*Bright April by Marguerite De Angeli

Themes of loving nature, loving one’s neighbor, and loving Truth are woven through Bright April, a story that gracefully handles racism and the dignity of each human in a middle grade book that was originally published in the 1940’s. It’s a story well-worth reading.

Bright April by Marguerite De Angeli. Purple House Press, 88 pages.

Reading Level: Middle Grades, Ages 10-12

Recommended For: Ages 10-12

April Bright is “just the color of coffee with good cream in it.” She is surrounded by people who love her: Pama, Mama, her brother Tom who rattles on everything with drumsticks, and she misses her older siblings who are serving in the hospital and on the war front. She loves her teacher, Miss Bell, and her Brownie troop led by kind Mrs. Cole. As a Brownie she enjoys holiday and group activities and learning to identify birds and trees on their outings.

In the midst of April’s happy life are unsettling hints that things are not all well. Her brother Ken’s letters express frustration about coming home and his present limitations on the front in Europe. Young girls April’s age call attention to the color of her skin or and discourage her future vocational aspirations. April feels the sting of racism, but is always encouraged by loving words from her mother, teacher, or troop leader that help her build character and resilience.

Themes of loving nature, loving one’s neighbor, and loving Truth are woven through the story. Sadly, every sorrow and difficulty isn’t wrapped up neatly at the end, and historically speaking they wouldn’t be resolved for decades after the book was published. But the graceful handling of skin color and the dignity of each human being was a bold theme for a middle grade book in the 1940’s, and it’s a story well-worth reading. I’m grateful that Purple House Press has brought it back into print.

Overall Rating: 4.5 out of 5

• Worldview/Moral Rating: 4.5 out of 5
• Literary/Artistic Rating: 4.5 out of 5

Read more about our ratings here.

Related Reading From Redeemed Reader:

• A Review: Enjoy retro reads? So do we!
• An Interview: Interested in more from Purple House Press? Here’s an interview with its founder, Jill Morgan, and a number of other titles we’ve covered.
• A Review: Part of loving your neighbor includes sharing literary experiences with a broad range of cultures and ethnicities. We have reviewed LOTS of these books at Redeemed Reader!

Available at Purple House Press.