Ivona Březinová

Shout Quietly, Bro

Řvi potichu, brácho Řvi potichu, brácho
Řvi potichu, brácho
Albatros, 2016, 208 pp
9788000043227
Awards:
 2017 Golden Ribbon Award – Literary section: Literature for youth
Read an excerpt:
German
Goodreads rating
81.8% (Rated by 422 users)
Children’s and Young Adult

Ivona Březinová is a phenomenon in the field of literature for children and young people. The author of dozens of books, which range in genre from original fairy tales all the way to fantasy, she has been awarded a number of literary prizes including a Golden Ribbon and nominations for a Magnesia Litera, and her texts have been translated into ten languages. She has received critical acclaim primarily for her socially motivated stories for older children. In them she tackles the subjects of minorities, handicaps, incurable diseases and psychological disorders – for example, anorexia. Her latest book is also devoted to the complexity of everyday life with a handicap. Fourteen-year-old Pamela lives with just her mother and her twin brother Jeremiáš. He has suffered from low-functioning autism and severe mental retardation since birth and requires the observation of strict rules and rituals: each day of the week has its own colour, cars always have to be parked the same way and Jeremy, as Pamela’s brother is known, refuses to eat anything that isn’t round. This results in some difficult-to-handle situations, which the author relates with the necessary detachment. She also gives us a glimpse into other areas of Pamela’s life, matters of friendship and love. This realistic but in no way tragic book shows how, despite its challenges, living with a severely disabled brother is possible thanks to understanding and a loving family background. The book was brought out by Albatros publishers in collaboration with Pasparta, a charitable organization aimed at raising awareness of disorders of the autistic spectrum.

Praise

“The story of an ordinary family affected by life with an autistic person is told by Ivona Březinová very convincingly and without embellishment. However, so as not to just impress upon young readers the difficulty of living with someone who is disabled, she also includes Pamela’s experiences with her classmates and the fate of her distinctive first love. So this book will move you and have you in tears, but it will also make you laugh out loud.”

— Alena Badinová, KlubKnihomolů.cz

“[…] as soon as you open this book, it’s apparent from the graphic design and printing of the illustrations by Tomáš Kučerovský that the book has turned out really well. It’s a readable book, and not just for older children but also for adult readers.”

— Stanislava Zábrodská, Čítárny

Illustrations
Řvi potichu, brácho
Albatros, 2016, 208 pp
9788000043227
Awards:
 2017 Golden Ribbon Award – Literary section: Literature for youth
Read an excerpt:
German
Goodreads rating
81.8% (Rated by 422 users)