PLB 0-06-028237-1 Framed as it largely is in conversations between two preteen hospital patients, this cerebral meditation on death and independence reads like a converted stage play. Weeks into a hunger strike, Alice floats in a hallucinatory world, emerging occasionally for her alcoholic mother’s silent visits, for friendly exchanges with her shrink, Dr. Archibald, or to talk with Rex, a tough-minded victim of inoperable cancer. Living with a harsh stepfather—“he hates me, sets tests I can only flunk, and he makes me pay”—has left her subject to severe bouts of depression, and she has stopped eating not to end her life (she’s very clear on this), but as a radical protest. Brooks (Each a Piece, 1998, etc.) deftly fills in a complex background, peopled by adults who have failed his protagonist in various ways, and, without forcing an agenda onto events, presents Alice with reasons to take up her life again: the strongest are her stepfather’s reluctant promise to bend, and Rex’s dying observation that, “all you get by giving stuff up is The Big Nothing.” Rex and Alice speak with wise older voices, but thoughtful readers will glean that character and plot are less important here than the shimmering web of ideas, ironies, motives, and options they convey. (Fiction. 11-15)
Pub Date: June 30, 1999
ISBN: 0-06-028236-3
Page Count: 110
Publisher: HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: June 24, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 1999
Fans of Cameron’s Huey and Julian stories (More Stories Huey Tells, 1997, etc.) are in for a treat as Gloria, their friend from those tales, gets a book of her own and graciously allows the two brothers to share it . In the first tale, Gloria makes a wonderful card for her mother, but the wind blows it away and it ends up in the cage of a cantankerous parrot. Thanks to Mr. Bates, Huey and Julian’s dad, the day is saved, as is the burgeoning friendship that Gloria and the boys have struck up with new neighbor Latisha in the story, “The Promise.” In another story, Gloria has to deal with a huge problem—fractions—and this time it’s her dad who helps her through it. Mr. Bates proves helpful again when the group trains an “obsessed” puppy, while Gloria’s mother is supportive when Gloria is unintentionally hurt by her three best friends. The stories are warm and funny, as Gloria, a spunky kid who gets into some strange predicaments, finds out that her friends and wise, loving adults are good to have around when trouble beckons. Great fun, with subtly placed, positive messages that never take center stage. (b&w illustrations) (Fiction. 8-12)
Pub Date: March 9, 2000
ISBN: 0-374-32670-3
Page Count: 93
Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2000
A skirmish over a favorite stuffed rabbit nearly destroys a friendship and the toy itself, but well-timed physical and emotional bandaging saves the day. When a little boy moves in next door to a little girl they quickly becomes friends and start sharing toys. This works well for cars, trucks, bears, and balls, but when the boy shows up with a new stuffed rabbit, cooperation goes out the window. In the ensuing tug-of-rabbit, each child yanks on the poor bunny’s ears until the stitching gives way. Figuring out a way to repair the rabbit also eventually patches up the friendship. Minor battles rage in homes and preschools everywhere, so children and adults alike will appreciate this subtle example of a peaceful resolution to toy disputes. Jahn-Clough’s pleasantly stubby children convey both healthy loud-mouthed anger and substantial charm. (Picture book. 3-8)
Pub Date: March 1, 1999
ISBN: 0-395-93545-8
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 1999
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