A. BIBLIOGRAPHY
Strange, Lucy. 2018. OUR CASTLE BY THE SEA. New York: Chicken House, an imprint of Scholastic Inc. ISBN 978-1-338-35385-3.
B. PLOT SUMMARY
Petra Smith’s home was a lighthouse. She was both in love with the sea and terrified of it at the same time. She grew up hearing the terrible tales of shipwrecks and tragedy at sea, but it wasn’t the sea that would threaten her family. Having a German mother and an English father never mattered to Petra, but when World War II broke out, it seemed to matter to everyone else.
C. CRITICAL ANALYSIS (INCLUDING CULTURAL MARKERS)
Petra’s family is a blend of two different cultures, English and German. Her home is England, but as the war breaks out, her community begins to treat her and her family like outsiders because of her mother’s homeland. Strange walks a fine line by including some of the prejudice that existed during the war for those born in enemy territory without emphasizing too much of the cruelty for her younger readers.
The German influence on Petra’s life seems minimal. The most obvious and significant connection to her mother’s heritage is the language. Petra calls her mother, Mutti, because of the German name for mother, mutter. She can speak and understand German. Her mother sang her German lullabies as a child. Music is another cultural marker in this book. It is a very small one, but specific types of songs are mentioned, especially the mystical songs of the Daughters of Stone.
As an island country, the English culture is strongly tied to the sea. In the book, the legend of the “Daughters of Stone” is a sea myth that also serves as a warning to sailors. Throughout the story, there is a steady flow of references to boats and fishing. Petra and her sister, Magda, participate in a crabbing contest, which leads to a dramatic moment when Petra falls out of the boat into the cold, deep water. Much of the plot action is centered around the sea.
There is a brief mention of cultural food. Scotch eggs are served for a special family breakfast. An iced biscuit is given as a treat.
Strange also included time period markers, such as the use of the generic terms people used for different countrymen during the war. The terms “Jerry” and “Fritz” were used to refer to Germans. There is also certain diction made familiar to the general population because of that particular time in history, such as Dunkirk and Gestapo.
D. REVIEW EXCERPTS
Booklist starred, March 2019
Horn Book Magazine, May 2019 “ Vivid writing and an intense, intrepid heroine provide its substance and charge, as timid Pet grows to defeat her fears and become a person of strength, courage, and valiant resistance.”
Kirkus Reviews, February 2019
Publishers Weekly starred, February 2019 “Strange seamlessly blends a local legend, of four girls turned into ancient standing stones on the lighthouse's clifftop, with the larger story. A standout historical novel with a memorable protagonist, strongly sketched setting, and a compelling, twisty plot.”
School Library Connection, August 2019
E. CONNECTIONS
Middle grade readers may enjoy reading more stories of World War II from the British perspective. For history units on World War II, teachers could also offer reading circles that focus on historical fiction from this time period. Some great titles would be The Little Ships: the heroic rescue at Dunkirk in World War II, by Louise Borden (978-0-689-80827-2), When the Sky Falls, by Phil Earle (978-1-54760-930-7), and The War that Saved my Life, by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley (978-1-43286-585-6).
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