Beyond the Station Lies the Sea

September 21, 2009
Richter's (The Cat
) haunting tale turns an unflinching eye on the life of a homeless boy, Niner (named for his age), and Cosmos, a man he meets on the street. The two dream of living by the sea, and a wealthy bar owner offers them traveling money in exchange for their “most valued possession”—which they believe to be Niner's guardian angel. The “sale” leaves Niner terrified: “When I fall out the window there's not going to be a bush underneath. There's just gonna be cement, you get it?” Indeed, trouble does come, as Cosmos (temporarily) deserts him with the newfound cash and Niner falls ill. Older readers are best suited to this moving but rough-around-the edges tale, with allusions to prostitution and abusive adults (Niner's mother's boyfriend beats them both). Niner's illness is the catalyst to an open-ended conclusion that feels forcedly upbeat and a tad rushed. Nonetheless, Richter presents a darkly poetic, masterfully crafted view of life on the streets. Ages 8–13.

November 1, 2009
Gr 4-7-Nine-year-old Niner finds himself living on the street after his mother is beaten by her drunken boyfriend and taken away in an ambulance. Homeless and forlorn, he aligns himself with older, tougher Cosmos. Together they hatch a plan to get money to follow their dream of going to the sea. Cosmos convinces Niner to sell his guardian angel (the only thing of value between them) to a benefactor they label as "the Queen of Caracas" after the bar she owns. Niner's life takes a downward spiral after the sale, and Cosmos must decide whether to take the money and run or stay and help his ill friend. The text has a fairy-tale-like quality, lending certain aspects such as the guardian angel to personal interpretation. The characters have a variety of personalities, and they all become dependent on one another as they pull together for the greater good. Although the book is brief, the point is well made and may be a draw for reluctant readers as well. The story makes for a discussable novel as it covers multiple social issues."D. Maria LaRocco, Cuyahoga Public Library, Strongsville, OH"

Copyright 2009 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

September 15, 2009
Grades 3-6 Thrown out by his mothers brutal boyfriend, nine-year-old Niner is cared for by Cosmos, who has been out on the streets since forever. Their dream is to reach the sea, but that seems impossible, until the two homeless friends get money from a rich shop owner, the Queen, in return for Niners most treasured possessionhis guardian angel. Of course, things take a turn for the worse at this point: Niner gets deathly ill, Cosmos is tempted to abandon his friend, and the Queen realizes she should not have bought the angel. At last, though, they unite and help each other. Richter's The Cat (2007) was named a Batchelder HonorBook, but this small story, translated from the German in very simple prose, is too didactic, even for a fable; passages in which the Queen grants each homeless character a wish feel particularly heavy-handed. Still, the stark account of Niners bond with Cosmos is beautifully told, especially when Richter shows that they are tempted to leave each other but decide to stay.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2009, American Library Association.)

January 1, 2010
After running away from an abusive stepfather, Niner teams up with con-man Cosmos. Together they hatch a scheme to get to the seaside; this includes selling Niner's guardian angel to a woman in a bar. The events of Niner's life are revealed through plain writing and understated details. Richter's spare story, set against a background of poverty and homelessness, is part fairy tale, part urban parable.

(Copyright 2010 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)

September 1, 2009
Niner, who has run away from an abusive stepfather, teams up with Cosmos, a con man, and together they hatch a scheme to get to the seaside and open a drinks stand. To finance the operation, Niner sells his guardian angel to the "Queen of Caracas," a woman in a bar. Bad luck follows as Niner becomes ill, but the Queen turns fairy godmother, and the story ends with wishes granted. Richter reveals the horror of Niner's life through plain writing and understated details: "Mama had always left the window open, secretly. She left the window open all night. So Niner could climb in while everyone was sleeping. 'You've got to stay out of his way,' she had said. 'The best thing is not to come till nighttime. At night he's sleeping, and he can't hurt you.'" Part fairy tale and part bleak urban parable, this spare story is reminiscent of Jean-Claude Mourlevat's The Pull of the Ocean (rev. 11/06) in its portrait of a magically realistic child set against a gritty background of poverty and homelessness and in its underlying anger against the social inequalities that leave children abandoned and vulnerable.

(Copyright 2009 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)