Open Fire by Amber Lough

Seventeen-year-old Ekaterina Viktorovna (Katya) Pavlova lives in Petrograd, Russia where she works in a factory making the M1914 stick grenade, filling each one with 320 grams of TNT. Katya's father, Colonel Pavlova is at the front fighting the Germans while her brother Maxim Victorovich is at home recovering from his wounds. Katya had been attending university studying to be a chemist, but  had dropped out to help with the war effort.

On February 23, 1941, Masha Gubina, Katya's best friend convinces her to attend the women's march on Nevsky Prospeckt, Petrograd's main street. Katya is not keen to attend but she agrees. At the march, Katya encounters Sergei Fyodorovich Grigorev, a friend from university. Sergei is a Bolshevik. Katya, whose father is a colonel in the Imperial Army, has been taught to be loyal to the Tsar. Despit this, at Sergie's urging, Katya attends the march.

Socialists along with grandmothers, mothers and school girls begin chanting "Free the people. Free the workers! Free the bread!" Then suddenly the Cossacks, cavalry in the Imperial Army appear. The Cossack leader tells them to end the march and go home. When the marchers do not disperse, and someone throws a rock at the Cossack commander, the soldiers aim their rifles and open fire. Katya is horrified that Russians would fire on their own people.

Katya reveals to Sergei that she knows about the Tsar through her father's connections. This leads him to attempt to enlist Katya to pass on information about the Tsar to the Bolsheviks who want the Tsar to abdicate so they can form a socialist government to run the country. However, Katya, still loyal to the Tsar, refuses.

At home Katya discovers that Maxim has gambled away the money she saved to pay off his debts. Maxim had been at the front for two years when he was injured during a battle in October. Now home recovering, he has nightmares and can't sleep and spends his time gambling. He is unable to work because once employed he will be sent back to the front. As a last attempt, he decides to write their father to ask for a discharge. Maxim's debts leave Katya no choice but to supply Sergei and the Bolsheviks with information about the Tsar.

To this end, Katya attends a dinner at General Yudenich and Elena Stefanova's home. General Yudenich's son, Ilya was killed in action November 9, 1915. Katya secretly loved Ilya. They had spent their childhood together; he taught Katya about military rules, how to march, and how to hold a gun and saber. At the dinner Katya learns about Sergeant Bochkareva who wants to form a women's battalion to shame the Russian men who are fleeing the front. She has obtained permission from General Kerensky, the Minister of War to do so.

The Women's March ends up bringing down the government, forcing Tsar Nicholas II to abdicate and the forming of a moderate provisional government. In the factory, Katya begins making gas grenades filled with chloropicrin. Masha's father has now left to fight at the front as does Maxim, whose father refused to get him the discharge.

In May, Katya and Masha attend a rally for the Women's Battalion of Death at the Mariinsky Theatre. At first Katya refuses to go, but when a telegram from her father arrives announcing that Maxim has deserted, she relents. There is now no reason for her to remain at home, since Maxim will never return. At the women's rally, Katya is inspired by Bochkareva's rousing speech and signs up. When she tells Sergei, he is furious that she has joined, telling her that it only means more people will die. Katya is determined to remain loyal to the Tsar and save her beloved country. But as Katya first trains to become a soldier and then is sent to the front, the realities of war and life under the Tsar come to bear.

Discussion

Open Fire is a historical novel, set in 1917 Russia, that offers a portrayal of a very interesting and little known aspect of World War II, the Women's Battalion of Death. In this respect, Open Fire is similar to several other recent historical novels about Russia and the world wars. In the novels, Night Witches and Among The Red Stars, the Soviet Union's female bomber regiment infamously nicknamed "the night witches", is portrayed. In Open Fire, readers learn about the formation of an all women's battalion whose goal was to humiliate Russian men into joining the war effort. 

Maria Bochareva

The Women's Battalion was the brain child of Maria Bochareva, a peasant woman who had distinguished herself as a soldier in earlier years of the Great War. Bochareva was born in 1889 and had a difficult life prior to serving in the Great War. Her home life growing up was abusive and impoverished, and she was abused by both her first and second husband. She fled her second marriage to join the army in 1914, obtaining special permission from Tsar Nicholas Alexander. 

In 1917, Russian soldiers were deserting in large numbers due to poor morale. In a meeting with General Kerensky in May of 1917, Bochareva received permission to create a special women's unit. Her speech on May 21 resulted in two thousand women volunteering, of which only five hundred were chosen. They were rigorously trained and followed a strict code. The women carried a small capsule of  potassium cyanide to take if they were captured by German soldiers.

The Women's Battalion of Death fought valiantly but in the end they were betrayed by Russian soldiers who refused to help the battalion at the front. There was a great deal of opposition to the women soldiers. As author Amber Lough notes in her Author's Note at the back, the women's battalions were officially disbanded once the Bolsheviks, led by Vladimir Lenin came to power in Russia.

Lough does a good job of capturing life during the final days of Tsar Nicholas as Russia hurtled towards revolution. The novel covers a very short period of time, from February 23 to July 31, 1917. This period was the beginning of the end of Imperial Russia. During this time, Russia was involved in World War I, having been drawn into the war after Austria-Hungary declared war on Serbia, an ally of Russia. Russia had previously lost the Russo-Japanese War of 1904/05 and was ill-equipped and poorly trained. In addition the country was struggling with political and social unrest. Much of the population consisted of poor peasant farmers who had little representation in Russia's autocratic government. Cities were crowded and filthy. Factory strikes were common.

