Garmann's Street

Young Garmann is learning that the world is not always a safe place. When he goes out one day for a bike ride, he runs into Roy, the big local bully, and gets intimidated into lighting a match and playing with fire. The match drops into dry grass and a blaze erupts. Luckily, The Stamp Man who lives nearby comes on the scene with a hose to save the day. The fire is smothered and The Stamp Man casually hides the pack of matches without saying a word. A few days later, Garmann visits The Stamp Man bringing along his book of dried flowers. The two make friends. In your lifetime you will live 30,000 days and you will meet 200,000 people. Among the people you meet, some will become friends and those are the people who will make your life wonderful in an imperfect world. This is a serious, thoughtful book about bullying and about the presence of "darkness" in our everyday lives. It would be a great entry point for discussion about children's fears and difficult experiences. The illustrations are a combination of art and photograph which lend an edgy feel to the whole reading experience. Ages 5-10 44 pages