Courage Has No Colour: The True Story of the Triple Nickles - America’s First Black Paratroopers

Ten years in the making, this extraordinary and well researched history is a tribute to the Triple Nickles, America’s first black paratroopers. It is the first book on this subject, and is rich with statistics and historical information. Its author is the Sibert Medal winner of Almost Astronauts: 13 Women Who dared to Dream.

This valuable historical document showcases the lives of the 555^th Parachute Infantry Battalion that was never called to engage in combat because of their colour. Their strength and determination to be recognized and accepted as American citizens took years of fighting discrimination, segregation, intolerance, bashings and death.  

The artwork included in the book is by Ashley Bryan, now an award-winning children’s book author and illustrator. These paintings were created while Bryan was a stevedore in the Army during WW2. There are also photos, which are few in comparison to what they should be, for black battalion units that fought were ‘left out of the record’. They were ‘never filmed, never photographed, never recognized’ until many years later.

This moving and evocative journey through history filled with courage and strength, will remain unforgettable to every reader who ventures into this narrative. Superbly presented with fantastic prose, it will stay on the owner’s shelf as a reference to all that was and all that wasn’t.

Reviewed by Anastasia Gonis

Title: Courage Has No Colour: The True Story of the Triple Nickles - America’s First Black Paratroopers

Author: Tanya Lee Stone

Publisher: Walker Books $19.95 RRP

Publication Date: November 2012

Format: Paperback

ISBN: 978076366487

Type: Historical Non Fiction  

Do Not Forget Australia

by Sally Murphy, illustrated by Sonia Kretschmar

Walker Books Australia. Australian, Picture Book. Hardcover RRP $29.95

Reviewer – Vicki Stanton

Do Not Forget Australia is a fictional story based on the link forged between Melbourne and the French village of Villers-Bretonneux during World War One. It explores the links between Australia and France forged on the Western Front through the eyes of two boys: Henri from the French village of Villers-Bretonneux and Billy in Melbourne.

Murphy immediately catapults the reader into Henri’s world. Initially, he does not know or care about Australia. He is more concerned with the war coming ever closer to his village and one afternoon he and his mother are forced to flee.

The story then switches to Billy who fears for the safety of his father fighting over in France.

Henri returns to his village, damaged by battle and meets the Australian soldiers camped nearby. Henri appreciates their efforts in freeing his village and also empathises with their sadness over fatalities. Henri befriends a soldier, Billy’s father, who talks of his son in faraway Melbourne.

When Billy receives a letter from his father mentioning Henri a link is forged between the two boys and between Melbourne and Villers-Bretonneux. Ultimately, this leads to the rebuilding of the Villers-Bretonneux school with funds raised by Victorian school children. The full page author’s note explains the campaign to raise £20 000 to rebuild Villers-Bretonneux including the Do Not Forget Australia sign displayed at the school.

That the book is a quality production is evident right from the start with the symbolic endpapers with poppies and Australian icons. Sonia Kretschmar’s skill in portraying the two boys’ worlds with her use of colour and detail is commendable. Readers are drawn into the two boys’ worlds and feel the angst and worry, and the devastation wreaked by war without being exposed to the full horror.

Do Not Forget Australia is an important book for all Australians. It is one that should be on all school, home and public library shelves.

The Reading Stack has reviewed Sally Murphy's Pearl Versus the World, Snowy's Christmas, and Toppling in August 2009, December 2009 and March 2010 respectively.

http://www.sallymurphy.net/
http://soniak.com/

Vicki Stanton is the editor and publisher of Buzz Words, an e-newsletter for writers and illustrators of children’s books.

April Underhill

by Bob Graham

Walker Books. Australian, Picture Book. Hardcover RRP $29.99

April and Esme Underhill have a special task to perform. Grandma has rung April’s mobile phone and asked April to collect Daniel’s tooth. Younger sister Esme is keen to help.

