The silver sword is a sort of mascot, turning up at various key points and threading the story together. The silver sword explores war through the eyes of three polish children. Toward the end of silver, sword, and stone, marie arana remarks on the difficulties of arriving at. In silver, sword and stone, desire for treasure, power and control unites latin america in an epic story, marie arana gets at the identity conundrum of latin america with storytelling that is.
The silver sword summary in wartorn poland, the balicki family lives under nazi occupation after the german invasion. Someone informs the nazis that joseph balicki, a schoolteacher, has turned adolf hitlers picture to the wall. The silver sword is a novel by ian serraillier, a childrens classic, first published in the uk in 1956 by jonathan cape and then by puffin. But aranas book also reveals the paradox which both supports and defies centuries of oppression. Against the background of a thousand years of vivid history, acclaimed writer marie arana tells the timely and timeless stories of three contemporary latin americans whose lives represent three driving forces that have shaped the character of the region. The silver sword by ian serraillier opens with a description of the polish family at the heart of the story. The prose is simple, the morals clear, the ending happy, and the horrors of war muted for the reading audience. Once, during a sculpture lesson, joseph had turned the picture of hitlers face to the wall. Each time i read the silver sword i wonder if it will still effect me in the same way and sure enough, i get tears in my eyes when i reach the end. Silver, sword, and stone book by marie arana official. A history of latin america embodied in silver, sword, and. I like how arana set up this book in three sections silver greed over natural resources, sword brutality and stone religion three motivations that are the cause of many invasions by colonizers at that time. Free pdf the silver sword download pdf search engine.
The silver sword is a childrens book which is equally at home on an adults bookshelf. In silver, sword and stone, desire for treasure, power. I searched for it on line for years hoping that it might be available on a dvd but never did find it, then a few years ago i found that you can watch the final episode at the national media museum in bradford so on one of my trips home to the uk we drove to bradford to tour the museum. Oct 19, 2019 with her new book, silver, sword, and stone. Latin americas fate was driven by the deeply rooted and recurring interplay of exploitation silver, killing sword and religion. Chapter 1 summary the silver sword by ian serraillier opens with a description of the polish family at the heart of the story. Alone and fending for themselves in a poland devastated by world war two, jan and his three homeless friends cling to the silver sword as a symbol of hope.
It had also been published in the us under the title escape from warsaw. Notes and activities reflect the way that teachers teach now and include shared texts, guided reading notes, reading activities, speaking and listening activities, writing projects and assessment guidance. It is the story of the balicki family, joseph and his swiss wife margrit and his daughter ruth, and bronia, 3, and son, edek, 11. The silver sword is actually a letter opener, but that matters little to jan, or even to the plot of the novel.
The silver sword is a little letter opener, but becomes a talisman, a link to which the three children are reunited with their parents. The silver sword also known as escape from warsaw takes place in warsaw during world war ii. The book is notable for its avoidance of stereotypes, its emphasis on individuality. Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders. Silver, sword and stone arana argues that while there is a commonality a concrete character across spanish america, there is no northern equivalent. This is the book we are reading in the book club this term. The silver sword is essentially about the childrens journey, on their own, to reunite with their parents in switzerland.
When they meet jan they recognise the paperknife he is carrying as their fathers, and it becomes their symbol of hope as the four children make the dangerous journey to switzerland. I have read this book many, many times to my students and it was nice to hear someone else read it. The silver sword by ian serraillier penguin books australia. The characters could still be representatives of children in more recent and current wars.
I picked up this book because my fiances family is hispanic and i wanted to learn more about latin america. The children realise that the escapee was their father, and the silver sword a message that he is alive and searching for them. The silver sword questions and answers discover the community of teachers, mentors and students just like you that can answer any question you might have on the silver sword. Pdf the silver sword download full pdf book download. These children embark on an amazing journey to hunt for their parents. In silver, sword and stone, desire for treasure, power and. Silver, sword, and stone is a brilliant, kaleidoscopic book.
