Historical Fiction Book Review
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Lisle, Janet Taylor. 2000. The Art of Keeping Cool. New York, NY: Atheneum Books for Young Readers. ISBN 0689837879
Plot Summary
Robert Saunders life as he knew it was changing quickly. His father was a pilot for the Royal Canadian Guard and had left for a mission during World War II. This story is set in 1942, and opens as his mother moves Robert and his sister to his father’s hometown to ride out the duration of the war. The story unfolds in a small coastal Rhode Island town and is told through the eyes of an excited thirteen year old boy who gets to know his grandparents, befriends his shy cousin Elliot (who also is talented artist), how the townspeople react differently to war, and even the sentiment people feel for “A German”. Robert starts to wonder why his grandparents “never mention his father’s name” and “Why does his cousin Elliot hide his artistic talent? Robert comes of age and learns the true “ art of keeping cool”
Lisle’s portrayal of a teenager’s life back at home during World War II is page turning. She provides just the right amount of fact and fiction to keep the readers involved. Her authenticity is bolstered by presenting facts about this wartime period by providing the reader with information about the impressionist artists of this time period, women working in factories, gasoline rations, drawing their curtains after dark, blacking out half of their car headlights and even divulges our country’s own secret sentiment toward Germans in our country during wartime.
Her careful, character development is easily identifiable with young readers. She shows her readers each character’s ability to keep their cool with their own personal struggles. For example, with Robert whose father is away on a flight mission during wartime is stressful to a young child, to make matters worse his plane is shot down and he is missing. She shows her readers his struggle with his own emotions wanting to reach out to his dad who is not there, and he can only reach out to him in his dreams. “I guess I finally dozed off while I was waiting because suddenly a little silver plane was flying toward me.”- “Inside the cockpit, the shadowy form of the pilot was there, but I couldn’t see his face again.” Robert also struggles with empathizing with his mother’s emotion of missing her husband and controlling his anger at toward his bullying grandfather that keeps his family walking on eggs shells.
Readers will not only uncover the mysteries of wartime in the small Rhode Island town but will unwrap family secrets and personal prejudices that will set their souls free.
Awards
Scott O’Dell Award Winner
REVIEW EXCERPTS
Horn Book- Outstanding, noteworthy in style, content, and/or illustration.
VOYA- The novel should attract a diverse readership, from mystery and art lovers to fans of World War II fiction. All libraries will want this book on their shelves.
CONNECTIONS
This novel would be a great read aloud for middle school students.
It would be interesting to ask students to journal about when they have to keep their cool and to talk about how we treat people who different than us.
Other Books By Janet Taylor Lisle:
Lisle, Janet Taylor. Afternoon of the Elves. ISBN 9780531084373.
Lisle, Janet Taylor. The Gold Dust Letters. ISBN 9780531068304.
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