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PETEY

Name: PETEY
Author: Ben Mikaelsen
ISBN: 0-7868-0426-2

by Ben Mikaelsen ‧ RELEASE DATE: Sept. 1, 1998

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Born in 1920 with cerebral palsy and dismissed by ignorant doctors as feeble-minded, Petey Corbin spends all but the first two years of his long life institutionalized, his world barely larger than the walls of an asylum ward or, much later, nursing home. Within those walls, further imprisoned in an uncontrollable, atrophied body, he nonetheless experiences joy and love, sorrow, loss, and triumph as intensely as anyone on the outside. Able to communicate only with rudimentary sounds and facial expressions, he makes a series of friends through the years; as a very old man in a 1990s setting, he comes into contact with Trevor, a teenager who defends the old man against a trio of bullies, and remains a loyal companion through his final illness. This is actually two books in one, as with a midstream switch in point-of-view as the story becomes Trevor’s, focusing on his inner growth as he overcomes his initial disgust to become Petey’s friend. Mikaelsen portrays the places in which Petey is kept in (somewhat) less horrific terms than Kate Seago did in Matthew Unstrung (1998), and surrounds him with good-hearted people (even Petey’s parents are drawn sympathetically—they are plunged into poverty during his first two years by the bills his care entails). There are no accusations here, and despite some overly sentimentalized passages, the message comes through that every being deserves care, respect, and a chance to make a difference. (Fiction. 11-13)

Pub Date: Sept. 1, 1998

ISBN: 0-7868-0426-2

Page Count: 280

Publisher: Hyperion

Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 1998

Categories:

CHILDREN'S SOCIAL THEMES

- BOOK REVIEW
JUNGLE OF BONES
by Ben Mikaelsen

- BOOK REVIEW
GHOST OF SPIRIT BEAR
by Ben Mikaelsen

- BOOK REVIEW
TREE GIRL
by Ben Mikaelsen

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UPSIDE-DOWN CAKE

by Carol Carrick ‧ RELEASE DATE: Sept. 20, 1999

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Carrick (Melanie, 1996, etc.) sensitively explores the pain of a parent’s death through the eyes, feelings, and voice of a nine-year-old boy whose world turns upside down when his father becomes terminally ill with cancer. Through a fictional reminiscence, the story explores many of the issues common to children whose parents are ill—loss of control, changes in physical appearance and mental ability, upsets in daily routine, experiences of guilt and anger, the reaction of friends, and, most of all, a fear of the unknown. Although the book suffers from a pat ending and the black-and-white sketches emphasize the bleakness of the topic, this title is a notch above pure bibliotherapy and will fill a special niche for children struggling to deal with the trauma of parental sickness and death. (Fiction. 7-10)

Pub Date: Sept. 20, 1999

ISBN: 0-395-84151-8

Page Count: 64

Publisher: Clarion Books

Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010

Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 1999

Categories:

GENERAL FICTION | CHILDREN'S SOCIAL THEMES

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KING OF THE KOOTIES

by Debbie Dadey ‧ RELEASE DATE: Sept. 1, 1999

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A look at the often-cruel realm of fourth grade. Nate and his new friend, Donald, are happy they will be in the same class, but unhappy to find that so is Louisa, a girl who lives to ridicule others. On the very first day, she dubs Donald “King of the Kooties,” and takes every opportunity to taunt and humiliate him. Shy, quiet Donald has no idea how to respond, so Nate devises a plan to get Louisa off their backs. Nate’s solution, to embrace the Kooties title and to publicly include Louisa in it, is clever, but many readers will find it implausible, given Louisa’s well-established spite, aggression, and determination. As a story that takes a look at one approach to the age-old problem of bullies, it works well, straining credibility but never becoming didactic. (b&w illustrations) (Fiction. 7-10)