“Summer is over.” These are the first words of the haunting book Almost Autumn. But it’s not just summer that’s over. It’s life. Jewish lives. Almost Autumn takes place in 1942 Norway. Germany is in control, and they are beginning to round up all the Jews of the city. This is bad for the main character, Ilse Stern, and her family, who are all Jewish. It’s bad for Ilse’s friend, Hermann Rod, who’s working in the resistance. It’s bad for all of Norway. It’s bad for all of the world. I’ve always been interested in World War II, partly because I’m half Jewish. My ancestors died in the Holocaust. It doesn’t keep me from reading all about these horrible events, though. It’s gruesome, but it’s also interesting. Intriguing. I was especially drawn to the Jewish characters in this book. There were three main ones: Ilse, her father, Isak, and her sister, Sonja. Isak and Sonja are both taken to a concentration camp midway through the book, which was actually something I hadn’t seen a lot before. Most Holocaust books I’ve read were about the resistance or Jews hiding from the Nazis. Very few ventured into what it was like to be in a concentration camp. An interesting thing about Almost Autumn is that it was originally written in Norwegian, but translated into English. This makes the language even more strange and beautiful, but it’s not choppy or hard to understand. I actually didn’t find out that it was a translation until after I’d read the book, and it totally surprised me. One of my favorite things about this book was that it switched perspectives. There was Ilse’s perspective, that of a Jewish girl hiding from the Nazis; Hermann’s perspective, that of a boy empowered to resist; Sonja’s perspective, that of a girl holding her whole family together in the worst of times; Isak’s perspective, that of a man who could not save his loved ones. And, my personal favorite: the perspective of the Sterns’ neighbor, Ole Rustad, who is wracked with guilt over his work as a cab driver for the Nazis. Another thing was the beautiful description. Everything is metaphorical, representing something deeper. The language is beautiful and poetic. Marianne Kaurin has crafted a haunting and lovely book, telling five different closely entwined stories that perfectly blend together to create the work of art that is Almost Autumn. In conclusion, this book is one of the best I’ve ever read. It dives deep into many perspectives of the Holocaust, exploring each story with hauntingly beautiful language. If you are interested in the Holocaust and World War II, like me, this is the book for you. Almost Autumn by Marianne Kourin, translated by Rosie Hedger. Arthur A. Levine Books, 2017. Buy the book here and support Stone Soup in the process! Have you read this book? Or do you plan on reading it? Let us know in the comments below!
Special Feature: Kids React to Gun Violence
Sometimes at Stone Soup we receive several submissions that have to do with the same topic. Over the past weeks, we’ve received several related to gun violence, most notably school shootings and police brutality. In light of the shooting in Santa Fe, Texas today, Friday, May 18, 2018, we’ve decided to publish a selection of these sadly relevant pieces online. Drawing by William Drewes, 13 There is a lockdown on October 23, 2015. by Aidan McClure, 7 Lullaby by Rebecca Beaver, 13 Seventeen Graves by Kate Kuan, 11 Plus, a reminder to read our March blog piece, 5 Ways Children Can Make a Difference by Lucy Regnier Kline There is a lockdown on October 23, 2015. by Aidan McClure, 7 It was very scary! We had to hide in the coatroom for an hour and a half. Everybody was freaking out except for me, you know, because I am writing this. The police needed to give us an emergency early dismissal but not the good kind. Some people hid under their desks. We didn’t get to have lunch at school. The people who are working on the track left early. Mrs. Fitzgerald turned on Johnny Appleseed. Someone named Madison is writing about this to remember. I said I wasn’t afraid. Well now I am. Hu hu hu hu. That’s me breathing loud. I do that when I’m scared. I’m pretty sure everybody is terrified, even our fish is terrified. I will never forget this day. They’ll probably make my mom leave early too. I can’t wait until I get home and by the way I am still hu hu hu huing. They are starting to call the buses now thankfully. Some people think that they are going to die. Back to top Lullaby by Rebecca