A Story for Hippo

Title of Book: A Story for Hippo

Author: Simon Puttock

Illustrator: Alison Bartlett

Publisher: Scholastic Press (September 1, 2001)

ISBN:  978-0439262194

Audience: Ages 4 – 9

Summary of Book: This book is a story of two friends, Hippo and Monkey.  Hippo and Monkey share in daily storytelling.  Hippo tells Monkey that she is getting old and that she will die.  When this time is upon them, it leaves Monkey grieving and wondering who would tell him stories and laugh at his jokes.

Central Literary Elements: The text of this book presents itself in a simple format.  A Story for Hippo answers difficult questions in a way that children of all ages can understand and shows us how to keep the spirit of a person alive forever.The illustrations are bold and colorful although they have a chalky feel.  They effectively communicate the emotions of the story.

Perspective on gender/race/culture/economics/abilities: This book does not raise any concerns in respect to any type of status.

Theologica Conversation Partners:  Psalms 30:5, Jeremiah 31:13, 1 Thessalonians 3:7

Faith Talk Questions:

1. How does our faith help fill the void created by a loss?
2. Hippo tried to prepare Monkey for her death.  Hhow do we as humans prepare ourselves for the loss of loved one?
3. Is an unexpected death of a loved one less difficult emotionally? Why or why not?
4. What memories do you cherish of loved ones that have died?

Old Pig

Title:  Old Pig

Author:  Margaret Wild

Illustrator:  Ron Brooks

Publisher:   Allen & Unwin (February 23, 2010)

ISBN:  978-1741757064

Audience:  Ages 4 – 8

Summary:  Old Pig is a book on how to help cope with a loss of a loved one.  In the story there are two pigs, Old Pig the grandmother and Granddaughter.  The Granddaughter knows that Old Pig will soon be gone, but her memory will live on.  This story will help readers see the meaning of living, loving, giving, and receiving in the midst of a loss of a loved one.

Central Literary Elements at work in the story: The plot of the story is about a granddaughter preparing herself for the loss of her grandmother.  This softly illustrated picture book also celebrates life as well.  Each day Old Pig and Granddaughter enjoyed the beauties of life and the world around them.  The story is told by a narrator describing how Old Pig helped the granddaughter cope with dying.  The author uses our senses of looking, listening, smelling, and tasting in the process of sharing each wonder of nature with Granddaughter.  The final illustration of Granddaughter feasting on nature by herself brings chills to the skin and tears to the eyes of young and old alike. Pencil sketches with detail provided by soft pastel water colors successfully extend the unspoken portions of the story.  In the end, as Granddaughter prepared for the death of Old Pig, she now has a different perspective on life.

Perspective on gender/race/culture/economics/abilities:  This story was told from the perspective of a grandmother and granddaughter.  Although the story was told from this perspective I do not see any conflicts of any reader being able to learn from the story.

Theological Conversation Partners:  Ecclesiastes 3:1-4, Hebrews 13:5, Matthew 5:4

Faith Talk Questions:

1. Do we as individual take life for granted?  Why or why not?
2. Why is it when tragedies happen we seem to get closer to Christ?
3. Why should we live each day like it is our last?
4. Does it become difficult to serve God when dealing with a loss? What emotions are exhibited?
5. How do you trust and believe through all things that Christ loves you will be with you through trails?

This review was written by Union Presbyterian Seminary student Tim Tate

A Ball for Daisy

Title of Book:  A Ball for Daisy

Author/Illustrator:  Chris Raschka

Publisher:  Schwartz and Wade Books

ISBN:  978-0-375-85861-1

Audience:  Ages 3 and up

Summary:  This is a story told all in pictures about a dog and the ball she loves.  This story, told solely in pictures, uses the illustrations to tell a story that may have been over simplified if words were used.  The illustrations are done in what might first appear as childish paintings or even finger paint.  The broad strokes make it easy to read Daisy’s emotions as they change with every turn of the page.  This title won the 2012 Caldecott Award for best illustrated children’s book.

