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Stori am gyfeillgarwch, gobaith a phwysigrwydd caredigrwydd.
A story of friendship, hope and the importance of kindness.
Gwerth addysgiadol/educational value: ◉◉◉◉◎
Negeseuon positif/positive messages: ◉◉◉◉◎
Themau trist,anodd/upsetting, tough themes: ◉◉◉◎◎
Trais, ofn/violence, scary: ◉◉◎◎◎
Iaith gref/language: ◎◎◎◎◎
Rhyw/sex: ◎◎◎◎◎
Hiwmor/humour: ◉◉◉◎◎
Her darllen/reading difficulty:: ◉◉◉◎◎
Lluniau/illustrations: Pippa Curnick
Addasiad/adaptation: Bethan Mair
Oed diddordeb/interest age: 7-11
Oed darllen/reading age: 10+
I’r rhai sy’n ymwneud â byd llenyddiaeth plant a phobl ifanc Cymraeg, mae’r ddadl rhwng llyfrau gwreiddiol ac addasiadau’n un cyfarwydd. Mae dylanwad y diwydiant llyfrau Prydeinig yn gryf yng Nghymru, ac mae’n anochel y bydd plant eisiau darllen rhai o’u hoff lyfrau gan awduron byd enwog -eich David Walliams’ a’r J.K.Rowlings. Rhaid felly, sicrhau darpariaeth i fodloni’r gofyn hyn, fel y gellir o leiaf mwynhau’r rhain yn y Gymraeg. Fodd bynnag, mae nifer yn teimlo na ddylai’r nifer o addasiadau sy’n cael eu cyhoeddi mewn blwyddyn fod yn uwch na’r nifer o lyfrau gwreiddiol. Dyma ddadl sy’n mynd i barhau, tybiwn i. Nid wyf am fentro cynnig ateb chwaith, ond be dwi yn deimlo, yw bod rhaid cael cydbwysedd - mae isio dipyn bach o bopeth da yn y diet llenyddol...
Dwi’n reit falch, felly, fod teitlau llwyddiannus yn cael eu cyfieithu er mwyn i blant Cymru gael eu mwynhau yn y Gymraeg. Yn amlwg mae ’na rywun yn Rily yn gwneud penderfyniadau da iawn ynglŷn â pha deitlau i’w haddasu. Bethan Mair sydd wedi bod wrthi’n cyfieithu The Boy at The Back of The Class gan Onjali Q. Raúf a dwi’n meddwl ei bod hi wedi gwneud joban dda iawn, chwarae teg (mae addasu’n llwyddiannus yn grefft, ac yn llawer anoddach nac y mae’n ymddangos!).
Dyma stori annwyl a theimladwy iawn, sy’n defnyddio peth hiwmor i drafod pwnc sy’n reit ddwys, i fod yn onest. Wrth drafod pwnc sydd efallai yn ddwys neu’n sensitif, dwi’n meddwl fod gwneud defnydd o hiwmor yn beth call, neu mi fasa ’na beryg i’r nofel droi’n rhy serious. Nid yw hyn yn wir yn yr achos yma a dwi’n meddwl fod cydbwysedd da.
Gyda Y Crwt yn y Cefn, cawn weld ‘argyfwng y ffoaduriaid’ drwy lygaid plentyn ifanc, o bosib tua 9 oed, felly disgybl ym mlwyddyn 5. Persbectif yr adroddwr y cawn ni drwy’r llyfr i gyd, a gwelwn y byd a’i anghyfiawnderau a’i ddryswch drwy ei lygaid ef/hi. Rhaid i mi gyfaddef, doeddwn i ddim yn siŵr tan y diwedd un os mai bachgen neu ferch oedd yn adrodd y stori (wnâi ddim dweud!).
Dechreua’r stori wrth i fachgen newydd ddod i’r ysgol, sydd wastad yn ennyn dipyn o gyffro. Mae cryn dipyn o ddirgelwch o gylch y bachgen a does neb yn gwybod fawr ddim amdano. Mae’r adroddwr yn chwilfrydig iawn ac yn awyddus i ddod i’w nabod yn well. Wrth i’r nofel fynd yn ei blaen, down i wybod mai ffoadur yw Ahmet, sy’n byw gyda mam faeth gan ei fod wedi cael ei wahanu oddi wrth gweddill ei deulu wrth iddynt geisio dianc rhag y bomiau a’r trais yn Syria.
Drwy’r nofel, mae cyfeillgarwch yn blaguro ac yn datblygu rhwng Ahmet, yr adroddwr a’r criw o ffrindiau, Josie, Michael a Tom. Yn anffodus, daw’r bachgen newydd a’i ffrindiau at sylw Brendan y bwli, ac mae tipyn go lew o helynt i ddilyn. Mae’n bechod nad yw pob athro yn llawer o help, ond diolch byth am Mrs Khan a Miss Hemsi.
Er bod y criw ifanc yn gwneud popeth y gallent i groesawu Ahmet, mae o’n dal i ddigalonni wrth hiraethu am ei rieni. Dyma yw prif blot y nofel, wrth i’r adroddwr ddyfeisio cynllun uchelgeisiol i ffeindio rhieni Ahmet. Mae’r cynllun yn un daring a pheryglus, ac fe aiff â’r cymeriadau ar dipyn o antur... yr holl ffordd i Balas Buckingham!
