SuitabookDark Silence
Maureen Wartski
- Reading
- Read alongside the child if useful, pausing to acknowledge the loss and concern without demanding personal disclosure. Talk about trusted adults and safe ways to seek help, while waiting to see how the story resolves events.
- Themes
- Living with bereavement and change: Randy’s mother has died, her father has remarried, and the family has moved somewhere she knows nobody. The book?s stance on this remains unclear.
- Recognising possible harm: Randy notices Delia’s bruise and her father’s frightening behaviour, then considers whether she should do something. The story foregrounds uncertainty about responding to warning signs, without establishing whether Randy’s interpretation is confirmed or how the situation is handled.
- Worth knowing
- A parent may wish to stay attentive around the mother’s death, the father’s remarriage, relocation, visible bruising and a father’s apparent aggression. The ending and the handling of these issues are not clear.