April and Esme have never collected a tooth before. It’s a big responsibility but they’re very excited when mum and dad agree they can go. When Daniel stirs, a little advice from dad via a text message from mum, helps them convince Daniel he is having a wonderful dream.

It was a smile moment for me when April expresses surprise that human children think tooth fairies are magical creatures.

Bob Graham’s whimsical illustrations bring to life these tooth fairies who use mobile phones and send text messages. At the same time he weaves in the traditional story as mum reminisces of the time before the motorway when “foxes still chased hares on the hills and things were different back then.”

My favourite page is where April and Esme fly off into the night:

              “The wind took them and shook them, pushed them and pulled them.
              It shivered down Esme’s wings and rippled through the feathers of a passing owl.”

Spaced Out/Camp Croc

Lightning Strikes Series

Walker Books. Australian, Middle Reader delights. Paperback RRP $12.95

Guest reviewer Jo Burnell

It’s often really hard to find spell-binding stories for middle readers, but Walker books nail it with their Lightning Strikes Series. Of their most recent releases, Spaced Out and Camp Croc are my favorites. How can you choose between the two? Don’t. Enjoy them both.

Spaced Out

by Moya Simons

Jessie lives hundreds of years in the future, but he’s no different to any 12 year old I know. Impulsive decisions get him into trouble regularly. However, instead of getting detention or being grounded, he travels clear across the Universe to Centuria, the Shopping Capital of the Universe. All he has to do while there to keep out of trouble is stay inside the city borders. How hard could that be?

Jessie isn’t very good at forward planning or self control so the situations he encounters stretch him to the limit. It all starts when he buys a life-like robot boy, only to watch it walk ‘home’ to the dodgy salesman.

Things get complicated when robot boy wants to find his own kind. Rumour has it they all live in the Farlands. You guessed it. The Farlands are outside the city walls. Will Jessie break the rules again? There’s only one way to find out. Get ready for a fast-paced story with intrigue and unexpected twists. Perfect for anyone who wonders what the world might be like in a few hundred years.

The Reading Stack has reviewed Simons’ Let Me Whisper You My Story, Walk Right In Detective Agency Series and Hello God.


http://www.moyasimons.com/

Camp Croc

by Trudy Trewin

This is it: the camp that the whole class has been waiting for. Set in tropical outback Queensland, the boys can’t resist exploring just a little bit further than the actual camp boundary. A rope dangling over a trickling creek is too tempting to pass up.

However, life is never that simple and one thing leads to another. A close encounter with a giant crocodile is just a blip in the boys’ series of heart thumping exploits.

An extra bonus in Camp Croc is Dak’s Fact boxes with a difference. Dak’s words of wisdom are not quite like any I have come across before. They make even the most serious reader crack a grin. For example, ‘teachers with names like Longbottom should just suck it up. I mean, do they really think kids can let a name like that go un-messed with?’

High action and debacles combine with Dak’s fact boxes to make a surprisingly quick read. I wondered where all the pages disappeared to.

http://trudietrewin.com/

Walker Stories

Walker Books. Australian, Childrens. Paperback RRP $11.95

Guest Reviewer Jo Burnell

Move over Aussie Nibbles, you’ve got company.

The Walker Stories have arrived. Three short stories in each book dovetail to make irresistible early readers. Layers of meaning, plenty to smile about and satisfying endings are sure to hook even the most reluctant reader to these pages.

