North
Woods Poacher - Review
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Publisher's Summary:
Anderson, Max
Elliott. (2004) North Woods Poachers. Grand
Haven, MI: Tweener Press. ISBN 0972925686. Age
recommendation: 10-14
Comment:
Currently available for purchase in used condition only,
new editions of this book will be available soon via
Comfort Publishing, the new publisher. ISBN and
publisher information for new editions will be provided
once available.
Publisher
description: The Washburn families have been
coming to the same cabins, on the same lake, catching
the same fish, for about as long as Andy can remember.
And he's sick of it. This summer would be different he
decided. Only he never imagined how different. The story
is filled with excitement, danger, humor, and drama. In
the end, Andy learns the concepts of family tradition,
that God loves justice while He hates injustice, and it
is important to follow the rules. Readers will enjoy the
gigantic, jet-powered floatplane, computers, home made
radio transmitter, and naturally, no one will ever
forget Big Wally. He's a fish of course.
Respect for self and others: This
includes integrity (adherence to a code of
conduct or value system), honesty vs. manipulation or
lying, compassion, caring for others (characters not
focused on getting their way no matter what) self
respect--main character does not let others
denigrate him or her; use of self control and
self-discipline ; taking charge of own behaviour;
fairness to others (such as taking turns and
avoiding the blame game). Reader should ask themselves
“How does the protagonist depict their peers?” “Would
you want others to treat you this way? Should everyone
act this way?” This includes true friendships
that do not involve regular lying, deceit or
manipulation; considering consequences of actions
prior to acting; owning up to responsibility once
an action has been taken.
The two cousins are best
friends. What an ideal situation! And of course they
have two younger sisters. Rather than constantly be
battling with one another, as in the Spiderwick
chronicles and other tales, or being too perfect as in
some stories from 50 years past, the siblings have
typical antagonism while still keeping strong the family
bonds. Characters consider the possible outcome of their
actions; parents set a good example by considering their
own contribution to, and responsibility for, situations
that occur (such as when they are almost hit by a plane
on the lake). Older boys care for younger girls’ safety
and well being; younger girls are willing to be obedient
to their caretakers. All characters treat the other as
they would like to be treated (demonstrating the Golden
Rule principle of ethics that has withstood time across
the world’s cultures). We really see the joy of a
healthy best-friend relationship between the two boys.
The personalities are quite different but, rather than
denegrating one another as popular in children’s books
and movies today, these characters appreciate their
friend’s strengths. Thus the book presents great
examples of all types of relationships within the
family, between friends, with neighbors and authorities.
Also interesting is how
the two families collaborate on many details leading to
this long vacation being fun for all.
Portrayal of Authority
figures: The positive portrayal of parents, teachers, police officers and other “good” authority figures common in a child’s life is a positive influence upon the child’s own moral development. This includes
actively-parenting mother and father figures. Minimization of parental involvement in the character’s activities or the portrayal of authority figures as
inferior present poor role models. Also to be avoided are main characters that
deceive parents and teachers to accomplish goals, and overuse
sarcasm towards authority figures. Ask yourself “Are parents seen as positive or negative influence in the character's life?”
Excellent
portrayal of authority figures! From the beginning when
the author gives us a border patrol inspection and
realistic explanation of poaching, a clear distinction
carries through the book with respect for authorities
and disdain for the bad guys. This is contrary to that
very often found in kid’s lit today where bad behaviour
is glamorized, and criminals portrayed with awe.
Additionally, in spite of disagreement with their
parents at times, they are respected and listened to by
the child characters. A very typical, uninterested
attitude presented by Andy early on makes his character
realistic, yet he never manipulates or disrespects his
parents. Parents remind the kids of that which is
important but allow them the freedom to have fun (not
dominating). In the end, the fathers present a strong
role in discussing the chain of events that had taken
place, what the boys did right and mistakes they made,
and punishment. Without being preachy, wisdom and logic
are presented to the reader which helps us emotionally
bond with the characters too. This helps us bring
closure to the adventure part of the story. The manner
in which it is represented to us reminds us of the order
of existence in the world and natural consequences that
result from our actions.
Citizenship and
Patriotism: Loyalty to family, team or group, school, community and world; caring for and being considerate of these
groups. Pride to be part of that group or nationality.
In addition to
automatic respect for the authorities and no enchantment
with the bad guys, this story has a theme of citizenship
and responsibility to society presented throughout. From
the onset, the boys keep in mind what the authorities
told them about poaching and when it would be time for
them to bring in authorities to arrest the bad guys.
This story also presents
two strong families with clear roles for each member,
trust and respect. The sibling behaviours are typical
and appropriate for the characters’ ages, making them
very realistic. But also realistic is that older
children really can and do care for their younger
siblings in many families. Thus it is refreshing to have
this portrayed here. The boys have great concern for
the safety of their sisters and parents alike, and put
that concern first rather than just focusing on their
own needs.
Also
important is how the boys understand and react to their
fathers’ interests and strengths, passively
demonstrating family pride even while they openly might
complain about their boredom with fishing :) CJ’s dad,
the electronics expert, has taught this to his son and
included his son in his passion, clearly creating a
strong bond between the two. Andy’s dad has a passion
for this annual fishing trip, and by the end of the
story, Andy’s hatred of the annual event has morphed
into an understanding and respect for it. Thus growth in
maturity in the individuals coincides with growth in
maturity in their relationships.
Justice and Balance: A just distribution between good and evil (with
good outweighing evil in the presence of the storyline);
demonstration of right and wrong; making decisions to enact the above values rather than simply choosing from two bad possibilities; Ask yourself “Is the emphasis on the positive elements or negative?”
Bad guys are dangerous
but get caught. Good guys always prevail, even if just
barely. Characters learn from their wrong decisions and
also are openly willing to admit to them. This story
definitely emphasises positive elements but provides
sufficient negative elements to allow us a clear
distinction between the two.
Aesthetic aspects Of
life ExperienceLook for a storyline portrayal of
beauty, health, and selfless love vs. hedonistic behaviours (sexuality, selfishness, obsessiveness, materialism),
profanity, gore and violence. Are nature and environment respected or exploited? Look for
dark elements; watch out for humor that is negative, denigrates others excessively, uses metaphors to
denigrate the sacred.
Having gone on these
fishing trips myself as a child, the description is
completely accurate so that it invoked my emotional
memories as well as the static ones. We can feel the
thunder of the planes and jets, the air surrounding us
on the morning lake water, the bright sun and depth of
darkness. Well done!
Other things to
Consider:Other aspects of this book of interest or importance. For example, does it portray Wiccan practices and accurate use of tools of which some parents might object, does it contain
hidden meanings in metaphors that may prove offensive to some families; does it address
personal issues such as puberty or pregnancy.
The boys’ adventures are
carried out covertly in dangerous situations, and
parents are not involved until the very end. This
presents great opportunities for learning life lessons
for this age group of child. If your child is a younger
advanced reader, you may want to guide their reading
with occasional discussions to reinforce your own family
values.
So what do YOU think? Read our thoughts on the book and join in the discussion:
Litland's Blog
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