The Horn Book Guide

YOUNGER FICTION

SkÃ¡rmeta, Antonio

The Composition

40 pp. | Groundwood | May, 2000 | Trade ISBN 0-88899-390-0 $$16.95

(2) 1-3 Illustrated by Alfonso Ruano. When a friend's father is dragged from his store, nine-year-old Pedro learns it's because he's against the dictatorship running their unnamed Latin American country. By the time a soldier instructs Pedro's class to write about what their families do at night, Pedro knows he must conceal the truth. This book's effectiveness lies in its unflagging loyalty to Pedro's point of view, its artfully realistic illustrations, and its deft use of understatement.

Reviewer: Nell Beram | Horn Book Magazine Issue: September, 2000