The following is my book review of Jim the Boy, posted on www.amazon.com: As adults, we sometimes get engrossed in the daily grind of our busy lives, and tend to forget the simple things in life that bring us joy..the thoughtful gifts from loved ones, the beginning of a friendship, or tender words of comfort. Jim, the 10 year old main character of "Jim the Boy", reminds readers that, at any age, we can be brought back to a time when these events can once more be a part of our lives.
Tony Earley, author of "Jim the Boy", does an amazingly beautiful job at bringing his readers into the world where Jim is growing up. The novel is staged during the Great Depression, in a small town in North Carolina. Although Jim appreciates and learns from the smaller events of his life, readers come to understand that Jim is also tackling important adolescent stepping stones - developing relationships outside of the family, coming to terms with the dynamics of one's own family, and the realization that we are only a small part of a bigger world. As a reader, and future educator, I recommend this book to all ages. Adult readers can only benfit by being reminded of how our world used to be...a world of "firsts" and "what ifs". Adolescents can relate to Jim on a personel level, realizing that the world is filled with characters like themselves. The following podcast is based off the chapter from Jim the Boy, titled "Black Birds". In the background, I have a song by Sarah McLachlan, Answer, playing softly in the background. I also have an audio of a heart beat and singing of black birds. Enjoy!
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