The Lost Treasure

by Jan Stradling, illustrated by Cassandra Allen

Pirate Ruby is happy most of the time and loves to help people, while Pirate Hamish is nearly always cross. He loves taking treasure. Short sentences with lots of action lead to a surprise ending. Of course, there’s a moral to the story, but can you guess where the treasure is? All is not as it seems.

http://www.cassandrallen.com/

Mr Tripp Smells a Rat

by Sandy McKay, illustrated by Ruth Paul

Mr Tripp is round like a teddy bear until he goes on a diet. He’s scared of rats too, but he’s very brave and he’s good at telling jokes. Mr Tripp insists that everyone is good at something and his students don’t let him down. So much is packed into this little chapter book, it left me breathless. There are no less than 10 jokes, advice about nits and head lice as well as plenty of action. Who wouldn’t want to visit this classroom where there is so much fun and so much to learn?

http://www.ruthpaul.co.nz/

Give Me a Chance

(My eight days with John and Yoko)

by Gail Renard

Walker Books. Biographical. Paperback RRP $29.99

Guest Reviewer – Ian Brown

Gail Renard was 16 years old and a huge Beatle fan since she first heard them in the early sixties.

When she discovered John and Yoko would be coming to her home city of Montreal for their famous Bed Sit In she knew she had to see them.

After having climbed the fire escape, climbing in through the window on the floor where the Lennon’s were holed up, she ended up knocking on their door. To her amazement, Yoko asked her to come in.

The next eight days she spent with the Lennon’s would be the most amazing experience of her life. Not only did she get to meet people like Timothy Leary, Tommy Smothers, she ended up playing on the recording of Give Peace a Chance.

This book is her story of those few magical days. It’s an interesting account of John Lennon’s life just prior to the end of the Beatles.

http://www.gailrenard.com/

The Trouble with Dogs

by Bob Graham

Walker Books. Australian, Picture Book. Softcover, rrp $15.95 

Australian author and illustrator Bob Graham is an undisputed master of the picture book, winning numerous awards internationally and locally. The Trouble with Dogs is a sequel to the multi-award winning Let’s Get a Pup.

Brought home from the Rescue Centre, Dave the pup is full of fun. Too much sometimes. He runs, he barks and he chews holes in the tights of Kate’s school friends.

Dave was small and wild. He slipped and he slid, he leapt and he skittered. “Take-me-as-you-find-me, don’t-care Dave.”

The family make excuses for him but when his behaviour doesn’t improve and he steals a cupcake from a guest’s plate, Pup Breakers are called.
“David, here!” The Brigadier does not tolerate any puppy nonsense and after just one session, Dave has lost his sparkle, his crackle and his fizz.
How will the second lesson go and who will ultimately teach who?
There is nothing more endearing than a beautiful puppy book, one with a touching story and energetic illustrations. The Trouble With Dogs ticks all the boxes. Bob Graham’s illustrations are full of fun and frolicking. Dave is a dog every reader will want to hold close.

Takeshita Demons

by Cristy Burne. Illustrated by Siku

Walker Books Australia. Junior fiction, Australian. Paperback, rrp $14.95


Reviewed by Sandy Fussell

The first in a unique new series, Takeshita Demons is an exciting cross-cultural adventure. The story combines the action and exoticism of Japanese anime with a classic tale of friendship and good versus evil.

When Miku’s Baba (grandmother) dies, the family moves from Japan to England, not realising the danger they have unleashed. Away from the protection of the traditional home and without Baba’s vigilance, it falls to Miku to keep in place the preventatives that ward off ancient demons.

The bloodthirsty nukekubi follows the family across the sea, relentlessly hunting the Takeshita children. This monster’s head flies free of its body as it searches for prey. With her new friend Cait, Miku must rescue her little brother Kazu from the nukekubi and ensure the future safety of the Takeshita family.

But the nukekubi is not the only demon to be feared. The terrifying yuki-onna is seen in the snow and the faceless noppera-bo impersonates Cait’s father. Then there’s the dragonish Woman of the Wet, a nure-onna, who appears to be on Miku’s side.

For middle grade readers looking for adventure with a supernatural theme, this is the perfect choice. The ghosts and demons of this tale are drawn from traditional Japanese folklore and the element of horror is never gratuitous. Few readers will be frightened although many will catch their breath at times.

Takeshita Demons is a unique window into another world. Boys and girls from 8 – 12 years will love it.

