Thrilled by the Years, 2007-2011, but Resentful for them Stealing Away Personal Reading Time

Kwame sent me a few books for a project he's working on, asking me to contribute my views and resources as a proponent of youth and a writer of curriculum. In the pile sent, was All the Broken Pieces, a poetic narrative by Ann E. Berg. On the cover, Booklist writes in their starred review, "Will make readers want to rush to the end and then return to the beginning again." 

I am unsure if I've ever read anything as accurate. It took a few pages for me to get the gist of who was narrating and where we were (I thought, "Hmmm. This is YA Lit? It's heavy"). Then, I got hooked and tasted every word, poem, and moment like I was eating an apple dumpling in October, or having a feast at the Vietnam Kitchen with my friends Sue and Dave. It simply was delicious - and emotional read  that punches the gut in all the right places. 

My summary: It's gorgeous.

I'm trying to find out how I missed out on this book, especially with my work with Vietnamese students in Kentucky, but then I saw the publication date - 2009 - and realized, "Well, that explains it. Not much pleasure reading while one is doing a doctorate and having to devour academic writing."

This is a stunning book about Vietnam war vets, memories, an adopted boy from Vietnam, his memories, and the love of parents who stand by to help the healing process - the best that it can be. The weaving of baseball, playing piano, and PTSD workshops was tremendous and I was thinking, Phew! The muses must have had to leave Ann E. Burg alone for a while after they brought her this story. It's pretty remarkable. I don't think I've ever read a book before that made me want to instantly do research: Who is this author? How did she come up with this book? What awards did it win? Who's written about it? etc. I talked to the Book Dealer in Florida, Dr. Susan James, and she simply said, "Frog, it's one of my favorites, too. I can't believe you haven't read it." "Doctorate," I replied. "Oh, that. Now I see," she said.

Go, Scholastic. Classrooms need this book and I am definitely throwing it into my curriculum somehow, somewhere. I'm saving my real thinking for the work I'm doing with Kwame, and I have so much to say. 

Read this book!