This month (like most months, honestly) I was not able to read very many books, only those I had to read for my college courses. However, one of those courses is Exploring Childhood Literature. In March, we read two books, This is Where it Ends by Marieke Nijkamp and Day of Tears by Julius Lester, and I thought I would post my thoughts about these books. These reviews are spoiler-free.
This is Where it Ends, Marieke Nijkamp
Rating: 2/5
When I read this novel, we were asked to view it from a teacher’s point of view, as well as a student’s point of view, to determine if this book is one that would be beneficial to teach in a middle/high school curriculum. With that in mind, I would say, sure, this book is a good one to teach if you are covering realistic fiction and want any book that fits that genre. It does capture the events of a school shooting, which is an important subject to talk about in today’s social climate. However, that’s pretty much where my love for this book stopped. That’s not to say it was bad; however, I felt as though it did not realistically depict all of the actions and emotions one might face during a traumatic event like a school shooting. I felt that a lot of the characters lacked emotional depth, and some of the events and actions character’s take in the novel did not make much sense.
Day of Tears, Julius Lester
Rating: 3.5/5
Just like the previous book, we were asked to look at this book in terms of it’s educational value. This one I liked a lot better that This is Where it Ends, though it is an entirely different genre. This historical fiction would be a great addition to any classroom (of the appropriate age, of course) that is teaching about slavery in America. Based on the country’s largest slave auction, Lester does a great job at incorporating the factual with the fictional and offering different perspectives of characters from all walks of life. I thought this novel was done pretty well though it was geared toward a younger audience than myself. I thought some parts were a little cliche or dramatic, but it was overall a good book. It depicts a different side of slavery, and is not gory or overly violent. It will make you uncomfortable at times, but I think that’s the point. For my current tastes, it is not one that I would read again even though I did like it.
