If Nathan Were Here - Hardcover

Bahr, Mary

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0802851878 ISBN 13: 9780802851871

Publisher: Eerdmans Pub Co, 2000

Synopsis

A young boy grieves the loss of his best friend and thinks about how things would be if he were still alive.

About this title

About the Author

Mary Bahr, who describes herself as a "librarian by profession and an author by addiction," graduated with a Bachelors of Science degree in Library Science from the College of St. Catherine in St. Paul, Minnesota. She has won numerous awards for her writing, which includes over 125 stories and articles for both juvenile and adult publications as well as inspirational pieces published in five anthologies. Her picture-book Memory Box (Albert Whitman) received multiple honors for its sensitive portrayal of a child dealing with a grandparent's Alzheimer's disease. In addition to writing, Mary has led writing workshops, has served as the SCBWI retreat Director for the Rocky Mountain Region, and reviews children's books for The Five Owls. Mary currently lives in Colorado Springs, Colorado.

From Publishers Weekly

Best read in the company of a supportive adult, this affecting story is a solid choice for children mourning the loss of a peer. The narrator, an unnamed boy, begins with a lengthy description of what his morning would be like "if Nathan were here." Midway through the book, the boy acknowledges, "But Nathan isn't here." Instead, the boy's teacher is explaining how the class can fill a "memory box" with "all the best things we remember about Nathan." While his classmates suggest questions they might ask their late friend, the narrator remains silent; only later, alone in the tree fort, does he voice the question that plagues him: "What am I supposed to do without my best friend?" Bahr's (Memory Box) depiction of grief feels very real. On the other hand, her hopeful resolution, in which the narrator plans an overture to Nathan's sister, seems a little easy. The circumstances of Nathan's death are not specified, broadening the book's applicability. Jerome's (The Littlest Tree) softly focused watercolor paintings are similarly undefined, inviting youngsters' interpretation without limiting their ability to identify with the characters. Ages 5-up. (Apr.)
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.

About this edition

• Publisher: Eerdmans Pub Co
• Publication date: 2000
• ISBN 10: 0802851878
• ISBN 13: 9780802851871
• Binding: Hardcover
• Language: English
• Number of pages: 32
• Illustrator: Jerome Karen A.