As World War I dragged on Russia began suffering tremendous causalities. By 1916, almost five million men had been killed, were missing, or prisoners of war. Russian soldiers lacked weapons, munitions and even proper clothing and boots. In some situations soldiers were sent into battle without weapons, told to scavenge weapons from dead soldiers. It was no surprise that morale was low and that  soldiers began to desert. It was in these circumstances that the Womens Battalion was formed.

In Open Fire, the story of Katya and the Women's Battalion touches on some of this through the experiences of the main character, Katya. Katya's father, a Colonel in the Imperial Army and their family are loyal to Tsar Nicholas II. With her mother having left the family years earlier and her father at the front fighting, Katya is determined to help with the war effort. To that end, Katya works in a munitions factory, having giving up studying chemistry at university. The work is dirty, tiring and pays poorly. A member of the upper class, Katya is working with women who are mostly peasants.

Her family's special status is first hinted at during the march when Katya thinks about how her family has "access to food stores not publicly available." Unlike other workers at the factory, Katya attends army wives' functions, such as Easter tea. She dresses up in beautiful gowns and pretends that life in Petrograd is going on as normal. Conditions in Petrograd and the civil unrest are only briefly hinted at. Readers are told, "The Tsar had put out a ration on bread, and since the city was already strained by three years of war and a bitter winter, the women were taking to the streets. I didn't blame the, given that the last loaf I'd bought had been gray, not white, and I'd had to wait in line for nearly an hour to get it." 

In contrast to Katya is her friend Sergei, also a former student and a Bolshevik, who believes revolution will bring about a "golden future" for Russia. "Once the Tsar abdicated and a socialist government took power, Russia's troubles would end. We'd all have what we needed, he said with conviction, and no one would be sponging their wealth off the backs of the poor. There would be equality and justice, for man and woman alike." But Katya believes "a revolution would be tart, biting back." 

Nevertheless, before she enlists, Katya finds herself conflicted over the war and her loyalty to the Tsar. She reluctantly agrees to supply Sergei with information about the Tsar and later on refuses to sabotage the Women's Battalion as he requests.

Katya enters the war determined to fight for Mother Russia. She wants Russia to win the war.But her war experiences, such as the death of her best friend Masha or bayoneting a man to death change Katya's perspective forever. After recovering from her wounds, Katya's view on the war, Russia and the revolution have changed. War does not solve problems. It doesn't solve the world's problems or a country like Russia's problems. She now understands why her brother Maxim deserted. "I wanted to find Maxim and tell him that I finally understood. He needed to find peace. There are worthy wars fought badly and unworthy ones fought well, and all of them are hell. They may save nations or break them, but they always take more than they give back." 

Unlike Sergei who remains a committed Bolshevik, Katya tells him, as they are setting up a chess game, that she will choose "Whichever side plays with the most honor." The novel ends with her determined to face the future with courage and hope.

The main strength of this novel is its portrayal of war. Lough, a U.S. Air Force veteran, was able to capture some of the terror and horror of World War I with her descriptive battle scenes. The novel's perspective is unique because it portrays women soldiers engaged in bloody battles at the Eastern Front. It portrays the gruesome ways soldiers die, the suffering and the debilitating effects of battle including the special risks the Women's Battalion encountered not just from enemy soldiers but their own men.

An interesting feature Lough has added into her story is a second story within a story; Katya recounts her father's telling of the legend of St. Olga of Kiev and her dealings with the Drevalians who murdered her husband, Igor. Before her conversion to Christianity, Olga is considered a true warrior queen who exacted a terrible revenge on the Drevalians for her husband's murder. As such St. Olga exemplifies the strong, dauntless Russian warrior: a fitting example for the daughter of a Russian officer and a soldier in the Women's Battalion.

Readers can learn more about the 1st Russian Women's Battalion in Lough's Author's Note at the back of the book. Maria Bochareva whose larger than life persona Lough attempted with some success to capture, is a historical figure few readers will know about. Bochareva was executed by the Red Army in 1920. She had worked to prevent the communist takeover of Russia and was seen as an "enemy of the people." Lough offers young readers Topics For Discussion section along with some recommendations to learn more about the events covered in her novel.

Maria Bochareva image: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maria_Bochkareva#/media/File:Bochkareva_Maria_LOC_ggbain_26866.jpg

Book Details:

Open Fire by Amber Lough
Minneapolis: Carolrhoda Lab        2020
255 pp.

Hiawatha and the Peacemaker by Robbie Robertson

Canadian musician Robbie Robertson tells the story of Hiawatha in this gorgeously illustrated picture book for children.

The story begins with Hiawatha losing his wife and three beautiful daughters when they are murdered by the evil Chief, Tadodaho. As Hiawatha recovers from his wounds, he can think only of revenge. Then one morning as the mist clears off the river waters, Hiawatha sees a man in a hand-carved stone canoe paddling towards him.

The strange person tells him he knows his pain and his loss. He has come to tell him of the "Great Law: Fighting among our people must stop. We must come together as one body, one mind, and one heart. Peace, power, and righteousness shall be the new way."

However, Hiawatha is doubtful as war and fear has always been the way the tribes have ruled. The stranger asks Hiawatha to accompany him to the land of the Mohawk to spread his message of peace. While his voice is soft and he does not speak well, he asks Hiawatha to speak for him. Hiawatha agrees.

Even though the white canoe was made of stone, they paddled off to Hiawatha's people, the Mohawk. With everyone, the Chief, the Elders and the Clan Mothers gathered around, the Peacemaker placed his hand on Hiawatha's back and Hiawatha was easily able to "speak his words". He tells the Mohawks that "Peace, power, and righteousness shall be the new way...All nations will become one family. Our people shall have one body, one mind, and one heart. This is the message of the Great Law."  

