WORDS WITH MR. KAUMANS- KEVIN KAUMANS
We’ve decided to start a series called Still Worth Reading, where I discuss books written at least 10 years ago that have fallen out of popularity over time.
This week, I’ll be talking about “Silverwing,” by Kenneth Oppel. The book is about a young silverwing bat named Shade, who gets separated from his colony during a storm and teams up with a brightwing named Marina in order to find his way back home. To make matters worse, Goth, a cannibalistic vampyrum spectrum, has escaped from a lab after being captured by humans and is now wreaking havoc all over Canada.
Despite being aimed at middle schoolers, the book contains very dark elements. For example, in one scene, Shade and Marina are captured by a flock of pigeons, who believe the duo are responsible for killing their own. The pigeons sharpen their beaks and attempt to hold the bats down in order to brutally peck off their wings. There’s also a scene where Shade is forced to participate with Goth and Throbb in the act of consuming the flesh of another bat in order to get them to trust him.
While these events make the book quite graphic at times, I can still say with full confidence that if I were a parent, I’d be perfectly content to let my child read this book. It has themes of friendship, using your smarts instead of strength to get out of a situation, and why discrimination is both wrong and illogical. And while the grammar isn’t up to par with the higher-level books that us college students are used to, “Silverwing” is a quick and enjoyable read.
My name is Kevin A. Kaumans, thank you for tuning into this week’s column.
Make sure to pick up a new newspaper from Northwestern News every week, and until next time friends:
Stay Educated
