Background of the Book
Philip Roy was born in Nova Scotia, which explains how he was able to write this book with such familiarity of the setting that it felt like home. While most of his books have been about submarines and adventures on the sea, he has written this and one other historical fiction book, also set in Nova Scotia, with another one in the works.
During an interview with CBC, Roy shared why he wrote this book. When he visited the Bell museum as a child, he was inspired by the many inventions Bell created, but found that "what really captivated [him] was his sense of humanity ... The fact that he basically cared so much for people, that impressed me more than anything" (CBC, 2013, 0:26). He created a character that would relate to Bell in his obsession with problem solving, but also with his love of nature. He used the invention of the Silver Dart as "a metaphor for Eddie's own ambition [and] own challenge" (CBC, 2013, 3:41).
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| Beinn Bhreagh |
This book was nominated for the 2014 Book of the Year for Children Award from the Canadian Library Association, and become a top 10 finalist. It was also shortlisted for the 2014-2015 Hackmatack Children's Choice Book Award, and listed as a Year's Best 2013 book by Resource Links.
There were a few
things that I was curious about as I read this book. I wondered if Beinn
Bhreagh and Dalvay-by-the-Sea,
PEI had any connection to or
influence on each other, as I immediately thought of Dalvay-by-the-Sea when I saw the cover of the book. I was unable to find any information relating the two, although both drew strongly on the Scottish influences of the owners. Looking at the pictures side-by-side I'm less inclined to think of them as being very similar as I originally was, other than a few architectural features.
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| Dalvay-by-the-Sea |
I also wondered if Mr. Bell
had learning disabilities himself because he was able to relate to Eddie so
well, and if he and Helen Keller really were friends. Upon doing some research,
I found out that Mr. Bell was Helen Keller's teacher, which answered the second question,
and also made it clearer as to one reason why he was able to help Eddie in the
way he did.
Book as Object
The book I borrowed from the library is a paperback, not too
thick, and seems a perfect size for the 10-12 target audience. The type size is
average, the chapters aren’t too long, and at 137 pages is a good length. The cover is somewhat old fashioned,
and would most likely draw a more serious reader. With the male protagonist and
characters on the front, hopefully this book would appeal to boys. The mannerisms of
the characters on the front looking and pointing into the distance give an
air of mystery and wonder and curiosity. The big house on the front probably
means that at least one character is well off, most likely the older man
pictured based on how he is clothed.
Reading Journal
What happened to me as I read?
I
was engaged in this book from the very beginning. I believe the first person
narration helped me get in the head of a 10 year old boy and really feel what
he was feeling. I felt his
pride at helping his father, and then his dejection when he
later disappointed his father; his pain at being singled out for not being able to read
and write; his frustration at not being able to use his left hand to write; his confidence building as he was encouraged and made
to feel important and normal by Mr. Bell and his friends and family; his invisibility in the classroom; his pleasure in learning about mathematics and applying it practically to his life; his love for his father growing through the book
as his father begins to believe in him. It didn’t take long for me to “forget”
why I was reading this book, and I had to force myself to stop occasionally to
take notes.
Responses caused by the reader's personal history
As I’ve mentioned
before in this class, I’ve always enjoyed reading historical fiction, so this book was right
up my alley. While there was never (that I can remember) any mention that the setting
was Nova Scotia, I was aware that this was the province it was set in, and the
cover made me think of a more rural area. As mentioned above, the house on the cover reminded me of Dalvay-by-the-Sea in PEI, which endeared me a
bit more to the book as well.
That I know of and can remember, I’ve never really
interacted with someone with dyslexia, so I was unable to relate to Eddie in
that way. However, I was able to
empathize with his feelings of inadequacy; everyone has areas that they aren’t
as good at or feel as confident in, and I was able to relate to him in that respect. The characters of Mr. Bell and Helen Keller were probably my favourites,
as they both in a subtle way encouraged Eddie, but didn’t make excuses for him
and pushed him to push himself, knowing that he could do what he didn’t think
he could.