Although the Clan Mothers were in agreement, the War Chief wanted proof that this was true. So the Peacemaker and Hiawatha set off to the other nations, promising to "return with proof that our nations can join together."

And so Hiawatha along with the Peacemaker visited the Cayuga, the Seneca, the Oneida and the Mohawk nations with his message. With representatives from each of the nations, the Peacemaker and Hiawatha paddled to confront the Onondaga chief, Tadodaho. Can they convince Tadodaho to join the four nations and live in peace?

Discussion

Author Robbie Robertson, who is of  Cayuga and Mohawk heritage was often taken by his mother,  to the Six Nations Reserve near Brantford, Ontario. On one occasion, Robertson listened to a story in a longhouse, the traditional housing of the Haudenosaunee (Iroquois) Nation, told by an elder. It was the story of the Great Peacemaker and Hiawatha. This story made a lasting impression on the young Robertson, who hoped someday to tell stories as this elder did.

In this picture book for readers of all ages, Robertson retells that story accompanied by the magnificent, powerful illustrations of David Shannon. As Robertson indicates in his Author's Note at the back,  Henry Wadworth Longfellow's poem, Song of Hiawatha, does not tell the true legend of Hiawatha. It is instead a different story of another Indigenous person.

There are many variations of the legend of Hiawatha and the Great Peacemaker but the essence of the story is that these two worked together to bring peace to the warring Indigenous nations living around the Great Lakes. In addition, one cannot ignore the many spiritual elements to the legend, especially of a loving Creator who wanted his people to live in peace.

Hiawatha and the Great Peacemaker are believed to have lived before the First Contact with European peoples. At this time, the Cayuga, Mohawk, Oneida, Onondaga and Seneca were constantly at war. There was not only fighting between the tribes, but also within villages and within families. 

The Great Peacemaker, was also known as Deganawida, whose birth was foretold in a dream to his grandmother. He was raised by his mother and grandmother. When he grew to adulthood, he was convinced that he was to bring a message of peace from the Creator to their people. To begin his mission, Deganawida sailed across the lake in a white stone canoe to bring a message of peace to the various tribes. 

There are variations in the legend as to how they met. In Robertson's version, The Great Peacemaker met Hiawatha after the latter had lost his entire family as a result of a raid by the Onondaga chief,  Tadodaho. In other versions, the two meet well after the Great Peacemaker has begun his mission. However, the main storyline is that the Great Peacemaker travelled from nation to nation, spreading the message of peace known as the Great Law of Peace. This law forbade cannibalism, human sacrifice and black magic. Hiawatha and the Great Peacemaker eventually confronted Tadodaho, telling him about the Great Law. Tadodaho was so evil that it manifested itself in his appearance: he was ugly, dirty and had snakes in his hair. Hiawatha and the Great Peacemaker cured Tadodaho of his evil ways and his appearance changed; they combed the snakes out of his hair.

Their weapons of war where thrown into the hole where a large white pine tree had been uprooted and the tree was replanted with an eagle placed on top to watch for any threats to this peace. Today it is recognized that the Five Nations, which became the Six Nations Iroquois Confederacy with the addition of the Tuscarora nation in 1722, is the oldest participatory democracy on earth.

Robertson's telling of this remarkable story is beautifully enriched by the colourful illustrations of David Shannon. Shannon's artwork was painted using oils on hot press illustration boards. Included are a Historical Note providing some information about the legend of Hiawatha as well as an Author's Note which explains how Ronnie Robertson came to hear the story of Hiawatha and how it impacted his life.

Hiawatha and the Peacemaker is an excelling picture book to use as a starting point for learning about First Nations people, their culture and their oral tradition. Those who might want to learn more about the Haudenosaunee way of life can visit the Haudenosaunee Confederacy website.

 Image credit: https://www.nytimes.com/2016/11/09/books/robbie-robertson-of-the-band-tells-all-in-testimony.html

Book Details:

Hiawatha and The Peacemaker by Robbie Robertson
New York: Abrams Books for Young Readers   2015

The Tree Lady by H. Josephine Hopkins

The Tree Lady is a colourful picture book that tells the story of Katherine Olivia Sessions who grew up in the woods of Northern California. In the 1860's girls were not expected to be interested in science and the natural world but Kate was. Kate loved trees and felt at home in the woods.

In 1881, Kate graduated from the University of California with a science degree, something most women at this time did not do. She took a job as a teacher in San Diego, in southern California. At this time San Diego was a desert town with few trees. When Kate looked out of her classroom window over to City Park, she saw cattle grazing and a garbage pit. Kate decided to change that.

After two years, she left her teaching job and began to research the type of trees that would grow in San Diego's dry, hot desert climate. She wrote to gardeners all over the world requesting tree seeds. She travelled to Mexico to see the kinds of trees that survived there. She grew the seeds she received in a nursery and began planting trees throughout San Diego. People also bought trees from her nursery to plant in their yards.

By 1900, San Diego was a changed city. Kate continued to plant more trees especially in City Park which was now renamed Balboa Park, so that the park would be even more beautiful for the 1915 Panama-California Exposition. When the exposition opened, San Diego's beautiful gardens stunned visitors. Kate earned the title of the Mother of Balboa Park and received many awards for her beautification of the city.

 Discussion

The Tree Lady presents the life and work of Katherine Olivia Sessions, a horticulturalist whose foresight changed the city of San Diego from a desert city to one renowned for its trees.

