unforgettable

THE UNFORGOTTEN COAT by Frank Cotrell Boyce (Candlewick 2011) with photographs by Carl Hunter and Clare Heney) is a remarkable piece of storytelling. When two boys from Mongolia show up at her school, Julie becomes their "Good Guide." She is fascinated with Chingis and Nergui and their homeland. She is equally curious about their lives outside of school. Boyce captures the wonder of a young girl at things that to her seem exotic and compelling. He also spins out a bit of a mystery about how the boys came to the little town near Liverpool and why they seem so secretive about their life before they moved from Mongolia. The Polaroid photos are a compelling part of this simple narrative, photos that are presented without text or caption because they do not need them. Teachers looking for examples of memoir (fictional in this case) would do well to share some of this slim, powerful book. <485>