I Am David
Recommended. Age: 11+. A Catholic review of this book for parents.
Our review
David is twelve and has lived his whole life in a prison camp. One night the camp commandant helps him escape. He walks across Europe alone to find a home. He learns to trust people and to pray to God. It has sad and scary parts, and it is good for kids about eleven and up. This is a quiet and beautiful book about a boy who has never been free and who learns what goodness is. David chooses a God for himself from a line of Psalm 23, and his prayers grow from bargaining into trust. Catholic educators place it in the middle grades. Parents should finish the lesson the book starts. David finds God by his own choosing, and a priest tells him there is only one God. Tell your child who that one God is and how He has made Himself known.
For parents
Read aloud from about nine or ten. Independent reading from eleven or twelve, in line with the Cardinal Newman Society's grades 5-8. No content log covers this book, so read ahead if your child is sensitive. The fetched reviews mention the camp, the death of David's only friend before the story starts, and a brave dog who dies saving David from guards. Ask: why is David afraid to trust anyone? What changes him? David prays to the God of the green pastures and still waters. Read Psalm 23 together and tell your child that this is the Lord, the Good Shepherd. At one point David asks God not to help him so that he can do something for God by himself. Talk about that prayer. We can offer God our efforts, and we still need His grace for every good thing. A priest tells David there is only one God. That is true. Add that the one God has shown Himself fully in Jesus Christ, so we do not each pick our own. Ask what David is thankful for, and what your child is thankful for.