Remembering: The Wall by Eve Bunting

THIS IS THE WALL, MY GRANDFATHER'S WALL.

ON IT ARE THE NAMES OF THOSE KILLED IN A WAR, LONG AGO.

The wall is dark and shiny, reflecting the boy and his dad behind the rows of names, alphabetical by the year they were killed. it reflects a legless man in a wheelchair, wearing medals on his army hat, and a couple, as old as his grandmother, lean on each other as they sadly trace a name on the wall. They don't speak. A teacher leads her class along the wall.

"IS THIS WALL FOR THE DEAD SOLDIERS," ONE STUDENT ASKS.

"THE NAMES ARE FOR THE DEAD. THE WALL IS FOR ALL OF US," SHE ANSWERS.

Each of the kids leaves a tiny flag spaced along the wall.

As his dad searches along the straight rows of letters, the boy notices the other things left in front of the wall, larger flags, a Teddy bear, a photo of a soldier in uniform, flowers and family photos. His dad takes out a pencil and paper and makes a rubbing of his grandfather's name. It has parts of the names above and below his, perhaps some of the friends who died with him.

The cold wind ruffles the paper with his grandfather's name showing up in white, there and not there. His dad tells him to button up his jacket.

I'm proud his name is there, but I'd rather have my grandfather here, the boy thinks, telling me to button up. I'd rather have him.

As Remembrance Day for the war dead comes around again in November, Eve Bunting's The Wall (Reading Rainbow Books) (Clarion Books) is a good read aloud for elementary-age students. Along with the flags, parades, speeches, and marching bands playing stirring songs, this short memorial, simple and moving, by Caldecott winner Bunting, brings the heart of war, the grief of war home to youngsters in a father whose own father was lost to him, a boy who had had no grandfather to love and help care for him. Bunting's straightforward story of war's loss and artist Ronald Himler's soft but realistic illustrations say it all.