In 2009, Takeshita Demons was the winner of the Frances Lincoln Diverse Voices Children’s Book Award.

http://cristyburne.wordpress.com/
http://www.cristyburne.com/

It’s a Book

Written and illustrated by Lane Smith

Walker Books. Picture Book. Hardback, rrp $27.95

Guest Reviewer - Jo Burnell

Lane Smith is the master of understatement. The two main characters and one trusty side-kick in It’s a Book are not big talkers, but they characterise to perfection the opposing stances of Book Lovers and Techno Buffs.

While Monkey quietly enjoys pages in the latest adventure story, his friend asks one foolish question after another… until he is lured to peek between the pages too. Then the fun begins.

It’s a Book will be a favourite for many years. It marks a point in history where book lovers and e-readers line up on opposite sides, forgetting that their passions are the same – reading.

Monkey is no fool, but can you guess the name of his foolish friend?

The last page has a delicious twist – but no peeking. Enjoy the simplicity of strong colours and well chosen words. It doesn’t last long.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x4BK_2VULCU
http://www.lanesmithbooks.com/

Mirror

by Jeannie Baker

Walker Books. Australian, Adult Other, Picture Book, Children Other. Hardcover rrp $39.95

Guest Reviewer Jo Burnell

Jeannie Baker’s illustrations are works of art. Every picture invites the fingers to explore texture and detail even though you know the page is flat. Mirror is Jeannie’s latest masterpiece and it surpasses all she has done in the past.

The unusual format opens doors to new worlds, literally. This two-in-one simultaneous read requires no written words. The book on the left opens in the traditional way to reveal suburban Australia, while the book on the right opens as its mirror image.

One boy sleeps in a typical western home while a mother prays and works under the same moon, far away in Morocco. Life in the two places is in constant contrast. Everything from household chores and breakfast foods, through clothing to modes of transport are juxtaposed. Can you see the man on the mobile phone in the middle of the desert market or the football streamers fluttering from a car aerial at the busy pedestrian crossing?

Bustling three lane highways could not differ more from the narrow mountain path where a donkey and its rider have no need for GPS. Call me a dreamer, but I was so absorbed in the intricate details on every page that I didn’t anticipate the delightful twist this story was leading to. The simple truths of contrasting lives were echoing in my mind when the final mirror image struck with clarity.

It’s easy to go shopping for a Moroccan rug in Australia, but what do you buy in Morocco?

Book lovers of all ages will enjoy exploring these two worlds. Every time I return to Mirror, new details surface, offering a deeper understanding of the way our lives echo those of others in different countries. My only regret is that I can’t touch the original images to feel rough clothing, slide my fingers along corrugated roofing, scratch possum fur or dip my finger in the flour that is ground and ready for bread baking.

http://www.jeanniebaker.com/mirror.htm

The Truth About Penguins

by Meg McKinlay and illustrated by Mark Jackson

Walker Books. Australian, Picture. Hardback rrp $27.95

Guest Reviewer Jo Burnell

Have you ever heard of Chinese whispers? Well, the residents at the local Zoo are expecting penguins. One curious squirrel has the courage to ask, ‘What’s a penguin?’ and the fun begins. The answers offered by fellow Zoo residents are hilarious.

What is the truth about penguins? Can they fly? Do they love tropical beaches and hate to swim? Are they really party animals?

When the ranger decides to correct the rumours, he does a wonderful job of setting out the facts. That is, until the penguins arrive.

What is the truth about penguins? Mark Jackson’s illustrations add extra twists of humour if you take the time to see. I’ll be going back many times to soak up the giggles and enjoy the action.

http://www.megmckinlay.com/

http://www.jackpot-art.com/

Noah’s Garden

by Mo Johnson and illustrated by Annabelle Josse

Walker Books. Australian, Picture Book. Hardback rrp $27.95

Guest Reviewer Jo Burnell

Noah’s Garden is full of wonders. Tigers, camels and pirates jostle with seaplanes and helicopters, but someone is missing the fun. Noah’s little sister hasn’t seen the swings or the fountain. Noah wonders if she ever will. He makes the biggest wish he can and plays on in the little paradise that lets his imagination run wild.

