Intergenerational Relationships
Staff -- School Library Journal, 9/1/1998
Other than the obvious connection of having both young and old protagonists, this month's Curriculum Connectors features books that deal with the strong bonds that are sometimes forged by somewhat unlikely parties. Dealing with cantankerous or quirky personalities, uncovering secrets of the past, or coping with loss are among the themes reflected in the novels listed below. Whether they are sharing dreams, recollections, or the fine art of yo-yoing, these memorable characters individually and collectively affirm the value of young and old alike and celebrate their interaction. The citation for the original review follows each annotation.--TEJ
BAWDEN, Nina. The Real Plato Jones. Clarion. Tr $13.95. ISBN 0-395-669723.
Gr 6-9--Plato unravels the mystery that connects his Welsh grandfather, a famous World War II spy, to his Greek grandfather, a traitor. Introspective, but buoyed by the boy's deadpan sense of humor, his wildly diverse relatives, and their deep ties to the past. (Nov., 1993)
BAWDEN, Nina. Humbug. Clarion. Tr $13.95. ISBN 0-395-621496.
Gr 4-6--Not fooled by her young hostess's seemingly pious behavior, Cora is framed by the malicious child, but finds an ally in the girl's wise grandmother. Cora is a character with conviction, gumption, and spirit, while Angel is truly a devil. (Oct., 1992)
BROOKS, Bruce. Everywhere. Harper. Tr $11.95. ISBN 0-0602-07280; PLB $11.89. ISBN 0-0602-07299.
Gr 3-6--While his beloved grandfather hovers between life and death, a boy is comforted by a new friend who seems to save the man through a technique extracted from comic-book lore. Polished prose, with serious issues thoughtfully explored. (Sept., 1990)
BUNTING, Eve. The Wednesday Surprise. illus. by Donald Carrick. Clarion. RTE $13.95. ISBN 0-89919-721-3.
K-Gr 3--A loving story about a proud granddaughter and her successful efforts to teach her grandmother to read. A plug for literacy is just the bonus; the real focus is on the lessons old and young share when they learn to read each other's hearts. A joyful surprise for any day of the week. (June, 1989)
CUTLER, Jane. Darcy and Gran Don't Like Babies. illus. by Susannah Ryan. Scholastic. RTE $14.95. ISBN 0-590-44587-1.
PreS-Gr 2--Acknowledging that babies are not necessarily all bundles of joy, a perceptive grandmother helps Darcy accept her new brother. Reassuring and right on target about children's feelings. (Nov., 1993)
DAVIS, Jenny. Checking on the Moon. Orchard/A Richard Jackson Bk. Tr $14.95. ISBN 0-531-05960-X; PLB $14.99. ISBN 0-531-08560-0.
Gr 6-10--Threatened by the many changes in her life, Cab finds security in her grandmother and gains strength from the role she plays in improving the woman's declining urban neighborhood. Fully realized, complex characters and a seamlessly constructed plot. (Oct., 1991)
DERBY, Pat. Grams, Her Boyfriend, My Family, and Me. Farrar. Tr $16. ISBN 0-374-38131-3.
Gr 6-10--The crazy antics of a family gone loco when a grandmother decides to marry and her son and her fiancÈ's daughter disapprove. Wild situations result in an upbeat ending as her grandchildren take matters into their own hands and help Grams elope. (Nov., 1994)
DOHERTY, Berlie. White Peak Farm. Orchard Tr $12.95. ISBN 0-531-05867-0; PLB $12.99. ISBN 0-531-08467-1.
Gr 7 Up--Interconnecting vignettes about the members of a farm family, young and old, linking their dreams, disappointments, and disillusionments. It's an involving story of love and nurturing, of acceptance and rejection, of growth and hardship that's as entertaining as it is down to earth. (Mar., 1990)
DUGAN, Barbara. Loop the Loop. illus. by James Stevenson. Greenwillow. Tr $14. ISBN 0-688-09647-6; PLB $13.93. 0-688-09648-4.
