Point of View

The point of view in this story is first person, narrative style. It is written, initially in past tense, but switches to a present tense when the majority of the story unfolds about the war with grandpa. The narrator, himself, is unreliable, however, not because he is deceitful, but because of his age. His perspectives are that of a ten-year-old boy, whose immaturity and lack of life experiences does not allow him a full view of the situation. He lacks empathy, something that doesn't happen until the end of the story.

Language and Meaning

The language is very accessible for reluctant readers. The lexile is a 640 and very easy for grades 3-4th to grasp. The situation is realistic and one that younger readers can readily identify with. There is some pre-reading that will need to be done in order for readers to fully understand...