The Art of Keeping Cool-Janet Taylor Lisle (Olivia Hullender)
The Art of Keeping Cool
The Art of Keeping Cool is a historical fiction about two boys during WWII. Elliot, a boy with a knack for art, and Robert, a boy who has to protect Elliot from his hot-tempered grandfather.
A U.S. Plane From WWII
Robert Smith’s father was a captain in the U.S. army. He was sent over to Europe to fly planes.
A Naval Gun Similar to One in WWII
At the beginning of the novel, two sixteen-inch bore naval guns arrived in the little town of Sachem’s Head. Everyone called the weapons the big guns. Robert saw a bony man with a blue cap next to the flatbed trucks carrying the guns. The man was Abel Hoffman, a German artist who had escaped Germany.
A Painting Similar to One Mr. Hoffman Painted
Abel Hoffman was a modern artist, and the Nazis did not like modern art. He fled Germany and lived in a hut in the woods. Elliot looked up to him and often visited his hut in the hopes of learning to paint.
A Letter Similar to One Found in That Time Period
As the war went on, Robert’s mother got letters from their father. She didn’t want the children to know the horrors of the war, so she lied about what they said.
An Example of the Service Banner
At the house in Sachem’s Head, Robert’s mother put up a banner with a blue star on it. The blue star signified that there was a family member fighting in the war. If the family member died, the star was changed to gold.
An Example of What the Ship Might Have Looked Like
After a German torpedo sunk the U.S. Cherokee, the town was thrown into chaos. Everyone spread rumors about how they saw a German submarine, or how they heard about a spy doing something. Nobody knew what was true and what wasn't.
An Example of What the Fort Might Have Looked Like
One summer day, the big guns were fired. Robert brought his sister down to the fort so they could see the firing. Abel Hoffman was down at the beach with some high powered binoculars and a notepad. Everyone became suspicious of him.
An Example of What Hoffman's Hut Looked Like
After bombings in the ocean near Sachem’s Head occured, the town turned against Abel Hoffman. There were accusations that he had been helping the Nazis. After weeks of harassment and arrests, Hoffman’s hut with all of his paintings were set on fire. Art was all that mattered to him, so he tragically jumped into the blazes, killing himself.
In the End
In the end, Elliot became an artist and Robert learned the art of keeping cool.
