Sam, Bangs, and Moonshine

Sam, Bangs, and Moonshine

Ness, E. (1966). Sam, Bangs, and moonshine. New York, NY: Henry Holt and Company.

Genre: Children’s Fiction

Age Level: 7-Up

Summary: This book is about a fisherman’s daughter who daydreams and fabricates stories she shares with everyone in town especially a neighborhood boy who believes everything she says. Her stories include everything she imagines like her mother being a mermaid, owning a lion and baby kangaroo, and having a talking cat.  One day her father leaves for an all day fishing trip and she sends young Thomas on a wild goose chase not knowing of the impending weather danger. Her father returns home to find her in panic mode and he races out against the elements to save the young boy and Bangs the cat. What will become of him and his daughter’s companions?

Reflection: The first thing I noted about the illustrations was the lack of detail and color. Black, white, and gold are the only colors used in the pictures and little detail is shown as many of the illustrations are simple outlines and shading. What compels the reader to continue the story is more the context than the illustrations. When a lie told by Sam endangers her friends, this captivates the reader to continue and adds value to the moral of the story. This story is for older readers and conveys a good message about telling lies and telling the truth.  A book such as Sam, Bangs, and Moonshine having a universal theme such as this is worthy of children’s attention. The moral value that can be transmitted by the story is reason enough to incorporate it into instruction or add it to a classroom library.