The Boy Who Sat by the Window: Helping Children Cope with Violence (Let's Talk)

Grade 4-7. In a text arranged in a poetic format, Loftis describes the reactions of various people when a young boy is shot by four gang members. This senseless act of violence has particular impact on Joshua, one of the slain child's classmates. Fear, worry, and mistrust permeate his thoughts. A particularly poignant moment occurs when Joshua runs into the mother of one of the teens responsible for the murder, and she acknowledges all the pain the community feels. "Nothing will ever be the same," she says. Gallagher uses silhouettes and dramatic cartoon images combined with bold lines and somber colors to convey the helplessness that takes over Joshua's world. This is industrial-strength, heavy-duty picture-book fare, with none of the redemptive power of Eve Bunting's Smoky Night (Harcourt, 1994). Bunting does not sugarcoat violence, but she shows people coming together in response to it. Loftis only shows the pain. The book could be useful for prompting discussion of gangs and violence with older students, but is too graphic in both words and images for young readers.?Jerry D. Flack, University of Colorado, Colorado Springs
Copyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Gr. 3-6. An unusual presentation of a tough subject, this book should find a place in a number of libraries. Based on a real incident, it uses free verse to tell the story of a boy who has been shot and killed while riding his bike to work. The narrative is overly long but covers all the events and emotions surrounding the incident. Joshua, the young narrator, comes to school and learns that the boy who sat by the window has been shot. Chaos reigns as parents try to find their children and TV cameras cover the event. Later, neighborhood boys, gang members, are arrested. As one boy's mother tells Joshua, "We've got to stop this pain, Josh. / We've got to do better than just try." The verse can be stilted, even awkward at times, but Loftis, who works with Big Brother/Big Sister, does give children who have experienced violence some hope that through talking about their fears with family and friends, and resolving not to participate in violence, the cycle might end. The Matisse-style artwork, with its many images of African American adults and children, is striking. Ilene Cooper