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Each of the six stories in Chaim Potok's lovely collection is titled simply with the name of the main character, reflecting the essence of these quiet selections--intense, exquisitely drawn portraits of the ordinary lives of young people. In "Zebra" a boy, with the help of a mysterious, unconventional art teacher, begins to regain the use of his crushed hand--and in the process heals a bit of his ... More

Each of the six stories in Chaim Potok's lovely collection is titled simply with the name of the main character, reflecting the essence of these quiet selections--intense, exquisitely drawn portraits of the ordinary lives of young people. In "Zebra" a boy, with the help of a mysterious, unconventional art teacher, begins to regain the use of his crushed hand--and in the process heals a bit of his injured spirit. Secrets abound in "B.B.," where a young girl whose baby brother has died must cope with discovering the hidden realities about her family that are "too much of a secret for me to be carrying alone." "Nava" describes how a young woman handles a bully, calling upon the strength inspired by the words of a Native American family friend to confront a violent drug dealer.

The issues faced by these young adults--trust, divorce, grief, hope, peer and family dynamics--are common coming-of-age milestones. But what makes Potok's powerful work shine is that he clearly holds respect for the intelligence and intuition of young people, allowing them to decipher their own truths--refraining from preaching or hammering a point home. Potok, author of The Chosen, published several of these stories previously in adult publications. Nevertheless, these voices never sound dubiously mature for their teen years; they speak the straightforward, often strikingly insightful language of youth. As one young character notes, "I think losing your soul is when you can't tell a story about something that has happened to you." Indeed. Judging by the quality and craftsmanship of these tales, it's obvious that Potok is brimming with soul. (Ages 12 and older). --Brangien Davis

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