Customer Reviews

Children of the Dust (Red Fox Young Adult Books)

5 star:		(16)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Here is another book about a long-feared possibility - nuclear war.

The story begins on a May afternoon in England. The sirens wail and people panic - war has suddenly broken out between East and West and the bombs are falling. Very soon the war is over, and from that afternoon the world has changed forever...

Louise Lawrence writes a convincing story about the end of an old world and the start of a new one. There are three main characters in the book: Sarah, Ophelia and Simon. Each of these characters represent their respective generation. Through these people we see how the war has affected their lives and the world around them.

There have been many stories written about nuclear war, and I think that out of the ones I've read this is the most optimistic. It was the first book that made me think that life could actually continue and even improve after such an horrific event. Apart from the obvious theme of war, the book makes you think about issues like race, religion and evolution. Although this book is aimed at a teenage audience, people of all ages can appreciate it.

I first read this book in the 7th grade. In one of my classes we had to do a book report on a book dealing with the theme of disasters, human trials or any similar theme. They had all those books laid out for us in the library, and I remember I just randomly picked this one up, without even bothering to read what it was about. I couldn't have picked a better book. From then on, I would have to say this is one of, if not my very favorite book. It's divided into three sections, "Sarah", "Ophelia", and "Simon".

Sarah's story is about what it is like right after the nuclear holocaust, with Sarah, her step mother, and her half brother and sister sealed inside a dark house, and slowly succumbing to the lethal effects of the radioactive fallout. This story is the most grim and depressing, but don't let that discourage you. It's still very good.

"Ophelia" takes place a little later, in a bunker filled with people who have survived the holocaust. They try to maintain and uphold a civil society, unaware of the futility in doing so. They are totally unprepared for the world that's waiting for them outside.

The third story, "Simon" takes place decades after the war and we see a new, mutant species of human has emerged as a result of the contaminated world. Their totally communal, peaceful society proves to function better, and in a way seems more advanced than our own. "Simon" is the most uplifting story and wraps the book up perfectly. You finish the book with so many feelings and thoughts swirling through your mind, that it sticks with you.

It is geared toward and written for young, middle school aged kids, so it's an easy read, but in all honesty the simplicity of this book is part of what makes it so moving. Also the subject matter is pretty heavy, even for middle schoolers, I think, so even adults can read this and really enjoy it and take something from it.

I know books like this aren't everybody's cup of tea, but if you are interested in war/human struggles/survival/sci-fi/social commentary then I definitely recommend this book. I think it's a beautiful piece of literature.

This is a wonderful book. It's a pity it's out of print, since it makes its availability so small. It's an extremely moving, and a very believable book about three generations of future nuclear war, one of those rare books that make the reader shift through so many different feelings that the end brings a calm sense of peace. I recommend this book to everybody.

Is it naïve of me to say that I usually go into a post-apocalyptic children's book with the vague hope of not encountering anything TOO depressing? Take Louise Lawrence's 1985 still-memorable hit, "Children of the Dust", for example. Now, I've read many many books in which the world has been hit by a plague/atomic bomb/alien invasion and our heroes must strive to adapt to an entirely new environment. However, my reaction to the first tale in this book (there are three, all woven together) was that the start of this story is dark, depressing, and woeful. I had a great deal of difficulty plowing through each page in an effort to reach the book's end. To my surprise, the final story made this slog well worth it. Therefore I tell you here and now that if you'd like to read "Children of the Dust" yet find yourself unaccountably depressed by the first tale in the book, keep going. It improves radically after a point.

The world has been covered in radiation. With war breaking out all over the world, fourteen-year-old Sarah discovers that she must care for her stepmother and step-siblings in their ramshackle home. In time, it becomes clear that while most of the family is dying of radiation sickness in one form or another, stepsister Catherine has taken the best precautions and is likely to survive the holocaust. To this end, Catherine is delivered into the home of a man who is able to care for her and protect her from the radiated world as Sarah and the remaining family members perish. In story number two, a bunker in England has also survived in which Catherine's father lives. He fathers young Ophelia, a child who cannot accept that the world outside her bunker is so harsh. Finally, in the final story we meet Ophelia's son Simon. The bunker has collapsed and Simon finds that the remaining humans in the world have mutated to adapt to harsh environmental conditions. Finding these mutants to be freaks, Simon initially rejects the new world. Only in time does he come to accept the changes and to see himself as less of a dinosaur and more a man who can make a difference in the lands of the children of the dust.

So there are a couple problems with this book, which I'll mention point blank. First of all, I doubt mutations in human beings could mutate and adapt to a world with increased radiation and zippo ozone layers in a single generation. Also, I think radiation can penetrate blankets and trash bags (which Sarah uses to protect Catherine). These small factual quibbles aside, the first story in this book entitled "Sarah" is awful. Really really painful to get through. After having read the whole book I can see why it was included... sort of. We need to establish the horrors of war and the trials taken to ensure Catherine's survival. Still, the second story "Ophelia" didn't seem much better. Again, it was interesting but deeply depressing. "Simon" on the other hand was great. Top notch. Had I edited this puppy I probably would have suggested to Louise Lawrence that she expand "Simon" and skip writing "Sarah" and "Ophelia" in the first place. Nonetheless, the books stand strongly all together. They are small testaments to human courage and the capacity we have for survival.

Credit where credit is due, this book is heads and tails better than more recent stories with grossly similar plots. I am thinking of "Hole In the Sky" by Pete Hautman. Both books involve most of the world's population dying in a plague/nuclear holocaust. In both cases there are mutated survivors. But while "Hole In the Sky" sees these mutants as insane zombies destined to destroy humanity as we know it, "Children of the Dust" is far more optimistic and (frankly) realistic in some senses. In her book, humans have learned from their mistakes. The future utopia is one in which humans live in a generalized communist/socialist society where energy is created through safe environmentally-friendly means. Weapons of any sort are frowned upon, which actually renders humanity stronger, and not weaker, without them. It's a portrait in which people like you and I are extinct, but the world is a better place as a result.

So in the canon of futuristic post-war children's books, this one certainly deserves to be remembered. Perhaps it's a little dour here and there. Honestly, with the swearing and references to sex (though in a scientific breeding kind of way) this is probably a story most appropriate for a pre-teen. There's also a bit of God-talk in the first story. I don't know what your own personal religious proclivities may be, but if you're uncomfortable with a book that contains some Christian quotations here and there, know that "Sarah" contains them tenfold. Otherwise, an interesting book that I recommend fully if not whole-heartedly.

Louise Lawrence created a masterpiece when she wrote CHILDREN OF THE DUST. It's honesty and naivete evoke emotions you never knew you had. If you read this novel, please share it with a friend.

I cannot recommend this book strongly enough. Although considered a children's book, I'd call it more pre-teen. It shows the lives of a family before, during and after a nuclear war, and while it is grim, it leaves the reader with a sense of hope, that beauty can come from tragedy.

I read this book as a part of my English course in High School and it is one of the few novels I read several times while I was in school. The story really makes you think, and shows you how the smallest thing can help you to survive the most difficult situation.

Wow. This book totally blew my mind. It is probably the best book ive ever read. It combines the factors of war and death with the joy of a new race, a super-race. This author sure has a lot of skill to write about something positive coming out of a nuclear attack! Thumbs up!

Excellent book, showing the horrors of a nuclear war while at the same time, showing a touching story.

Children of the dust is an awesome Sci-Fi novel, that has a great deal of description without letting it bog down the story. Lawrence does a superb job of capturing the struggle of 3 generations of one family through a nuclear holocaust, and the mutations that result from it. I would highly recomend this book to anyone who enjoys science fiction.