Stepping on the Cracks

I have to say, this was my absolute favorite book in 5th grade. It made the biggest impression on me that I can remember from all the books I read in elementary school. One of my favorite memories of that year, actually, involves me making a deal with one of my male classmates who hated to read: I promised to read his favorite book for him if he read this one for me. I can't even remember what book I had to read for that deal but he loved this one. (I guess the moral of that story is that I've always been a nerd and I've always been an English teacher trying to trick kids into reading.) All of that being said, I finally got around to re-reading this week and...I have to say I'm a tiny bit disappointed. I still love it and it still holds a very special place in my heart, but it's not exactly what I remembered. I will say, though, that there are two major story lines throughout this plot, and one of them I love very much while it's the other one that I'm struggling with. I'll go with the one I'm struggling with first: this book is disappointingly anti-war. The story's protagonist/narrator has a brother who is fighting in the war, and the tragic side effects of this are more than present on the homefront. Much more central than that, however, is a focal character who is - spoiler alert - a deserter of the war. Although this character is extremely loveable and endearing, his anti-war viewpoint is heard often throughout the story...and it's really one of the only viewpoints the remains by the end. I am very interested, though, in presenting this book within a war unit, surrounded by books presenting other viewpoints as well. Obviously, presenting multiple perspectives and opinions is an important part of teaching. The other storyline that I absolutely love is about the antagonist and his relationship with the two central girs of the story. Although Gordy is presented as a bully who only cares about making other people's lives miserable on a continuous basis, the reader is able to see glimpses into his life that explain his behavior and cause true empathy for him as a character. It's extremely easy to see Gordy as a reflection of children that you grew up with or that you teach, and it is a great device for creating the need for the second look at a person, or the inspiration to discover what a child goes home to each night when they leave your classroom. Taking the time to find out what life is like for them when they leave you may give you an entirely new perspective. So despite the ways that an adult reading of this childhood favorite disappointed me, I still highly recommend it.