The Memory Book

Barbara M. Buetter conducts creative-writing workshops for children and
is the author of Simple Puppets from Everyday Materials.

Designed to look like a journal, this book presents the diaries of two
girls, the grandmother and the mother of young Nathaniel. Nathaniel is
going into Grade 5—just as his grandmother and mother were when they
started their diaries in 1926 and 1959, respectively—and has been
asked to read Nan’s Memory Book.

The diaries describe life in the small fishing town of Lunenburg, Nova
Scotia, with reference to such historical events as the 1921 launching
of the Bluenose, the fastest schooner of all time, and the building of a
replica ship for the movie Mutiny on the Bounty. Mostly, the book
relates everyday details and conveys the worries, dreams, and hopes of
the two young girls.

With its appealing cover and comfortable format, The Memory Book a
pleasure to read. Soft pencil and watercolor illustrations give the book
a nostalgic look, like a scrapbook with newspaper clippings and
mementos. After reading the diaries, Nathaniel decides to start his own
memory book; so, too, may other young readers, after discovering the
treasure of memories saved in a diary. Recommended.