Theological Partners for Conversation: Daisy teaches us a simple and timeless lesson about sharing, while also retelling the principles given to us in Luke 6:31.  All children, it seems, are taught from an early age to share.  It is something that is not easily learned for those of us who had fewer instances where sharing was even an issue, like us only children.  Daisy doesn’t think she has to share.  Unfortunately, during a trip to the park, another dog doesn’t give her the option and chooses to play with her ball too.  As a result, Daisy uses poor judgment that ends up costing her dearly.  As the story comes to a close, the other dog, who could easily see Daisy as an enemy, shows her instead what it is to “do unto others as you would have them do unto you” ( Luke 6:31).

Faith Talk Questions:

1. What does Daisy love?  How does she show it?
2. Who and or what makes up Daisy’s world?
3. What happens to disrupt Daisy’s world?  How does this make her feel?
4. What happens when Daisy returns to the park?
5. Who do you most identify with?  Why?
6. Where is God in this story?  Can you see Jesus?  Can you see the Holy Spirit?

This review was written by Union Presbyterian Seminary student LaDonna Harrison.

Tear Soup

Title of Book:  Tear Soup

Author:  Pat Schwiebert and Chuck DeKlyen

Illustrator:  Taylor Bills

Publisher:   Grief Watch (June 1, 2005)

ISBN:  978-0961519766

Audience: 10 and up

Summary of Book:  Tear Soup is about a woman, Grandy, who has suffered a loss in her life.  To help process her grief the woman cooks up a batch of “tear soup” of which the ingredients are the emotions she has experienced. Along the way she dispenses a recipe of sound advice for people who are in mourning or know someone who has suffered a loss.  This story validates the reader grief experience.  The book ends with a nice summary of Grandy’s journey, “I’ve learned that grief, like a pot of soup, changes the longer it simmers and the more things you put into it. I’ve learned that sometimes people say unkind things, but they really don’t mean to hurt you…and most importantly, I’ve learned that there is something down deep within all of us ready to help us survive the things we think we can’t survive.”

Central Literary Elements:  Tear Soup is a modern day fable that is beautifully and poetically written.  This story book is about a woman who has suffered a loss and cooks up a special batch of “tear soup,” blending the ingredients of her life into the grief process.  Tear Soup has incredible insight into the grieving process and puts it into a simple metaphors that makes it understandable.  It also helps those going through it see that they are normal, and helps those trying to be there for the grieving person understand what their loved one is going through.  This story illustrates that it acceptable for every reader to absolutely do grief “their way.”  This book has rich illustrations and will generate topics of discussion for the reader.

Perspective on gender/race/culture/economics/abilities:  This book may be difficult for preschool children to understand the significance of all the metaphors.

Theological Conversation Partners:  John 14:18, Psalm 46:1, 2 Corinthians 1:3-4

Faith Talk Questions:

1. Where is God when you feel alone?
2. How long is the grief cycle? How do you cope?
3. What does metaphor of tear soup represent in your life?
4. What other types of loss do people deal with during the course of their lives?
5. Is there a difference between grieving the other losses and grieving a love one that has died?
6. What smells evoke memories of a loss? How do you manage this from day to day?

This review was written by Union Presbyterian Seminary student Tim Tate.

Inside Out and Back Again

Title:  Inside Out and Back Again

Author: Thanhha Lai

Illustrator: 

Publisher:  HarperCollins, 2011

ISBN:  9780061962783

Audience:  Ages 8 and up

Summary: Ten-year-old Ha, her mother and three older brothers flee Saigon as it is falling to the Communists in 1975.  Ha leaves behind her papaya tree, her friends, her school, the markets and celebrations that have been her life.  The family leaves not knowing whether their father, captured nine years earlier by the Viet Cong, is still alive.  The vessel that carries them away is crowded; food and water are limited and escape is uncertain.  They are picked up by an American ship and taken to Guam, then to Florida. They languish there while other families are sponsored until Ha’s mother puts “Christian” on her papers.  A man from Alabama whom Ha calls “the Cowboy” agrees to sponsor the entire family. Ha’s mother goes to work in a sewing factory, her older brother as a garage mechanic.  Ha and the other two brothers must face the misery of an Alabama school, having to learn a strange language and being compelled to repeat a grade.  Children are especially cruel to Ha until she is befriended by two classmates. “The Cowboy” suggests that life will be easier if they will be baptized and the entire family goes through the ritual in a Baptist church. A neighbor and former school teacher whose son was killed in Viet Nam tutors Ha as her life continues to improve.  Ha’s family must finally accept the reality that her father will not come back. The novel begins and ends on the New Year, Tet.

