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OUT OF LINE

Name: OUT OF LINE
Author: Tina Grimberg
ISBN: 978-0-88776-803-3

GROWING UP SOVIET

by Tina Grimberg ‧ RELEASE DATE: Oct. 9, 2007

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What was it like to grow up in the Soviet Union? This series of recollections, offers intriguing glimpses of that vanished world, harsh and drab, but full of lively human beings brimming with grand and petty passions, and poignant stories to tell. Tina’s loving Jewish family occupies a tiny apartment in Kiev, Ukraine; her grandmothers live nearby. Negotiating the dreary facts of Soviet life—long queues, cramped housing and lack of privacy, reliance on personal “connections” to bypass senseless bureaucracy—is grueling, but human ingenuity is up to the challenge. The appalling destruction of World War II is blamed alongside Soviet policies for the privations. The author hasn’t quite mastered her storytelling tools. She makes an important reference to the concentration camp Babi Yar in one chapter, but explains it only later. Flashbacks are confusing or misplaced, interrupting the narrative flow and lessening emotional impact. Political and historical references are vague and oddly dispersed. Nonetheless, this memoir offers a rare, often vivid portrait of a world now extinct. (Fiction. 11+)

Pub Date: Oct. 9, 2007

ISBN: 978-0-88776-803-3

Page Count: 160

Publisher: Tundra Books

Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 15, 2007

Categories:

CHILDREN'S HISTORY | CHILDREN'S RELIGION

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THE OLD SHEPHERD'S TALE

by Adapt. by Christopher Nye; Illus. by Henri SÃ¸rensen ‧ RELEASE DATE: Oct. 1, 2004

Light-infused paintings illustrate this tale with affection, and their peaceful simplicity provides a needed counterpoint to...

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A retelling of the Christmas story that teaches respect for animals.

Offering a new perspective on the legendary stable scene, Nye's tale emphasizes the holiness of the animals that were present at the birth of Jesus. In the old days, the story begins, people used animals instead of machinery, and cared lovingly for beasts because of their importance to humanity. One night, a donkey, a cow, and an ox witness the birth of Jesus in their stable, offering the child their manger and Sabbath hay. During that dreamlike night, they speak of the gifts they will bestow on the baby: milk, protection, and strength to carry the cross. The animals' old shepherd, half-asleep in the stable, marvels at his beasts' speech and wisdom. Over the years, the shepherd becomes the protector of animals, praising their compassionate, gentle natures, and proclaiming their holiness–and condemning those who would abuse them. Shortly before he dies, the shepherd receives a visit from an angel, who emphasizes the importance and values of these animals. They were blessed with particular powers, the angel explains, and humans who mistreat them will not be able to use their strength. Oddly, the angel seems to imply that only those animals present at the Nativity are due such respect.

Light-infused paintings illustrate this tale with affection, and their peaceful simplicity provides a needed counterpoint to the story’s wordiness and abrupt ending. (Picture book. 6-9)

Pub Date: Oct. 1, 2004

ISBN: 0-913098-85-X

Page Count: -

Publisher: N/A

Review Posted Online: May 23, 2010

Review Program: Kirkus Indie

Categories:

CHILDREN'S RELIGION

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GIVE ME LIBERTY!

THE STORY OF THE DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE

by Russell Freedman ‧ RELEASE DATE: Oct. 1, 2000

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If Freedman wrote the history textbooks, we would have many more historians. Beginning with an engrossing description of the Boston Tea Party in 1773, he brings the reader the lives of the American colonists and the events leading up to the break with England. The narrative approach to history reads like a good story, yet Freedman tucks in the data that give depth to it. The inclusion of all the people who lived during those times and the roles they played, whether small or large are acknowledged with dignity. The story moves backwards from the Boston Tea Party to the beginning of the European settlement of what they called the New World, and then proceeds chronologically to the signing of the Declaration. “Your Rights and Mine” traces the influence of the document from its inception to the present ending with Martin Luther King and the Civil Rights movement of the 1960s. The full text of the Declaration and a reproduction of the original are included. A chronology of events and an index are helpful to the young researcher. Another interesting feature is “Visiting the Declaration of Independence.” It contains a short review of what happened to the document in the years after it was written, a useful Web site, and a description of how it is displayed and protected today at the National Archives building in Washington, D.C. Illustrations from the period add interest and detail. An excellent addition to the American history collection and an engrossing read. (Nonfiction. 9-13)