Beaver, 13 This little boy Shot dead- 17 Got into an “altercation” His killer claimed self defense And got away free Florida 2012 That’s where it went down This little boy Hood pulled up Iced tea in hand Skittle in back pocket A figure, observing from inside a van Zimmerman— I’m not even sure he was a man Called the police Said he was afraid Of the little boy Was ordered “Stay put. Keep away.” Wait. Soon the world would know their fate He didn’t Slowly slithered out of his van Stalked the little boy’s way Stared In his eyes So bright, so full of life Suddenly, the “man” Reached for his gun—the bullets… BANG. BANG. BANG. BANG. Tore through him Dressed in red— Alone, the little boy died Hood pulled up Bright eyes dull Light; gone No one seems to care He’s gone, his killer free He becomes a symbol Of injustice Gun violence Police brutality But when all is said And all is done He was just a little boy Loved by a mother Who doesn’t want a symbol She wants her son Here, safe, alive She wishes with all her heart She had been able to tell him she loves him Say goodbye And sing her son Her poor, sweet baby A lullaby. Back to top Seventeen Graves by Kate Kuan, 11 A terrible loss on Valentine’s day Students and teachers dead in the fray How did so many lives end this way Because no one saw the signs He aspired to murder and told others so Through an Instagram profile that showed he was a foe But no one noticed and no one would know No one saw the signs Cruz was nineteen, and passed a background check Nobody knew he would take a trek To a school where his expulsion was put into effect Nobody saw the signs Seventeen gravestones ringed with wreaths Because bullets were shot from their metal sheathes Each grave for a person who no longer breathes Because no one saw the signs Back to top
The Iliad, Reviewed by Che Amaral, 12
I like books that are about football, basketball, and fantasy. My dad was tired of me reading the same genres over and over again, though. So he gave me The Iliad by Homer. The Iliad is thousands of years old. It is a famous Greek myth. The Iliad takes place in and around Troy, an ancient city. The version that I read, by Gillian Cross, has illustrations for me to not get confused with all the characters. There are so many characters! There are gods and goddesses like Zeus, Apollo, Aphrodite, Hera, Chrysies, and others. They act like humans. They take sides and they argue with each other. The Greeks are one side of the famous war. They are Achilles, Agamemnon, Ajax, and Patroclus, etc. The Trojans are on the other side of the famous war, like Dolon, Aeneas, Hector, etc. The chapter books that I read usually have one main character. Harrison, in one of my favorite books, Unstoppable, loves football and never gives up. Harry Potter, in Harry Potter, always wants to go on adventures. In The Iliad, I’m not sure who the main character is. There are Gods, Trojans, and Greeks. I do not really know which character to follow. It might be Achilles. He and Hector finally fight. Achilles kills Hector. Hector’s dad, King Priam, kindly asks Achilles for his son’s body so he can give him a proper funeral. Instead, Achilles ties Hector to his chariot and drags him on the sand all the way back to camp. JERK! I like stories with positive themes. For example, courage, not giving up, overcoming fear, being the best you can be, and trust. I don’t really like the Iliad because it is full of betrayal. Helen, a Greek wife, wanted to get captured to be with Paris, a handsome Trojan prince. So she cheats on her husband, Menelaus. That is how the famous and mythical Greek-Trojan war started. Just over a woman. A WOMAN! The Iliad is just full of killing, betrayal, bad attitude, and bad energy. It was not a calm story. It does not even have an ending. I don’t even know what side won because Homer did not tell me. But what I do like about the book are the names, like Xanthus, Blasius, Aeneas, and Ajax. These are cool names that I have never heard of before. I also admired Hector’s courage when he fought Achilles. He knew that he was going to die because Achilles was a legendary soldier. But he fought him anyway. So my opinion on this book is take or leave it even though it is thousands of years old and really famous and read by generations of readers. The Iliad by Homer. Candlewick, 2015. Buy the book here and support Stone Soup in the process! Have you read this book? Or do you plan on reading it? If so, comment below!
