Mine for Keeps by Jean Little #1962Club

Title: Mine for Keeps
Author: Jean Little (1932-2020)
Publication: Little, Brown & Co., hardcover, 1962
Genre: Juvenile Fiction
Setting: 20th century Ontario

This week, Simon from Stuck in a Book and Karen from Kaggsy’s Bookish Ramblings are hosting the 1962 Club, where bloggers read and write about books published in a chosen year.

Description: Sal Copeland is excited to be returning home to be with her family after living in a residential home for handicapped children since she was four. She is also terrified. Her parents are loving but firm: they want her to be as self-sufficient as possible and that is hard for Sal who panics when confronted by something new. She is intimidated by her confident older siblings and stymied by her little sister Meg who asks questions about Sal’s cerebral palsy she does not know how to answer. Attending the local elementary school is stressful too – Sal can’t keep up and yearns for friends. When Sal adopts a West Highland White Terrier as timid as she is, she begins to develop the internal strength to deal with her new home and school and is able to understand that others have challenges as real as her crutches, although less visible.

My Impression: What does this book say about 1962?  Mine for Keeps was Little’s first book and immediately established her as a talented children’s author, skilled at depicting young people with disabilities or other issues without sentimentality.  However, they weren't "problem books" per se because her characters were so universal.  Little herself was legally blind and, as an adult, taught at treatment centers for disabled children in Ontario before recognizing there were virtually no children’s books about children with disabilities. Mine for Keeps reflects her own experience transitioning from classes for the visually impaired to a mainstream school at about the same age as Sal. Mainstreaming children with special needs by putting them in a regular classroom was not common in the 1960s.  Those in favor of educational mainstreaming believe that educating children with disabilities alongside their non-disabled classmates promotes understanding and tolerance, and prepares both groups for the real world.  

Encouraged by her father, a medical missionary, Little started writing at a young age. He died while she was at the University of Toronto but she dedicated this book to him. Sal’s father is also very supportive:

“You want to know why we sent you away to school,” Dad said, settling himself between them on the couch. “Well, Sal, you were Meg’s age, but you couldn’t feed yourself. You couldn’t help to undress yourself. You couldn’t talk clearly enough so that strangers could understand you. Of course, we could have kept you at home and looked after you. We loved you. We didn’t mind dressing and feeding you, and we understood you. But we thought you’d rather be able to do these things for yourself. How about it? Were we right?”

Sal did not want to answer, but he waited. At last, not looking at him, she gave a very small nod.

It was not unusual to send disabled children away from home in this era and earlier, for families with resources (or sisters who can baste shirts to help raise the funds).  Otherwise, school might not even be an option.  Remember, Mary Ingalls attended the Iowa Braille and Sight Saving School in Iowa from 1881-1889 and it is unclear how often she returned to South Dakota.

One can see it would be a difficult decision for parents, and in the late 50s or early 60s sending Sal to a residential school might have been the best option but seeing her family only twice a year must have been hard for everyone! Of course, Sal was nervous about returning to live with them full-time and being in a school where she fears she will be the only different person. However, her teacher explains to Sal that Elsje, a classmate who is a Dutch immigrant, has also gone through difficult times, although her struggles are not as obvious as Sal’s. As Sal becomes more confident, she is able to develop empathy for others, which also helps her develop the friendships she craves. Her dog Susie also plays an important role in Sal’s progress.

Little died not long ago, having written more than 50 books. Mine for Keeps was one of my favorites, along with Look Through My Window and its sequel, Kate.

Source: Personal copy