Gr 2-4--Anne learns many things from her elderly neighbor, including the fine art of yo-yoing. When the old woman is no longer capable of living on her own, the youngster proves to be a true friend. A rewarding, humorous intergenerational story that affirms the value of each individual. (May, 1992)
ELLIS, Sarah. Next-Door Neighbors. Macmillan/McElderry. Tr $13.95. ISBN 0-689-50495-0.
Gr 4-7--A painfully shy minister's daughter learns to look outward rather than dwell on her own insecurities when she encounters prejudice, arrogance, and shortsightedness in an elderly neighbor. Strong personalities emerge in a rewarding novel that explores the true meaning of friendship and conviction. (Mar., 1990)
FLEISCHMAN, Paul. Seedfolks. illus. by Judy Pedersen. HarperCollins/Cotler. Tr $13.95. ISBN 0-06-027471-9; PLB $13.89. ISBN 0-06-027472-7.
Gr 4 Up--As a vacant lot is transformed into a community garden, these vignettes give glimpses into the lives of the fledgling gardeners. As satisfying as harvesting produce straight from the vine. (May, 1996)
FOX, Paula. Western Wind. Orchard/A Richard Jackson Bk. Tr $14.95. ISBN 0-531-06802-1; PLB $14.99. ISBN 0-531-08652-6.
Gr 5-8--Together on a remote island in Maine, an 11-year-old and her grandmother share family stories, poetry, and perspectives. Elizabeth becomes aware that stripping away amenities doesn't necessarily make life simpler, but allows her to see things more clearly. An eloquent, crystalline offering. (Dec., 1993)
GALBRAITH, Kathryn. Laura Charlotte. illus. by Floyd Cooper. Philomel. RTE $14.95. ISBN 0-399-21613-8.
K-Gr 2--A little girl begs her mother for the oft-told tale of her gray flannel elephant and how it was made by her grandmother for her mother and passed down to her. With its strong sense of intergenerational love and luminous paintings touched with nostalgia, this will transport readers back in time and completely enchant them. (Apr., 1990)
GRIFFITH, Helen V. Grandaddy's Stars. illus. by James Stevenson. Greenwillow. Tr $15. ISBN 0-688-13654-0; PLB $14.93. ISBN 0-688-13655-9.
K-Gr 3--Janetta's Grandaddy leaves his mule and chickens behind in Georgia and visits her in Baltimore. The child's anticipation, anxiety, and accumulation of shared memories all ring truer than true. (July, 1995)
HARTLING, Peter. Old John. tr. from German by Elizabeth D. Crawford. Lothrop. Tr $11.95. ISBN 0-688-08734-5.
Gr 3-6--An eccentric but lovable grandfather moves in with, disrupts, and ultimately wins over his entire family in this funny, spirited look at the rewards of intergenerational sharing. John may be old, but he certainly won't be forgotten. (July, 1990)
HENKES, Kevin. Sun & Spoon. Greenwillow. RTE $15. ISBN 0-688-15232-5.
Gr 4-7--Spoon, 10, spends his summer trying to reconfigure his world, which seems strangely out of kilter since his grandmother's death. A moving and positive look at the power of memory. (July, 1996)
IRWIN, Hadley. The Original Freddie Ackerman. McElderry. Tr $14.95. ISBN 0-689-50562-0.
Gr 5-8--Being exiled to an island off of Maine with his two oddball great-aunts is not exactly Freddie's idea of a great summer vacation, but things turn out to be more exciting and fulfilling than the imaginative young man could ever have dreamed. (Aug. 1992)
JOHNSON, Angela. Toning the Sweep. Orchard/A Richard Jackson Bk. Tr $13.95. ISBN 0-531-05476-4; PLB $13.99. ISBN 0-531-08626-7.
