Review: A charming tale about one boy's determination to follow his heart
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 02 15, 2014
Can you remember who you were before the world told you who you should be?A friend posted that on his blog yesterday. He talked about painful memories of his seven-year-old self being made fun of for being different than people thought he should be. He may not have fully understood those differences at the time, but the message was clear: there’s something wrong with you. It breaks my heart to think of a child’s self-esteem being crushed like that.Today is Valentine’s Day, and I can’t think of a better gift to give my friend than Be My Valentine, Bobby Bryson by Geoffrey Knight. The plot may not be exactly the same as what he experienced, but the overall theme is relevant.In this short story, seven-year-old Mikey doesn’t understand why everyone is so upset about the Valentine’s Day card he made at school. His teacher told him to make a card for someone he had feelings for, and that’s exactly what he did. He made a Valentine’s Day card for Bobby Bryson, which sets off a chain of rather unpleasant events.Mikey struggles to understand what he’s done wrong; he can’t grasp how something as simple as caring about someone could cause such a kerfuffle, and despite numerous protests, he is determined to deliver his Valentine. (Let’s Go, Mikey!) I loved cheering him on each time he pushed back against the confusing messages the adults were telling him. Little Mikey is an inspiration.This is such a sweet and charming tale. It reminds me not only how simple and innocent love can be, but also how fragile. Mikey is stubborn and resilient, but not all children are. Good intentions or not, we all need to be careful of the messages we send children. A few poorly chosen words can scar a person for years to come. I hope Mikey’s story touches your heart as deeply as it touched mine!(And if you enjoy this one, be sure to check out The Boy From Brighton, also by Geoffrey Knight. It is equally as endearing.)