Call Me Aram
by Marsha Forchuk Skrypuch Illustrated by Muriel Wood
Fitzhenry
& Whiteside
Canada, 2009
$18.95 hardcover
$10.95 paperback
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From the New
Beginnings
series, comes Call
Me Aram, the sequel to Aram's Choice. Aram Davidian,
like his fellow orphaned Armenian refugees, is delighted
with his new home on a farm in Georgetown, Ontario. But despite the
excitement his new surroundings, Aram worries about his young friend
Mgerdich, who was injured on the long trip to Canada and is recovering
in France. And what is more worrying is that he and the other boys have
been assigned new English names. How will their extended families find
them one day if all the boys have new identities? Even when their
translator assures them that their hosts want only the best for the
boys, Aram cannot accept the name David Adams. When Mgerdich finally
arrives at the farm, a relieved Aram finds the courage to lead the boys
in a gentle revolt. Together, they must find a way to convince the
Canadian adults that the boys, as grateful as they are for their new
lives, cannot forget their old ones. They must keep their names.
See
the Freckled Lion bookstore launch
Every incident in Call Me Aram is
based on real
events from the lives
of the Georgetown Boys -- from the boys' reaction to porridge and
cameras and weekly showers to their revolt to get their own names back.
Marsha spent hundreds of hours listening to taped interviews of the
original Georgetown Boys in order to glean these snippets of truth.
Marsha Forchuk Skrypuch is the author of many books for
children,
including Silver Threads and Enough as well as her YA novels, Daughter
of War, The
Hunger and Nobody's Child. Aram's Choice was nominated for the CLA
Children's Book of the year, the Silver Birch Express Award, and the
Golden Oak Award. It was also made into a play and performed to
sold-out performances each night in Georgetown, Ontario.
Muriel Wood has been illustrating books for children since
1964,
including the Canadian classic, The Olden Days Coat written by Margaret
Laurence. Other books that she has illustrated include Old Bird, and
the first two titles from the New Beginnings series, Lizzie's Storm and
Scared Sarah.
Reviews
The tone is child-appropriate. Parts are humorous, others more serious, as when the boys object to changing their traditional Armenian family names to Canadian ones. As would be expected, there is underlying sadness in the boys’ having to leave their country. The author does not go into much detail about the war or violence except in one scene that describes the fate of Aram’s father. The author listened to oral-history recordings of real people involved in the Georgetown Farm project and incorporated their memories into the story.
Lucinda Snyder Whitehurst, SLJ
"Call Me Aram, is a compelling story with a satisfying conclusion about a little known event in Canadian history."
Jane Bridle, CM.
Based on historical fact, this story is powerful in teaching readers today of history, crosscultural understanding, and charity. That which the boys find strange - ice boxes, wood stoves, porridge with cream - today's reader might easily find equally unfamiliar. Skrypuch's narrative voice, in explaining how Aram's culture differs from Canada, also reveals how 1923 Canada differs from our world today. There are many learning opportunities in this text; the depth to which the issues can be explored can be tailored to the age and maturity of the reading audience. The addition of the glossary and historical notes lends validity to the text, rendering it not only a beautiful tale, but an inspiring part of our national history.
Karyn Huenemann, Resource Links
Skrypuch's tale is an affecting one, made even more so by artist Woods's limpid paintings of the bucolic Canadian farmland. The boys' experiences in and their reactions to their new country and home are revealed via Aram's eyes and voice: the disgust with which they greet the gooey mess of porridge, their breakfast; their disbelief when they are given new, Canadian names - those of individuals who have sponsored them; their bewilderment about new customs like bed-making; and their relief when a kind Canadian of Armenian descent comes to stay with them and explicates their new world for them.
Susan Perren, The Globe & Mail
Teachers and librarians can use Call Me Aram to demonstrate the obstacles faced by new immigrants as well as Canada's first international relief efforts. Muriel Wood's simple illustrations do not attempt to overshadow the story, but instead echo the tone and highlight pivotal moments ... Aram's struggle to do what he believes is right will resonate with readers of all ages.
Inderjit Deogun, Canadian Children's Book News
This accessible sequel to Aram's Choice is based on actual events. Aram is one of a group of Armenian orphans brought to Canada in 1923. The boys acclimate to life on a farm run by a minister and his wife, but they protest when told to take Anglicized names. The Horn Book.
It is not possible to understate the importance of fostering historical curiosity and perspective in young readers. Equally critical that those readers be drawn, as early as possible, toward an understanding of unfamiliar cultures and experiences – and provided with the insight that regardless of the diversity of our backgrounds, we are all exposed to the pains of loneliness and separation, the confusions of foreign custom and language, the comforts of friendship, and the shared capacity for compassion and discovery. And it is no less essential to inspire the growth of young readers into lifelong readers. These two books represent impressively positive steps toward those goals.
Neil MacRae, Roverarts
"Call Me Aram is a powerful novel based on firsthand accounts of actual historical events which will appeal to young readers and adults. It leaves readers with a powerful message about remembering one’s roots: “We are glad to be Canadian, but we don’t want to forget where we came from.” Myra Junyk, Curled Up With A Good Kid's Book.
