ENTERTAINMENT NEWS
October 28, 2009
Meet Author Katherine Paterson
TFK Kid Reporter Claire Julian talks to Katherine Paterson about her new novel
In her latest book, The Day of the Pelican, author Katherine Paterson tells a moving story of a family's journey from war-torn Kosovo, in eastern Europe, to the United States. TFK Kid Reporter Claire Julian spoke to Paterson about the inspiration for Pelican, the challenges of writing about another culture and the accomplishment Paterson is most proud of. Watch the video of the interview above or click here to watch the video on YouTube. Check out Claire's review of The Day of the Pelican below.
On the Road to FreedomIf you are a fan of the Newbery-Award winning book Bridge to Terabithia, then you're going to love author Katherine Paterson's new creation The Day of the Pelican. In the book, which came out on October 19, Paterson takes readers on a journey with 12 year-old Meli Lleshi and her Albanian family of seven.
The family lives in Kosovo, in eastern Europe. The country is at war with neighboring Serbia. Eventually, life becomes too dangerous in Kosovo, so the Lleshis have to pack up and move out of their home. To Meli, leaving meant giving up her whole life. She will have to say goodbye to her friends, home, school and Baba's market. Worse, the family's trouble began, in Meli's mind, when she drew a picture of her teacher with a pelican nose and had to stay after school as punishment.
As the Lleshis travel along the road at night, they come across burning homes and other refugees just like them. Living in a tiny tent surrounded by many other people becomes tiring, and if it wasn't for Baba's and Mama's efforts to keep the family together, the family would probably have given up. Every night, Meli longs to go home and Baba tells her, "Your home is with your family." With everyone already crowding together and scrounging for food, now is not the time to complain. The family needs all their courage to keep going. "We have to be very patient and very brave," Meli says.
Soon, traveling from place to place becomes too much of a hassle and nearly breaks the family apart. Baba makes an important decision. The family will be moving to an exciting new country. There will be no enemies and no one to run from. They will be able to stay in one place and build a new life. Although Meli still longs for home she wonders if this will finally mean freedom for her family.
The Day of the Pelican is a book you won't be able to put down. Those who enjoy realistic fiction will love this moving story about Meli and her family.