Dyma nofel amserol iawn, sy’n cyflwyno’r pwnc (sydd ar y newyddion yn aml) mewn ffordd sy’n ddealladwy i blant oed cynradd. Antur, cyfeillgarwch, caredigrwydd a thosturi yw rhai o’r themâu sydd fwyaf amlwg drwy gydol y nofel. Mae’r ffordd y mae’r plant yn gofalu am ei gilydd yn y nofel yn galonogol ac yn gosod esiampl o sut dylem drin ein gilydd. Mae plant yn aml iawn yn dangos llai o duedd a rhagfarn na ni’r oedolion!
Efallai fod yr awdur yn gwneud i’r prif gymeriad ymddangos yn fwy ifanc na phlentyn 9 oed ar brydiau. Dwi’m yn siŵr os oedd o’n gredadwy nad oedd yr adroddwr wedi clywed am yr Ail Ryfel Byd. Mae’n bosib fod yr awdur wedi colli ambell gyfle i ddatblygu’r cymeriadau’n ddyfnach ac ar adegau. Fy marn i’n unig yw hyn a phethau bach iawn ydyn nhw mewn gwirionedd sy’n tynnu dim oddi ar nofel ardderchog.
Mae’r mater o ffoaduriaid yn un gwleidyddol a dyngarol cymhleth iawn; nid oes iddo ateb syml yn anffodus. Dangosa’r llyfr fod modd i blant leisio’u barn drwy weithredu ac ymgyrchu, er mwyn sicrhau bod oedolion mewn grym yn cymryd sylw ohonynt. Un o’r negeseuon take-home o’r llyfr yw bod gan blant y pŵer i weithredu ac i ysgogi newid wrth frwydro dros gyfiawnder.
Athrawon – ystyriwch hon o ddifri fel nofel ddosbarth gan fod y testun yn cynnig cyfleoedd dysgu gwerthfawr a llawer o sgôp am sgyrsiau difyr a phwysig gyda phlant. Fel nofel ar gyfer darllen annibynnol, dwi’n rhagweld y byddai angen sgiliau darllen Cymraeg eithaf aeddfed.
For those involved in the world of Welsh-language children and young people's literature, the debate between original books and adaptations is a familiar one. The influence of the UK book industry is strong in Wales, and it is inevitable that children will want to read some of their favourite books by world-renowned authors. Provision must therefore be made to meet these requirements, and at least many can now be enjoyed in Welsh. However, many feel that the number of adaptations published in a year should not exceed the number of original Welsh books. This is a debate that will no doubt continue, and even though I’m not going to even try and suggest an answer, what I will say is this - I think more than anything, that there has to be a balance and you need a bit of everything in a healthy literary diet.
I’m quite pleased, therefore, that successful titles are being translated so that the children of Wales can enjoy them in Welsh. Obviously, someone in Rily makes good decisions about which titles to adapt. Bethan Mair was tasked with adapting The Boy at The Back of The Class by Onjali Q. Raúf and I think she’s done a very good job, fair play (successfully adapting a novel is an art, and is harder than it seems!).
This is a heart-warming and at time, emotional story, which uses some humour to discuss a subject that can be difficult to talk about at times. When discussing a sensitive subject, I think that making use of humour is a good thing, to stop a novel from becoming too serious. A good balance has been struck here.
With Y Crwt yn y Cefn, we see the 'refugee crisis' presented through the eyes of a young child, around the age of 9. We get the narrator's perspective through the whole book, and we see the world, its injustice and confusion through his/her eyes. I must admit, I wasn't sure until the very end if it was a boy or a girl telling the story. Should it even matter?
The story begins as a new boy arrives at school, which always arouses a lot of excitement. There is quite some mystery surrounding the boy and the narrator is very curious and eager to get to know him better. As the novel progresses, we come to learn that Ahmet is a refugee, living with a foster mother as he has been separated from the rest of his family as they escaped the bombings and violence in Syria.
Through the novel, friendships develop between Ahmet, the narrator and a small group of friends. Unfortunately, the new boy and his friends soon gain the attention of Brendan the schoolyard bully, and you can bet some trouble will ensue. What a shame that some of the adults who should be helping are no help at all, and the children must take matters into their own hands...
While the friends do all they can to welcome Ahmet, he longs for his missing family. The main plot of the novel involves the narrator (and co) devising an ambitious plan to locate Ahmet's parents. The scheme is both daring and dangerous, and takes them on quite an adventure… all the way to Buckingham Palace!
This is a timely novel, which presents the plight of refugees in a way that is understandable to primary-age children. Adventure, friendship, kindness and compassion are some of the key themes that are most evident throughout the novel. The way the children look after each other in the novel is wonderful and shows us how we should treat each other. Children are often more tolerant than adults!
Perhaps the author portrays the main character a bit younger than a 9-year-old at times. For example, I'm not so sure I buy it that the narrator had never heard of the Second World War. The author may have missed a few opportunities to further develop some characters but this is just my opinion, though, and it still makes for an an excellent novel.
The issue of refugees is a very complex political and humanitarian one which unfortunately doesn’t have a simple answer. The book shows that children can make their voices heard through action and activism. One of the take-home messages from the book is that children have the power to drive change for the better.
Teachers – consider this as a class novel as the text offers valuable learning opportunities and has a lot of scope for holding important conversations with children. As for independent reading, fairly good Welsh reading skills would be needed.