Shock the teacher - read a book!
Tons Telehans. Teacher's Oven
The book is a school boy's diary about a teacher who beats children and a boy for ideas on how to get revenge on her.
"NO one has ever put a pin or a stink on her chair. Has she noticed a sign on her back: 'I'm a fool.' We've done it to other teachers. .
The book was published by the publishing house "Pētergailis" and translated from Dutch by Inese Paklone. The author of the illustrations is Harry Helen, who created black and white computer drawings for the first editions of the book in the original language, for which he won the Silver Pencil Award. He later made the drawings colorful, as they appear in this book.
The author of the book, Telehens, has also won all the most important literary awards in his homeland. He wrote this book at the age of 40.
"I have never had to deal with such teachers myself. When I just read it to my colleagues when I translated it into Latvian, almost every one of them remembered such a teacher. And how terrible such a teacher is," admits the translator Paklone.
Toon Tellegen (1948) is one of the most popular Dutch children's literature authors by profession in a Amsterdam hospital. Telehen had focused on adult literature at the beginning of his career, but from 1984, when his first children's book, Forty-Nine Tales of a Squirrel and Other Animals, was published, the author turned his attention to children's literature. Ton Telehen is a multiple winner of the Children's Literature Prize, and in 1986 received the prestigious Hans Christian Andersen Children's Literature Prize.
Writer Juris Zvirgzdins review of the book:
"Of course, there is no such teacher, because there can be no one!
If I run an ad campaign for this book, start with the slogan - this is a special book, a must for teachers, parents, children, everyone! Consider these lines the beginning of a campaign.
Teacher Krasne is a fictional diary of an anonymous Dutch student (written by the writer Ton Teleen) about his and his other classmates' teacher. I quote the author: "This diary is a kind of cry for help." I don't know how this book will be perceived by children, maybe it will just be horrifying, maybe the text and artist's expressionist drawings by Harry Helen will be perceived simply as black humor, I am more worried about the reaction of children's parents, and teachers in particular.
Yes, the book is unusual, especially in the context of books for our children, I think our society is en masse, to say the least. Books about cats, dogs, teddy bears, princesses, dear parents, listening children - please in a thick layer! But topics like war, genocide, the Holocaust, sadism - no, let's protect our angels from evil! At best, books that break unwritten taboos are perceived as misunderstanding.
Let's remember the scandals, it seems, about a Danish book in which a boy became a girl, a book with the word "kaka" in its title! Even earlier - a great book about a mole that someone had made on their head! Even earlier - the issue of Zīlīte magazine about how children are born!
And now, silent horror, a book about a teacher sadist beating children! Of course, there can be no "such" teacher - because there can be no! Only - where to hide what the journalist Aija Kince said about a teacher who almost broke an ear in a child? In this case, there is a solution worthy of our European Christian values: the teacher was fired and is now a teacher in a private kindergarten.
Still - in Riga (sic!), Not in a village there in Sumpurņi - the music teacher shouted at the schoolgirl that she started to tear her tongue out!
Unfortunately, violence, both physical and moral, is still a feature of our society. Let's remember the poster with the parents and the child sleeping between them.
Of course, not all teachers are "like that." But let's remember the ratio between a spoonful of tar and a barrel of honey.
We cannot ask every teacher for all his students to become Gandhi or Mother Teresa, but ...
Think about where the Jewish shooters, the KGB staff and the rapporteurs came from - they were once children too ... Teachers like Teacher Krāsne were once children too ... She is also a victim. Are we all - parents, teachers, society - doing enough not to have it?
Let me also mention the author's great sense of humor - the little boy's planned plans for revenge, as well as the "terrible" drawings - what else would belong to such a book? - is a high-quality job.
PS If, after reading the book, you are overwhelmed by black thoughts, I suggest you read (or re-read) the book by another Dutch author, Jacques Frances. - there are good teachers too! "
Reflections of librarian Solvita:
"A book that stimulates discussion and discussion. I agree with a lot in the review of Juris Zvirgzdins.
By definition, there can be no such teacher, because there simply cannot be! But… I well remember my Russian teacher who liked to laugh at lazy children with a stick - a girl was lifted up in front of the class and shot with the same stick… Yes, the girl is not really lucky with Russian, but is that why to do? I remember a German language teacher - a young school that had just graduated at the time, who asked my classmate about the conversation by the book! To be fair, it happened in the 80's of the last century - I really hope there are no such teachers today, because there can't be!
