Prayer for the Twenty-First Century [Hardcover]

John Marsden (Author)

Book Description

Age Level: 10 and up | Grade Level: 5 and up

May the road be free for the journey, May it lead where it promised it would... These opening words lead to a compelling text that speaks to both young and old, expressing the deeply held hopes and fears that we all recognize. Illustrated with paintings, photographs, and collages, this call from the heart contains a message we all wish for our loved ones. This book, once read, will always be remembered. Ages 11+.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Like the traditional Irish blessing ("May the road rise up to meet you./ May the wind be always at your back"), the form that Marsden chooses for his modern prayer is a lyrical litany: "May the road be free for the journey,/ May it lead where it promised it would." In his first picture book, the Australian YA novelist (Letters from the Inside) combines modern anxieties ("May every aircraft fly safely") with the language of ancient longings ("May fears always have names"). The stunning graphics and design feature a line or two of the poem on a textured background subtly incorporating a single word, and each spread displays reproductions of extraordinary paintings and photographs. A striking collaged skeleton is juxtaposed with a slick black-and-white photo of hands loading a gun ("May the knife remain in the holder,/ May the bullet stay in the gun"). The plaintive "May we be outlived by our daughters,/ May we be outlived by our sons" appears with three startling photographs and a painting, all of thriving young adults. The brilliant complexity and range of the artwork evocatively counterpoint the simplicity of the poem's entreaties. Best suited to older children and adults, this supremely accomplished work gives uncommon voice to the hopes and fears of people everywhere. All ages.
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.

About the Author

John Marsden is an internationally recognized author of 27 young adult books that have sold over a million copies worldwide. His years of teaching, "The most important job in the world," has fine tuned his understanding of how young people see the world and what troubles them. His books are colored with his humanity and care; by his concern for justice and peace and a horror of cruelty.

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 10 and up
  
• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: Star Bright Books; 2nd edition (February 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1887734422
• ISBN-13: 978-1887734424
• Product Dimensions: 10.1 x 9.3 x 0.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,468,657 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Captivating, January 13, 2000

By 

Lauren E. Pomerantz (Montclair, CA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Prayer for the Twenty-First Century (Hardcover)

I love Marsden's work even though I'm quite a few years past being a young adult. This prayer, which reads like a poem, is haunting and evocative and inspiring. It made me cry the way the end of It's a Wonderful Life makes me cry. It's frightening, sometimes, to see all of your fears laid out before you like this, even the ones which you are afraid to name. It's comforting, though, to know that what frightens you most deeply frightens others as well, and that we all pray for safety, for kindness, for love, for acceptance, for strength, and for courage.

Read this all the way through so that you understand the whole of it, and then read it again slowly, savouring the way the words and the pictures lend to each others' interpretation.

5.0 out of 5 stars A Poem for all ages, September 18, 2009

By 

K. Chambers - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Prayer for the Twenty-First Century (Hardcover)

I teach high school English and was introduced to this book during a writing workshop over the summer. My first thought was that it would be for the elementary range as it is in picture book form. After we read it once, I realized that was not the case and went home that night and ordered it. I have since read it to each of my classes, 9th-12th grades, and everyone of them was able to offer valuable insight when we went back to analyze it. Some even came up with things I would have never thought of myself! I would absolutely recommend this book to any teacher of any content area. It is easy reading for deep thinking.