Katherine Olivia Sessions was born on November 8th 1957 in San Francisco. Kate's family moved to a ranch in East Oakland in 1868. On the ranch Kate enjoyed the woods and rode her pony. She graduated from high school in Oakland in 1875 and then travelled to Hawaii (then known as the Sandwich Islands). In 1877, Kate was one of the first group of women allowed to study at the University of California at Berkley. She graduated in 1881 with a Bachelor of Science. 

 She accepted a teaching position at a primary school in Oakland and then moved to San Diego to teach at the Russ school.  After two years, Kate was invited to join her friends, Mr. and Mrs. Solon Blaisdell in purchasing and running the San Diego Nursery. This was the beginning of Kate's involvement in operating a number of nurseries and flower shops in the city. 

In 1892 she began to develop what would eventually be called Balboa Park. Kate leased land from the city in what was then called City Park, nothing more than a barren, dry mesa. In exchange, she promised to plant one hundred trees a year and to also provide trees for the city. It was at this time she also became the city gardener. By 1905, Kate had transformed the park into a lush, green park with many new types of trees. City Park became Balboa Park, a lush urban park.

Kate went on to teach school children about trees, shrubs and flowering plants and helped them in the school gardens. Kate Sessions, never married and died on March 24, 1940.

The Tree Lady is a biographical picture book that highlights a trailblazing woman who forged her own path at the turn of the 20th century. Kate Sessions developed a deep interest in trees and horticulture as a child. Her love of the natural world was likely considered "unfeminine" at a time when women were still encouraged to focus on domestic duties within the home. At this time it would have been unusual for a woman to earn an advanced degree in science and to work in her field of study.  Kate was fortunate to be able parlay her skill and knowledge into creating an urban park for the city of San Diego. Like most trailblazers, she had a unique vision and she worked to make it happen. Her story is one of perseverance and determination. Kate Sessions is a reminder to girls today, that their dreams are attainable.

Aiding in telling the story of Kate Sessions, are the vibrant green illustrations of Jill McElmurry which were rendered in gauche on 140 lb cold-pressed watercolor paper. These colourful panels give life to this story of a woman who in her own way made the city of San Diego a more vibrant and colourful place too!

Kate Sessions image: https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/75383463/katherine-olivia-sessions/photo#view-photo=62217475

Book Details:

The Tree Lady by H.Josephine Hopkins
New York: Beach Lane Books      2013

If You Want to Visit a Sea Garden by Kay Weisman

This exquisitely illustrated picture book explains a sea garden. Do you know what a sea garden is?

To visit a sear garden you need to get up early. They can only be seen when the tide is at its lowest in the early morning. After tying up the boat in a safe spot, walk along the beach.

You will be welcomed by the "symphony of clams" as they squirt out water. There are rocks covered in barnacles, "tiny creatures that live inside sharp shells."

At the edge of the water, reefs of stone built by the First Peoples over many years, create new places for sea life to make homes.

There is a wealth and great diversity of sea life here: whelks, kelp, hermit crabs, and sea cucumbers. The warm waters inside the stone reef are perfect for clams. Some of the stone walls have existed for generations, helping First Peoples feed their families and providing opportunities to connect with their community.

Discussion

If You Want To Visit A Sea Garden is a nonfiction juvenile book about the sea gardens created by First Nations people on the west coast of Canada. They are an ancient aquaculture technique created by Indigenous peoples. 

Sea gardens on the northwest coast have been dated by Canadian archeologists as having existed for at least 3500 years. Some gardens have been used for thousands of years. Sea gardens, also known as clam gardens create a greater area for clams to grow by expanding their shallow water beach habitat.  These gardens have been found throughout the entire stretch of the northwest coast, from the state of Washington, along the coast of British Columbia to Alaska.

Aerial view of a historic clam garden.

A clam garden is created by building a stone wall of boulders parallel to the low tide line, then backfilling to create an area where clams can safely grow. The garden is then regularly tended, raking to remove detritus from the sediment as well as clam predators such as star fish. Clam gardens allowed a variety of clams to thrive, and as larger clams were removed, younger clams were free to grow. Clams were an excellent source of nutrition for Indigenous peoples living along the northwest coast.

The artwork of renowned Indigenous artist, Roy Henry Vickers is truly the highlight of this informative children's book about a little known aspect of First People's culture.His colourful panels capture the beauty and serenity of the coast and the sea gardens. The illustrations, created digitally, incorporate some of the Vickers' well known features such a his signature suns and his use of bright clean colours.

Kay Weisman has also included a detailed More About Sea Gardens at the back which includes pictures for young readers.

If you'd like to know more about clam gardens, check out the clam garden network website. 

Image credit: https://www.cbc.ca/radio/quirks/august-3-2019-science-of-awe-blue-whales-and-sonar-chromosomes-and-sleep-and-more-1.5047142/clam-gardens-have-been-cultivated-by-indigenous-people-for-millennia-1.5047148

Book Details:

If You Want To Visit A Sea Garden by Kay Weisman
Groundwood Books/House of Anansi Press      2020

Bloom by Kenneth Oppel

Teenager Anaya Riggs is allergic to everything and she has acne. She is allergic to smoke, dust, tree and grass pollen, gluten, eggs and milk to name just a few. She carries EpiPens everywhere with her. She's constantly sneezing and her eyes are often swollen. Her father Michael is a botanist with the Ministry of Agriculture's experimental farm so Anaya knows a bit about plants. Her mother Lilah Dara is a pilot. 

