CCBC-Net Archives
the machine gunners
- Contemporary messages sorted: [ by date ] [ by subject ] [ by author ]
From: Donna Freedman <dfreedman>
Date: Wed, 5 Nov 1997 17:07:54 -0900
I hope this posting isn't too late, but I had trouble sending it, then went on vacation for two weeks....
I, too, read "The Machine Gunners," less than a month ago when I reviewed it for a newsletter called Children's Literature. It's World War II as seen through the eyes of a group of English adolescents. The protagonist is a 14-year-old who salvages a weapon from a downed German plane; he and a group of pals (including one girl) are convinced that an invasion is imminent, so they build a bunker and make ready to fight the Germans. The enemy does show - a wounded and hungry soldier who parachuted out of the plane - and they must reconcile what they've seen in newsreels and heard from their parents with the pathetic figure before them. The narrative is brisk and exciting, but the ending is not happy, not by a long shot - it's more that life, like war, is unfair and often pitifully stupid. I would say that it's definitely not for younger children, as it's quite grim and matter-of?ct about some of the grittier aspects of war (injuries, death, privation, the loss of a parent, combat-related infidelity et al). Also, it's written in unabashedly British vernacular, and it might take kids a while to puzzle out some of the meanings.
Also: Has anyone heard of "Gold Star Sister," by Claire Rudolph Murphy? It's about a modern girl who looks back at WWII through memorabilia when her grandmother comes to live with the family. I have not read it; I bought a copy for my niece, and delayed reading it until it was nearly her birthday and had to mail it off. Anyone else???
Allow me to introduce myself, since I've been lurking for probably a year or more. My name is Donna Freedman, and I'm a feature writer at the Anchorage Daily News in Anchorage, Alaska. I review for Children's Lit, as mentioned earlier, and I write fairly regularly for Children's Writer, the newsletter published by the Institute for Children's Literature. I also freelance for a lot of children's magazines. I've always found these discussions quite thought-provoking and interesting, although I've never had the courage to add anything - but this time, I simply *had* to toss in my two cents re "The Machine Gunners."
Best regards, Donna Freedman dfreedman at adn.com
Received on Wed 05 Nov 1997 08:07:54 PM CST
Date: Wed, 5 Nov 1997 17:07:54 -0900
I hope this posting isn't too late, but I had trouble sending it, then went on vacation for two weeks....
I, too, read "The Machine Gunners," less than a month ago when I reviewed it for a newsletter called Children's Literature. It's World War II as seen through the eyes of a group of English adolescents. The protagonist is a 14-year-old who salvages a weapon from a downed German plane; he and a group of pals (including one girl) are convinced that an invasion is imminent, so they build a bunker and make ready to fight the Germans. The enemy does show - a wounded and hungry soldier who parachuted out of the plane - and they must reconcile what they've seen in newsreels and heard from their parents with the pathetic figure before them. The narrative is brisk and exciting, but the ending is not happy, not by a long shot - it's more that life, like war, is unfair and often pitifully stupid. I would say that it's definitely not for younger children, as it's quite grim and matter-of?ct about some of the grittier aspects of war (injuries, death, privation, the loss of a parent, combat-related infidelity et al). Also, it's written in unabashedly British vernacular, and it might take kids a while to puzzle out some of the meanings.
Also: Has anyone heard of "Gold Star Sister," by Claire Rudolph Murphy? It's about a modern girl who looks back at WWII through memorabilia when her grandmother comes to live with the family. I have not read it; I bought a copy for my niece, and delayed reading it until it was nearly her birthday and had to mail it off. Anyone else???
Allow me to introduce myself, since I've been lurking for probably a year or more. My name is Donna Freedman, and I'm a feature writer at the Anchorage Daily News in Anchorage, Alaska. I review for Children's Lit, as mentioned earlier, and I write fairly regularly for Children's Writer, the newsletter published by the Institute for Children's Literature. I also freelance for a lot of children's magazines. I've always found these discussions quite thought-provoking and interesting, although I've never had the courage to add anything - but this time, I simply *had* to toss in my two cents re "The Machine Gunners."
Best regards, Donna Freedman dfreedman at adn.com
Received on Wed 05 Nov 1997 08:07:54 PM CST
