Items related to Zebra and Other Stories
Synopsis
This collection of the stories features a young protagonist facing some very difficult situations. In "Zebra" a young man begins a difficult journey of healing after being badly scarred in an accident. Through the help of an art instructor he learns how the creative process can be a healing one. In each story young people face very adult situations; they can no longer look at the world as children. Themes of death, disillusion, and alienation permeate the work, but within each of these is a glimmer of hope and happiness.
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Review
Each of the six stories in Chaim Potok's lovely collection is titled simply with the name of the main character, reflecting the essence of these quiet selections--intense, exquisitely drawn portraits of the ordinary lives of young people. In "Zebra" a boy, with the help of a mysterious, unconventional art teacher, begins to regain the use of his crushed hand--and in the process heals a bit of his injured spirit. Secrets abound in "B.B.," where a young girl whose baby brother has died must cope with discovering the hidden realities about her family that are "too much of a secret for me to be carrying alone." "Nava" describes how a young woman handles a bully, calling upon the strength inspired by the words of a Native American family friend to confront a violent drug dealer.
The issues faced by these young adults--trust, divorce, grief, hope, peer and family dynamics--are common coming-of-age milestones. But what makes Potok's powerful work shine is that he clearly holds respect for the intelligence and intuition of young people, allowing them to decipher their own truths--refraining from preaching or hammering a point home. Potok, author of The Chosen, published several of these stories previously in adult publications. Nevertheless, these voices never sound dubiously mature for their teen years; they speak the straightforward, often strikingly insightful language of youth. As one young character notes, "I think losing your soul is when you can't tell a story about something that has happened to you." Indeed. Judging by the quality and craftsmanship of these tales, it's obvious that Potok is brimming with soul. (Ages 12 and older). --Brangien Davis
From the Inside Flap
ebrated author of The Chosen and My Name is Asher Lev comes an outstanding work of fiction for young adults.
Zebra and Other Stories charts moments of grief, crisis, or change for its teenage protagonists: an injury; the loss of a parent; one family's remembered grief, another's thinly buried secrets; the complex hopes that accompany a birth and the shattering impact of death. Containing six stories that are rich in drama and sharp in understanding, this is a memorable collection from a master storyteller that speaks clearly to young adults.
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- PublisherThorndike Press
- Publication date2000
- ISBN 10 0786229780
- ISBN 13 9780786229789
- BindingHardcover
- Edition number1
- Number of pages204
- Rating
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