At the beginning of the story, Rosa meets Jake Beale, a boy who is even worse off than she. Jake's father is pretty much good for nothing, and Jake often is afraid to go home, so he sleeps wherever he can. When Rosa allows him to sleep in her family's home one night, the two kids do not exactly become friends, but they renew their acquaintance later in the story when they meet on a train bound for Vermont. Rosa, along with many other children of the striking mill workers, is sent to live temporarily in Barre, Vermont, where union sympathizers take them in until the end of the strike. Jake was not supposed to be on the train, so he asks Rosa to help him by saying he is her brother. Rosa reluctantly agrees, and of course her first small lie is only the first in a series of lies that become necessary to explain Jake's presence.
With Bread and Roses, Too Katherine Paterson makes this moment in history both accessible and interesting for a young audience. The appalling conditions people like Rosa and her family had to endure are well balanced by the solidarity and hope of the union and the caring people who support the strikers. This one is well worth reading.
As a big fan of Gary Schmidt's books, I was happy to finally get a copy of his latest, Okay for Now. The story is narrated by Doug Swieteck, an 8th grader with many problems, including an abusive father and an older brother who bullies him. At the beginning of the story, Doug's father loses his job and they have to move to Marysville, New York, a town Doug henceforth refers to as "stupid Marysville" because he has such a difficult time adjusting to his life there. Doug has many complaints, but I was never annoyed reading about his troubles because underneath the whining, buried deep under his cynicism, I always sensed a nugget of hope. This small ray of goodness shines through when he describes the positive things in his life, such as his time spent in the library learning to draw, his relationship with his mother, and his relationship with his father's boss, Mr. Ballard. In fact, I think Doug's distinctive voice is one of the things I like best about this book. He tells his story honestly, only holding back when what he wants to describe is just too painful to put into words. He quite often asks his reader, "Do you know how that feels?" Invariably, I had to answer "no" when he asked this question, but I also knew that I had a much better idea after having read what he had to say.
One thing I had to laugh about was particular to my copy of the book. On page 184, when Doug says, "Reader, I kissed her", the word kissed has been covered with white-out! I guess at least one reader disliked mention of romance in his/her stories. This sub-plot is handled with a very light touch, though, so I hope the white-out wielding reader did not give up the book because of it.
Mushy stuff aside, I really loved this book. I will not be at all surprised if this book wins the Newbery Medal this year. It's that good.
Despite its tragic beginning, the book is really very funny. For example, Emily's neighbors are named Mrs. Ready, Mrs. Aim, and Mrs. Fire. Emily's fellow passengers on the stagecoach are a riot. I especially enjoyed Petunia and Marigold's shameless flirting with Uncle Victor, and Jock's tendency to get the names of things wrong.
At 146 pages, with plenty of illustrations and large type, this is a short, easy-to-read story that would be a good one to recommend to middle grade students looking for a quick read for a book report due tomorrow.
A Northern Light, by Jennifer Donnelly, is based on a true story. In an author's note, Donnelly explains:
V is for Vengeance pits Kinsey against an organized crime ring that shoplifts from retail stores. Although the time differential that contributed so much to U is for Undertow (one story set in 1967, another in 1988) is missing here, the story follows a similar pattern, alternating chapters about Kinsey and her righteous quest to bring shoplifters to justice with sections detailing the marriage difficulties and social hypocrisies of a wealthy couple. I really enjoyed the shades of gray Grafton uses to paint her characters. Even the mob boss, Dante, comes across as sympathetic, in his own way. I can't wait for W!