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Saturday, June 5, 2010

As Easy As Falling Off the Face of Earth, written by Lynne Rae Perkins. Greenwillow, Harper. 2010. $18.99 ages 12 and up


"You want to go off, have an adventure, be your own person. But first you want to make sure that your family is all snugged in at home, not wandering loose like a bunch of stray cats. Or lost dogs. Otherwise, how do you call home for money? How do you get home in time for dinner, if no one's there cooking it up? Someone has to stay home.
Someone had stayed home. Then, one little thing went wrong - or, okay, a half dozen, a dozen, an unusually large number of things went wrong - and everyone went spinning in all directions."

I could not have said it anywhere close to as well myself! By the time we are thirty pages into this wonderful book there is no imagining what still might happen. Ry is on the train on his way to camp, Grandpa is at Ry's to look after the dogs in their new home, and his parents have gone on a 'Caribbean Sailing Idyll'.

First, Ry gets off the train that is taking him to camp when it stalls. He wants to call his grandfather to let him know that camp is cancelled and he will be home soon. He learned about it in a text message on his phone. But, the train leaves while Ry is at the top of a hill trying to get reception. Now, what? As he makes his way to the closest town, he worries, is injured and dehydrates. Luckily he meets warm and friendly people, including Del, who seems not disturbed at all to take Ry back to his grandfather. For Del, nothing is impossible and he sets off with Ry to prove it.

No one could predict their adventures, near-death experiences and the people they will meet along the way. No matter what BIG things happen, Ry is always aware of all the small and important moments that mean a lot to him. The action is frantic, improbable and yet, there was never a time when I questioned anything that was happening...in four parallel stories. Lynne Rae Perkins is a master writer who uses humor, endearing characters and an adept touch to take us along for this improbable, astonishing escapade.

No one knows what has happened to Ry, as his parents have lost their cell phone and his grandfather has fallen while walking the dogs, and has amnesia. We know this through the little vignettes shared along the way. The characters are wonderful and as a reader, I was drawn to each and every one of them. Ry could be a pain in the neck, given all that is thrown at him; but, he keeps his cool, appreciates all the help he gets, and makes it all seem quite ordinary. Del is the person we all aspire to be...considerate, warm, stubborn, fearless, funny, implacable, skilled and reticent. Because Del is who he is, Ry can be himself and lay trust in a new friend who makes everything that is happening almost comfortable.

This book is a glorious ride from start to finish and will find a space on my 'keepers' shelf.

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