Responses caused by the reader's history as a reader
This story came at
the right time for me. I didn’t read any of the books for this course in advance, and so when
it came to picking one of the three books for this week, I based my
decision on which one was the shortest (I figured this was a good way of doing
it since they all sounded interesting!). This decision was a great one, as I
was able to read the book in pretty much one sitting, and it ended up being a
book that really touched me emotionally. I don’t normally cry while reading a
book, but I teared up three – yes, three! – times while reading this book.
The first time this happened was when Eddie was at the Bell’s house for the
afternoon (chapters 7&8) and he met so many people who treated him as someone
important. With both Mr. Bell and Helen Keller investing their time in him in a
simple way, he started to realize that an individual can do a lot with a little
bit of determination and belief in one’s self, despite obstacles they may be
facing. Realizing that obstacles like being blind, like Helen Keller, and mute
like both her and Mrs. Bell, could be overcome made him realize that he could
face his learning disability.
The second time I teared up was when Eddie had
his left hand tied behind his back by the Inspector. I was immediately appalled
and was so happy that he had a friend who cut the rope the instant they were
outside and able to do so. Earlier in the story, when his father was proud of
him for figuring out how to get the rock out of the field, I wondered how long
it would last before he became disappointed in him for not being able to read and write well. As Eddie got closer to home in this chapter and started talking
to his father, I wondered how he would react, or even if Eddie would tell his
father what had happened. Even before he knew what had happened, he encouraged
his son to push through the doubters. Then seeing his father’s righteous anger
at the situation, and yet still able to speak encouraging words to Eddie, made
me so glad that their relationship had really turned a corner. In fact, I’m
getting emotional again right now as I read the scene!
By the last page of the book, I was glad that it was done, because I was tired of getting emotional! Mr. Bell has one last chance to speak to Eddie about working hard despite everyone doubting him, and that success will come eventually, and to not “forget to celebrate those successes” (Roy, 2013, pg. 137). Throughout the book he relates himself to Eddie and shows Eddie that while everyone has different obstacles, the way one approaches them is the telling sign of a person’s character and whether they will overcome them. Based on Eddie’s actions by the end of the book, he’s well on his way to realizing that he can rise above and do well in life, and this is a lesson that the reader has hopefully internalized as well."And why in Heaven’s name did he tie you up?" My father was breathing heavily through his nose now. … He put his hand on my chin and looked into my eyes. "It’s not a perfect world, my son. There are all kinds of problems for everybody every day. That’s just the way it is. But let me tell you something: don’t ever let anybody lay a hand on you like that again. … And something else: use the hand that God gave you to use, and don’t let anybody tell you any different." … My father let go of my chin, took a deep breath and started down the hill toward the school. I watched him go. I was sure glad I wasn’t Miss Lawrence right now. (Roy, 2013, pg. 104-105)
Responses caused by the text alone
This book is written in a style that would
appeal to a younger reader, with short, uncomplicated sentences and chapters.
The usage of first person narration allows the reader to get into the head of
the protagonist. While I was aware of the setting, it wasn’t necessary to
really understand and engage in the story, but that knowledge made it a richer
book for me.
For the most part, the primary characters
appeared well rounded (Eddie, his parents, Mr. McLeary, Mr. Bell). The
secondary characters, too, while somewhat stereotypical, drew me in, including
Eddie’s siblings, Mrs. Bell, and Helen Keller. However, I was extremely
disappointed in the character of the teacher (which I think was the author’s
plan!). She did the exact opposite of what any good teacher should do. Also, if
any character was a one note character, I would say that she was. She didn’t
seem to really have any kind of reason as to why she acted the way she did
towards Eddie, and even though she seemed somewhat sheepish after the
hand-tying instance, her character didn’t really change or evolve at all. While not all readers would be able to relate
to Eddie’s character as far as his learning disability goes, the author does a
good job of making him a normal boy apart from that. He has siblings that annoy
him, chores to do, school to go to, and he’s a curious boy who wants to figure
out how things work!