Literary elements at work in the story: This poignant, powerful account of war, dislocation, and hope is told in blank verse and in present tense.   Each word counts in the short phrases evoking vivid pictures and intense emotions while avoiding the lengthy descriptions that could have swamped the story. Ha’s clear-eyed, honest account is full of humor as well as pain. Her comments about the English language are sharp and funny.   Inside Out and Back Again is based on the author’s own experience.  The book was a 2012 National Book Award winner and a Newbery Honor Book.

How does the perspective on gender/race/culture/economics/ability make a difference to the story? Ha chafes under the limitation placed on girls.(A brother’s foot must touch the ground first on Tet because only male feet bring luck.) This idea is belied by the strength and courage of the mother. The prejudice the Vietnamese family faces in Alabama makes for a painful year and some dishonest compromises.

Theological Conversation Partners:  This novel celebrates family and the resilience of the human spirit. Ha’s family is Buddhist and it is evident that the faith is important to them as they face a new life and their father’s death. The book tells little about Buddhism but does show the faith in practice. If discussion of Buddhism takes place the purpose will not be to compare it with the Christian faith, a task requiring a breadth of knowledge that 8-year–olds do not have. There is a danger of feeling superior because “our faith is best.”  In the USA and in Alabama being a Christian is a decided advantage.  Older children may ponder how Christians use power when people of another faith choose baptism because it will help them be accepted. Is this what Christ means by “making disciples.?”  The year 2011 numbered 4 ½ million refugees displaced from their homes. Thanhha Lai dedicates her book to the millions of refugees in the world with the words “May you find a home.” This book gives children a window on this tragedy and helps them experience what being a refugee means. It could lead to a discussion of where the Christian’s true home is. Scripture gives clear instructions about how we are to treat strangers: Matt. 25:34-40; Romans 12:13

Faith Talk Questions:

1. Find Viet Nam on the map.  What facts do you know about it?  Have you heard or learned about our military engagement in Viet Nam?
2. What things did Ha love about her country?
3. What did you learn about Tet and the importance of its celebration?
4. Do you know or does your family know a Buddhist? Do you know anything about what they believe and practice?  How could you find out?
5. Have you had a student from another country in your class at school.  How did you welcome him/her?
6. Ha’s mother takes action and makes important decisions for the family.  What are some of these? Is she a good mother?
7. Ha’s family has a ceremony when they accept that the father is dead. How do they honor and remember him?
8. Mother puts “Christian” on the papers she fills out in the refugee camp.  Why did she do this?  She says, “all beliefs are pretty much the same.”  Do you agree?
9. The family is baptized to help them be accepted in the community?  What does baptism mean?  Did the family understand it?  Did the church understand it? Was it a happy experience for Ha’s family?
10. Fellow classmates call Ha “Pancake face.”  She is angry and upset.  How does her mother help her calm down?
11. Ha is disappointed with the dried papaya that Mrs. Washington gives her for Christmas and throws it in the trash.  Her mother tells her to learn to compromise? Is that good advice? How does the sound of a gong help Ha?
12. Think about having to take only one small suit case and leaving your home tomorrow.  What would you take?  What is most important?
13. Many churches sponsored families from Viet Nam.  Did your church or do you know of such a church? Why did churches do this?

This review was written by regular contributor Virginia Thomas.

City Dog, Country Frog

Name of Book:  City Dog, Country Frog

Author:  Mo Willems

Illustrator:  Jon J. Muth

Publisher:  Hyperion Books for Children

ISBN:  9781423103004

Audience:  Age 3 and up

Summary:  It is a beautiful spring day when City Dog first visits the country.  By the time the reader sees him in the opening full-page painting, he has already raced across a wide field and nearly off the page, “and all without a leash!”  His initial encounter is with something he has never seen before, sitting green and expectant on a rock.  It is Country Frog.  The two become fast friends, and Country Frog teaches City Dog all sorts of country games.  When City Dog returns in the Summer, he runs straight to Country Frog’s rock, and they play city games together.  By fall, friendship has grown tender and sweet, but Country Frog is weary, and he suggests playing “remember-ing games” this time.  Then comes winter, and when City Dog races to Country Frog’s rock, his friend is not there.  A bewildered City Dog sits all alone as the purple shadows deepen, waiting for his friend.  A full year of seasons has gone by, and it seems as if all is lost, but Spring comes again.  City Dog still longs for his old friend, but a new friendship blooms when City Dog smiles a distinctly froggy smile and agrees to play with a new pal, Country Chipmunk.

