Barbara Lloyd McMichael
Books for younger set probe history
Published on Wed, Jun 8, 2011Read More McMichael
Eloquent — 74 pages — $9.99
“The Friendship Doll” — Kirby Larson
Delacorte — 202 pages — $17.99
This week I’m covering books by two western Washington authors who have translated history into fiction for middle-grade readers.
As you probably know, 2011 marks the sesquicentennial of the start of the Civil War. Retired Lakewood schoolteacher Nick K. Adams breathes life back into those hoary dates and details in a slim work of fiction titled “The Uncivil War.”
In this tale, fourth-graders Morgan and Jeremy can’t stand one another, but they find themselves paired up as study buddies by their new teacher. Mr. Blackburg has issued a challenge to his class — how many students can trace their family roots back to the Civil War and find out which side they were on?
As it turns out, both Jeremy and Morgan had a great-great-great-grandfather who fought at the Battle of Chickamauga — but one was a Union soldier, the other Confederate.
At first, this increases the enmity between the two students, but as they delve into old family records and letters, they begin to glean a deeper understanding of the personal costs of the war.
Author Adams borrows from actual letters in his own family’s archives and uses them as the basis for this story. The overall notion of learning more about history by researching one’s own family’s stories sounds like an inspired lesson plan — although youths may find “The Uncivil War” to be a bit didactic.
Kenmore author Kirby Larson specializes in writing about history and real-life experiences for children and young adults and received a Newbery honor for her book “Hattie Big Sky.”
It was while writing that story that she came across an old photo of a child and a large Japanese doll. Her interest was piqued and research into the tale behind the photo eventually led to her latest book.
“The Friendship Doll” is based on the real story of an exchange of dolls between Japanese and American school children back in the 1920s. But this is a work of fiction, imagining the story of one of the exquisitely created Japanese dolls as it (she) is shipped all around the United States to be put on display.
Miss Kanagawa — the doll — seems to have a mystical influence over the children who encounter her, from Bunny, the lonely daughter of a high-society family in New York, to Lucy, an Okie who has come west with her dad seeking work.
There are other youngsters, too — and with each child, Larson creates historical vignettes that capture the flavor and feelings of their particular times — using common slang, referencing news events and popular political figures and pastimes, and describing what childhood would have looked and felt like in each particular era.
It must have made for interesting research — but the details in “The Friendship Doll” sometimes become thuggish competitors for time and space, leaving the plot line in the lurch.
Still, there are great questions to contemplate here about international relations, economic impacts, child welfare and especially about friendship.
The Bookmonger is Barbara Lloyd McMichael, who writes this column focusing on the books, authors and publishers of the Pacific Northwest. Contact her at bkmonger@nwlink.com.