What is the theme of the book the silver sword by ian serraillier. Buy the silver sword new ed by serraillier, ian, serraillier, jane isbn. The silver sword study guide contains a biography of ian serraillier, literature essays, quiz questions, major themes, characters, and a full summary and analysis. The silver sword unabridged audiobook, by ian serraillier. Aug 23, 2019 silver, sword and stone is the story of that scarring. Jan 26, 20 this is the book we are reading in the book club this term. The silver sword by ian serraillier is an unforgettable world war ii survival story. I would have been 8 or 9 when i watched the silver sword on tv. I also like when edek used a rifle to shoot a soldier, those were my favourite parts int he silver sword. Silver, sword and stone is the story of that scarring. Ruth, edek, jan and bronia are all based on real children, and even the silver sword paper knife was real. Sep 21, 2008 ruth creates their luck through perseverance and holding firm to her goals and hopes. Joseph finds it in the rubble of his home and gives it to jan on the condition that the boy promises to tell the balicki children if he sees them where joseph went. A reading of silver, sword and stone is a punch in the face the real impact of greed, violence and religion comes through viscerally.
But when they meet orphan jan, who treasures a paperknife in the shape of a silver sword that he was given by an escaped prisoner of war, it becomes a powerful symbol of hope. The silver sword chapters 16 summary and analysis gradesaver. Serraillier was best known for his childrens books, especially the silver sword novel 1956, a wartime adventure story which was adapted for television by the bbc in 1957 and again in 1971. Aug 27, 2019 in silver, sword and stone, desire for treasure, power and control unites latin america in an epic story, marie arana gets at the identity conundrum of latin america with storytelling that is. Steady and steadfast, she is the only one who can make jan behave. Ian serraillier september 24, 1912 november 28, 1994, was a british novelist and poet. Thank you, sean, for bringing this book to life through your reading.
Ian serraillier wrote many childrens books but the silver sword is his most famous and most beloved, and it has never been out of print. Jul 18, 2011 one of the books used for this exhibit is the classic story the silver sword by ian serraillier. The main theme of ian serrailliers novel, the silver sword is survival and this pictorial video is a prompt in exploring the conditions that the baliki children had to face and overcome after. The silver sword became the symbol of hope and courage which kept four deserted and starving children alive through the years of occupation, and afterwards on the search to find their parents, and is based on a true story. The silver sword is a novel by ian serraillier, a childrens classic, first published in the uk in 1956 by jonathan cape and then by puffin books in 1960. Digital rights management drm the publisher has supplied this book in encrypted form, which means that you need to install free software in order to unlock and read it. After all these years, this is still an absorbing story. The classic tale of a journey through wartorn europe. Old peruvian adage in the stinging cold just before dawn, leonor gonzales leaves her stone hut on a glacial mountain peak in the peruvian andes to trudge up a path and scour rock spills for flecks of gold. The father, joseph balicki, is a headmaster at a primary school on the outskirts of warsaw. The silver sword of the books title appears in these early chapters. Aug 24, 2019 silver, sword and stone arana argues that while there is a commonality a concrete character across spanish america, there is no northern equivalent. The story is based upon fact, although fictional names are given to a few of the places mentioned.
The silver sword provides teachers with a wealth of resources to teach the silver sword by ian serraillier. The three children realise that the escapee was their father, the silver sword a message that he is alive and searching for them. It is a story about family, about hardship, about war and its impact on the order of things. Three crucibles in the latin american story, arana weaves a magnificent tapestry of historical research with uptotheminute reporting and cultural analysis to give readers an urgent look at latin america today. In the story, a year after the invasion, joseph balicki was imprisoned by the nazis for turning a picture of hitler to face the wall. When the nazis take their parents away, three children must learn to survive in wartorn warsaw by themselves. Although the silver sword was only a paper knife, it became the symbol of hope and courage which kept the balicki children and their orphan friend jan alive through the four years of occupation when they had to fend for themselves. Three crucibles in the latin american story arana, marie on. Aug 27, 2019 silver, sword, and stone three crucibles in the latin american story by marie arana. It is a very moving account of a family separated by war and how they find inner strength to survive their wartime lot, always holding on to the hope that someday they may find all or some of their family. They meet a ragged orphan boy, jan, who treasures a paperknife a silver sword which was entrusted to him by an escaped prisoner of war.