School-wide parallel reading

Teaching Pre K-8, May 1995 by Hurst, Carol Otis

The Holocaust is the cause of a lost little boy in Russia. He's on his own against all odds in Along the Tracks by Tamar Bergman (Houghton Mifflin, 1991 ISBN 0-395-55328-8). When you learn the book is based on fact, it becomes even more chilling.

We know the name Farley Mowat from his wonderful animal stories. In And No Birds Sang, (Bantam, 1989 ISBN 0-7704-237-3), he turns his pen toward personal combat experiences in Italy during the war and the narrative is compelling.

The Champion by Maurice Gee (Simon & Schuster, 1993 ISBN 0-671-86561-7) gives a different slant and location to the effects of war. Set in New Zealand, it focuses on a 12-year-old boy who thinks he knows what heroes are. The boy is first thrilled and later appalled when Jackson Coop, a frightened black pilot, is wounded and sent to his home to recuperate.

One of many wonderful adult books about the war is Mary Pat Kelly's Proudly We Served (Naval Institute, 1995 ISBN 1-55750-453-9). It tells the story of the men on the Mason, a destroyer escort that had white officers and a predominantly African American crew.

WARS OF THE TWENTIETH CENTURY. Expanding the theme to include any of America's wars could get too big to handle, but you might want to try Wars of the Twentieth Century so you can include some of these excellent books about World War I.

The picture book by Staton Rabin, Casey Over There (Harcourt, 1994 ISBN 0-15-253186-6), will tear your heart apart. Magnificent illustrations by Greg Shed illuminate the story of a young boy whose childhood pleasures are diminished by thoughts of his big brother, Casey, who is fighting "Over There."

A very accessible reading book is Hero Over Here by Kathleen Kudlinski (Viking, 1990 ISBN 0-670-83050-X). Part of the "Once Upon America Series," this story is about a war on the home front occurring simultaneously with the war in Europe. Teddy, a 10-year-old thrust into an adult role, copes with the influenza epidemic.

If you decide to venture into the Civil and Revolutionary War periods, try a picture book such as George Ella Lyon's Cecil's Story (Orchard, 1991 ISBN 0-531-05912-X).

GROWING UP. A good starter picture book is James Stevenson's Higher on the Door (Greenwillow, 1987 ISBN 0-688-06636-4). Although Stevenson's focus is his own childhood in a small town in the thirties and forties, the memories he shares should set off a lot of memories in readers of any age and provide a starting point for books about childhood and rites of passage.

Almost every work of Gary Paulsen involves a moment of truth where the main character changes the direction of his life and takes a giant step toward growing up. The prolific Paulsen will please readers of almost any age.

Many adult biographies will fit in well with this theme. Adults may also want to try LaVyrle Spencer's Home Song (Dove, 1994 ISBN 0-7871-0301-2 on cassette), a family story in which the events of the past imperil the current members.

Getting started. While everyone is off reading for the summer, you'll want to think about discussion starters for your Grand Colloquy. Remember that many adults are unaccustomed to book discussion and may not know where to start. Pick a few parents you know to be articulate readers and be sure they participate. They'll help encourage other parents to get involved.