This one is lighter in the way of concerning content, but there are a few things to know.
We want to start with an interesting item around the ending portion of the book that occurs during Christmas. Several times during this one “Father Christmas” is mentioned. This comes in the form of the kids wondering if he will be able to find them to bring gifts. The real meaning of Christmas is not focused on (outside of a nativity play being put on). The warning for all Christian parents comes when, after an amazing miracle that brings the children from a string of terrible situations into an incredible one, the oldest child tells the youngest that he believes they just received their gift from “Father Christmas”. This points out a real danger during Christmas time, and really all times, as thankfulness and glory is given to someone/something besides the Giver of all Good things, God. This should really cause all of us as parents to pause and reexamine if what we are doing at Christmas and throughout the year is coming from our faith or our culture…
Very early in the book at the children’s grandmother’s funeral we are told that they “never really cared much for their grandmother”. We find out later she was not a very good woman, but the comment comes across as very cold in the book’s opening, especially at her funeral.
The main plot of the book revolves around a plan that the adult in charge of children, now that the parents and grandmother have passed, comes up with. It involves the children being dishonest about their situation. When the plan is presented to them one of the children rightly points this out. The adult tries to make it sound better by calling it a ‘withholding of some truth’. Later one student thinks well of a teacher they believe has just lied to pacify an aggressive student and the narrator comments that ‘fibs’ are entirely acceptable if they get you to a library (meant to be a cute/funny comment). This is something you would want to discuss with your children if they read the book.
There is an interesting
There are a handful of other things. A father is said to have a “cursory prayer” before a meal. Stupid is used at least once and someone is described as fat. A teacher tells a local legend where a woman is said to have rode nude on a horse to protest unfair taxation. A boy comments that he would rather throw himself under a bus than sit next to an admirer. The kindest adult character in the book congratulates one of the children for taking revenge and pranking a couple of bully children. The killing of a few rats is described in somewhat graphic fashion. Many books are mentioned that you will want to check out before letting your child read, including Murder on the Orient Express and a Sherlock Holmes title.