Rating:
5 out of 5
Review by: Sonia (Staff)
Wednesday, 30 June, 2010
Quote:
Summary: This is a story about a young Italian girl, Mia and her mother who lived in Wellington during ther Second World War. One terrible day some soldiers come and take her father away to live on Somes Island in the middle of Wellington Harbour.
Mia finds it difficult to adjust to this new way of life without her father, but as she share her troubles with her mother, and continue to write to each other by letter, they discover the important fact that love endures even when you are apart.
Review:
The carefully scripted dialogue between Mia and her mother evokes feelings of sadness and disappointment that many families faced during war times, but in a way that is appropriate and sensitive to the younger primary reader.
I particularly enjoyed this story because it is written about life in New Zealand during the Second World War from the perspective of an immigrant Italian child and her family.
There is a very useful glossary at the end of the book to explain the meaning of the Italian phrases used in the book, along with a note on the back page about the autyhor's personal journey of discovery, and references to support the basis of the story on the front inside flap.
The book is beautifully illustrated and is a suitable length for reading aloud in a storytime setting or for silent reading.
Further recommendations: See this item in the catalogue | See all reviews for this book | See other reviews by Sonia