October 2001

Books That Make You Go “Hmm...”

By Susan Heyboer O’Keefe

School’s been in session for about a month now.  This means both the novelty of attending for the first time or complaints about returning have long died, which in turn means that talk around the dinner table sounds something like this:

“What did you do today?”

“Nothing.”

“Surely you did something.  What did you learn?”

“Stuff.

“What kind of stuff?  Good stuff?  Bad stuff?”

“You know.”

At this point, you may suspect that my monthly topic is mind reading.  But I’ve chosen a more difficult, more daring alternative: books to start a conversation with your child.  For those of you who’ve forgotten what a conversation is -- with anyone -- take a nap immediately.  When you wake up, arrange for a babysitter and go on vacation.  No one under the age of sixteen may accompany you.

Here, then, are my recommendations to get tongues wagging.  NOTE: This list does NOT come with a guarantee.

Hey Little Ant by Phillip and Hannah Hoose, with illustrations by Debbie Tilley.  In a rhyming conversation, a boy talks to an ant he’s all set to squash with his sneaker, and the ant talks back, pleading his case.  The boy says ants have no feelings, the ant says he, too, has a reason for living.  Back and forth they argue.  The book ends by posing the question to the reader, What should the boy do?  Although obvious, this picture book works well at opening up discussions on tolerance and diversity, whether animals and insects have feelings, our responsibilities if any towards the natural world, etc.

The Yellow Star: The Legend of King Christian X of Denmark by Carmen Agra Deedy, with illustrations by Henry Sørensen.  Both the king of Denmark and the Danes were so active protecting Jewish citizens during World War II, the following legend sprang up: When Danish Jews were required to wear yellow stars on their clothing, the king himself had a yellow star sewn onto his coat.  Following his lead, all the Danes wore yellow stars, so that the Jews could not be singled out.  The picture book first tells this story, with subtlety and understatement, keeping the Holocaust in the far background.  This alone gives rise to questions and answers and more questions of what is happening and why.  Then the author, in a substantial, explains that this is just a legend and provides the facts about Denmark’s rescue efforts.  Finding out the story isn’t true provokes an inevitable letdown, which leads to more conversation: How do you think the legend started?  Why?  Why did we need this legend?  What purpose does it serve?

A Question of Belief ... Existence ... Leadership ... Freedom by David Butler, with illustrations by Amy Butler.  Don’t be fooled by the board book format of this series.  These little books are meant for middle grade and older.  Each bills itself as “a collection of questions, quotes, and quandaries” on the particular topic.  By looking at all sides of an issue, the books provide points of agreement and disagreement, maybe even heated disagreement.  Did you ever consider that your 10-year-old might actually have opinions on the nature of existence?  Pull out that volume, read a few zingers, and check the reaction.

For young adults, try a Chris Crutcher novel, like Staying Fat for Sarah Byrnes or his newest, Whale Talk.  When I say young adults, I mean high-school-going kids, not the eleven-year olds so often categorized as the young adult market.  Crutcher himself says the upper age of his audience is college students.  His books are not for the faint of heart among parents, and many school districts have banned the award-winning author from reading lists.  Why?  He deals with gritty reality, all those things we wish weren’t really going on in teen lives but are, such as sexuality, racism, domestic abuse, suicide, etc.  Gripping sports angles, memorable oddball characters, and sharp-edges humor save the stories from being solely issue driven.  The value of these books to parents is that they provide a fictional handle to discuss topics that might otherwise make us antsy and uncomfortable.

Children's Book-of-the-Month Club author Susan Heyboer O'Keefe has two new books this spring: Love Me. Love You and a board-book edition of One Hungry Monster.  Her other titles include Angel Prayers, Sleepy Angel’s First Bedtime Story, and Good Night, God Bless.  For fun, book info, and great parrot photos, visit http://www.susanheyboerokeefe.homestead.com