Annabelle’s creation of the different parts of Noah’s garden always hints at where he plays. Doctors are never far away, so where is Jessica? Can you put the clues together and discover where Noah’s garden hides?

A place of healing between the pages.

The importance of leafy refuges for siblings of the sick has never been made so clear.

http://www.mojohnson.com.au/
http://www.annabellejosse.com/

Maisy Goes on Holiday

by Lucy Cousins

Walker Books. Picture, Young Reader. Hardback rrp$19.95

Maisy the mouse and Cyril the squirrel go on a holiday to the beach. They catch the train, check into the hotel and explore the beach. There is so much to do and at the end of the busy day, Maisy and Cyril quickly fall asleep.

With bold, bright colourful drawings, children around the world will delight in the seaside adventures of Maisy, and all her friends in this new hardcover book. Maisy Goes on Holiday is one of eight in the series A Maisy First Experiences Book, perfect for little ‘readers’ and Maisy fans of all ages.

http://www.maisyfun.com/
http://www.maisyfunclub.com/

The Kites Are Flying

by Michael Morpurgo, illustrated by Laura Carlin

Walker Books. Junior. Hardback, rrp $16.95

The Kites Are Flying by former UK Children’s Laureate Michael Morpurgo is a masterful piece of storytelling – entertaining and thought-provoking.

The story is told from two perspectives - the notebook entries of British television journalist Max and eight-year-old Said’s unspoken conversations with his dead brother Mahmoud. On a trip to make a documentary, Max meets Said, a Palestinian shepherd boy who spends his days on the hillside watching the flock while making his beloved kites. But the innocence of this lifestyle is deceptive. Said lives on the West Bank where a wall separates Palestinian and Israeli peoples. Violence is never far away. Helicopters, guns, tanks. Said hasn’t spoken since Mahmoud was killed when the boys were flying kites in the wrong place at the wrong time.

Now every kite Said makes is inscribed with four words – Salaam, Mahmoud and Said. He sends each hopeful message of peace over the wall, into the Israeli settlement where a girl in a blue headscarf sits in her wheelchair. Two years ago, she was injured in a car bomb ambush.

When Max mentions the girl, Said’s family have no sympathy. They resent that she is alive and Mahmoud is dead. “(Said will) find out soon enough what they are like over there… She is an occupier… All occupiers are the same,” Uncle Gasbag says.

But Said already knows what his family cannot understand. One day, his kites fly back over the wall. The occupiers have sent a return message – Shalom and a drawing of a dove. People on both sides clap, whoop and whistle. And Said speaks again. Words pour out as he expresses his jubilation to Max and Mahmoud.

Laura Carlin’s illustrations provide an almost physical feel of setting and place in an area of the world many will be unfamiliar with. The land is wonderfully exotic and strange but it is equally foreboding and dangerous. On the West Bank, personal joy and tragedy exist side by side.

The Kites Are Flying is a marvellous book of many layers and readers of varying ages will experience it on different levels. But ultimately, the result will always be the same. Like Max, the reader is richer for having known Said. There is always hope. We should never give up. We should do whatever we can to encourage peace.

(First printed in Booktopia Newsletter Jan 2010.)

http://www.michaelmorpurgo.com/

Cows in the Kitchen

by June Crebbin, illustrated by Katharine McEwen

Walker Books. Picture, Young Reader. Paperback rrp $16.95


“Cows in the kitchen, moo, moo, moo.
Cows in the kitchen, moo, moo, moo.

Cows in the kitchen, moo, moo, moo.

That’s what we do, Tom Farmer!”

These words were beautifully recited back to me by my very excited six-year-old. After reading Cows in the Kitchen with his father the night before, he was only too happy to sing to me the words the following morning.

