The Book of Everything

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The Book of Everything

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Overview

Faith is joy is love is hope in this novel of exquisite power and everyday miracles, reminiscent of Barbara Kingsolver's THE POISONWOOD BIBLE. Thomas can see things no one else can see. Tropical fish swimming in the canals. The magic of Mrs. Van Amersfoort, the Beethoven-loving witch next door. The fierce beauty of Eliza with her artificial leg. And the Lord Jesus, who tells him, "Just call me Jesus." Thomas records these visions in his "Book of Everything." They comfort him when his father beats him, when the angels weep for his mother's black eyes. And they give him the strength to finally confront his father and become what he wants to be when he grows up: "Happy."

Product Details

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780545298988
Publisher:	Scholastic, Inc.
Publication date:	04/01/2012
Sold by:	Scholastic, Inc.
Format:	eBook
Pages:	112
File size:	301 KB
Age Range:	9 - 12 Years

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Editorial Reviews

This brief post-WWII novel packs an emotional wallop. In 1951, following the Nazi occupation of Amsterdam, nine-year-old Thomas lives a fear-filled existence with his mother, sister and abusive father. Though Thomas's father ends every evening meal by reading aloud a Bible passage, he routinely beats both Thomas and his mother. Things change after Thomas befriends the reputed "witch" next door. Indeed, Mrs. Van Amersfoort, whose husband was executed by the Nazis for aiding in the Resistance, takes subtle steps to help Thomas and his family. Her deep magic may also be responsible for the odd occurrences in Thomas's household, which eerily parallel the story of Moses and the pharaoh that Thomas's father is reciting. The young hero records these events, and his encounters with Jesus (funny, at times irreverent conversations) in "The Book of Everything" he writes in each day. The narrative, told from Thomas's perspective, draws heavily on Christian symbolism-Mrs. Van Amersfoort serves Thomas a cordial "as red as blood"-and frequent episodes of magical realism (e.g., the angels in heaven "covered their eyes with their hands and sobbed loudly" when Thomas's father strikes his mother). Readers who enjoyed Frank Boyce's Millions will find the same sophisticated storytelling here (though without the plentiful humor), and a satisfying resolution, as Thomas's father gets his comeuppance, and the young hero sticks by what he wants to be when he grows up: happy. Ages 9-12. (Apr.) Copyright 2006 Reed Business Information.

Publishers Weekly

When Thomas grows up, he wants to be happy. "I wanted to be happy, and nothing else," he writes in his Book of Everything. Through his reflections, it becomes clear that Thomas is on his journey to happiness. He is helped along the way by Mrs. van Amersfoort, the neighbor who everyone says is a witch. Thomas is not afraid of her, for he too sees things that no one else can see. With her guidance he reaches a solution to the main problem that stands between himself and happiness. Thomas's family suffers under their devout father, who rules with his fist. Thomas regularly converses with Jesus Christ during the family's evening grace. But it is through his book and his relationship with Mrs. van Amersfoort that he finds the happiness he seeks. In this quirky tale, the reader comes to understand what it means to be courageous. Spare character portrayals and a fable-like quality enhance the charm and voice of the story. 2006, Arthur A. Levine/Scholastic, Ages 10 to 14.
—Mary Loftus

Children's Literature

Gr 4-6-In spite of his hard life, Thomas believes in happiness. He adores Eliza, who has an artificial leg. He sees Jesus and talks to him. He sees tropical fish in the canal. In between his father's beatings, he records all he believes, thinks, adores, and sees in his Book of Everything. His Bible-quoting father justifies his brutality toward his son and wife as, "It is the man's task to lead and instruct his wife and children. And if they refuse to listen to him, he has no choice but to-." Things come to a head when his older sister threatens their bullying father with a carving knife, their mother stands up to him, and neighbors turn against him. In the end, he sees that his lonely father is terrified of life. He is encouraged by an unlikely ally, Mrs. van Amersfoort, who lost her husband to the Nazis, but still believes in happiness. Winner of the Flemish Golden Owl award, this book is enchanting. The translation manages to hold the shaky feel of a postwar Netherlands. Thomas is proof that there is beauty in dirty streets and that innocence cannot be destroyed. A solid, if not first, purchase.-Sadie Mattox, DeKalb County Public Library, Decatur, GA Copyright 2006 Reed Business Information.

School Library Journal

This austere little example of Dutch magical realism takes readers to Amsterdam in 1951, into the life of nine-year-old Thomas, whose only ambition is to grow up to be happy. No wonder: His family belongs to a strict Calvinist sect; his father beats both Thomas and his mother; his older sister Margot copes by hiding behind nonsense. Although Thomas has given up on God, he has regular conversations with Jesus, who visits his head in times of need. He also has an ally in Mrs. Van Amersfoort, known to schoolchildren as the local witch, who may or may not be involved in the plague of frogs that descends on Thomas's house. Against the backdrop of a country still reeling from the Nazi Occupation, with its resisters and collaborators, this story of one family's dance with retributive justice in its many forms is held up as a mirror to its society. It's a deceptively simple tale-the third-person limited narration so thoroughly focused through Thomas's own innocent yet warped understanding of reality-that demands sophisticated readers. Those who open themselves up to it will be repaid. (Fiction. 10-14)

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