But you have to read the book, because it makes you think, even in my case only about the past - says, but before you close the bill with the past, there can be no full present…
Read this book - write your thoughts on it!
Come to Gulbene Children's Library and book this book for yourself! Yes, what else - the book is read very quickly, but I thought about it for a long time - for a long time! "
Viesturs Ķerus. The forest girl - Maija
The main character of the book, Maija, lives in the forest with her family - in the forest house. Her father is a bird researcher who can explain nature to her daughter, introduce birds and animals, and take Maya on bird counting and ringing expeditions. Although Maija goes to kindergarten in the city every morning, in her daily world there are trees and songs of various birds, a pond with fish and frogs, an anthill, hedgehogs, a badger and even wild boar. There is no fictional, fabulous adventure in the book, but the feeling that every day in nature is an adventure, because it always brings something new.
Review by writer Evija Gulbe:
“The illustration on the cover of Didža Upena shows a child and an adult standing on a forest path and watching the surroundings; close-up of a woodpecker. You can learn a lot about birds in the book. Viestura Ķerus' experience in ornithology is an important value of the book's content, but it is not a reference literature, but a book of fiction, which also contains interesting facts.
It seems that nature itself has chosen an author who will be able to write about it. The symbiosis of the researcher's piety and human sensitivity is a narrative with the peace of nature. It is said that everything is so tired that you have to run to the forest. Going to such moments in Viestura Ķerus' book is a worthy alternative. The message rich in knowledge, observations and feelings about the events in nature attracts and fascinates, at the same time soothing the anxious mind.
"Forest Girl Maija" is a multidimensional book - read, research, listen. When you activate the QR code, the voices of the birds are heard. The book has an endless dimension of continuation. Its story is completely adventurous when going to nature. ”
Retrieved from: https://www.laligaba.lv/index.php/lv/2020-laureats-meza-meitene-maija
Reflections of librarian Anda:
"A wonderful book about everyday events in Latvian nature. Through the eyes of a child the world and natural processes are introduced. This book introduces the diverse world of birds around us and various events in nature. After reading the book, "There is so much to see, hear and feel in our Latvian nature - go out with the children!"
Rūta Šepetis. Between shades of gray
Have you ever thought about the value of a person's life? My brother's life was worth a pocket watch.
In 1941, Fifteen-year-old Līna was waiting to enter an art school, her first meeting and everything that summer could offer. But one night, Chekists break into Līna's house to deport her and her younger brother to Siberia. Lina's father is separated from his family, sentenced to death and imprisoned. Everything is lost.
Līna fights fearlessly for survival and is firmly committed: if she survives, she will be immortalized in the drawings and records of all her experiences in honor of her family and countless thousands of other deportees. She takes great risks in passing on her drawings, hoping that they will reach her father when they go from hand to hand and take the message that his wife and children are alive.
The road of torment in Siberia is long, and Lina, like others, is helped to endure day by day with incredible willpower, love and hope.
From the interview with the writer Rūta Šepetis:
"I write mostly for young people, and youth books can be read from the age of 11 to adulthood. However, when I wrote, I did not take into account that I am writing to a young audience, because I think that would be an underestimation of youth. I had put everything in the first drafts of the novel - it was very dark, serious, and the publisher said it shouldn't. I reworked the book 17 times. It took a long time to find the publisher. I will never forget a letter from perhaps the largest publishing house in the United States that said, "If it really happened in history, why hasn't anyone written about it?" I keep this letter. "
Retrieved from: https://www.dienas.lv/raksts/kd/intervijas/intervija-ar-rutu-sepetis.-meklejot-rutu-14004867
Librarian Andy's reflections:
"I think everyone has once read a book that can be read in one breath. For me, this was one of them. In the novel, love and experiences alternate, but also very white thoughts.
Reading the book does not leave a feeling - how strong a person can be. How can this nation survive on just a few grams of bread and beets? True, for many it was not possible. People drew strength from the photos and other objects they took with them. After reading the book "Between Gray Tones", I thought for a long time, what are my values, or in today's world can we see the beauty of what our ancestors once did?
I definitely recommend reading this book to everyone! "