Maine Humanities Council - What We're Reading

Owl Moon, Jane Yolen, Illustrated by John Schoenherr

New Books, New Readers uses Owl Moon as part of its “Memories” series, and I had read it before in the context of that program prior to reading it to my two-year-old son. My re-entry into the Owl Moon world, this time aloud, was delightful. With my son pointing out a detail on every page or mimicking my owl sounds (and I do a pretty good great horned owl, if I do say so myself, thanks to my own experiences listening to owls in the woods during my childhood), the feelings and images in this book truly come alive. The premise is simple: a father and his child go out on a moonlit night in winter to look for owls. The father calls, and at first no owl responds, but eventually one does and comes so close that he shines a flashlight on it. Owl and child regard one another before the owl flies away. Throughout, the child (who is illustrated to be either a boy or girl; it's never clear) muses on being quiet, on the bone-chilling cold, on the feeling of a scarf made wet by breathing against his or her mouth. This book reminds me of so many joyous winter experiences I had as a child. It's a particularly good reminder during this hard and snowy winter. It's also helping my son look and listen in a new way in our snowy yard. (Diane Magras)

About the Author and Illustrator: Jane Yolen is the author or editor of nearly 300 books, ranging from children's literature to folklore to science fiction. Her books include the Nebula Award-winning Sister Emily’s Lightship, The Emperor and the Kite, and How Do Dinosaurs Say Goodnight. John Schoenherr won a Caldecott Medal for Owl Moon. While he illustrates some children’s books, he is best known in his science fiction illustrations and his work for Analog Magazine.

Off to War: Voices of Soldiers’ Children, Deborah Ellis

Born to Read offers a list of storybooks that might help children whose parents are deployed with the military endure the disruption to their lives. But the children of soldiers have their own stories to tell, and Canadian writer Deborah Ellis gives them a chance in Off to War: Voices of Soldiers’ Children. Ellis interviewed children in the U.S. and Canada, ranging in age from six to 17, about their experiences with their parents’ jobs, absences, and homecomings. (She even asked if they think they’d like to serve one day.) Some of the children live on military bases, while others come from National Guard or reservist families. Their wide-ranging opinions and personalities emerge as they speak candidly about their feelings, but this is no voyeuristic glimpse into the private lives of children. The stories are shared so that soldiers’ children will know they’re not alone. As such, the book is a vital resource for teachers, social workers, and others who help children cope with the effects of war on their families. The proceeds from Off to War are being donated to the Children in Crisis Fund of the International Board on Books for Young People (IBBY), and Ellis is at work on a companion volume, Children of War: Voices of Iraqi Refugees. (Brita Zitin)

About the Author: Canadian Deborah Ellis won the Governor General’s Award for English language children’s literature for Looking for X, a young adult novel about an urban girl living in difficult surroundings searching for her friend X, a homeless woman. In 1997, Ellis visited Afghanistan to interview women in refugee camps, and from that experience wrote the children’s books The Breadwinner, Parvana’s Journey, Mud City, and Shauzia, as well as Women of the Afghan War for adults. She is also the author of The Heaven Shop, about orphans in Malawi and HIV/AIDS.

The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society: A Novel, Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows

The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society is a delightful, moving read. Set on the island of Guernsey, and in London just after World War II, this book of letters records the correspondence between Juliet Ashton, a London writer, and the members of a literary society on the island. The club was formed by accident during the war, when the island was occupied by the Germans and included a motley group of residents. During the course of their meetings, they all came to understand their neighbors more fully, and their shared love of reading and books sustained them through some dire experiences. Juliet’s discovery of this unique story provides a fascinating and poignant look at this history. (Martina Duncan)

About the Authors: Mary Ann Shaffer began her fascination with the German Occupation in Guernsey in 1976 while stranded on that island, unable to fly to the mainland due to fog. She began The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society when her book club encouraged her to write a novel. Due to declining health, she was not able to finish the book on her own, and asked her niece, Annie Barrows, to help. Barrows is primarily a children’s book author whose works include The Magic Half and the Ivy and Bean series.