If You Didn't Have Me - Hardcover

Nilsson, Ulf

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0689504063 ISBN 13: 9780689504068

Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry, 1987

Synopsis

A young boy struggles to cope with loneliness, helplessness, and anxiety as he and his little brother spend an extraordinary time on a farm in southern Sweden during a temporary separation from their parents

About this title

Language Notes

Text: English, Swedish (translation)

From School Library Journal

Grade 1-5 A young boy and his baby brother are deposited with their widowed grandmother on a farm in southern Sweden while their parents build a new house in a distant town. In each chapter of this episodic novel, the boy describes an incident in which he interacts with the rural residents. Although beautifully translated, the descriptive narrative and cogent insights seem at times way beyond the capacity of the six- or seven-year old unnamed narrator. The voice of the author seems to be speaking through the mouth of the child; for instance, ``A flock of seagulls screeched mournfully to each other; they looked as though they were pulling the clouds on long, invisible strings.'' Because of the challenging vocabulary and the adult outlook, the intended audience is questionable. Read aloud, the story is appropriate for first or second graders. However, the language, imagery, and sophisticated perceptions could be taxing even for fourth or fifth grade readers, who may be too old to relate to the protagonist. Nonetheless, the evocation of childhood displacement and the imposed need to fend for oneself, the vibrant characterizations, and the vivid descriptions of farm life are positive qualities which give the book its substance. Martha Rosen, Edgewood School, Scarsdale, N.Y.
Copyright 1987 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Edition details

• Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry
• Publication date: 1987
• ISBN 10: 0689504063
• ISBN 13: 9780689504068
• Binding: Hardcover
• Language: English
• Number of pages: 128
• Illustrator: Eriksson Eva