Current Listen: A Breath of Snow and Ashes by Diana Gabaldon
2017 Reading Challenge Count: 88 out of 110 books
Hey internet! It's been...not quite 11 months.
In my defense, this summer was crazy. Two close friends got married, one in upstate New York. I saw Hamilton twice. I went on a cruise and got engaged.
But while all that was happening, I kept reading. And I knew that once things settled down I wanted to come back to this. So here we go!
Over Labor Day weekend, I read two middle grade books. I imagine people judge me for the number of middle grade books that I read, and I'll admit that I am occasionally embarrassed when strangers ask me what I'm reading--it generally ends with me mumbling something about how I know it's a kids book but I'm a teacher, I promise. Most often I read middle grade for the Young Hoosier Book Award program. Students at my school can read them and earn prizes, and I read them so they think I'm cool. I end up rating most of them three stars, since often they are not written with adults in mind and aren't super engaging for me.
Every year, though, there are one or two that astonish me.
This year one of those books was Pax, by Sara Pennypacker.
This book begins with a fox and a boy in the back seat of a car. The fox is concerned and confused, as his boy seems distressed. The fox is left in a forested area and the car drives away.
I will admit, I was not captivated right away. I picked this book up and read the first chapter over the summer and then dropped it for something more summer-y. But I'm so glad I picked it up again.
The storytelling and pacing that follows in this book is nothing short of masterful. The story is told from the perspectives of both Pax (the fox) and Peter (his boy). It is revealed early on that Peter has been left to live with his grandfather while his father goes to do...something. We quickly learn that whatever his father is doing must be related to a war that adults around Peter have been discussing. Peter, though, immediately deeply regrets leaving Pax and sets off on a foolhardy mission to find him. Pax, meanwhile, encounters a pair of foxes who, though very suspicious of his human-like scent, teach him to try to survive in the wild.
Through the perspective of a 13-year-old and a fox, Pennypacker manages to impart some gorgeous insight into the consequences of war. The foxes refer to the human soldiers as the "war-sick" and describe the horrible electrical smell of an area full of landmines. Peter is aided in his quest by a woman with PTSD who has lost a leg in this same war and has chosen to live completely off the grid. This book was like nothing I've ever read. It was so powerful to read about a war from those innocent, confused perspectives. It was a visceral experience as a reader, and the ending completely tore me apart. I would be remiss if I didn't mention the beautiful, stark illustrations. I finished this book four days ago, and it has stuck with me.
After I finished Pax, I unthinkingly grabbed John Boyne's The Boy in the Striped Pajamas. Readers who have read this book will immediately know that that probably was not wise. Whoops. I picked up an illustrated edition at the library after seeing it (and being vaguely aware of the movie) for years. It was also featured on an Amazon list of 100 Young Adult Books to Read in a Lifetime, and you guys know I can't resist a good reading list.
This story centers around Bruno, who has recently had to move from his very nice home in Berlin to a small house in a place called "Out-With." Again, I love the use of a child's perspective to discuss a dark topic. It's such an effective way to point out the illogical nature of war. He decides to explore his new home and encounters "the dot that became a speck that became a blob that became a figure that became a boy." He begins a secret friendship with this boy, Schmuel, who lives on the other side of the fence. The book is written with a gorgeous, sparse simplicity that very effectively evokes childhood, and the illustrations are mostly in black and white, with spots of color for details such as blue eyes or red arm badges.
The book, as you can imagine, ends tragically. But it is absolutely worth reading. I am continually amazed and heartened by the fact that the world has yet to run out of high quality Holocaust and World War II literature in all genres, and I am particularly impressed by literature for and about children.
Both Pax and The Boy in the Striped Pajamas seem like easy, throw-away reads, but nothing could be farther from the truth. And in these uncertain times, I can only imagine how much books like these about conflict (fictional or not), will give young people a little more understanding of the confusing decisions adults make that impact everyone and everything.
I promise to be back again soon, and for now, that's all she read.
