A former soldier struggles to avoid losing his soul to the devil
in a parable about faith, hope and charity The Bearskinner. By
Laura Amy Schlitz. Illustrated by Max Grafe. Candlewick, 32 pp.,
$16.99. Ages 4 and up. By Janice Harayda Laura Amy Schlitz is
the newest supernova in the field of children’s literature. For
years, she had a passionate following mainly among the students
who listened to her stories at the Park School in Baltimore,
where she is the librarian. But her visibility soared after she
earned raves for her 2006 novel for ages 10 and up, A Drowned
Maiden’s Hair. This year she won 2008 Newbery Medal for her
cycle of one- and two-person plays, Good Masters! Sweet Ladies!,
and she would be equally worthy of a major award for The
Bearskinner, her retelling of a Faustian tale by the Brothers
Grimm. The grave and eloquent opening lines of the book set the
tone: “They say that when a man gives up hope, the devil walks
at his side. So begins this story: A soldier marched through a
dark wood, and he di