2020 Batchelder Award Honoree
Bibliography
Peretti, P., Muir, D. & Rabei, C. (2018). The distance between me and the cherry tree. London: Hot Key Books.
Plot Summary
Mafalda has a rare eye genetic eye condition known as Stargardt Disease. The 9 year-old’s vision is slowly deteriorating. A cherry tree stands at her elementary school. She uses it as a gauge for how far the “mist” has spread. She takes steps from when she can first see the tree and measures the distance. Afraid of what life has in store for her with no vision, she makes a plan to escape and live in the cherry tree. However things don’t go quite as she planned.
Critical Analysis
Not only does this novel take place in Italy, it also addresses a rare genetic eye condition that will eventually leave the main character, Mafalda, without vision. It’s heartbreaking to imagine what Mafalda is going through. There are several instances where someone with normal vision has to consider what would happen if their vision slowly deteriorated. For example, in order to read, she needs to use a magnifying glass and begin preparing to read braille. She also loses her best friend due to an accident because of her lack of vision.
It is apparent that Mafalda is young and innocent. At one point, she believes that she is going to have a baby based on the idea that being sick and having a sore stomach leads to pregnancy. She is also seemingly oblivious to Estella, a custodian at her school, and her health issues.
One frustrating thing that seems universal is the help Mafalda gets at school. The special education teacher is often more engrossed in his own book than helping Mafalda. This is not to say that this encompasses special education teachers or paraprofessionals, but it is apparent that her school is not prepared for her growing condition. “It sometimes feels like no one knows about my Stargardt mist, although I know they know. Maybe they forget because you can’t see it - my mist, that is.” (101-102)
If it weren’t for the fact that meters is the measuring system and the main character explaining how All Saints' Day is a holiday in Italy, one wouldn’t know that the book was originally written in Italian. The name of Mafalda is unique, as well as Chiara and some others, to the culture of Italy. This title gives readers a chance to see that children in other cultures have issues in their friendships, their health, and families.
This was, in all honesty, an unexpectedly good read. The author has based the book on her own experience with Stargardt Disease - which is important for those that have had or are going through this currently. Mafalda thinks the only way she won’t be a burden is by running away to the cherry tree at her school to be with her grandmother and the fictional character Cosimo, but she ultimately learns that her friends and family are there to support and care for her.
Review Excerpt(s)
2020 Batchelder Award Honoree
“A quiet, philosophical story for thoughtful readers.” - Kirkus Reviews
“Peretti, who was diagnosed with the same illness as a teenager, provides a tunnel of light for readers to reach for.” - Booklist
Connections
Activities
Peretti, P., Muir, D. & Rabei, C. (2018). The distance between me and the cherry tree. London: Hot Key Books.
Plot Summary
Mafalda has a rare eye genetic eye condition known as Stargardt Disease. The 9 year-old’s vision is slowly deteriorating. A cherry tree stands at her elementary school. She uses it as a gauge for how far the “mist” has spread. She takes steps from when she can first see the tree and measures the distance. Afraid of what life has in store for her with no vision, she makes a plan to escape and live in the cherry tree. However things don’t go quite as she planned.
Critical Analysis
Not only does this novel take place in Italy, it also addresses a rare genetic eye condition that will eventually leave the main character, Mafalda, without vision. It’s heartbreaking to imagine what Mafalda is going through. There are several instances where someone with normal vision has to consider what would happen if their vision slowly deteriorated. For example, in order to read, she needs to use a magnifying glass and begin preparing to read braille. She also loses her best friend due to an accident because of her lack of vision.
It is apparent that Mafalda is young and innocent. At one point, she believes that she is going to have a baby based on the idea that being sick and having a sore stomach leads to pregnancy. She is also seemingly oblivious to Estella, a custodian at her school, and her health issues.
One frustrating thing that seems universal is the help Mafalda gets at school. The special education teacher is often more engrossed in his own book than helping Mafalda. This is not to say that this encompasses special education teachers or paraprofessionals, but it is apparent that her school is not prepared for her growing condition. “It sometimes feels like no one knows about my Stargardt mist, although I know they know. Maybe they forget because you can’t see it - my mist, that is.” (101-102)
If it weren’t for the fact that meters is the measuring system and the main character explaining how All Saints' Day is a holiday in Italy, one wouldn’t know that the book was originally written in Italian. The name of Mafalda is unique, as well as Chiara and some others, to the culture of Italy. This title gives readers a chance to see that children in other cultures have issues in their friendships, their health, and families.
This was, in all honesty, an unexpectedly good read. The author has based the book on her own experience with Stargardt Disease - which is important for those that have had or are going through this currently. Mafalda thinks the only way she won’t be a burden is by running away to the cherry tree at her school to be with her grandmother and the fictional character Cosimo, but she ultimately learns that her friends and family are there to support and care for her.
Review Excerpt(s)
2020 Batchelder Award Honoree
“A quiet, philosophical story for thoughtful readers.” - Kirkus Reviews
“Peretti, who was diagnosed with the same illness as a teenager, provides a tunnel of light for readers to reach for.” - Booklist
Connections
Activities
- Convert the measurements mentioned into American units of measurement.
- Measure out the different meters mentioned in each section of the book and have students count their steps to see how close they may or may not be to Mafalda’s measurements.
- Have students write letters to Mafalda as they continue reading in response to her experiences with Stargardt disease and her relationships with other characters.
- Have students write their own lists of things they would miss or be afraid of losing if they lose their sight.
- Research different rare genetic eye conditions and present either orally or written
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