Children of My Heart - Post 1

When I chose to read Children of My heart by Gabriella Roy I chose because I have known a few people who have read the book. When you read the back of the book, it tells you exactly what the story is. It is about a young female teacher, who touches the lives of the children she meets, while they help her grow. Part of me thought this book would be kind of boring. I thought it would be full of cliche moments that a typical teacher would go through, but i was wrong.

The book is split into three different parts, and I am about half way through the first part. So for the format of the story has been going through the teachers memory. Each chapter she has been talking about a different, child she has taught. Each child pulls on your heart strings in a different way. One character that has really stood out for me, is Nil. Nil's mother is of Ukranian decent, and has taught Nil how to sing songs of her homeland. The teacher is captivated by his voice and refers to him as "the Lark". Even the principle refers to him as the lark. "Well, with your thirty-eight sparrows you've caught a meadowlark this year. Do you know the lark? Let him sing and there's not a heart but is lightened." (Roy 39) I looked up meadowlark, and there were a few different types. The one the were refering to was the Western Meadowlark, which lives in the prairies. It is known for its "Flute-like warble song" (wikipedia). Little Nil goes around on the principles request to various locations. The teacher went with him to these places, which included a mental institution and nursing home. At each visit the audience doesn't want him to go home, and tries to get him to stay.

The part that draws to the story, is how the children teach the teacher valuable life lessons. An example of this is a little boy Clair. Clair comes from a broken home. His father left him at a young age, and his mother works the majority of the time, just to get by. Clair is always on his best behavior, he always gets his work done, and always has a smile for the young teacher. However, as christmas approaches his attitude changes. All of the children in the class want to by the teacher a present, but little Clair doesn't have the money. He eventually stops talking altogether, and is always near tears. On christmas day, there was a knock on the teachers door. Clair had walked through a blizzard to deliver a present for her. His mother had recieved an Irish Linen Hankie from one of the ladies she cared for, and wished it to go to her. The teacher recieved, expensive or flashy gifts from other students but this one meant the most to her. A family with nothing gave away what they recieved in hopes of showing some appreciation and gratitude for what she does.

Overall, Children of my heart has so far blown my expectations out of the water. The antics the children get into keep the pages turning, and warm your heart along the way. You can't help but get captivated by the children as the teacher has with each of their stories. For a young teacher, she has learned some valuable skills.