FARM BOY

A lad gives his grandfather a great gift, and receives one in return in this small gem from two of Britain’s foremost children’s book talents. Though town-raised, something draws the narrator to his grandfather’s Devon farm; there he plays on the broken-down old tractor, or just visits, listening again to Grandpa’s tale of how Great-Grandpa followed a beloved plow horse into the army, then brought it home at the end of the WWI. When the old man reluctantly confesses that he’s allowed his ability to read and write slip away, he and his grandson embark on four months of steady remedial practice, at the end of which there’s a new story about Great-Grandpa as a parting gift. Foreman focuses on the flashbacks, depicting rural and wartime scenes with faded colors—as though seen through a veil—creating a sense of the past that is enhanced by the occasional old poster or advertisement. Although the grandfather and the narrator, who has grown into young manhood by the end, appear only occasionally, their warm mutual regard for one another comes through clearly, anchoring this expertly crafted reminder that stories can link generations. (Fiction. 9-11)