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The Composition
In a village in Chile, Pedro and Daniel are two typical nine-year-old boys. Up until Daniel's father gets arrested, their biggest worry had been how to improve their soccer skills. Now, they are thrust into a situation where they must grapple with the incomprehensible: dictatorship and its inherent abuses. This sensitively realized story touches a nerve and brings home the...more
Paperback, 32 pages
Published
January 30th 2003
by Groundwood Books
(first published March 17th 2000)
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This was a good book. The story line outlined how the goverment influences children,families, and lifestyles. Pedro is a young boy with soccer talent that is overshadowed by the looming dictatorship in his country.
His close friend has watched his father removed from the family store, and Pedro's evenings consist of watching his family listen to the radio updates about dictatorship.
The story ends with Pedro writing an "untruthful" composition in an effort to conceal his parents' antagonistic res...more
His close friend has watched his father removed from the family store, and Pedro's evenings consist of watching his family listen to the radio updates about dictatorship.
The story ends with Pedro writing an "untruthful" composition in an effort to conceal his parents' antagonistic res...more
1 like · like · see review
view 2 comments
Feb 16, 2012
Casey Strauss
rated it
4 of 5 stars
Shelves:
latino-a_picture-books,
lation-a_informational
This is a well written children's book which can be used with upper level students. I read it aloud to my seventh grade language arts students. Though the setting isn't specified, I found that this detail encouraged discussion and converation regarding where it might take place. This enabled my students to think critically about the details mentioned in the story (the main character mentions Pele the soccer player, prompting my students to hypothesize where the story might take place). It also b...more
1 like · like · see review
Pedro is a nine-year-old boy living in a country that is run by a dictatorship. We never learn what country this is, but it is a Hispanic culture. In this story, Pedro is just like any child, in that he likes to play with his friends and he spends time with his family in the evening. But something is wrong: his friend’s father is arrested for voicing his opinion about the government. His parents seem worried about radio news reports. And now a general from the army is in his own classroom, deman...more
While I think this is a great and powerful story with an age appropriate depiction of an awful time in Chile's history, I think that there is perhaps too much text and too much detail in the story that gives a sense of place but would have made this much more appropriate to publish as a reader like My Havana rather than a picturebook. That said, the pictures are well done, using a plain style that captures the bleakness of the time period, abstaining form outline to get a realistic style with a...more
“’Children aren’t against anything,’ she said. ‘Children are just children. They have to go to school, study hard, play and be good to their parents.’” These are the words Pedro’s mother gives him to help him understand his role in a place where the military dictatorship is taking over their lives. In this story, young Pedro, who simply wants to play soccer, is instructed by the dictatorship to write a composition entitled, “What My Family Does at Night.” In this story, Antonio Skármeta shares t...more
3.5 stars. This is the story of Pedro, who lives in a South American country (it was originally published in Venezuela) under a dictatorship. Each night his parents secretly listen to the radio, as part of a resistance movement. One day at school, a captain from the army comes into class and tells the kids to write an essay about what they do at night. Pedro struggles with what to write. He knows he can't tell the truth, or his parents will be taken away, as has happened to other friends. Instea...more
4/9/11 ** While at school in an apparently Central-American dictatorship, a boy is told to enter an essay contest on the topic of "What My Family Does at Night." The boy's response is shaped by the recent arrest of the father of one of his friends and his parents' actual activity of listening to a forbidden radio program. As the boy writes his essay, the reader is wondering if he is naive enough to write the truth and what the consequences will be. The book opens with a description of the boy's...more
This book is about a boy who, while at school, was asked by the government to write a composition about what their family does at night. This is after he has seen the government take away a friends father for opposing the dictatorship and watching his parents listen anxiously to the radio about freeing the country. Even though he does not understand fully what is happening,he understands that people are being treated unfairly. When he is asked to write the compositions, he remembers what his par...more
Wow. This book is simply riveting. It tells such an incredible, compelling story. It is about a young boy named Pedro, whose main interest is in soccer, but is faced with such a heavy decision at school one day when he must ultimately rat out what his parents do at home at night. Is he for or against military dictatorship? Does he share with the military that his father is against it?
It is such a compelling story of not just another culture, but of another time in place that our students have no...more
It is such a compelling story of not just another culture, but of another time in place that our students have no...more
The Composition is a unique story centered around a South American city that is living under a dictatorship. A military man enters Pedro's classroom and asks the students to write about what their families do at night. Pedro knows his parents are against the dictatorship, which leads to the suspense of what he will write. This book is for children age eight and older. The book is realistic fiction. There could be a lot of great uses for this book in a classroom setting. Effectively teaching youn...more
Dictatorship crushes individuality and safety of a nation of people. Many times the dictatorship constructs its rule through devious and malicious measures that range from tricking and brainwashing young children to giving a false sense of empowerment to older generations. Other measures dictatorships may take can be to fill the population with fear. These measures can range from spying, arresting without warrant and the disappearance of anyone who resists their rules.
This book tells the tale of...more
This book tells the tale of...more
Pedro is nine years old and lives in Chile with his parents. They all are living under a dictatorship.