What a wonderful book to encourage a child to read. With bright, clever and funny illustrations on every page Cows in the Kitchen is a book to treasure. And there is even a “spot the mouse” amongst the cows, sheep, hens and ducks to keep young minds active.

Great stuff

Jaguar Warrior

by Sandy Fussell

Walker Books. Australian, Junior, Young Adult. Paperback rrp $14.95

Guest Reviewer Jo Burnell

Glowing Eyes in a grey stone mask lure me into the pages of Jaguar Warrior. I am trapped in a windowless box, waiting with Atl, a slave in the Serpent Sun God’s temple. Atl helped build this wooden prison and now waits his turn on the sacrificial altar. He knows his arms and legs will be held down while his heart, still beating is ripped out of his body.

Is it an honour to be sacrificed so the sun will rise each new day? Atl doesn’t think so and neither do I. This level of gory detail usually puts me off, but Sandy Fussell has a way of melding humour, fast-paced action and fun with the bloody bits in such a way that I’m hooked.

Jaguar Warrior goes even further, bringing Tenochtitlan and the Ancient Aztec world to life. The Serpent Sun god’s temple structure and surrounds are realistic and based on what historians have discovered about this forgotten culture, but there’s nothing dry about Atl’s story. Dilemmas and discoveries keep him moving, even when he’d rather rest. Would you obey your captor’s order to save others or just run for your life when you taste freedom?

Jaguar Warrior is not only about Atl. Citlali reveals what a girl might have faced in these times if her mother had died, while the Captain lives and breathes ruthless determination. Zolan, the merchant’s slave shares his own story of learning, while Dog has a special role to play.

Who would you trust? Things are not always as they seem. Villains have a habit of transforming into the unexpected in Sandy Fussell’s tales and Jaguar Warrior is no exception.

http://www.sandyfussell.com/

Toppling

by Sally Murphy

Walker Books. Australian, Junior. Paperback rrp $15.95

Guest Reviewer Jo Burnell

It’s hard to talk about cancer even when you are an adult, so how can kids comes to terms with their fears? Toppling is a gently paced verse novel that helps.

Everyone in John’s class is affected by Dom’s absence. It’s one thing to vomit and stink the place out, but something much more serious when you don’t come back to school. Emotions run high with unknowing.

What do you do when you know something is wrong but you don’t know exactly what? John spends hours arranging dominoes in elaborate patterns, then sets them toppling in an instant. It’s his way of finding stillness in confusion. Sally’s visual descriptions let me join John, bum up and head down, as he sets up domino after domino.

However, each little tile must stand vertically within reach of the next for a toppling to work. Life’s a bit like that. Just as friends are interconnected and affected by each other, those who are missing, even for a little while, put the rest out of sync. It takes just one domino to be out of whack for a toppling to fail.

In the gentlest of ways, Sally broaches the tough questions. Does cancer always mean a death sentence? No one ever really knows. When it does, loss and grief can affect those left behind for many years. Making new friends and sharing the pain is a bit like toppling. Reconnecting with others can make things right.

Toppling is a fantastic way to broach the subject of serious illness with children in Primary School. Even though there are no easy answers, Sally Murphy opens doors to discussion. She also alludes that difficult kids can have their reasons for being so. She builds another bridge to understanding and reconnecting: another successful toppling.

http://www.sallymurphy.net/

BrainJack:

The Next War Starts in Cyberspace


by Brian Falkner

Walker Books. Science Fiction. Paperback rrp $18.95

Guest Reviewer - Jo Burnell

Do you know anyone whose life revolves around computers? This book is for them. The Author’s note states: This is not intended as a manual for hackers. You could have fooled me. I was surfing through the network controller of an international telecommunications company and ducking when security spider tendrils probed too close. Hacking into the White House was really just part of the introduction.

