‘Paperboy’ a simple tale> 16th century America setting for ‘Sees Behind Trees’

Editor’s Note: Each month, the children’s librarians at Bangor Public Library offer a selection of old classics and new favorites designed to encourage reading and provoke thought in young readers. The books may be purchased at local bookstores or found at your local library.

Preschool-kindergarten

THE PAPERBOY, by Dav Pilkey, Orchard Books, 1996, hardcover, 32 pages, $15.99.

With such books as “Kat Kong,” “The Hallo Wiener” and “Dog Breath,” Dav Pilkey, a self-proclaimed class clown, has won the reputation for producing gleeful, pun-filled texts punctuated with exuberant artwork.

His latest picture book, “The Paperboy” (as well as 1996’s “God Bless Gargoyles”), is a departure of mood and style. The story is quite simple. A young boy and his dog rise early, creep downstairs, eat breakfast, pack up the papers and take off, the boy on his bike and the dog trotting behind. They deliver the papers on a route they know by heart, and as the dawn rises and the town wakes, they speed home to climb back into bed.

What makes this picture book exceptional is the text and illustrations blending beautifully together to capture that elusive feeling of the pre-dawn worker. The gentle words and the brilliant use of light, both natural and artificial, take the reader on a peaceful journey.

“The Paperboy” is an artistic tribute to paper carriers everywhere.

Grades 1-3

JACK TRACTOR, by Keren Ludlow and Willy Smax, Crown Publishing, 1995, hardcover, 60 pages, $19.95.

In five short chapters Benny the Tow Truck and Mike McCannick help Carmen Gear, Frances Ford Popular, Roland Royce, Jack Tractor, Morton the Motorcycle and Alfie Romeo in various automotive mishaps and mayhem at Smallbills Garage and along Wrench Road.

Like Virginia Lee Burton’s Mary Anne the Steam Shovel and Katy the Snow Plow, these machines have faces and can talk. With wit and humor these British authors bring back characters reminiscent of an earlier time. Great fun to share with children and grandchildren.

Grades 4-6

SEES BEHIND TREES, by Michael Dorris, Hyperion Books, New York, 1996, hardcover, 104 pages, $14.89.

As a rite of passage, Walnut, a young American Indian, proves his keen sense of hearing counters his poor eyesight, and he is given the adult name Sees Behind Trees. As he struggles to come to terms with the transition from boy to man, Sees Behind Trees is asked by Gray Feather, an elderly warrior, to assist him in searching for a mysterious and majestic land of beauty that he had not been able to find since his first visit there as a youth. The two embark on the journey and meet with adventure, danger and tragedy.

With lyrical, spare words, Sees Behind Trees, his family and community are revealed. The inner struggles of the 16th century American resonate with timelessness and give moving glimpses of the human heart. Beautifully crafted, the story joins Dorris’ “Morning Girl” and “Guests” in offering rich encounters with the dignity and philosophy of American Indian culture.

Young adult

GIRL NAMED DISASTER, by Nancy Farmer, Orchard Books, N.Y., 1996, hardcover, 306 pages, $20.99.

A young girl named Nhamo survives a long journey from Mozambique to Zimbabwe to escape a bad situation. Nhamo is blamed for the illnesses and deaths that occur in her village and is cursed as a witch. In an attempt to ward off the bad spell, the muvaki, a medical specialist who deals with causes of death, decides Nhamo must marry the brother of a man her father had killed. Her Ambuya (grandmother) encourges her to leave the village to find her father. As she travels, Nhamo listens to the voices of her Ambuya, her dead mother and her ancestors, and to her own inner voice, as they aid her in enduring physical hardships and the pain of being alone.

There is an interesting history and summary of the belief system of the people of Zimbabwe and Mozambique in the back of the book. Nancy Farmer’s experiences as an entomologist and lab technician help her give detailed descriptions of Africa and the experiences Nhamo suffered. Having lived in Africa with the Shona people for 17 years with her husband, Tom, Farmer was among those in the village who believed shaves (wandering spirits) possess a person and teach them a skill. Nancy Farmer must have been possessed to become a storyteller.