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A review by amandagstevens
Old Ramon by Harold West, Jack Schaefer
4.0
Every so often, I read a children's book, just because. This one has been in my shelf for a while, snagged at a used-book store out of my love for Shane and Monte Walsh. The rhythmic, running-on voice of Jack Schaefer is immediately recognizable in this little story. He uses repetition of words and phrases to create a rugged poetry and he manages to stir emotion for the Old West in a carefully placed adjective here and there, like the "brave" circle of light from Ramon and the boy's fire.
This doesn't feel like a children's book, really. It's a timeless book, a hundred pages of gently rolling prose that tells of another time and leaves much unsaid. The setting is, of course, a main strength; but so are the conversations and relationship between Ramon and the boy and their dogs, the wisdom and stories Ramon imparts to the boy (I was reminded a bit of Santiago and Manolin, though that old man is alone with his sea for much of the book). I might not have had the patience for this book as a middle-grade reader; but of the obscure Newbery Honor books, this one is worth picking up. A gem with subdued yet lasting shine.
This doesn't feel like a children's book, really. It's a timeless book, a hundred pages of gently rolling prose that tells of another time and leaves much unsaid. The setting is, of course, a main strength; but so are the conversations and relationship between Ramon and the boy and their dogs, the wisdom and stories Ramon imparts to the boy (I was reminded a bit of Santiago and Manolin, though that old man is alone with his sea for much of the book). I might not have had the patience for this book as a middle-grade reader; but of the obscure Newbery Honor books, this one is worth picking up. A gem with subdued yet lasting shine.