One day, on her way home from school, Anaya notices a black shoot, almost a foot high, jutting out from a barren patch on her family's front lawn. She can't imagine what this strange plant might be since her father hasn't been able to ever grow anything on that patch of lawn.

Petra Sumner is allergic to water, a disorder called aquagenic urticaria. No one, even her specialist in Vancouver, B.C. seems to know how to help her. So after school one rainy day, Petra, encased and totally covered by her large umbrella, walks to Alicia Dumont's office to see if she can get a walk-in appointment. Dumont is a naturopath. However, because Petra isn't accompanied by her parents, she is refused an appointment. 

Walking home in the rain, Petra gets wet. But when she is picked up by her mom and taken home, she is shocked to see that the rain has not harmed her. She races outside to collect some of this amazing water.  Over the next day Petra wipes her face with the water she's saved and even drinks some of it.

Seth Robertson is now living on Mr. and Mrs. Antos broccoli farm. The Antoses are Seth's seventh family since his mother abandoned him as a baby. At first he hadn't helped out much on the farm, but today Seth decides to help the kindly Mr. Antos pull out the large black plants that have suddenly started growing between the rows. The towering plants are hard to cut down and Seth cuts his hands on the sharp spikes on the stalks.

The next morning Anaya and her father visit the Antos's farm to investigate the large black plants. Her father has no idea what these strange plants are. When they return home, they learn that the strange black plants are being reported all over the world. Meanwhile, Petra wakes up to discover that the water she collected and saved now seems to be growing black plants in it. She panics because she's been washing her face with the water and drinking it.

The next day as the black plants, now close to twelve feet high, begin to clog out their crop, Mr. Antos decides to burn it. The thick black smoke seems to go after the older man and he has to be taken to hospital. At a community meeting that night, no one seems to know what is happening but some suspect that the night's previous rain has had something to do with the appearance of the black grass. Petra brings forward the bottles of water she saved, explaining that black plants have sprouted in the water overnight. The meeting abruptly ends when the black plants outside begin spewing forth massive amounts of pollen, causing everyone to experience a serious allergic reaction. Only Anaya, Petra and Seth are not sneezing.

At school Anaya notices that the school field has no black grass. Puzzled she and her friends decide to bag some soil samples. Meanwhile at home that night, Anaya's mother who is a pilot, shows them pictures of Cordova Island at  the top of the Gulf Island Archipelago. Anaya's mother noticed while banking over the island, that the black grass on a small island in a marsh, is dying. Anaya's dad decides to travel to the island to investigate.  The next morning Anaya discovers the soil sample she bagged now has thick black vines growing out of it and up their house. On the vines are flowers that trap and eat birds.

The true nature of the empty field at school is revealed when Anaya and her friends watch a deer suddenly pulled into a pit that has opened in the ground. Ignoring Anaya's warnings, some of her classmates run out onto the field only to fall into other pits. Soon Anaya, Seth and Petra find themselves trapped as well. The pits are giant plants that spray a mist which numbs their victims and then release acid to burn and digest them. The three teens are able rescue their classmates who are badly injured, but they are mysteriously unharmed. In the hospital, Anaya, Petra and Seth begin to realize they are different. Seth points out that they are not allergic to the plants, and the plant mist and acid did not affect them. When Petra talks about how she was born with a tail, Seth reveals that he was born with bony growths on his arms that look like feathers.

From this point on, conditions on Salt Spring Island begin to rapidly deteriorate. The power goes out and Petra and her mother are almost trapped by a gigantic pit plant that swallows their car, while Anaya and her mother are almost killed by the black vines while they were sleeping. Seth discovers that the black vines have overtaken the Antos farmhouse, killing Mrs. Antos in her bed.

Because they were largely unharmed by the pit plants, all three teens are brought to the local hospital by CSIS. Dr. Stephanie Weber, a scientist from CSIS wants to study Anaya, Petra and Seth to find out why they seem to be immune to the effects of the plants. She reveals that the plants are not from Earth but are cryptogenic or alien and that this information is not yet common knowledge. Dr. Weber tells them their planet is being invaded and colonized. 

The three teens are taken by helicopter to a military base near Stanley Park, on Deadman's Island. While Anaya and Petra's mothers are not allowed to accompany them, Carlene Lee, Seth's appointed guardian is. Testing reveals the true nature of Anaya, Petra and Seth. Their mixture of alien and human DNA is evidenced by the changes all three are experiencing in their bodies. They also learn their are others  just like them. As they set out to rescue Anaya's father who hasn't been heard from, it becomes increasingly apparent  that humanity's survival may depend on understanding the changes they are experiencing and how they came to be.

Discussion

Bloom is the first book in a trilogy by well respected Canadian author, Kenneth Oppel. Bloom is a sort of cross between The Day of the Triffids and Invasion of the Body Snatchers, a mixture of science fiction and horror in the tradition of classic sci-fi writer John Wyndham.

Oppel employs a great deal of foreshadowing in his novel, providing his readers hints of events to come. For example, medical tests reveal that Anaya, Petra and Seth are part alien. That they are different is evident early in the novel when the three teens not only are not allergic to the black plants but Anaya and Petra begin to lose their own serious allergies. Anaya's acne and allergies begin to subside almost immediately after the rain and she begins to feel strong, excelling at gym. "She'd even done gym today...What was most amazing was the high jump. Usually she just crashed through the bar, but this time she cleared it, even after Mr. Hilborn raised it twice. It was like she'd finally figured out how to use her legs. They felt strong as they pushed her into the air...."  Petra who is highly allergic to water, finds the rainwater healing and invigorating.

