Review of The Matchbox Diary by Paul Fleischman

Authors

James T. Sandberg, Cedarville UniversityFollow

Publisher

Candlewick Press

City

Somerville, Massachusetts, United States of America

Date of Publication

2013

ISBN

978-0-7636-4601-1

Date of Review

2013

Disciplines

Library and Information Science | Modern Literature

Keywords

Children's literature, reviews

Review

A granddaughter travels to Italy to meet her grandfather, and learns his story through a series of objects he collected in matchboxes in his youth. Fleischman writes this story using only the dialogue of the elderly man and his 6 year old granddaughter. This discourse, paired with a style of illustrations matching the time period described by the man, produce a highly imagistic story that captures the reader’s interest and reflects both the difficulty and the inspiring optimism of Italian immigrants just after the turn of the 19^th century. Children will enjoy the diverse and detailed illustrations and parents will appreciate the narrative depth constructed within the context of a conversation between a man and his young granddaughter. Recommended. James Sandberg, Centennial Library Intern

Recommended Citation

Sandberg, James T., "Review of The Matchbox Diary by Paul Fleischman" (2013). Library Intern Book Reviews. 95.
https://digitalcommons.cedarville.edu/intern_book_reviews/95

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