A Bridge to the Stars
Grade 6–9—Henning Mankell's novel (Delacorte, 2007) is set in 1956 in an isolated logging town in the Swedish mountains. Eleven-year-old Joel Gustafson's mother abandoned him and his father when he was very young. The boy likes to spend time with his father, listening to stories about the days he spent as a seafarer, and dreams of going to sea when he grows up. One night he observes a lone dog outdoors and imagines that he is headed for the stars. Joel creates a secret society and begins sneaking out at night to look for the dog. Along the way, he runs into a few of the town's oddest people, including a mean-spirited older boy who encourages him to take part in pranks that make him uncomfortable. He also discovers that his father is having a sexual relationship with the waitress at the local bar. After attempting and escaping from a dangerous adventure, he gains some insight and becomes more understanding of his father's loneliness. Australian narrator Francis Greenslade's reading is pleasant, and there are musical interludes between chapters. This stark story leaves much unanswered and is sometimes repetitive and childish, yet is has mature themes and vocabulary.—Jo-Ann Carhart, East Islip Public Library, NYCopyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.