One of the joys of teaching is being able to revisit with fresh eyes the joys of childhood.
I spent my childhood living in the wonderful world of books.
So returning to that life as a teacher was great fun.
During the summer of 1994, I took up tutoring some children as I prepared for graduate school and a career change.
One student was getting ready for a local private high school. So I got to read the school's assigned summer reading list.
How young and foolish I was!
I knew nothing of the author but, commenced to plough my way through this book attempting to help my struggling student make the connections in order to "gel" with this book.
Maybe I should have started with the book's author?
Esther Forbes grew up in a family of six children. That in and of itself is enough to create a few creative kids out of the bunch. You have to really work at getting your parents' attention when you are part of a large family.
Esther Forbes struggled throughout her years with poor eyesight and dyslexia.
And she took up being an author with all of that to overcome!
Good thing she was persistent.
She was persistent enough to be awarded the John Newbery Medal for most distinguished contribution of the year to children's literature. (1943).
This book was published within two years after Pearl Harbor.
An author witnessing one war, while contemplating the war that birthed this nation into what it has become today.
I have to wonder if September 11th will give birth to some authors who can provide insight to children about the realities of war?
I wish I had been introduced to Johnny Tremain as a youth.
History was dull... full of facts and figures with no life.
The passion that grew in me for history arrived in my first years of college under the tutelage of a magnificent professor who made the flat facts on the page jump into exciting life. He could paint a portrait with his words. The people on the page were living, breathing, and often quite entertaining people. People like us, people we would love to meet.
Esther Forbes is good at painting word portraits too.
And so I really enjoyed her work.
How did that student of mine do?
Well, not so enthralled by the whole Johnny Tremaine thing, but did well enough to pass the intake requirements.
I had wanted to be a beacon of light leading that child into the excitement of learning for learning's sake... but, that's so hard to do. We both finished the summer, though, happy. The child got the admission and I found a renewed friendship with children's novels.
Ignite the child within yourself, and pop into this book to remember the joys of juvenile historical fiction.
Author Biography: Worcester Area Writers - Esther Forbes - Bio
Study Guide: SparkNotes: Johnny Tremain
Film: Johnny Tremain (1957)
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