The Little Riders

Peter Spier (Illustrator). HarperCollins 1993, Paperback, 80 pages, $3.67

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

Johanna, a young Dutch-American girl, is visiting her grandparents in Holland when World War II breaks out and Holland is invaded by the Germans.  To her dismay, the Nazis appropriate her bedroom to be the living quarters of one of their officers.  This not only produces inconvenience for the girl, but also endangers her grandparents who are leaders in the resistance movement.  She takes consolation in watching the village’s treasured Little Riders, iron figures of noblemen commemorating the Crusades, which make their circuit in the church steeple as the great clock strikes the hours.  When the Nazis announce their intention to melt the Little Riders down for ammunition, Johanna joins the movement to keep the statues out of the Nazis’ hands.  When plans to smuggle them out of town go wrong, Johanna is left alone with them and she heroically implements a desperate solution.  The story ends with a surprise which underscores the humanity of all people who participated in this war.

This riveting story gently introduces the pain and evil involved in World War II, without going into graphic detail about the horrors of the war.  Johanna’s courage and loyalty are very admirable, and they seem to grow naturally in the context of her family’s values of love and courtesy.  The book is written at a transitional reader’s level and (unlike most war stories) is appropriate for precocious pre-readers.

Warton and the Castaways

Russell Erickson. Lothrop, Lee and Shepard Books 1982, Hardcover, 112 pages, $11.75

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Warton and Morton are back for more danger, and this time Morton gets to come along on the adventure.  One morning, discovering they have run out of honey, the two brothers venture out into the rain to collect more.  On the way back they meet a hungry raccoon, and they persuade two eccentric and selfish toad sisters to give them refuge in their tree house.  During the night the rain fells their tree, washing it down a river, and they find themselves moored in the middle of a swamp, besieged by the same raccoon and a flock of great herons.

The story isn’t quite as good as A Toad for Tuesday, but it is lighthearted, funny, and suspenseful enough to hold the attention of a child transitioning into chapter books.  Just as in Toad for Tuesday, the toads’ escape has to do with extending kindness to an enemy, and a surprising character transformation is brought about through that kindness.  This is not a must-read, but it’s an enjoyable fantasy adventure, rooted in positive values of friendship, kindness, and courage.

Flat Stanley

Macky Pamintuan (Illustrator). HarperCollins 2003, Paperback, 112 pages, $1.48

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Stanley is an ordinary boy whose life changes when a large bulletin board falls on him during the night, flattening him to a thickness of a half-inch.  His new shape enables him to do many fantastic things: travel to California via airmail, slip underneath doors, fly like a kite, and finally pose as a painting to capture a pair of art thieves in the local museum.  Throughout the story, Stanley’s brother Arthur struggles with envy.  In a touching conclusion, when Stanley begins to be mocked by the other school kids because of his shape, Arthur compassionately helps him find a solution that returns him to his normal shape.

This whimsical story is entirely enjoyable, and what it lacks in depth of plot and character development (no pun intended), it makes up for in imagination.  Stanley displays kindness and courage, and the reconciliation of the two brothers is heartwarming.  This is a great fun read, and is the first in a series of similar stories.  It’s a great choice for children transitioning from picture books to chapter books, and for early readers who are aren’t quite ready for full chapter books.

The Dragons of Blueland (My Father’s Dragon)

Ruth Stiles Gannett. Yearling 2007, Paperback, 112 pages, $2.81

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

This story rounds out the trilogy begun with My Father’s Dragon.  Leaving Elmer at his home, the baby dragon flies away to his own home, the cave at the center of the Awful Desert in the Mountains of Blueland.  There, his parents, six sisters and seven brothers are trapped in a cave whose entrance is guarded by a group of men.  In desperation he returns to Elmer to ask for help, and their adventures commence.  Through planning, judicious use of provisions, and ingenuity they free the dragon’s family from the trap, and Elmer takes his first train ride to return home.  The Dragon Affair appears in the newspaper the following day, but Elmer never reveals the secret of his own participation.

This is more of the same fun fare that characterized the first two books, capitalizing on the mystique of dragons which makes Elmer’s participation in their lives quite a romantic adventure.  Again, Elmer would set a better example by confiding in his parents, but the lighthearted and fanciful nature of this adventure may help young readers interpret his behavior without emulating his secrecy.

