5 Stages of growing up in books

Books have always been an important thing since then. It is considered as a primary source of information on different things. As we travel back in time, have you ever wondered what type of books had been published back then? Ever been curious what story lies behind every book published at that time?

Let’s take a trip to the 90s then! Witness the rich culture of Philippine literature, from the children’s books to the novels, that would enlighten our view of the world.
If books are children, they would be growing up like this in the 90s:

1. Discovery: Nemo: Ang Batang Papel

Nemo: Ang Batang Papel was published on the year 1994 by Rene Villanueva. This story revolves on the life of a paper boy who wished to be real. However, when he witnessed how hard the life of a poor child is, he suddenly wanted to be a paper boy again so, he and his street children friends wished to become paper children again. This book won the 1992 Carlos Palanca Memorial Awards for Literature on First Prize in the genre of Short Story for Children (Filipino Division), and on 1994 PBBY-Salanga and PBBY-Alcala Prizes.

2. Realization: The Last Time I saw Mother
Arlene J. Chai published this book in the year 1995. It talked about the story of three generations of women who unfolds the healing power of truth about Caridad. The story takes place before the World War I era and briefly discussed the occupation of Philippines by Japan on the World War II. So, if you ever wanted to read a story that has the combination of history and psychology as genres, this story might be to your liking.

3. Enlightenment: Killing Time in a Warm Place
Almost six years after the historical exile of the Marcoses because of the People Power Revolution, Jose Dalisay Jr. published this book titled, “Killing Time in a Warm Place”, where the story revolves around living in the time of the reign of the Marcoses. This story would enlighten us about the struggles under the Marcos Regime.

4. Empathy: We Band of Angels: Untold Story of American Nurses trapped in Bataan by the Japanese
This Contemporary American Fiction novel by Elizabeth Norman that she published in the Philippines on 1999, was hailed by the New York Times for its “grippingly-told” story of power and relevance. The story revolved around the nurses who aided the bruised people in the World War II and the Bataan Death March.

5. Love: Ladlad: An Anthology of Philippine Gay Writing
Who says gays only existed in the generation of millennials? Definitely, no one should. This book that has been edited by Danton Remoto and J. Neil Garcia on 1994, is an anthology that talked about the experiences of different members of LGBTQ community, especially gays, at the time where Filipinos are engulfed by the conservative belief that they failed to understand homosexuality.

These novels will not only touch one’s mind but also hold someone’s heart into the realm that connects the reality, the history and the future. Growing up might not be easy, from discovering things, to realizing something, and soon being enlightened with the truth but we need to move forward and be empathetic, so our life stories would also end happily and full of love.