The Art of Keeping Cool

by Janet Taylor Lisle


Ages- 10+

In The Art of Keeping Cool, by Janet Taylor Lisle, Elliot and Robert learn to deal with prejudice on a personal level. Robert and Elliot, who are cousins, live in Rhode Island during World War II time period. The setting plays an important role in this story as it does in all historical fiction books.

The story begins with Elliot and Robert, who are cousins and friends, living in the same house on the East Coast of the United States during World War II. Abe Hoffman, an artist, from Germany escaped and immigrated to Rhode Island. At the county fair, Elliot meets Abe and notices that Elliot is good at art. Abe is generous enough to let him take art lessons from him and let him use his supplies. Supplies are rare because war rations. After several U-Boat attacks, townsfolk begin to think Abe is a German spy. Although everyone in the town believes Abe was guilty, Robert and Elliot knew the truth that he was not a spy.

I love World War II therefore; this book really caught my interest. I recommend this book to readers that enjoy the subject of World War II. Readers should have a wide vocabulary, understand basic events of World War II, and should be at least ten years and older. This book contains material (killing) that might be inappropriate for children under the age of ten. Overall, my rating was 10 out of 10.

By: Grant (12 years old)