Elmer and the Dragon (My Father’s Dragon)

Ruth Stiles Gannett. Random House Books for Young Readers 1987, Paperback, 96 pages, $1.98

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

A continuation of the lighthearted fantasy begun in My Father’s Dragon, in which the dragon delivers Elmer to his home after their adventures.  Throughout their journey they meet similar challenges as in the first story — a storm that maroons them, a riddle to be solved on an isolated island, and treasure discovered.  Elmer’s homecoming (bearing gifts for his parents) is heartwarming, although he never tells the secret of his adventure.

It would be better for his adventure take place with his parents’ knowledge and blessing, but this is still an exciting, interesting and funny story excursion.

My Father’s Dragon

Ruth Chrisman Gannett (Illustrator). Yearling 2005, Paperback, 96 pages, $3.27

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Elmer Elevator, the narrator’s father, is nine years old when he meets a talking alley cat, who tells him about his journey to a Wild Island where a baby dragon is held captive, forced to ferry animals across the river that divides the island.  Elmer, annoyed with his mother for being rude to the cat, packs twenty-five peanut butter sandwiches, six apples, and assorted gear and stows away on a ship bound for the nearby Tangerina, then crosses a bridge of rocks to explore the island.  There he outwits a succession of fierce animals bound on devouring him and frees the dragon.

This story is masterfully written, in very short chapters that each pack a punch and end with a cliffhanger.  The plot points are simple enough that young children will be able to follow them, but clever enough that adults will enjoy the author’s absurd sense of humor.  It’s perfect for children transitioning out of picture books.  Published in 1947, it reflects mainly wholesome values of kindness, courage, and generosity, with a refreshing naivete, and it will appeal to children who enjoy fantasies.  Older children who care about facts, however, may be annoyed with its lighthearted disregard of realism.

Some concerns that parents ought to consider when deciding about this book are that (as in many fantasies of this type) Elmer does disobey his mother by feeding the alley cat and sneaking out for walks with him.  He also runs away, and during his travels he lies to some animals in order to protect himself.  His mother does relent about the cat, and Elmer never lies outright to his parents, who in a later book welcome him home with glad relief.  These moral elements can be dealt with through discussion, but the power of the story is far greater than a conversation.  I believe that the warm family relationships, and other positive values in the story outweigh the effect Elmer’s rebellion and lying.

All told, this is a positive, funny and lighthearted fantasy with a potentially problematic plot device of lying and running away.

Night Of The Full Moon (Stepping Stone, paper)

Leslie Bowman (Illustrator). Random House Books for Young Readers 2006, Paperback, 64 pages, $0.95

Rating: 3 out of 5 stars

This is the story of Libby Mitchell, a young European-American girl in Michigan during the mid-1800’s, whose best friend is Potawatomi.  When other settlers become jealous the Potawatomi’s wealth, they force them to leave their ancestral lands.  Because she is visiting her friend when this occurs, Libby is accidentally taken away with the tribe.

The novel is appropriate for intermediate readers, so character development is rather cursory and the story is limited in its complexity.  There is some romanticization of the Potawatomi characters, who are described as having a physical resemblance to elements of the natural world.  For example, Tawcumegoqua, Libby’s friend, is nicknamed Fawn by Mr. Mitchell because “She’s like a young deer… graceful, with those long legs and big eyes.  Wary, too” (7).  When Libby sees her friend’s new brother she describes his eyes as being “like black pebbles you see shining in a streambed” (20).  No Potawatomi people are portrayed as unkind or immoral: when Libby wonders to her father whether a Native marking for a bee tree will be honored, her father responds, “No Indian would rob another man’s bee tree.”  Yet while there seems to be an inclination toward a “noble savage” stereotype, there is a genuine effort to convey Potawatomi cultural elements that would have been observed by outsiders, including some Potawatomi words that are integrated into the dialogue.  The Mitchell family is admirable in its genuine friendship toward Fawn’s family, and their friendship is returned in kind.

The premise of a white girl being mistaken for Potawatomi is implausible, but it does provide the reader with a view into this dark season in American history.  The story ends as the Potawatomi expulsion begins, with the Mitchell’s friends having escaped from the soldiers in order to bring her home.  Because of this, the reader only catches a glimpse of the horror involved with the tribe’s enforced journey, ending over 500 miles away in Kansas.  This journey is referred to by historians as the Trail of Death because so many people died along the way.

This is a very nice story involving loyal friendship, duty, and courage.  Historical events are basically accurate, and the danger is exciting without being overwhelming to younger readers.  The Mitchell family, particularly Libby’s father, evidence strong interfamily relationships and genuine friendship with the Potawatomi family.  This would make  a nice addition to a home library, or at least a good supplement for a history lesson.  Because of its limited scope in plot and characters, it probably will not become a frequent read-aloud.