Gr 6-9--Before Emily's grandmother leaves her beloved desert home, possibly for the last time, the sensitive teen sets out to record the memories of the woman, her friends, and relatives on video. While documenting the reminiscences, she learns about her African American family's past and gains the strength to say good-bye. A powerful story about connections and coping. (Apr., 1993)
NYE, Naomi Shihab. Sitti's Secrets. illus. by Nancy Carpenter. Four Winds. Tr $15.95. ISBN 0-02-768460-1.
K-Gr 3--A young American girl meets her Palestinian grandmother face to face, and the two forge a bond that sustains them from their opposite sides of the world. Wonderful collages--at once ethereal and solid, exotic and familiar--deftly serve the poetic text. (June 1994)
POLIKOFF, Barbara Garland. Life's a Funny Proposition, Horatio. Holt. Tr $13.95. ISBN 0-8050-1972-3.
Gr 4-7--Horatio is a resilient kid who has had to cope with more than his share of changes in his 12 years, but when his grandfather's dog is lost, his whole life threatens to unravel. A heartfelt exploration of loss and the healing power of love. (Aug., 1992)
RYLANT, Cynthia. Missing May. Orchard/A Richard Jackson Bk. 1992. Tr $12.95. ISBN 0-531-05996-0.; PLB $12.99. ISBN 0-531-08596-1. LC 91-023303.
Gr 5-8--In spare, graceful prose, 12-year-old Summer talks about her deceased Aunt May, who raised her, and attempts to get beyond her own grief and to help her uncle survive. The characters are simple people without means, but their wisdom and love for one another transcend earthly bounds. (March , 1992)
SAY, Allen. Grandfather's Journey. Houghton. 1993. Tr $15.95. ISBN 0-395-57035-2. LC 93-018836.
Gr 3 Up--A personal history of three generations of the author's family that points out the emotions that are common to the immigrant experience. Splendid, photoreal watercolors have the look of formal family portraits or candid snapshots, all set against idyllic landscapes in Japan and in the U.S. (Sept. 1993)
SCHOTTER, Roni. Captain Snap and the Children of Vinegar Lane. illus. by Marcia Sewall. Orchard. 1989. Tr $14.95. 0-531-05797-6.; PLB $14.99. 0-531-08397-7. LC 88-22489.
K-Gr 3--The twitchy, wiggly children of Vinegar Lane scamper through Sewall's woodcutesque paintings in this crackling good story of pint-sized neighbors who melt the Captain's hard heart with a couple of good deeds and a whole lot of high spirits. (May, 1989)
SEBESTYEN, Ouida. Out of Nowhere. Orchard/A Melanie Kroupa Bk. 1994. Tr $15.95. ISBN 0-531-06839-0; PLB $15.99. ISBN 0-531-08689-5. LC 93-37759.
Gr 5-9--An unlikely assortment of outcasts--an adolescent boy abandoned by his mother, a pit bull ditched by its owner, an elderly woman deserted by her husband, and a lonely man--are brought together by a wise, loving teenager who has had her own share of troubles. Poignant and uplifting. (March, 1994)
SHELBY, Anne. Homeplace. illus. by Wendy Anderson Halperin. Orchard/A Richard Jackson Bk. 1995. Tr $15.95. ISBN 0-531-06882-X; PLB $15.99. ISBN 0-531-08732-8. LC 94-24856.
PreS-Gr 2--A homespun history that gives a little girl glimpses into the daily chores and joyful pastimes of the ancestors who built and expanded her family's house. Meticulously detailed illustrations enhance a story that glows with warmth and intergenerational love. (Apr., 1995)
TALBERT, Marc. A Sunburned Prayer. S & S. 1995. Tr $14. ISBN 0-689-80125-4. LC 94-38682.
Gr 5-8--Eloy's grandmother is dying, and on Good Friday he walks 17 miles under the New Mexican sun to ask God for a miracle to save her. A soul-searching journey in which suffering and joy are palpable. (July, 1995)
