5/8/11 Sunday Salon --Looking Forward ~ Looking Back... <i>This Week In Books</i>

This week finds me reading Pokemon so I can converse with the boy; and Gary Paulsen, well, because I love him.

ON THE NIGHTSTAND

What an amazing book. Semi-autobiographical, the story here is about a little boy who finds love away from his broken family.

The setting is WWII, the boy's father is in the army; and boy's mother can't apparently cope with the state of the world, nor her apparently unwanted role as mother.

She, in fact, sends the little 5 yo boy off on a train by himself because she's taken a lover. There's a note pinned to his little jacket which asks strangers to keep an eye out for his safety if they can spare a moment.

All of this neglect comes to an end when the boy arrives at the camp. There his grandmother, who cooks for a small road crew, immediately falls in love with him. The boy also finds some wonderful friends and roll models amongst the big burly men.

This is a moving and beautifully written story that I highly recommend to Adults and Young Adult readers. It's just so well done.

One final note: I think perhaps it's been overlooked because libraries have misfiled it. At least my local library has it placed in the Juvie section, and I find that difficult to understand as The Cookcamp isn't a book I would recommend to young readers. First because of the infidelity and neglect themes. And second, because this isn't your typical Gary Paulsen adventure story. There's certainly fun moments, as the boy plays with a chipmunk and learns to spit and 'drive' the big construction equipment, but this is book with a more mature style of writing. A book that examines a complex world from the point of view of a little child. It's a tale better suited to Adults and Young Adults in my opinion.

Read this!

Sinnoh Hall of Fame Handbook: your inside guide to the biggest and best of everything Sinnoh!

Well, it's happened. My boy has finally been struck with Pokemon fever. And so that I might continue to converse intelligently with him on matters he considers of high importance, I have picked up this wonderful volume.

As the sub-title suggests, this is a guide to the 'big moments' in the Sinnoh series. The first section deals with highlights in Ash's life. And then it goes on to summarize the memorable exploits of Brock, Dawn, and Team Rocket. Plus lots more!

Dave loves this book, of course. And I do, as well. It's been a life saver... or should that be conversation saver.

Pam~