Burying the Sun: Not beach reading
But that doesn’t mean that it’s not worth reading.
When I think of summer reading, I think of light and fluffy. This story, written for tweens (ages 10-14) is anything but light and fluffy.
Burying the Sun focuses on fourteen year old Georgi who lives in the Russian city of Leningrad with his mother and sister. When World War II begins, Georgi and his friend Yelena are too young for the army and are given “patriotic work” to support the Russians. Anxious to contribute more, Georgi becomes part of a war relief effort to bring food across the frozen lake and into Leningrad.
The book is authored by Gloria Whelan, who has written a number of similarly-themed works including The Impossible Journey and Angel on the Square.
As a history buff, I found a lot to like about it. It had a “Little House on the Big Frozen Lake in Leningrad” feel to it. But, it is serious and dramatic and somewhat dreary in spots, which could be a difficult draw for the tween crowd. Personally, I’m glad that everything isn’t frou-frou and dating-oriented at this age. But that means that the competition for this book is tough. If you can get your child to give it a whirl, I think he or she will enjoy it. But the convincing in the first place may not be easy.
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