From: S. Fondrie <sfondrie>
Date: Tue, 05 Dec 2000 18:53:20 -0600

The two books that had the greatest impact on me this year were Paul Fleischman's newest picture book, and Todd Strasser's multi-perspective novel, Fleischman's intriguing book combines brief historical observations about the strange customs of "savages" and "primitives" with modern photos of us doing exactly the same thing. For example, one double-page spread contains on one side a paragraph describing how a tribe prepares itself for battle by engaging in various odd behaviors, while John Whalen's photo on the other side shows a varsity football team boarding a bus, dressed up for a similar "battle." This is a book for a wide range of ages, and I see it being used to start a discussion about traditions and customs that many of us take for granted.

On a darker note, shows through fiction how high school outcasts might be bullied and harassed to the point that they pick up a gun and get revenge on their tormentors. Strasser, through a multiple-voice approach, looks at the motives of two sophomores who take over a high school dance, holding the entire place hostage in a scene reminiscent of Columbine (and so many other incidents). To drive home his point, the author includes non-fiction footnotes on most of the pages, citing statistic after statistic about the prevalence of gun deaths and the increase in school violence. The book had a personal impact for me, because I was forced to consider how many times I could have prevented harassment or bullying in my classroom, but didn't. How many potential Dylan Klebolds and Eric Harrises did I help create by ignoring their dilemma? I recommend this book for everyone who works with children or who has witnessed bullying at any age level.

(Cannibal in the Mirror, by Paul Fleischman, with photos by John Whalen;

Millbrook Press: 2000)

(Give a Boy a Gun, by Todd Strasser; Simon & Schuster: 2000)

Sue Fondrie Graduate assistant, UW-Madison
Received on Tue 05 Dec 2000 06:53:20 PM CST