Pedro likes to play soccer and wishes his parents would buy him a real soccer ball. His parents work during the day and spend their nights huddled around the radio listening to news broadcasts.. Pedro does not understand this. One day an army captain comes to his school and ask the students to write a composition about "What my family does at night". Pedro is torn. He knows that his parents list...more
Pedro likes to play soccer and wishes his parents would buy him a real soccer ball. His parents work during the day and spend their nights huddled around the radio listening to news broadcasts.. Pedro does not understand this. One day an army captain comes to his school and ask the students to write a composition about "What my family does at night". Pedro is torn. He knows that his parents list...more
Published in 2003 by Groundwood Books
Interest Level: 4th-5th Grade
This book is about a boy living in under a dictatorship and his family who is against the dictatorship. Pedro is a boy that loves soccer and wants a real soccer ball and one day an army captain comes and asks his class to write about what his parents do at night. The only problem is that his parents listen to the radio and are against the dictatorship. The ending of this book is realistic and honest with its treatment of how chil...more
Interest Level: 4th-5th Grade
This book is about a boy living in under a dictatorship and his family who is against the dictatorship. Pedro is a boy that loves soccer and wants a real soccer ball and one day an army captain comes and asks his class to write about what his parents do at night. The only problem is that his parents listen to the radio and are against the dictatorship. The ending of this book is realistic and honest with its treatment of how chil...more
I really like this book a lot. I think it would be great to use with middle school students because there is so much discussion that could come from reading it. Although it is not clear where the story takes place, it is obviously about a country living under a dictator. A reference to soccer star Pele suggests the story might be set in Brazil; however, the story could be related to many of the Central and South American countries that have had a dictator at one point in time or another.
A fantastic picture book to read aloud to students when starting to speak about government forms, in particular dictatorships. A young boy tries to make sense of what he hears and sees around him, as a dictator tightens his grip on a country. Very clever developed plot. I don't know any other title (so far) that would bring such a challenging topic to such a understandable level for younger readers.
I can't remember who recommended this to me. It could be used in so many different ways in the classroom, for inference, prediction, plot, and more. I could see exactly what was going to happen, but perhaps students would not see it that way. I am sure that many of the students in our area would have no idea that such things have occurred in the past-- and probably are happening today.
I really loved this book. I thought it was really suspenseful for a children's book, for one thing and I really had no idea how it was going to the end. I also think it's never too early to teach children not to trust the government :)
I can't really articulate everything I liked about this book... just enjoyed reading it and thought the story was really moving.
I can't really articulate everything I liked about this book... just enjoyed reading it and thought the story was really moving.
L'écrivain et intellectuel chilien Skarmeta a signé ici un album pour la jeunesse sobre, fascinant et saisissant où il dénonce la dictature de son pays et le système totalitaire qui y régne et qui n'hésite pas à s'attaquer à l'innocence même des enfants. Superbement illustré par l'espagnol Alfonso Ruano.
A touching story. I would not recommend this book for younger children. It would be a good book use with older students to show them a different type of government. It does require the reader to have to infer throughout the text and to think deeply.
This was a short story, but important. What does a child do when he has been taught to tell the truth, but he knows the truth could destroy his family and everything they stand for?
What a brilliant little book! It explains dictatorship in such a great way. It really should be mandatory to read this book at school.
I just wish that more kids were as clever as Pedro. He uses a fantastic method to rule out the government's really mean technique of trying to find out whose parents are against the regime. The book shows that as powerless as one may seem there is always a possibility to do something against evil.
I just wish that more kids were as clever as Pedro. He uses a fantastic method to rule out the government's really mean technique of trying to find out whose parents are against the regime. The book shows that as powerless as one may seem there is always a possibility to do something against evil.
I've never read a book like this before for children. In a picture book format, this book succintly illustrates the life of a boy living under a dictatorship.
This subtle exploration of the growth of a child's awareness of oppression is a strong statement about survival in a culture that limits freedom.
A perfect choice for children from 9 to 12 years old!
A brilliant book and adults will love it a lot!
A brilliant book and adults will love it a lot!
I'll use it to teach dictatorships.
SM
Jun 09, 2011
Margaret
rated it
5 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
latino-a_picturebooks,
latino-a_informational
This book is about a boy who lives in an undisclosed country with a dictator. He sees his friend's father dragged away by the authorities and his parents listening to long-distance radio. He is then ordered by a soldier to write a compostion about what his parents do at night. He has to make the decision about what to do.
Very good book for Latino culture. Use with upper elementary and middle school students to start discussions about dictatorships and making tough choices.
Very good book for Latino culture. Use with upper elementary and middle school students to start discussions about dictatorships and making tough choices.
I originally rated this at three stars, but I didn't realize how long the story would stay with me and speak to me. I may have to check it out from the library again. I think it may be useful for a discussion of repression with my 6th grade philosophy group.
I just watched the film, "The Year My Parents Went on Vacation" and it made me connect some parallels to this situation (although the country and year is not named), and brought this book's reality more vividly into my understanding.
2001 Jane Adams Award Winner
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Antonio Skármeta (born Esteban Antonio Skármeta Vranicic) is a Chilean writer, born November 7, 1940 in Antofagasta, Chile. He was born to Croatian immigrants from the Adriatic island of Brač, region of Dalmatia.
His 1985 novel and film[1] Ardiente paciencia ("Ardent Patience") inspired the 1994 Academy Award-winning movie, Il Postino (The Postman). Subsequent editions of the book bore the title El...more
More about Antonio Skármeta...
His 1985 novel and film[1] Ardiente paciencia ("Ardent Patience") inspired the 1994 Academy Award-winning movie, Il Postino (The Postman). Subsequent editions of the book bore the title El...more
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