This is clearly an late second/early third grade book. I'm not sure I like the idea of the girl going back and forth in time in this way because of the whole ghost thing. The relationship between the girl and her grandma was poignant, but I wanted the grandmother to keep the place and will it to her when she grew up. I was disappointed. There is a theory (rumor) going around out here that the earth was established by aliens from outer space and that explains the way all of creation has the same component parts rather than evolving necessarily. That's what this reminds me of...the fantasy that whatever is here now is because someone came forward or went back in time to make it so. That's pretty subtle here, but deeply there. I guess it's a reflection of the times, the edginess.
The story was simply and well told. I was just disappointed with the format. Although I must say, Madeline L'Engle is one of my favorites, and they jump through dimensions all the time. The difference is that in this, you didn't have a sense of fantasy, but normalcy and that I think would make it questionable for some parents. I suspect I'll have to wait and see what happens when the kids read it. I remember very clearly my own son saying to me when I asked about some revolting song he was listening to, "Ah, I don't know what they're saying. I only listen to the beat and the melody." Maybe that will be true in this book, and they will miss that whole thing. I kind of hope so.
This is the third book I've read by Marion Dane Bauer. I'm going to look her up and see who she is. I remember being somewhat shocked and saddened by On My Honor years ago and a little bit surprised by A Bear Named Trouble. In both of those though, it was an issue of disobedience and consequences. In this one, there is nothing like that, it's more relationship and a great one at that.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment