a heart box
a dream box
a secret box
with lots of locks.
And only Mama
only Daddy
only Grandpa
only Noah
have a key."
Though it is not unusual for adolescents to feel vulnerable and unhappy in a new place, Keet will tug at your heartstrings as she tries to adjust to the family's move from Alabama to Illinois. Luckily, she can count on her grandfather and Allegra, a new classmate and neighbor. They help Keet deal with the insecurity, the teasing and her feelings of alienation.
It's hard for a girl who loves words and the stories they tell. In Illinois, her voice is quieted. She is inhibited in part by the teasing she takes from those who think she talks funny. Her normally talkative, storytelling nature is silenced. Her grandfather loves to hear her stories and constantly encourages her as they fish together. Then he has a stroke, and she turns to story to help him heal. Her indomitable spirit returns as her friendship with Allegra grows, as a very supportive school librarian offers support and encouragement, as she remembers her grandfather's lessons and feels his enduring love, and as she hears Doug McVicker talk about his many stories.
"You sound funny," John Royale says.
Doug McVicker just laughs.
"Sounds like good ol' Tennessee," he says.
"My voice is a map of all the places I've been
and all the talkin' I've heard.
My stories sound that way, too."
Then Doug McVicker tells us his stories."
The characters are winning, the poetry perfect, and the tale uplifting. Family and friendship are at its heart, and you will come away from the reading with admiration for a young girl who speaks her truth when she finds her place (and voice) in a new home. It is a wonderful book for reading aloud in middle years classrooms.
A glossary for poetic forms used in included in back matter.
No comments:
Post a Comment