Gary Schmidt (1)

It is not surprising that I rate this book so highly, given the fact that Gary Schmidt's books The Wednesday Wars and Lizzie Bright and the Buckminster Boy were two of my top reads in 2009.

Once again Schmidt wove magic with his astute understanding of human nature and his fantastic writing ability that hooks you in and keeps you riveted from the first to the last page.

Using Rabbinical stories, tellings of Hasidic traditions, folktales and actual recollections from the concentrations camps, show more Schmidt uses the voice of young Mara, who from the cold, fearful barracks, weaves stories at night to bring a glimmer to the darkness of the horror all around.

While not an easy book to read, it is indeed a subject that needs to be told again and again. Schmidt's delivery packs a breathtaking punch, while also astounding the reader with stories of hope and the depth of faith and fortitude of six million Jews who died at the hands of an evil power.

When I finished the book, I once again marveled at the strength not only of those who perished, but of those who survive and know the depth and resiliency of a wonderful faith with the supreme understanding that love is indeed the highest power.

Of interest is the back of the book which contains the actual resources Schmidt chose to use as a reference for Mara's stories. show less

When three peddlers stop at the home of Donal and Sorcha O'Donnell one bitterly cold night, they are only grudgingly welcomed by the couple, who are consumed by their grief at the death of their young son. But as each peddler relates a tale, each one more wondrous than the next, each one telling of a young boy lost in some fashion and then recovered, they slowly begin to come to terms with their loss.

I will confess that I avoided this title when it was first released, as I generally frown show more upon books that style themselves as "folktales" when they are not. Of course, the three embedded stories told by the peddlers are taken from the Irish folk tradition (although no attribution is given), but the tale in which they are framed is an original creation of Gary Schmidt. Having said this, I finally read through this the other day, and discovered that I liked it after all...

I found myself moved by this tale of parental grief, and by Schmidt's poetic language. I also found myself in agreement with the book's main premise: that folktales have the power to transform and heal us. A most welcome message for any folklorist! The illustrations by Loren Long had a luminous quality that perfectly conveyed the emotions of the characters. show less

“You’re my first boy, Cooper, my first boy,” grandfather says just before he dies. All alone in the world, without even a dog, the only thing that keeps Cooper going is running the dairy farm.
Suddenly, black sedans are swarming all around Cooper’s small New Hampshire town, driven by mysterious men in dark suits. Cooper’s barn is burned to the ground, and his house is broken into and searched during the night. The President of the United States calls on Cooper for a visit, and her show more opponent wants Cooper to join him on the campaign trail.
This fast-paced political thriller will have the reader turning the pages in anticipation of the next clue. show less

While appropriate for its juvenile audience, this collection of stories told by the child Mara at night in the barracks of a concentration camp has depth to engross and enlighten an adult audience. Woven from Rabbinic and Hasidic tales,these are tales of endurance, hope, tragedy, and humor.