Books for children

I have two books to recommend to young people for this summer. My family listened to these books over Memorial Day on our trip and they really held everyone’s attention. I don’t think my youngest three understood everything but they were very attentive and it brought good discussion with my older two, my husband and my self.

The first is The Year of Impossible GoodByes.

It is the story of a young girl living in occupied Northern Korean during World War II and the struggles she and her family went through under the Japanese and then under the Soviets. Near the end of the story the girl and her little brother make an exciting escape by themselves below the 48th parallel in to South Korea. Definitely a nail biter!!

The second is The Devil’s Arithmetic. Same time frame- different continent.

Here’s a brief review from the web site: The Devil’s Arithmetic is about a girl, Hannah Stern, who is tired of remembering about the Holocaust and Passover. When her family goes to Grandma Belle and Grandpa Will’s house for Passover, she wishes she were somewhere else. When she is asked to open the door for Elijah, she is transported back to World War II. She is called Chaya by her Aunt Gitl and Uncle Shmuel. Shmuel is going to be married the next day to Fayge, the rabbi’s daughter, and Chaya is going, too. Gitl, Shmuel, and Chaya travel down the road to the wedding with all the wedding gifts and guests. When they reach the shul for the wedding, big black trucks block the way. At this point, Chaya realizes what year it is, and to whom those trucks belong.

Both of these tapes were well narrated. Books or tapes- good choices for summer time reading and education.

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