Soon the changes become more pronounced with Anaya's toenails turning black and jagged like claws, Petra shedding scaly skin like a snake molting and re-growing the tail she was born with, and Seth re-growing feathers out of his arms. These changes all foreshadow the revelation that they are half alien and are undergoing some kind of internal physiological change. This is just one of the many ways Oppel builds tension and suspense in his novel. The reader begins to suspect that Anaya, Petra and Seth are connected to the black plants in some way that is not yet apparent.

Oppel quickly sets the stage as the invasion overwhelms the planet: crops are overrun, power fails, people are encased in black vines as they sleep, clogging their nose and mouth, and pit plants that lure animals to their death with beautiful red berries. The author keeps his readers engaged as the novel races along from one terrifying event to the next. After saving some of their classmates from the pit plants, Anaya, Petra and Seth accompany a rescue mission led by Dr. Weber to find Anaya's father. But this too goes terribly wrong, with the plants taking down their helicopter and attempting to kill everyone. This event allows the characters the opportunity to demonstrate that their changing bodies are enabling them to successfully fight back the alien plant and animal invaders.

Just when the reader has hope that humans are getting the upper hand by using the bacterial spray that successfully targets the black plants, Oppel throws in the cliffhanger, a second rain not of water but of eggs that hatch!

The characters in the story are realistic and well developed with typical teenager fears and struggles. Anaya and Petra used to be best friends but Anaya's betrayal by revealing Petra's secret, destroyed their friendship. Anaya with her acne wants to be beautiful like Petra, while Petra fears losing her looks because she is afraid of what this might mean for her in the future. Oppel also reveals how each character is coping with the changes they are undergoing. Of the three, Petra is the one most afraid of what she might be turning into, something that no doubt will be addressed in the next book.

Bloom is one of the better science fiction novels to come out in recent years and will appeal to a wide audience. Ironically, some of the behaviours of minor characters and situations mirror the current pandemic situation, even though this novel was penned before the pandemic. It is well written, thrilling and very suspenseful. A great start to this new trilogy!

Book Details

Bloom by Kenneth Oppel
Toronto: HarperCollins Publisher Ltd.      2020
313 pp.

A Bowl Full of Peace by Caren Stelson

"Itadakhimasu. (EE-TAH-DAH-KEE-MAHS)
traditionally spoken before eating a meal, this Japanese word means "we humbly receive this food."

A Bowl Full of Peace is based on the true story of Sachiko Yasui, who was six-years-old when the atomic bomb was dropped on Nagasaki.

 In Sachiko's family,grandmother's  green leaf bowl has passed mother to daughter countless times. No one is sure how old it is.At dinner every evening the green leaf bowl is placed on the table. Sachiko, her mother and father, two brothers and baby sister eat the delicious food it contains. Before eating, Sachiko and her family say "Itadakhimasu".

Then war comes to Nagasaki, with soldiers marching in the streets, weapons being made and families losing loved ones. As time passes, the green leaf bowl is still placed on the table when Sachiko and her family have dinner. But over the months and years, the bowl contains less and less food. Udon noodles, squid and eel are replaced with mackerel and broth, and then wheat balls in boiled water. Still Sachiko and her family including little sister Misa and Toshi say "Itadakhimasu"

War comes closer and closer. Finally one summer day, August 9th, the air raid sirens go off. Sachiko and her family rush to the air raid shelter, leaving the green leaf bowl in their home. When the all clear sounds, Sachiko and her friends decide to play outside. But they do not notice the bomber high in the sky.Suddenly there is a horrible blast. When the blackness clears, Sachiko and her family are stunned. Sachiko, her mother and father, her brothers Aki and Ichiro, and sister Misa survive. But the blast has killed little Toshi.

As fires burn throughout the city during the day and into the next, Sachiko's father decides the family must leave Nagasaki. As they leave the city they see many people suffering. In a small hospital outside of Nagasaki, first Aki and then Ichiro sicken and die. Then Sachiko and Misa and their parents become ill. 

Two years later Sachiko and her family return to Nagasaki. When her father digs through the ruins of their demolished home, he finds grandmother's green bowl. It is completely undamaged. Once again the family begins using the bowl to serve their family meal, saying "Itadakhimasu". When the following summer arrives, on August 9th, Sachiko's mother fills the bowl with ice to remember how the ice quenched their burning thirst when they were sick from the bomb.

Over the next ten years both Sachiko's sister Misa and her father die from sickness caused by the bomb. Still Sachiko and her mother continue to remember the dead every year on August 9th. Eventually Sachiko's mother dies. Fifty years after the dropping of the atomic bomb on Nagasaki, Sachiko decides she must speak out and she begins talking to children in schools so that no one ever die again from war and a bomb like that dropped on Nagasaki.

Discussion

A Bowl Full of Peace is based on the experiences of Sachiko Yasui who survived the atomic bomb detonated on the city of Nagasaki on August 9th, 1945. The author, Caren Stelson visited Nagasaki numerous times and interviewed Sachiko for her book, Sachiko: A Nagasaki Bomb Survivor's Story which was published in 2016. During her conversations with Sachiko, Stelson learned about the green leaf bowl her grandmother had and she knew that Sachiko's story could also be told from this point of view.

Sachiko was only six years old at the time of the atomic bombing of Nagasaki. The bomb was dropped shortly after 11am on a hot summer morning. Sachiko was playing house with  a group of five children in her neighborhood of Mezame-machi when the bomb was detonated. They had just returned from an air raid alarm and were playing two doors down from Sachiko's home when they heard the engines of an airplane. All the children lay down on the ground. Suddenly there was a brilliant flash and then they all felt an enormous blast sweep over them. The five children were buried in the debris of houses that were blown over them.

