Call Me Aram (New Beginnings (Fitzhenry & Whiteside)) [Hardcover]

Marsha Skrypuch (Author), Muriel Wood (Illustrator)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 8, 2008 | Age Level: 5 and up | Grade Level: K and up | Series: New Beginnings (Fitzhenry & Whiteside)

Aram Davidian, like his fellow orphaned Armenian refugees, is delighted with his new home on a farm in Georgetown, Ontario. But despite the excitement his new surroundings, Aram worries about his young friend Mgerdich, who was injured on the long trip to Canada and is recovering in France. And what is more worrying is that he and the other boys have been assigned new English names. How will their extended families find them one day if all the boys have new identities? Even when their translator assures them that their hosts want only the best for the boys, Aram cannot accept the name David Adams. When Mgerdich finally arrives at the farm, a relieved Aram finds the courage to lead the boys in a gentle revolt. Together, they must find a way to convince the Canadians adults that the boys, as grateful as they are for their new lives, they cannot forget their old ones. They must keep their names.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 3–5—In Aram's Choice (Fitzhenry & Whiteside, 2006), some boys orphaned by the Turkish/Armenian conflict of the 1920s make a harrowing journey from a refugee camp in Greece to a new home in Canada. Call Me Aram picks up the boys' story in 1923, soon after they arrive at a farm in Georgetown, Ontario. Aram Davidian, one of the older orphans, takes on a leadership role as the group tries to adjust to new foods, customs, and the expectations of the kind people who have taken them in but cannot understand their language. The tone is child-appropriate. Parts are humorous, others more serious, as when the boys object to changing their traditional Armenian family names to Canadian ones. As would be expected, there is underlying sadness in the boys' having to leave their country. The author does not go into much detail about the war or violence except in one scene that describes the fate of Aram's father. The author listened to oral-history recordings of real people involved in the Georgetown Farm project and incorporated their memories into the story. The full-color paintings have an unsophisticated quality that suits the descriptions of children in a bucolic setting. While this book stands alone, it would have greater impact if read along with the earlier title.—Lucinda Snyder Whitehurst, St. Christopher's School, Richmond, VA
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Review

"Call Me Aram is a good choice for spearheading discussions about the trials of new Canadians. The book provides a realistic portrayal of the homesickness, difficulties with language and other problems faced by displaced immigrants. The theme of maintaining a cultural identity, even when harboured by well-meaning sponsors, is explored. As in Aram's Choice, Muriel Wood's luminous illustrations help to clarify the text.
Recommended"
-- CM Magazine

"Skrypuch's tale is an affecting one, made even more so by artist Woods's limpid paintings of the bucolic Canadian farmland."
-- The Globe and Mail

"The full-color paintings have an unsophisticated quality that suits the descriptions of children in a bucolic setting. While this book stands alone, it will have greater impact if read along with the earlier title (Aram's Choice)."
-- School Library Journal

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 5 and up
  
• Hardcover: 86 pages
• Publisher: Fitzhenry and Whiteside; 1 edition (November 8, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1554550009
• ISBN-13: 978-1554550005
• Product Dimensions: 7.5 x 7.5 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,181,623 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars Aram Again, November 28, 2009

By 

K. Coombs (Utah, United States) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Call Me Aram (New Begininngs) (Paperback)

Having read the first book, Aram's Choice, I was eager to find out what happened next. Now this group of Armenian orphan boys are living in Canada, where well-meaning community members try to help them but sometimes miss the mark--as when they assign the boys new English names. These are small books, but they pack a lot of punch, showing us what it would be like to lose your entire family and then have your life turned upside down again by traveling halfway around the world to a new land. (I do recommend that you read the two books together.) Once again, Skrypuch has given us a glimpse of a piece of history most of us are unaware of. By putting a face on orphan refugees in this historical setting, the author reminds us that the headlines we see in the news these days about refugees in war-torn countries are all too real.

4.0 out of 5 stars Beautiful, February 28, 2009

By 

Tina "Tina" (Montreal, Quebec) - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: Call Me Aram (New Begininngs) (Paperback)

Call me Aram is a children's book, but more than that, it is a wonderful look into a part of Canadian history that has not gotten much attention in the past. Although I am Canadian, I actually knew very little about the Georgetown Boys. The Georgetown Boys were a group of orphans who were brought into to Canada, from the US in the 1920's after they managed to escape a Genocide in 1915.

This true story takes a brave look at how difficult it was for these boys to adapt to a different culture - to learn new things and also to forget the old things - those things that must certainly have made a lasting impression on them.

This book is not huge, but the storyline is extremely well done, the details are rich and the author has a way of telling the story that will keep older and newer readers engaged.

I also must comment on the beautiful drawings in this book - vivid colors, great attention to detail which adds immensely to an already rich book.

This is a great read for readers of all age.