The Barn by Avi was published in 1994. Avi is the pseudonym of American author Edward Irving Wortis. Avi was born in New York City on December 23, 1937 (Wikipedia contributors). Avi has written over seventy books for various age groups and currently lives in Colorado with his wife (Wikipedia contributors).
The Barn is a story about a boy named Ben and his family. Ben lived in a boarding school in Portland, Oregon, when he suddenly receives some unsettling news. The headmaster of his school calls him into his office one day and tells him what any 9-year-old boy would never want to hear at a boarding school. Ben's father has fallen ill with something the local doctor can only describe as "...a fit of palsy" (Avi 7). Ben is picked up from boarding school by his sister Nettie, and they go home to take care of their father.
One of the fascinating things about this book is that it is incredibly short (only 106 pages), yet the author manages to fit such a well-told story in such a short book. Typically with shorter books, the author does not give a very elaborate story, and the plot ends up being relatively straightforward. Avi does a phenomenal job of creating a complex world for the reader by being extremely descriptive of the setting and characters in the story. I enjoyed this quality of the book.
Something else I found interesting about this book is that it has won several awards since its original release. The Barn won Booklist, Best Books of the year, in1994. Also, in 1994, The Barn won Bank Street Children's Books of the year, "outstanding," Starred, focus Review, Booklist, American Bookseller, Pick of the Lists, New York Public Library, Best Books of the Year, Editor's Choice, and Booklist, CCBC Choice, VOYA, Outstanding Book. In 1995 the book won ALA Notable, 1995 and ABC Children's Booksellers' Choice, 1995 ("Avi Author of Books for Children and Teens").
Overall, The Barn is an excellent book for anyone who wants to read a story about a young, talented boy who leaves his prodigious life in boarding school to take care of his ill father in the Oregon wilderness. I do not want to spoil the end, so I recommend that you read this book if you would like to find out what happens to ben and his family. It is a short book that can be read in one sitting, so if you happen to have some free time over the summer, I highly recommend you check this book out.
Works Cited
"Avi Author of Books for Children and Teens." Avi's Blog, Avi, www.avi-writer.com/index.html. Accessed May 15, 2021.
Wikipedia contributors. "Avi (Author)." Wikipedia, Wikipedia, 20 Apr. 2021, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Avi_(author).
This sounds like a very interesting read. I love really detailed books, and it would be intriguing to see how the author manages to fit that detail into such a short novel. I'll have to check this one out!
ReplyDeleteI think that it is impressive that the author was able to have such an interesting plot. I would never have guessed that someone would talk about a kid in a boarding school. It is also impressive that there are many awards that show that this book really is something special. I also think it is great that the book is short and can fit such an amazing story. I will definitely check this one out
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