Literary elements at work in the story:  The plot of City Dog, Country Frog could not be simpler: dog meets frog, dog and frog become friends, dog loses frog (we are never actually told why frog is gone, but it is possible that an amphibian’s lifespan is short), dog grieves, dog meets chipmunk.  The real heart of this story in five short chapters is the absolute joy of friendship and the mournfulness of loss that illustrator Muth conveys in his luminous watercolors.  Dog’s tail never stops wagging when he is with frog.  His tongue lolls when they play, and his eyes close to blissful slits as he floats in the river with frog on his head.  When frog is gone, the reader can see that City Dog is baffled and utterly lonely by the set of his ears and the now-stilled tail. This is a book of much richness, despite its few words.

How does the perspective on gender/race/culture/economics/ability make a difference to the story?    Not applicable in this book.

Theological conversation partners:  One use of this story might be in connection with Ecclesiastes 3:1-8:  “For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven …”  There is indeed a time to laugh and a time to mourn in this tale and plenty of time for both weeping and laughing as well.  The story’s main theme, however, is friendship, and it would be a wonderful complement to such passages as John 13:34, “I give you a new commandment, that you love one another.  Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another.”  City Dog and Country Frog follow this new commandment with joyous abandon.  Furthermore, they take to heart Paul’s reminder that differences do not matter when it comes to friendship:  “There is no longer Jew or Greek … slave or free … male and female.”  (Galatians 3:28)  And one could extrapolate, “nor dog nor frog.”

Faith Talk Questions:

1. How can you tell by looking at City Dog and Country Frog that they wanted to be friends?
2. How can you show other people that you want to be friends?
3. What do friends look like?
4. This story takes place over the course of a whole year and a little bit more.  What were some of the happy times?  What were some of the sad times?
5. Have you ever had sad times in your life?
6. Who helped you when you felt sad?

This review was written by Union Presbyterian Seminary student Beth Lyon-
Suhring.

A Monster Calls

Title:  A Monster Calls

Author: Patrick Ness

Illustrator:  Jim Kay

Publisher:  Candlewick, 2011

ISBN:  9780763655594

Audience:  Ages 12 and up

Summary:  Conor O’Malley’s mother is dying of cancer.  The treatments aren’t working but the adults around Conor-his mother, his grandmother, his visiting father from America, his teachers-allow his hopes to live.  Each day he struggles in school against persecution by Harry, the bully, condescending pity from teachers and isolation from classmates.  He tries to ignore the reality that he will probably have to go live with his brisk, no-nonsense grandmother in her spotlessly perfect house, that his divorced father will not take him.  And every night he is awakened by a nightmare too horrible to remember.  Then one night the old yew tree by the church in back of his house appears as a monster because, he says, Conor has called him.  Conor wants the monster to heal his mother; the monster says he is here to heal Conor.  And so he tells him three stories and says that Conor must tell the fourth.  It is the scariest, most difficult challenge that Conor faces: he must speak the truth.

Literary elements at work in the story: This is a work of art, an adaptation of an idea suggested by young adult author, Siobhan Dowd, before her early death.  The yew tree is an ancient symbol of death and is part of both Druid and Celtic myth. It is extremely poisonous but its bark is the source of taxol, an experimental treatment for cancer. Patrick Ness takes Dowd’s idea and weaves it into a painful, sad, funny, wise tale told in spare, eloquent sentences and with brooding pen and ink drawings to bring an elemental monster to life.  The monster says “Stories are the wildest things of all.  Stories chase and bite and hunt.”  It’s difficult to distinguish between Conor’s and the monster’s action. This story will linger long after the book is closed.

