"Next morning, after sweet tea and
pancakes and sticky syrup, Kate
helped Grandpa carry groceries
to the boat. When it was full, Grandpa
threw off the ropes and started the
engine."
It is evident from the book's first page that Kate has a few challenges. A knock at the door has her welcoming her grandmother. It turns out that Grandma wants Kate to come to the lake to spend the summer with her grandparents. Her mom is apprehensive; Grandma is persuasive. Kate is up for the adventure.
That adventure begins with a train ride to the lake where her grandparents own a store. The first night in her mother's childhood bedroom is strange for Kate. She wishes she were home. The following morning, she and her Grandpa head out on their first grocery delivery. Their stops introduce community members, and allow Kate to act as first mate. Their last stop before lunch is Walter, a grumpy and mean-spirited man.
Home they go for lunch. While Grandpa minds the store, Grandma and Kate take the boat into the big lake where Kate gets her first lesson in navigation.
"Grandma took her hand off.
Kate steered the boat in a circle.
"A natural sailor," said Grandma."
So their days go: delivering groceries, an often-uncomfortable visit with Walter, and an evening boat ride. When her grandfather falls ill, Kate, her trusty canine pal Arbuckle at her side, decides to do what she knows how to do. Walter is her last stop. When she tells him that Grandpa is sick, Walter steps into the boat with instructions that they need to get moving.
A surprising revelation and her mom's arrival to help with deliveries, while Grandpa rests, brings the story to a lovely conclusion.
Paul Harbridge dedicates his book to 'my brave, loving, little sister Linda Catherine Harbridge', who has Down syndrome. Her athletic skills and many achievements inspired him to create Kate, a courageous and self-confident young girl.
Mixed media illustrations will have readers longing for their own lake adventures.
https://tundrabooks.com/guest-post-my-spunky-little-sister-by-paul-harbridge/
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