A Taste of Blackberries

Times Literary Supplement - September 19, 1975
Doris Buchanan Smith: A Taste of Blackberries
Illustrated by Charles Robinson
Heinemann. £1.95. (434 93015 6)

The most difficult problem

It will be difficult to find a children’s book this autumn by a new author as good as Doris Buchanan Smith’s A Taste of Blackberries. It deals with the great taboo subject: death. Few writers for children know how to deal with it and most therefore leave it aside. The exceptions are memorable, the unsentimental ending of Jill Paton Walsh’s The Dolphin Crossing, for instance; or E. B. White’s great novel, Charlotte’s Web, where death is a major theme of the writing. Charlotte’s Web of course removes the subject into the safety of a world of talking show more animals and it has often been said that the author could not have done otherwise, that young children could not cope if the characters had been humans. A Taste of Blackberries may well prove this assessment to be wrong.

It is a very short book, eight chapters, and the first two are largely concerned with establishing the attractiveness and liveliness of Jamie, and his relationship with the narrator of the story, his best friend. In chapter three Jamie dies. He is stung by a bee, and turns out to be allergic to bee stings. The rest of the story deals quite unsparingly with his friend’s emotions, particularly a sense of guild induced by thinking that he might somehow have been able to save Jamie’s life. Parents and friends try to help, but nothing it seems can remove the grief and shock, until, in the last chapter, the boy meets the person he has been avoiding most of all—Jamie’s mother. In a few words she shares her feelings with him, and is able to release him from his despair. It is certainly a moralistic book, even in small details like pointing out the dangers of accepting lifts from strangers, but it works. Designed, as it certainly is, for young readers, it can perhaps only be moralistic, but Doris Buchanan Smith’s success lies in knowing how to handle the theme with exactly the right balance of sensitivity, humour and open emotion. show less

I really liked this tale for a few reasons. It deals with the big idea of coping with death. The first thing I liked about the book is its plot. It details two best friends who did everything together, and one friend was always a little more daring than the other, which always got them running into trouble. This story builds suspense as it talks about their adventures together, such as steeling apple from a farmer with a shotgun, until it rises to the climax in which Jamie tragically dies from a bee sting allergy. I thought that this plot made for a good read, as not many stories are written about serious topics such as death. I also really liked that the story was written in 1st person of the little boy whose friend died. I liked this show more narration because it showed all of the emotions that he endured as he coped with this tragedy as a young boy, and made me feel those emotions along with him. For example, page 44 reads, “We used to have these staring contests, Jamie and I. We would see who would blink first, or laugh. It began to sink in that Jamie wasn’t going to open his eyes to stare back at me.” I think it may be difficult for children to talk about their feelings, so I thought it was very moving to see the perspective of this little boy dealing with death. show less

A short novel for older elementary age children about the death of a child their age. The narrator is a boy whose best friend is killed by a couple of bee stings. As the boy (whose name is never given) tells the story, we experience grief and loss through the eyes of a child experiencing the death of a close friend his own age. A sad and honest book, simply written.

Although first published over 30 years ago, this book does not really show it's age. Jamie's best friend tells the story of their friendship and his disbelief after Jamie dies from a bee sting. As nobody knew Jamie was allergic to bees the death is very shocking. Jamie's friend goes through a period of disbelief but, as everybody prepares for the funeral, reality sinks in. One of the elderly neighbours, Mrs Mullins, helps him cope by honestly answering his questions, even if the answers are "I don't know." An honest account of grief, including the fact that children cannot cope with the emotions of grief for extended periods of time.

Some of my strongest, most profound, favorite memories are of my 4th grade teacher who read to us every day in class. A Taste of Blackberries became a favorite book of mine from her read-aloud sessions.

Young or old, this book will get you bawling.

A Taste of Blackberries by Doris Buchanan Smith is about learning to cope with death at a young age. The book centers around two young boys that are bestfriends. One of the boys dies from a bee sting. The other one is left to deal with the death of his friend.

I first read this book many years ago in the 6th grade. From the first page I could tell this book was going to be a great read. This is a good book for most children because it teaches them about the realities of life.

This is a great journaling book. I would think that this book should be read aloud by the teacher and students. Reading it aloud will give you time to put feeling into it. I would also recommend stopping and discussing the book as you go through the paragraphs and show more chapters. show less

This chapter book is a great read aloud for upper elementary students. It is about two best friends who live in the same neighborhood. One of the friends dies, and the other friend must now deal with moving on with his life while still remembering and honoring his lost friend. Students will learn to be empathetic toward the characters in the book while reading this.