3.0 out of 5 stars
Reviewing: "The Lake That Stole Children" by Douglas Glenn Clark, December 19, 2009
This review is from: The Lake That Stole Children: A Fable (Paperback)
Part fantasy tale, part mystery tale, this short book tells the tale of what can happen when a person is locked into sadness. The fisherman, Cal, is a stern father of two young children, a daughter and son. While the daughter, much like his wife, dutifully listens to him and does not disobey, his son is a bit of a wild child yearning for adventure.
The son gets that and more when he is pulled into the river that ultimately leads into Flat Horn Lake and a magical creature. The son isn't the only child to disappear in this way over the years. Soon the fisherman is forced to confront his own behavior while he attempts to rescue his own son and the other children.
A quick read at 40 pages, this self published book is designed to appeal to "young and adult readers." Though it will clearly work best for the middle school reader as older readers may find the author's heavy use of excessively flowery prose a turn off.
"Soon the boy began to cry. His sobbing was so loud the forest began to heave in sympathy. Berries and nuts dove from bushes, leaves flew from their branches, and the sky drooped against the soaring pines." (Page 9)
The basic point that Mr. Clark is making regarding some parents are too harsh and strict with children in an attempt to protect them from everything comes through clearly to the reader. However, there is alack of nuance to the point which harms the overall message. The fisherman is portrayed as an overly strict father because he is stern while the mother and daughter are portrayed as meek and bordering on being mentally abused. Though the father is raising his voice in dangerous situations trying to protect his son from vanishing into the river it comes across as he somehow is doing something wrong. His wife routinely does nothing when the boy misbehaves and the good daughter is seen as good simply because she does exactly what she is told to do just like the wife. Once the boy goes missing after sneaking out of the house, it is the entire fault of the fisherman and he is blamed by both the daughter and the mother. Love is withheld by the wife at a critical time when it is needed the most by her husband. The overall character image depicted is of a father who somehow didn't care about things until his son vanished, then takes steps to rescue not only the child but his family as well.
The actual tale embedded in "the Lake That Stole Children" is a pretty good one despite the frequently overwrought prose. The magical creature is what seasoned readers would expect and yet fits well into the story while proving both good symbolism and a foil for the fisherman.
With above issues noted, the result is a good read primarily suitable for the middle school crowd that will occasionally appeal to members of a wider audience. While always important with any book, clearly with the way certain issues are depicted in this self published novel, parents and educators that use this book with children should also have discussions about the material with them.
Material provided directly by the author in exchange for objective review.
Kevin R. Tipple (copyright) 2009
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3.0 out of 5 stars
A mysterious light sorce pulls a young child down into its waters., September 15, 2009
This review is from: The Lake That Stole Children: A Fable (Paperback)
A young girl and boy are on their first fishing expedition with their strict father who prizes obedience to his words more than anything else. The father is preparing his rod and reel while his two children prepare their short poles. They stand not far from the edge of a huge rock above a fast flowing stream.
The obedient daughter patiently waits further coaching from her father. Not the son! He anxiously casts before getting his father's final instructions and approval. Off balance, he begins to lose footing from his slippery perch. The fisherman leaps to his feet and grabs the boy by the collar before he falls to be swept away by the stream's swift current.
In
The Lake That Stole Children, Angry at his son's disobedience, the fisherman bellows at the boy so loudly that even birds in the forest flee from their tree nests: "See what can happen when you ignore your father!" The daughter and son are told they must continue to practice casting their lures close to shore.
The son resents this boring directive. He wants to cast out into the stream's center so he can catch big fish like his master-fly-fisherman father is doing. Silent and discouraged, both daughter and son continue practicing.
After seeing how discouraged her young son was, later that night when both children are in bed, she tells her husband he is too stern with their son. She feels the boy needs more love than harsh discipline.
The young boy cannot sleep. The night cries of the river are beckoning. He steals away to the fishing rock carrying his father's prized rod, reel, and fishing pail. At the rock, he casts far into the gushing stream's center.
In a flash, something huge tugs hard on his lure. He attempts to wind in his line toward shore but his young body is neither heavy enough nor strong enough. He refuses to let go of the fishing rod fearing his father's rage if he discovers it missing.
Into
The Lake That Stole Children splashes the young lad desperately gripping the rod. As he is drawn through the stream and out into a great lake, he sees a brilliant light coming fast at him. He hears the soulful cries of many children deep in the lake.
Who are these children? Where are they? Are they mere ghosts or specters of this terrified boys unbridled imagination? Will the disobedient boy drown? And what will become of the fisherman and his wife?
As a former teacher, I would highly recommend this descriptive short tale especially to educators who are trying to stimulate imaginative writing in their students. Read sentences from the story like, "From the depths of the dark lake, a round beam of light steamed upward, like the warm glow of a fat lantern." Then ask students to write their own simple story or paragraph describing what the light could be. This could provide as much enjoyment as letting the kids take turns, reading their own masterpieces or one another's sentences aloud.
Any reader who likes fables will appreciate this magical story. In my mind,
The Lake That Stole Children, is a story for both adults and children. Is it too frightening for kids? I think not. It should not scare kids any more than Pinocchio and his father being swallowed by a great whale.
Review written by Regis Schilken
Author of:
Tears of Deceit
Other fascinating tales:
Battle Scarred
Equal Time Point
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