How does the perspective on gender/race/culture/economics/ability make a difference to the story? This is an English family.  The parents are divorced and the father lives with his new wife in America.  Grief and death are universal and none of the factors suggested shape the story

Theological Conversation Partners: Guilt, anger, grief, death, punishment, forgiveness, truth-this novel, without referring specifically to theology at all, touches on almost every facet of the Christian life. A powerful monster outside of Conor is needed to enable him to face himself and his mother’s death. The Christian faith offers answers, resources, ministry for each of these needs and conditions which the story so poignantly presents. And it offers power and strength beyond ourselves. John 1:8-9, for example, speaks of the need for confession and truth, of the promise of forgiveness and restoration.   See Psalm 32 as an example of a prayer of confession.  The strength Conor needs is ours in Christ’s promise to be with us always (Matt. 26:20b) or in the 23^rd Psalm.  The Psalms offer eloquent words to express grief and the joy of restoration (Psa.m 22:1,Psalm 86:1-7) .

Faith Talk Questions:

1. Has someone that you love died?  Do you recognize any of Conor’s feelings and experiences?
2. Is this a good description of the experience of grief?
3. The monster compels Conor to tell the truth about his nightmare, implying that there are serious consequences if he refuses.  What is difficult about telling the truth-about events, feelings, ideas?  And why is it so important?
4. Most Christian churches have a prayer of confession in their worship and we are called to confess out sins to God.  How is confession like telling the truth? What is the relation between the truth we tell and Christ who is the Truth?
5. Why does Conor feel the need for punishment?  What is the Christian answer to this feeling?
6. In 1 Corinthians 15:20-26 Paul affirms the resurrection and Christ’s victory over death.  How does this change the Christian experience of death?
7. The monster says that stories “chase and bite and hunt.”  Jesus frequently used stories to teach.  Recall some parables Jesus told that would have made his hearers uncomfortable, puzzled, or even angry.

This review was written by regular contributor Virginia Thomas.

Letting Swift River Go

Name of book:  Letting Swift River Go

Author:  Jane Yolen

Publisher:  Little Brown

ISBN: 978-0316968607

Audience:  Ages 4-8

Summary:  Sally Jane tells the story of the demise of her beloved town along the Swift River in Massachusetts. The town will be flooded along with the rest of the valley to form the Quabbin reservoir that will supply water to Boston. The story covers from 1927, when the town is told about the flooding, to 1946 when the flooding is completed. Sally is just six years old when the story begins. She watches as graves are moved, trees cut, homes destroyed and the river dammed. Later she and her father are in a boat on the now filled reservoir. As she looks down into the water she recalls something her mother told her when she wanted to keep lighting bugs in a jar, “ You have to let them go, Sally Jane.” As she looks into the water, she smiles and does just that, she lets it all go.

Literary elements at work in the story: This beautiful book for young readers is told in poetic narrative form perfectly illustrated by Barbara Cooney’s soft understated watercolors. The perspective is that of an adult recalling when she was six and the Swift river was flooded. This form allows the narrator to have insight a child would not have, but still keep a child’s perspective.

How does the perspective on gender/race/culture/economics/ability make a difference to the story: Both Yolen and Cooney bring to the story a personal understanding of the valley. Yolen often visited the Ouabbin Reservoir and Cooney lived not far away from the reservoir. The illustrations portray the time and place perfectly with carefully selected details that will appeal to children of any time period.

Scripture:  Luke 24: 36b-48

Theology:  Disbelief and disappointment are common to us all. Sally Jane just can’t believe what is happening around her. The town knew this was going to happen, but the eventuality of it all was shocking. In this passage, the disciples, like Sally, had been told what was going to happen, but they didn’t believe it. Then, when it comes, they are just as shocked and fearful as Sally was. Jesus calms their fears and opens their eyes and they are once again joyful. In the same way, Sally Jane’s boat ride on the reservoir helps her find joy once again. However joy, as great and healing as it may be, is not enough for the disciples or for Sally Jane.. Jesus tells his disciples they must spread their joy by preaching in His name and witnessing to others. We, like Sally Jane, must also pass on our stories of hope and joy to those around us. If the disciples had not passed on the joy of Christ where would we all be today. Don’t let you disappointments in life get in the way of living in Christ’s joy and then pass that joy on to others.

