Duel - Hardcover

Grossman, David

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 1582349304 ISBN 13: 9781582349305

Publisher: Bloomsbury USA Childrens, 2004

Synopsis

David is a twelve-year-old boy living in Jerusalem in 1966. His best friend just happens to be seventy-year-old Heinrich Rosenthal, who lives at the Beit Hakerem Home for the Aged. Their friendship takes an unexpected turn when Mr. Rosenthal receives a threatening letter from the man he once knew as "the bully of Heidelberg University." The letter accuses Mr. Rosenthal of stealing a priceless painting and challenges him to a duel if it is not returned immediately. But Mr. Rosenthal didn't steal the painting. Who did? Determined to find some answers and prevent the duel, David plays detective and ultimately uncovers the story of two beautiful paintings, one of a woman's eyes and the other of her mouth, given by the artist to the two men who are now willing to kill one another over them. With some brilliant sleuthing and a bit of luck, David manages to pull together the strings of a story that began more than thirty years before, preventing a tragedy by bringing a long-dead memory to back to life.

About this title

About the Author

David Grossman has received several international awards for his writing, including the Premio Grinzane and the Premio Mondelo for The Zigzag Kid. He is the author of seven novels, several children's books, and a play. He lives in Jerusalem with his wife and children.

In 2000, Besty Rosenberg received the Marsh Award for Children's Literature in Translation for translating Duel from the original Hebrew into English. In their review, the award committee said, "Duel is quirky, compassionate and beautifully edited . . . Grossman deals with values that are not often discussed today. In a lively natural translation, this original book is unforgettable."

From School Library Journal

Grade 5-7–A brief novel that takes place over a two-day period in Jerusalem in 1966. Twelve-year-old David's best friend is 70-year-old Heinrich Rosenthal, who is accused of stealing a valuable charcoal drawing from Rudy Schwartz, known years ago as the Bully of Heidelberg University. Rudy challenges Heinrich to an old-fashioned duel of honor with pistols. Mr. Rosenthal, although innocent, feels he must honor the code of his youth, even if it means his death. David has until the following afternoon to prevent a tragedy and straighten out the awful predicament that involves three countries, several love affairs, a stolen picture worth millions, and two World War I pistols. To do this, he must use his best sleuthing skills to find out the real thief. Along the way, he learns much about his friend as well as about anti-Semitism and Jerusalem in the 1930s when the potential duelers were in college. David uncovers the story of two paintings, one of a woman's eyes and the other of her mouth, given by the beautiful artist to these two men, who were both in love with her. David, sensitive and imaginative, recounts the story with wit and humor 16 years later. This mystery reads like a tall tale, with larger-than-life characters and dire circumstances. The translation is natural and seamless. The memorable characters and quirky situation make this a great read-aloud.–Connie Tyrrell Burns, Mahoney Middle School, South Portland, ME
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About this edition

• Publisher: Bloomsbury USA Childrens
• Publication date: 2004
• ISBN 10: 1582349304
• ISBN 13: 9781582349305
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 112