Not Just for Kids

This month for our book list, I thought that juvenile books would be fun. There are so many good books out there for young people that can also be inspirational for those of us who are a little bit older and that I don’t think should be discounted. Since there are so many, I thought the best way to narrow them down to three for the purpose of this blog was to pick them off the Newberry Award list. Newberry Award winners are always insightful and poignant usually with a good moral and plenty of imagination. The three books that I’ve chosen from this list are Roll of Thunder, Hear my Cry, Maniac Magee, and Holes.
Roll of Thunder, Hear my Cry was written by Mildred D. Taylor in 1976. This is the story of a black land owning family and their struggles during the 1930’s. It’s told from the perspective of a young girl of this family. She is able to describe the events of racism and anger from a unique point of view because as a child, she doesn’t understand race and hate, only fair and unfair and can give an uncomplicated unclouded view of the events that take place in the novel, as no adult could, much like Scout in to Kill a Mockingbird. It’s a heartbreaking look at the pre-civil rights America, but an excellent read.
Maniac Magee was written by Jerry Spinelli in 1990. This is the story of a young boy, Jeffery, who runs away from home because he can’t understand the strained and hateful relationship between his aunt and uncle who were raising him, and follows him as he enters a town and meets the people there and effects everyone. Once again, this book deals with racism, as the town is divided into two sections of race and shows how Jeffery deals with this divide, not realizing what racism is and that people can dislike one another simply based on skin color. This book also delves into the importance of family as Jeffery spends time with several different families as he tries to find a place where he belongs.
Holes was written in 1998 by Louis Sachar. This is the story of a boy who is sent to a detention camp for stealing shoes, which he didn’t, and follows his adventures at the camp as he meets other delinquents and finds buried treasure. It also discusses a family curse, an outlaw from the wild west times, and an athlete with a foot odor problem. This is an imaginative tale interweaving the stories of several characters over several generations, culminating in a boys camp discovery. Sacher is able to tell quite a story that is interesting and funny and one in which the characters learn a little something about integrity and loyalty and friendship.