I just read The Lake That Stole Children by Douglas Glenn Clark. This is a wonderful story told along the vein of a Grimm's fairy tale. I loved that is was set here in Michigan too!.
It is set in a small fishing town and is centered around a fisherman, his wife, his son and his daughter. His boy wants to be a great fisherman and he longs to use the great lures and the pole his father uses so he can cast out far into the lake. The fisherman is a very stern father and scolds his son when he doesn't listen.
Children from this small town have gone missing. The parent don't know where to turn. One night the fisherman's boy is drawn to the lake, and he cast's out into the middle of the lake. When he gets a bite on the line, it is too strong and he is pulled into the lake and taken hostage by the big glass fish that lives in the lake.
This is a wonderful fable with colorful descriptions. It is a young adult/adult book and I checked out the reviews that it got on Amazon and was a little surprised. Some said they wouldn't read this book to children because of some of the messages. For example, the wife blamed the father for her missing son. I disagree with the reviews. I think this is a book that could bring about some wonderful teaching moments for children. Sometimes parents get upset with each other, it is normal. Relationships take work. Sometimes we think we want something without stepping back and wondering if we are ready for it. Is there something the father could have done different? Maybe the son should have sat down and explained to his father that he wanted to be great like him. The teacher in me found many great conversations that could be had when this book is shared, and I found that when I sat back and thought about the story it was much deeper than I even realized when I was reading it.
I give this book a 5 out of 5.