Eventually Sachiko and the other four children were dug out of the dirt and debris by her uncle, mother and other adults. However, Sachiko was the only child to survive; the other children had suffocated from breathing in so much dirt. They fled to a nearby mountain. Soon the mountain area was filled with injured people, some with serious burns and skin hanging off in strips. Sachiko and her family met her fourteen year old brother who had been badly burned on one side, her ten-year-old brother who had been on the mountain and seemed unhurt but who had unknown at this time, been exposed to a large amount of radiation. Her younger sister Misa also seemed uninjured but her youngest brother had died in the explosion .

Soon Sachiko and her family began to sicken. Her older brother became feverish, while her younger brother who had thought he was fine, began vomiting. Sachiko also felt weak. That night they travelled to Shimabara, with Sachiko's mother carrying Misa on her back, while her father carried her oldest brother, with her second oldest brother walking. Eventually the family had to take the oldest brother to the hospital in Shimabara while the rest of the family went to stay with relatives on a farm.

It wasn't long before the entire family became ill. Nothing was known at this time about radiation poisoning but all began to show signs of this poisoning. On August 20, Sachiko's second oldest brother - the one who thought he had been saved - passed away. Meanwhile her oldest brother continued to get sicker and he died in hospital on September 1. Sachiko's aunt and uncle also died from radiation poisoning soon after.

Then Sachiko became sick with fever, loss of appetite, and sores. She began to recover slowly. Now only her younger sister and herself remained along with their parents.Life was very hard, with little food and no real shelter. In 1954, Sachiko's younger sister passed away from leukemia.In 1961, Sachiko's father died from liver disease. Sachiko herself developed thyroid cancer but survived. Her mother died forty years after the bombing from leukemia. At this point in her life, Sachiko knew she wanted to work for peace so that wars like the one that resulted in the atomic bombings of Nagasaki and Hiroshima would never happen again.

To that end, Stelson using the story of a family heirloom, a green leaf bowl passed down through Sachiko's family to tell her story. Through the picture book format, young readers can learn about how war creates so much suffering. A Bowl Full of Peace offers readers the opportunity to learn about World War II and specifically the war in the Pacific between Japan and its neighbors and the United States. Stelson's text is simple and straightforward and is accompanied by full page digitally created illustrations by Akira Kusaka. 

Stelson has included a detailed Author's Note at the back as well as an Illustrators Note (written in English and Japanese) and a list of Recommended Books.

Book Details:

A Bowl Full of Peace by Caren Stelson
Minneapolis: Carol Rhoda Books    2020
(eBook version)

The Boy At The Back Of The Class by Onjali Q. Rauf

"I don't think any of us had ever heard a story like it before. And as sad and as scary as it was, it was even sadder and scarier because it wasn't just a made up story from one of our reading books. It was all real. Ahmet had survived everything his pictures had shown us and was here. With us. Knowing that made me feel sorry and proud and scared for him all at once; but most of all, it made me want to tell him he was definitely the bravest person the bravest person I knew."

The Boy At The Back Of The Class is a sweet story about acceptance, friendship, kindness and refugees. 

****Spoiler Alert: the identity of the narrator is not revealed until the last chapter, but I've decided to use the narrator's name in my post.

A young student, Alexa who is nine-years-old lives with her mom, a librarian in a flat in London, England. Alexa lost her father three years earlier in a car crash and now worries the memory of her beloved father is slipping away.

On the third Tuesday, after school has started again, a new student arrives in Alexa's class. Although her teacher, Mrs. Khan introduces the boy as Ahmet, she doesn't tell the class anything about him. Alexa notes that Ahmet, quiet and shy, has eyes like those of a lion, and she notices his tattered red backpack.

Almost immediately, Alexa, who has three best friends, Tom, Josie and Michael, decides to befriend Ahmet, but there are few opportunities to actually talk to him as he's not out for recess and he isn't around at lunch.

After school rumours abound, with Alexa's classmate, Jennie stating that Ahmet was likely dangerous and couldn't come out during break. But when he reappears at the end of the day, Alexa can't resist in running over to Ahmet and offering him a candy she's been saving for him. 

Rumours continue to swirl; he has a contagious disease, his family are super-rich and have sent him to the school for protection. But it is from two parents gossiping that Alexa overhears that Ahmet is a "refugee kid". That night she tells her mother what she's overheard and wants to know what being a refugee kid means. Alexa's mother explains that refugees are people who are forced to flee from their homes, often leaving everything they own and even the people they love, behind. 

The next day in school Ahmet has Ms. Hemsi to help him. After school, Alexa and friends approach Ahmet with treats. They learn from Ms. Hemsi that Ahmet is from Syria and speaks Kurdish. Alexa is thrilled when she sees Ahmet taking a bite from the apple she's given him. But she's also very worried, because Brendan-the-bully has been watching Ahmet. And the very next day, Brendan does bully Alexa and her friends as they play football with Ahmet. Fortunately Ms. Khan comes to their rescue. 

Ahmet experiences more bullying at school and gets into a fight with Brendan, when Alexa attempts to give him a pomegranate at lunch hour. In an attempt to help his classmates understand what he's been through, Ahmet gives a little presentation before the half term holiday. He tells the class that he is a refugee from Syria, whose family fled because of war. Ahmet reveals that his family travelled over mountains and rivers, carrying their cat, suitcases and his little sister. However, in a drawing of the boat they used to cross a big sea, the cat and his sister are missing. Ahmet's drawing of their life in Greece, living in a tent with people from Afghanistan, Pakistan and Eritrea show only himself and his father. Alexa figures his mother is sleeping in one of the tents. His journey continued to France and finally to England. 