Faith Talk Questions:

1. How did Sally feel about what was happening around her?
2. How would you feel if someone said your town was going to be flooded so someone else miles away could have water?
3. Sally tells us her story to pass on her love for her town. What story can you pass on about something you love?
4. What does Jesus say to the disciples about passing on his story?
5. How can you pass on Jesus’ story?
6. Which of Jesus’ stories would you share and who would you share it with?

Review prepared by guest contributor Janet Lloyd.  (A review of Someday, a book for middle and high schoolers that chronicles the same event, was reviewed here yesterday.)

Mockingjay

Name of Book:  Mockingjay

Author:  Suzanne Collins

Book Design:  Elizabeth Parisi

Publisher:  Scholastic Press

Audience:  Ages 12 and up

Summary:  The third in a trilogy of science fiction stories, Mockingjay is written for adolescent youth and older due to graphic and violent content.

Katniss Everdeen has survived two rounds of competition in the Hunger Games arena and returns to District 12 to see the ruins after it has been bombed and destroyed by the Capitol. Citizen refugees have been relocated to District 13, the first district destroyed by the Capitol which went underground. The residents of District 13 and the refugees have together plotted the details of the revolution and assassination plan for President Snow.

Peeta has been captured and tortured by President Snow and special army team from District 13 is sent to the Capitol to rescue Peeta and other games survivors. The Capitol retaliates with bombing the districts, but 13 is spared. The district president works to create an army capable of leading the other districts in the revolution against the Capitol to gain freedom from oppression. With Katniss in the army group leading the way as the mockingjay, she will again experience and participate in violence and death as they work to rid Panem of the evil in power.

This particular book moves much more quickly through time than the past two in the series. A war rages on and much death and destruction take place, although it is described over weeks and months rather than days.

Note: While the series has no Christian references at all, there are a number of routes one can take in discussing Christian faith with teenage readers. Parents are strongly encouraged to read this book either before their children or alongside their children and engage in regular faith-based discussions.

Literary elements at work in the story:  This is a science fiction dystopia of revenge imposed by the country leadership onto the individual districts. It is told from the first person point of view of Katniss, a 16 year old tribute to the Games. It is her story of survival in not just the games, but in everyday life as a citizen of the poorest district in Panem. Katniss is portrayed as a survivor, as is her friend Gale, while many of the other child characters, including her sister (and even her mom) are portrayed as weak and needy. The setting of this book takes place in District 13, as well as in the Capital during war time.

How does the perspective on gender/race/culture/economic/ability make a difference to the story?  This book portrays all citizens of Panem, even those of District 13, as under oppressive authority. Many citizens have been tortured either physically or mentally, and even within the safety of the district, there is no freedom for citizens. The culture is that of a benevolent dictatorship, creating citizens who will survive the war and hopefully repopulate the country after it has been recaptured.

Scripture:  Isaiah 57:19-21

Theology:  As humans we fall short of the glory of God, but we are still loved and desired by God. We have turned away from God, and each other, in search of our own personal and societal gains. As sinners, we have gone against “the way it’s supposed to be.” We are unable to turn ourselves back toward God and unable to make our relationship with God and one another right. We have been sent Jesus Christ, the Prince of Peace, to lead us back into relationship with God and others.

Faith Talk Questions:

1. Have you ever been given a gift by someone that you know you can’t repay?
2. How can we trust God when we don’t physically see or feel God?
3. Are there any characters in the book that value human life?
4. What does God teach us about the value of a human life?
5. Katniss struggles with the loss of friends close to her and feels responsible. Have you ever lost someone close to you? Has someone close to you been hurt before? How did you feel?
6. How do you think God would react to the Capitol’s treatment of the citizens of Panem?

Review prepared by Union Presbyterian Seminary alumna Katie Todd

The Memory Box

Title: The Memory Box

Author: Mary Bahr

Illustrator: David Cunningham

Publisher: Albert Whitman & Co.

ISBN: 0-8075-5053-1

Audience:  Written for ages 6-9.  However, this review suggests the book’s applicability to both young and mature audiences.

