Son of a Gun

BIBLIOGRAPHY

De Graaf, Anne. 2012. Son of a Gun. Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans Books for Young Readers. ISBN 9780802854063

PLOT SUMMARY

Son of a Gun is the story of ten-year-old Nopi and her eight-year-old brother, Lucky, who are caught in the middle of a vicious civil war.

CRITICAL ANALYSIS

Nopi and Lucky are characters that children will be able to identify with.  Lucky likes to dance and play soccer which will be hobbies familiar to many readers.  Their love for each other and their parents will also be relatable for young readers.  The characters are endearing and readers will find themselves cheering for the children to overcome their hardships. 

The plot of this story begins as Nopi and Lucky are kidnapped from their school and forced to be child soldiers.  They are able to escape and reunite with their parents, but that seemingly happy ending is only the beginning of the tumultuous adolescence that the children will experience.  De Graaf provides enough details that readers unversed with the Liberian conflict will be able to follow the plot of this story.  The details, however, are not overwhelming. 

The setting of this story is described in detail.  I was easily able to visualize this story in my mind.  The theme of the importance of family is woven throughout this story.  Nopi and Lucky are constantly on a quest to protect each other, and later, to reunite.

Throughout this story, de Graaf proves repeatedly that she has the gift of being able to vividly describe something completely horrific without being too graphic for young readers.  I was continually amazed at de Graaf’s ability to keep the story appropriate for children.  Initially, my gut reaction was that a story of child soldiers would be inappropriate for children to read about.  De Graaf quickly proved me wrong. 

Adding to the authenticity of this story is more than twenty pages of notes at the end of the book.  This story was well-researched and based on actual stories.  Although this story is brief (only 89 pages), it was extremely powerful to me.  I once had an ex-child soldier (from the Ivory Coast) as a student and have taught a family of Liberian refugees throughout the years.  While this story allowed me to understand their experiences better, the fact that it was from Nopi and Lucky’s perspective increased the impact ten-fold.  I found myself crying almost constantly while reading this story.

De Graaf was also able to seamlessly include cultural markers within the pages of this story, and at an age-appropriate level.  She educates the reader on tribal differences, geography, and history.  Throughout the story, however, we are reminded that Nopi and Lucky are like any other children.  Their story, however, happens in the middle of a brutal war.

REVIEW EXCERPT(S)

Library Media Connection: “Based on interviews with children who were soldiers, this is an open look at something ugly, but the hope that Lucky and Nopi keep for a better life shines through. Information about life in Liberia, the civil war and the child soldiers, and drawings and poems by former soldiers are also included. It is a powerful read, and does not shield the reader from the horrors of war. The underlying message is that of hope for a better future, and the rebuilding of a country that was torn apart.”

Kirkus Reviews: “De Graaf bases her episodic, present-tense narratives on interviews with Liberian children and adds an informational appendix with photos that not only lays out Liberia's troubled history (up to 2006, when the original Dutch edition of the book was published) but also includes upbeat drawings and letters from young survivors.”

CONNECTIONS

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Francesco D'Adamo. Iqbal. ISBN 1416903291

Joseph Lemasolai Lekuton. Facing the Lion: Growing Up Maasai on the African Savanna. ISBN 0792272978