A story from the perspective of a typewriter is a first for me! I heard about this one from the #kidlit chat on Bluesky and had to check it out.(Visit the Bluesky Kidlit/YA Book Recommendations Feed to see many more book recommendations).
Why this book?
I remember using a typewriter ages ago. I used one to type out one of the first stories I wrote for a writing contest. It might even have been an Olivetti. I was curious about this story because we hardly ever see typewriters anymore. I also wondered whether the story would interest kids who may have never seen one before. There was a lot to the story!
My thoughts as a creator:
The structure of alternating points of view between the typewriter and human boy was an interesting choice. I enjoyed thinking about how the author used a different voice for each of these characters. There's a lot of humor in the writing, but it evokes a great deal of emotion, too. Plus, how cool is it that a typewriter types messages to communicate?
My thoughts as an educator:
This story doesn't have as much action as some stories, but I still think it would hold the attention of readers. It deals with some challenging topics and issues. There is interesting vocabulary to talk about as well as a mystery that Ernest, the boy, is trying to solve. He is also dealing with anxiety, a familiar issue for many kids. This story also provides an opportunity to learn about the writing technique of "flashbacks."
Ages: 10 - 14
Grades: 5 - 7
Connections: typewriters, mysteries, family, anxiety, memories, grief
Activities:
Literacy: Think about the characters of Olivetti, Ernest and his friend, Quinn. What is the same or different about how they solve problems? Which one is more like you?
Literacy: Brainstorm some ideas for what an inanimate object might want to say to someone (e.g., perspective of your phone or pencil case). Write a story where the object needs to solve a problem. Try to stay in the object's perspective.
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