Brian Falkner’s tale reads like a fast-paced movie. I felt the building shake and ducked splintering glass, then things got complicated. Distinguishing between the good and bad guys was a mind-bender in this cyber espionage thriller. Internet access for entire countries was shutdown at the flick of a code, but could wars really be caused (and run) by computers?

Although neuro-headsets are a device of the future, they open the way to enormous power and even greater fear in Brainjack. The idea of working hands-free (no more keyboard or mouse) is one thing, but directly connecting your brain to the internet would have side effects, wouldn’t it?

Brainjack is definitely for computer geeks and gamers, but even without understanding the computer lingo, I couldn’t put it down. Some parts freaked me out, but I still couldn’t stop reading. I bet the end takes you by surprise too.

http://www.brianfalkner.co.nz/

Free?

Stories Celebrating Human Rights

Authors - Various

Walker Books. Junior, Young Adult, Anthology. Paperback rrp $17.95

Guest Reviewer Jo Burnell

‘It’s not fair!’ The familiar catch cry echoes in western schools and homes. However, some situations are a little more unfair than others. Teenagers today can be unaware of the international perspective. Those who have never faced real danger struggle to imagine what it’s like to have their lives under constant threat.

After the atrocities committed in World War 2, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights was written in an attempt to uphold basic human rights. However, such documents are not readily available to the average teenager.

Free? aims to bridge the gap between everyday life in a relatively safe world and places where human rights are ignored or forgotten. Stories set in suburbia highlight how we can trespass on the rights of others. Other tales are set in Louisiana after Hurricane Katrina, in London with an attempted theft of the Crown Jewels and at the border between Zimbabwe and South Africa. Issues covered span from that of human trafficking to the idea that we all have a right to our own thoughts and ideas.

Short stories and verse by a number of well-known international authors (including Margaret Mahy, Michael Morpurgo and Ursula Dubosarsky) help explain the contents of the Declaration of Human Rights. Some pieces are funny, while others are tragic. They all touch the heart in some way.

This anthology is a must for any classroom studying justice and individual rights. Apart from the educational content, I kept reading simply because I enjoyed the stories, especially those with a twist.

This book is a first in its attempt to provide youth with an easy-to-read way of comprehending the implications of an international legal document. I hope it is the first of many. It rocks.

Yellow Star

by Jennifer Roy

Walker Books. History, Junior, Young Adult. Paperback rrp $14.95

Guest Reviewer Jo Burnell

I have a weak stomach. Even though I want to hear about war and those who survive, I rarely persist when the story gets too dark. Yellow Star gathered dust on my ‘to read’ pile for many months before I picked it up.

To my delight, I was riveted. Jennifer Roy achieves what few others have managed. Simple words, clear images and page-flipping suspense in a frightening world where hope rose and fell at the trigger of a gun.

Over the course of World War II, 270,000 people were forcibly settled in Lodz, Poland. At the end of the war, 800 survivors walked through the cut wire fence that had been their prison. Twelve of these survivors were children. One was ten-year-old Syvvia Perlmutter, Jennifer Roy’s aunt.

Jennifer’s short lines of prose evoke strong images. I am with the Perlmutters as they struggle to survive. The vegetable patch fails and flour is scarce. I sip weak coffee and thin vegetable broth. My mind becomes foggy from lack of food.

Gut feelings guide Syvvia’s father not to accept Nazi invitations to ride on trains. People disappear without a trace and there are several close escapes. Yet in the midst of all the fear, hope remains. Syvvia’s ability to entertain herself when her friends are gone brings normality to a desperate situation and her innocent comments trigger laughter when joy seems lost.

However, it is Syvvia’s role in the last days that come as the greatest surprise. My mind still boggles at the nature of the final rescue. For one tiny moment in history, the yellow star was a key to survival.

By crafting the content of her aunt’s memories, Jennifer Roy has resurrected a child’s perspective that ages over the years. This unique voice strips away what I call literary ‘fluff’. What is left is heart-stopping simplicity. Yellow Star is a timeless treasure.

http://www.jenniferroy.com/