After hearing Ahmet's story and seeing the pictures he drew, Alexa has many questions. She wonders where his sister and mother are and what happened to his cat.When Alexa brings Ahmet one of her Tintin books to read, she discovers they have a similar love of the character. This prompts Ahmet to share that he doesn't know where his dad is, that he might be in France and that his sister Syrah is "in the sea" and that his mum is sick somewhere. This information deeply upsets Alexa and she's unable to sleep that night.

However that changes when Alexa overhears a man and woman talking on the bus on her way to school the next morning. The man indicates that the government is planning to close the border by the end of the month. Alexa is upset because she believes that this means unless Ahmet can find his mother and father before the border closes, he will never see them again. At school she tells her friends what she overheard, breaking her promise to Ahmet to keep the details of his family a secret. They decide to tell their teachers, Mrs.Khan and Ms. Hemsi. Although their teachers attempt to reassure them that everything is being done to help Ahmet, Alexa and her friends remain unconvinced. Together they begin to brainstorm ideas and form plans. Then Alexa has the "Greatest Idea In the World", a plan that involves skipping school, taking the train, and the Queen! But will it work? Can they help Ahmet find his parents and be reunited?

Discussion

 The Boy At The Back Of The Class tackles the difficult and complex issue of refugees. Since the author Onjali Q. Rauf resides in England, this topic is approached from a British point of view.

The novel is based on the Syrian refugee crisis which began in March of 2011, when the government of Bashar al-Assad attempted to put down peaceful demonstrations - called the Arab spring- against his government. Millions of Syrians fled the country, to neighbouring Turkey, Lebanon, and Jordan. Many fled further, across the Mediterranean Sea into Europe and the United Kingdom. This journey was dangerous and thousands of refugees are known to have perished, including little three-year-old Alan Kurdi, whose body was photographed on a beach in Turkey. With the overwhelming number of refugees, many people in Europe were not welcoming and calls came to close borders.

In The Boy At The Back Of The Class, Ahmet is young refugee from Syria who has arrived in England without his family. While many of his classmates are curious about him, they remain distant. But one young girl decides to reach out and be his friend. When she learns his story, Alexa decides to try and help. Through the various characters in the novel, author Onjali Q. Rauf portrays how people view refugees.

The character of Alexa is open-minded, compassionate and empathetic. She immediately wants to befriend Ahmet, knowing that her friends will do the same.  "After all, having four new friends would be much better than having none. Especially for a boy who looked as scared and as sad as the one now sitting at the back of our class." Alexa, who we learn is of mixed heritage with her mum being born in Indonesia and her father from Austria, is puzzled over people who don't like those who are different.

"The Deep Thought my brain had found was wondering how anyone could be scared of me just because I didn't look like them.Everyone in school looks different and likes different things --and has parents who come from all kinds of different places...I like looking like I have a suntan, and I like everyone being different. It would be too boring if everyone was exactly the same as each other."

The novel is populated with plenty of characters who are not friendly towards the refugees. There is Brendan-the Bully who torments Ahmet at school, Mr. Irons an upper level teacher who doesn't intervene to help Ahmet when he's being bullied, Alexa's Aunt Christina who complains about the benefits refugees receive and even neighbours who are not happy about Alexa's actions in helping Ahmet. The author highlights some of the objections towards refugees and repudiates them through her characters. For example, best friend and classmate Josie tells Alexa and their friends, " 'But my dad said Refugee Kids are dangerous, and that they lie and steal things,' said Josie, looking confused. He told me to stay away from the new boy and not to talk to him, because he was probably a criminal."  However Alexa and Josie's friends, Michael and Tom reveal that their parents told them to be nice to the new boy. This causes Josie to rethink what her father has told her. "She didn't say anything, but I knew she was thinking that her dad must have made a mistake. There was no way the new boy could be dangerous or a criminal -- not when he was the same size as us and had just run away from bullies and a real war."

Through the character of Ahmet, the author shows the humanity of refugees. As Alexa and her classmates get to know Ahmet better, they see he is a kid just like them, one who likes to play football and who has a favourite food. The author also invites her readers to consider what it might be like to lose everything, your home, clothing, a favourite pet and a beloved sibling while fleeing from people trying to kill you. Rauf also points out, through Alexa's family history, that many of us were once refugees or newcomers to countries like Canada, the United Kingdom and America.

The Boy At The Back Of The Class is a thoughtful treatment of the refugee situation, encouraging young readers to think about what it might be like for someone like themselves to lose everything and have to flee their home. This novel is a good starting point for younger readers to learn about Syria, Middle Eastern culture and the conditions that brought about the refugee crisis. Readers don't know the identity of the narrator until the very end of the novel, although there are hints that it is a girl, but her name is never mentioned.

Since the author is British, young readers may also encounter an entire vocabulary they are not familiar with, for example,  jumper for sweater, rubber for eraser and "takes the register" is a phrase for taking attendance. There are a few quirks in the novel, for example Alexa and her mother do not own a home computer and use an atlas to look up the location of Syria, and pomegranates are a fruit that can be found in any large grocery store in Canada but apparently not so in London.

Book Details:

The Boy At The Back Of The Class by Onjali Q. Rauf
London, England: Orion Children's Books     2018
297 pp.