『ギフト、ぼくの場合』（読み物）をおすすめします。
けなげな子どもが頑張って道を切りひらくという点では古典的だが、精一杯のことをしていても貧困から抜け出せず、公的なセーフティネットからも抜け落ちしてしまう家庭や子どもを描いているという点では、とても現代的な物語。
主人公の優太（ゆうた）は、小学校６年生。父親の不倫が原因で離婚した母親と、小２の妹と暮らしている。専業主婦だった母親はなかなか暮らしの手立てをつかめず、アルバイトをふたつ掛け持ちして働いている。
家族を大事にする優太だが、妹が盲腸炎にかかり手遅れで死去してしまい、貧困に輪をかけて辛い気持ちが増幅する。父親に対しては、自分たちを捨てたことを恨み、もらったギターをたたき壊し、絶縁したつもりになっているが、文化祭でギターを弾くはずの生徒が骨折したため、優太が代役を務めることになる。長いことギターには触っていなかったし、弾くと父親を思い出すので葛藤もあるが、弾くのが楽しいという経験を味わったことで、優太の前に新たな世界が開けていく。
優太の場合のギフトとは、絶対音感を持っていてメロディをすぐに再現できる才能でもあるが、母親が働くねじ工場の小西さん、文化祭のコンサートを指導するジョー先生、スクールカウンセラーの湯河原さんなどとの、あたたかい関係を引き寄せることのできる、真っすぐな人間性でもあるのだろう。
11歳から／ギター 貧困 母子家庭 職人
Gifted, In My Case
This story of a brave, honest child who forges his own path in the face of adversity is reminiscent of such classics as Burnett’s A Little Princess. But in its portrayal of children and families who cannot escape poverty and fall through the cracks in the public safety net, it is a very contemporary tale.
The main character, Yuta, is in sixth grade. He lives with his mother and his sister, who is in second grade. His mother, who divorced because of her husband’s infidelity, has never worked before and has a hard time making ends meet as she juggles her work at a screw factory with a part-time job at a convenience store.
Yuta cares deeply about his family, but the death of his younger sister due to delayed treatment for appendicitis and the family’s deepening poverty take an emotional toll. In his rage at his father for deserting them, Yuta destroys the guitar his father gave him in a symbolic act that severs their relationship. A student who is supposed to play the guitar at the school festival, however, breaks an arm, and Yuta is asked to fill in. Although he hasn’t touched a guitar for some time and doing so brings back painful memories of his father, he begins to see the world differently once he tastes again the joy of playing music.
Yuta’s gift is his musical ability. His perfect pitch allows him to reproduce a melody when he has only heard it once. But he is also gifted in his upright character and humanity, which attract the support and friendship of Mr. and Mrs. Konishi, who own the screw factory, Mr. Sawaguchi (commonly known as Joe), who directs music for the school festival concert, and Mrs. Yugawara, the school counselor. (Sakuma)
- text: Imai, Kyoko
- Shogakukan
- 2020
- 232 pages
- 20×14
- ISBN 9784092893030
- Age 11 +
Guitar, Poverty, Single-mother family, Craftsman
（JBBY「おすすめ！日本の子どもの本2021」より）
