I have said this in the past but I need to say it again. I love the discovery of books translated into English. The process is so serendipitous. Just think about the way these books pass through so many gate keepers before reaching a different language audience.
A good day for Climbing Trees was originally written in Afrikaans (see covers below). The English translation is by Kobus Glendenhuys. I don’t remember where is saw this book mentioned but I had it on my to read list and recently I added it to a book order. I am so glad I did.
Leila is an activist. She wants to save a tree in the local park. Manus, who feels invisible in his family, is drawn into her passion. Both of them sit in the tree refusing to move when the council bulldozers arrive. Manus is patient with Leila but her true reasons for wanting to save this tree seem hard to unravel. Leilia’s Mum is supportive but Leila barely acknowledges her. The bowling club caretaker is kind, he brings coffee and drinks and keeps his eye on them although we don't discover why until the final scene. Mrs Merriman, who lives nearby is also very supportive. She believes people should fight for important causes such as saving this tree. Then the media and local greenies get involved and things begin to go badly wrong.
This book will surprise you. It is packed with real emotion, real honesty and two very real kids. Take a look at the trailer. This would be a terrific book to use with a middle grade class studying government. Here are some teacher notes.
No comments:
Post a Comment