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List Price: $17.00 | | Publisher: Atheneum/Richard Jackson Books
Salesrank: 1350873
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| Our Price: $3.75 |
| Used Price: $0.01 |
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| Media: Hardcover |
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Editorial Review:
Only Robert ever sees the plane. But the pilot is shadowy -- maybe his missing father, maybe not.
Robert doesn't mention this vision to Elliot, his cousin, whom he meets when he moves from Ohio with his mother and sister to live out the war with his grandparents in Rhode Island. Elliot can draw better than anyone Robert has ever seen, but he keeps his talent hidden in Grandpa's house. He won't say why. No one will talk either about Robert's father, who left the house as a teenager, never to return. After one dinner, Elliot draws a picture of Grandpa wielding a carving knife like a murder weapon.
The time is February 1942, and Nazi submarines are torpedoing U.S. ships off the coast. In March, two tremendous guns are trundled to nearby Fort Brooks. They are mighty sixteen-inch bore Naval guns, one hundred forty-three tons apiece, capable of firing all the way to Nantucket Island. Elliot is frightened by the sight, but half an hour later he's got them down on paper, their huge gray barrels, the nervous crowd of townspeople. "Everything was just like that," Robert exclaims when he sees the finished drawing. "Only this is even better."
"That's what happens," Elliot says with a nod. "If I do it right, that's exactly what happens. The real thing gets caught....It can't get you."
Also watching the guns' arrival is another artist -- a well-known one from Germany -- Abel Hoffman. A recluse, he becomes Elliot's teacher and friend. But his prowls along the beach raise local suspicions, and his arrest, when it occurs, unleashes havoc in a scene neither cousin can forget.
This is a story of dangers lurking inside and outside a house, of deceptive enemies and secrets held too long, and how two friends must find their own very different ways of fighting back.
The Art of Keeping Cool (Scott O'Dell Award for Historical Fiction (Awards)) Reviews:
the art of keeping cool 
2008-03-12 - a wonderful wwii book for kids. It deals with the subjects of lost loved ones, espionage, prejudices and courage to stand up for what is right. We read this book as part of wwii history unit.
Wonderful read, highly recommended
2007-12-13 - After reading this book, I understand why it was awarded the Scott O'Dell Award of 2001. I won't give a summary here; many other reviews have covered that territory. I want to comment about the brilliant writing. As the back cover describes it: "This taut, multilayered story of dangers lurking inside and outside a house, of old secrets, of deceptive enemies, and of two friends who must each find their own ways of fighting back."
The Art of Keeping Cool, set in a small town in the northeast during WWII, dives into the quirks and frailties of characters that really come alive--not all at once but slowly unfolding. We are shown how vulnerable everyone is and at the same time each character's strength is revealed. Sometimes what looks strong is really weak and what looks weak is really great strength. The story is thought provoking, at times blurring the lines between who is good and who is evil. The story is complex in its exploration of relationships and like all good stories, the characters are different at the end of the story. The journey is not an easy one. Every one struggles through trials as they discover who they are, who they want to become, and the love or the dark side of family.
This was a family read aloud for us and it held everyone's interest the whole way through. Lots to talk about. I loved it and recommend this for families and young people who like books that touch you or that you can think about deeply.
(Laya Saul, author of the self help book for teens, "You Don't Have to Learn Everything the Hard Way")
World War II... MUST HAVE
2007-05-06 - Lisle, J. T. (2000). The art of keeping cool. New York: Scholastic, Inc.
Synopsis: In 1942, when Robert and his mother are forced to leave with his paternal grandfather in Rhode Island, Robert begins to find many questions within his life. Thirteen year old Robert does not understand why his father who is a fighter pilot for the Royal Canadian Air Force in England becomes estranged from his family. Robert and his mother are not the only family members displaced and living with their grandfather in Rhode Island. Robert meets his aunt, uncle and cousin Elliot. Elliot, an artist, has mastered the "art" of keeping cool while Robert is confrontational with his acerbic grandfather. While Elliot befriends a reclusive German artist, the prejudiced townsfolk and their anti-German sentiment, rages on with tragic results. Not long after moving to Rhode Island, questions begin to arise in Robert's mind that only time will begin to answer. When Robert's father is declared missing in action, he tries to figure out the world around him and the changes in society brought on by the war and his relationships with his family. Readers are gripping the edge of their seats as they read this heartfelt story and discover the reasons why Robert's father has become estranged with his family.
Evaluation: Winner of the Scott O'Dell Historical Fiction Award, readers will truly be transported in time to see the historical events of WWII through the fresh young eyes of Robert. As Lisle writes about the tensions within this family, readers are able to see the events of WWII from Robert's perspective. This mystery and coming of age story also examines the dysfunctional household in Robert's life. This story is likely to appeal to boys and girls in grades 5-7. In addition, Lisle's story will make an exceptional component of any WWII unit. Serving as a read aloud or instructional text, educators will likely find this story bring sensitive topics to the surface. Generating discussion of the war sentiments and human errors seem likely topics to explore. Lisle's delicate writing shows the harmful power of hatred and prejudice and their affects on the human spirit.
Cool Book 
2007-04-29 - The Art of Keeping Cool is about a boy named Robert and his family moving to live in a cottage near his grandparent's house during World War II. He discovers a secret about his father while trying to protect his cousin's relationship with a German artist.
I recommend this book to people who like war and mysteries.
The Art of Keeping Cool 
2007-03-14 - The Art of Keeping Cool, kept my attention with the stories of Elliot and Robert, as they live their lifes during the WWII. All the while, I still learned about WWII. Very good book, and I will read it again in the future. :D
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