves upscale

The Drummonds were a typical middleclass family with two working parents and four kids. They live in a modest house that is crowded and with only one bath. The mom and kids work at convincing the father that they need a new house in a "safer" neighborhood. When the mom reports that she is becoming fearful of the increasing crime, her husband agrees to move to a newer home, especially since the one they are looking at has three bathrooms and five bedrooms.

Just before making their move, the house across the street from them is burglarized. The burglars get away, but a license number from the thieves' old van is recorded. While the family is gradually moving their stuff over a few weeks to the new house, Kaci, one of the girls, has to leave school to pick up some asthma medicine from the new location. While alone and upstairs, she hears voices and realizes things are being removed from the house. Unable to get away undetected, she is taken hostage by the burglars. The rest of the story deals with how she and an elderly neighbor are able to escape from their captors and lead the police to apprehend the crooks, the same ones who had committed the earlier crime in the old neighborhood.

 

A Cuban immigrant boy strives to prove himself
as a Little League pitcher

The paperback "Heat" by Mike Lupica is a best selling sports novel for kids. It tells the story of a talented Little League pitcher who is being denied the chance to play because his age is being challenged by the coach of a rival team. There are a number of themes running through the book. One is the background story of the problems of illegal immigrants - especially children. Another is the willingness of many Americans to go above and beyond to be supportive of these kids. The celebrity power of a star professional athlete to reach across international borders is still another. Not to be overlooked is the fan appeal of the New York Yankees and the fun of just reading well-described baseball action.