The ending of the book was rather surprising, as
I expected it to tie up neatly with Eddie introducing his family to Mr. Bell,
and perhaps having a role to play in the flight of the Silver Dart. Usually I can figure out the ending of a book,
and I thought I had this one pegged. However, I was pleased that there
was a twist at the end, as it
was a culmination of the relationship that Eddie developed with his
father, as
well as usage of the applied mathematics that he had been working so
hard at
learning. And, in the end, it still tied up neatly with his father finally meeting Mr. Bell, and while
Eddie
still had to work at it, he continued to overcome his learning
disability.
What does this book ask of readers?
This book asks the reader to
empathize with a character who has a learning disability (most likely dyslexia,
although never diagnosed as such in the book). This will most likely be hard
for the reader to do, as I would imagine that a child with dyslexia probably
wouldn’t be at this stage of reading yet (but I am saying that with no
background or knowledge). That being said, it could be a book that a parent
would read to/with a child with a learning disability in order to encourage
them in the same way that Eddie is encouraged.
In addition, this book asks the
reader to immerse themselves in a different time period, one in which school in
a rural area takes place in a one room schoolhouse and where differences aren’t
accepted in the same way that they are today. It would also be helpful for the
reader to have some knowledge of Alexander Graham Bell and Helen Keller,
although it’s not necessary, as the basic information that is needed for the
story to make sense is shared. Hopefully, as I was, the reader is curious about
the historical facts and decides to do a bit of research to learn more about
the characters. That being said, it might have been handy for the author to
include an afterword talking about some of the facts and historical characters
so the reader is a bit more aware of what and who were real events and people
and which were made up.
Review Comparison
In comparing Gillian Green's review of this book, I find that we had very similar reactions to this book. She notes the "complexities of the English language" (Green, 2013, para. 1) that Eddie has to deal with, which is something that I noted to as he continually struggled with all the exceptions that are involved. He wonders how he is ever going to memorize every word, since nothing seems to follow the rules! Despite his struggles with words, he is very gifted with numbers and pushes to learn more about applying those to his life. This curiosity in his character at how things are done is one that Green also noted, and something that carries through to his desire to learn how to read so that he doesn't have to be stuck being a farmer his whole life. Green also saw the gradual acceptance that Eddie came to have about his limitations, but also about his abilities and how his failures can also contribute to his successes.
One of the key things that I noted about this book is how the first person narration helped to draw the reader in and really understand Eddie as a character. This is also something that Green comments on, noting that "Eddie, as the narrator, allows for the story to be as engaging as possible" (Green, 2013, para. 3). She also notes how the interactions with famous historical characters and the lessons that Eddie learns are ones that can be easily translated to classrooms.
The one thing that I disagree with Green on is that she says that Bell's development of the Silver Dart plays a main role in the book. While it is a recurring theme and event, because of the impact Eddie's character had on me, I wouldn't say that it's a main role, as it could just as easily been a role carried out by any of Bell's other inventions, and is just a tool used to develop the conversations between Bell and Eddie. Other than that, Green and I completely agree that "Roy has created a fantastic story, with a likable main character" (Green, 2013, para. 5).
References
Beinn Bhreagh (n.d.) [photograph]. Retrieved from http://new.skyhighrestoration.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/DSC_0002.jpg
CBC (Producer). (2013, October 16). Me and Mr. Bell [Audio podcast]. Retrieved from http://www.cbc.ca/informationmorningcb/
Dalvay-by-the-Sea (n.d.) [photograph]. Retrieved from http://peistuffonline.com/redislandrelay/images/1212193295_531310.jpg
Green, G. (2013). Me & Mr. Bell. CM: Canadian Review of Materials, 20(2). Retrieved from http://www.umanitoba.ca/outreach/cm/
Me & Mr Bell (n.d.) [book cover]. Retrieved from http://www.thecasket.ca/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/Me-Mr-Bell-a-novel-Cover-647x1024.jpg
Roy, P. (2013). Me & Mr. Bell. Sydney, Nova Scotia: Cape Breton University Press.
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