Summary: This is a bitter-sweet episode in a young boy’s summer vacation with a beloved grandparent who is succumbing to Alzheimer’s diesase.  Zach has spent every summer he can remember with his grandparents on a serene mountain lake, but this summer Zach notices something different about Gramps – he’s distant, distracted, forgetful, talking to himself and getting lost on familiar woodland trails.  Rather than try to avoid or explain away Gramp’s behavior, the old couple do something remarkable and courageous: they tell Zach the truth in a supremely loving and compassionate way.  One peaceful evening they begin creating a “memory box,” a family tradition in which an old person and a young person fill a box with family stories, pictures and mementos and store it in a place of honor. Initially Zach is uncomfortable with this activity dampening the idyllic vacation freedom he had become accustomed to.  But as the days passed, telling and writing stories, gathering photos and souvenirs, a new and deeper bond between these three friends develops as the elderly couple welcome Zach into their approaching difficulty.  Zach returns home with a profound and important mission: to continue adding to the memory box and bring it back next summer, when it will be needed.

Literary elements: The Memory Box is realistic fiction set in a cabin by a woodland lake. The language and illustrations descend quietly like the afternoon sun in late summer when days get shorter and darkness comes earlier, evoking Carl Jung’s metaphor of aging as “the afternoon of life.” As the old couple approach the autumn of their years, Zach is also transitioning from youth into an awareness of life’s limitations.  Both paths converge in the realm of memory; their shared past becomes the healing balm of  advancing grief and loss. The author crafts believable characters through dialogue and plot movement, enhanced with beautiful watercolor images in fluid autumnal colors. The verbal and pictorial theme of fishing conveys the emotional state of  stillness and expectation. “For the rest of the summer, we remembered, Gramps and Gram and me. We especially remembered when we were fishing.” Zach’s discomfort literally dissolves in the calm waters of memory and carries him through a crisis moment when Gramps gets lost in the forest.

The seasonal and diurnal imagery overlay this short story with elements of another genre, the hero’s journey, in which all three characters play roles.  As Zach is confronted with the loss of innocence, Gramps is facing the ultimate journey into the dark night of the soul. He touches that vulnerable space inside all of us that holds on to life, power, control and independence. To cope with the inevitable, he reaches for one remaining hope, that his life has meaning for his beloved grandson, in a touching symbolic act. “Did Gram tell you about this useless old man? An how he needs to find a home for special things like this,” he says while handing Zach his fishing knife. Henri Nouwen provides a parable on usefulness in his book Aging, The Fulfillment of Life: a tree that grows big and old does so because it was not cut down and used for beds and tables and chairs. It’s usefulness is not in becoming other things, but in being itself, a tree so great that others can rest in its shade.  As long as there is meaning to our being, therein lies our usefulness. In the hero’s journey there is always a character who plays the role of helper. Gram is the gentle guiding presence behind this drama, positioning the two travelers on the path of memory and lighting their way with truth.   This story has profound lessons for both young and old on the continuum of life.

Perspective on gender/race/culture/economics: Although the pictures portray white middle-class Americans, virtually no race or gender stereotypes are reinforced.  Filial love and companionship challenged by the threat of death and loss are universal themes to which all cultures can relate. The only excluding factor might be might be economic – the privilege of leisure time in a vacation home.  But the setting is not extravagant.  Fishing is a humble pastime available to practically everyone.

Theological Conversation Partners:  Henri Nouwen and Walter Gaffney, Aging, The Fulfillment of Life, Doubleday, 1974

Nouwen and Gaffney write in simple language about deep truths accessible to both young and mature readers. “This book is about aging.  It is a book for all of us, since we all age and so fulfill the cycle of our lives.”

Theology:  Faith and hope intervene in a family facing the anxiety of loss and approaching death.

Faith Questions:

1. What was Zach’s initial reaction to the memory box?  Why do you think he felt this way?
2. Zach said, “This was the best and worst summer ever.”  Discuss what was “best” and “worst” about it.
3. Think about a time when you first realized something unpleasant was about to happen over which you had no control. How did you cope with the feelings and the outcome?
4. Discuss Henri Nouwen’s observation “The elderly are our prophets, they remind us that what we see so clearly in them is a process in which we all share.” How is Zach sharing in this process with his grandparents and how has this transformed him?
5. The story doesn’t mention God.  Where can you sense the presence of God in these people’s lives, and what does it tell you about God?

Review prepared by Union Presbyterian Seminary student Susan Wills.