The Silver Path - Hardcover

Harris, Christine

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 1563973383 ISBN 13: 9781563973383

Publisher: Boyds Mills Press, 1994

Synopsis

Niko and Penny are pen pals on opposite sides of the world. But their lives are separated by more than distance. Penny lives in a peaceful world with a big garden and a dog named Scruff. Niko lives in a world racked by war. His father has been arrested. And now, forced to flee their village, Niko and his mother live in a hotel that houses refuges. In his letter to Penny, Niko describes how he stands on the balcony of the hotel at night and gazes at the moon shining in the ocean. He imagines that the reflection is a silver path leading to her home. He hopes that one day Penny can visit him. He dreams that his father will be free. He waits for the wonderful day when his family can return to their village and be happy again.

About this title

About the Author

Christine Harris lives in a small English village with her husband, Peter, who also is a writer. This is her first picture book.

Helen Ong is the illustrator of Rabindranath Tagore's Amal and the Letter from the King, retold by Chitra Gajadin. She lives in the Netherlands.

Reviews

Kindergarten-Grade 3-A poignant story that takes the form of a letter written to a far-away pen pal. Niko begins by thanking Penny for her letter and pictures of her lovely house and garden. He then proceeds to describe his living situation. He is a refugee from an unidentified military regime, living in exile with his mother; his father has been sent to prison for speaking out against the soldiers. He has enough to eat and a room looking out over the ocean, but he misses his father and yearns for the day when his family will be reunited and can return to their home. A full-page impressionist oil painting faces each page of text. The boy's unwavering optimism and spirit contrast sharply with his circumstances and sadly remind readers that children are often the innocent victims of political upheaval and injustice. Beautifully written, this understated but powerful narrative will generate thought and discussion among youngsters everywhere.
Cyrisse Jaffee, formerly at Newton Public Schools, MA
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Debut author Harris's cryptic story is presented as a letter written by Niko to Penny, his faraway pen pal, who lives in a "lovely house" with a big garden and a dog named Scruff. Niko describes the hotel by the sea where he is staying with his mother, who sits indoors and knits each day and cries out in her sleep at night. The boy's imagination helps him to escape these surroundings: "When night comes, the moon builds a silver path over the sea, going all the way from where I am to where you are, Penny. I close my eyes and imagine I am running along the silver path to meet you." On the final pages, readers at last learn that Niko and his mother have escaped to a hotel for refugees after soldiers raided their village, stealing food and removing his father to a prison camp. Ending on a hopeful note ("Mama says that one day, Papa will be free again. She says we shall all return to the village together"), Harris's story is undeniably haunting, yet too ambiguous to catch the attention of the target audience. Ong's impressionistic art, though slightly stilted, contains a number of affecting images. Ages 7-10.
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Edition details

• Publisher: Boyds Mills Press
• Publication date: 1994
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1563973383
• ISBN 13: 9781563973383
• Binding: Hardcover
• Illustrator: Ong Helen
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 40