The Secret Life of Owen Skye

Author Alan Cumyn, in his debut writing for children, returns in "The Secret Life Of Owen Skye" to the theme of the 1980s when so many movies like "Stand By Me" nostalgically celebrated the charm of the antics and fantasies of boyhood. I applaud him for doing so--let no critic complain he has chosen overused material. It is a worthy one to celebrate and to give a fresh opportunity for today's children to find relish and bemusement. Writing in the 3rd person--novel to me for this theme--Cumyn shares the story of three brothers of grade school age living in a snaringly appealing, rustic setting with an eccentric family. The"remembrances" are so quaint that as an adult you readily suspect Cumyn is at least sharing bits of his own boyhood with embellishment. But this author knows his audience. Keeping outside of the story allows him to be adept with minimizing description, word choice, and to focus instead on event. I judge his writing to begin to be accessible to children who are fluent at the 4th grade level. And the audience will easily include that stereotypical boy who prefers information over fiction--he'll devour the antics in this story hook, line, and sinker. Brothers like Owen are ones you want as your "buds." Two features of Cumyn's writing show keen craftsmanship. One is that the brothers' perspectives of the world seem strikingly age appropriate. The other is that Cumyn constantly returns with a flashbacks to past episodes as a memory to revere with action in the present. In the last chapter, Cumin weaves a fast forward of the entire book, which together with tenderly bringing to conclusion Owen's infatuation for classmate Sylvia, leaves you smiling--wanting to shout, "YES!" "Owen Stryker" is wholesome, good-natured storytelling that will be versatile either as a read aloud or in literature circles in the classroom--as well as independent reading. But Dads--AND Moms--read this one at home with that boy who "hates" to read. Life's messages in this delectable story may not be as readily discernable for your child as for you, however, I assure you, you will both be charmed by Alan Cumyn's gift.