by Carolyn Reeder ‧ RELEASE DATE: May 30, 1993
New folks are turning up in the hollow where June Higgins is training his son Tom, 12, as a moonshiner—a demanding craft handed down in their family for generations. Meanwhile, the new preacher's daughter, Amy Taylor, is out to thwart makers of a substance she thinks of as pure evil; Andy, a friendly collector of tales, is glad to share a jug or even help out with the still; and, drawn by bootleggers coming to the area during Prohibition, there are revenuers. Adroitly, Reeder sets up her story to explore some complex issues. June, illiterate but a community leader and a grand storyteller, takes pride in maintaining high standards while others degrade their whiskey with shortcuts suggested by bootleggers. Moonshine is a regular feature at local work-parties and other traditional gatherings; it's also known to start fights and cause abuse. Tom becomes friends with Amy, in the process realizing that a misleading partial truth may be the moral equivalent of a lie; learns to read at the Taylors' new school; discovers that he, too, is a gifted storyteller; and resolves, dramatically but plausibly, to give up moonshining despite Pa's fierce opposition. At the same time, Mrs. Taylor makes available a new source of income by locating a market for Appalachian crafts, and her husband mellows enough to become more accepted. Another fine offering from the author of the much- honored Shades of Gray (1989): with strong, memorable characters and a compelling plot, an unusually thoughtful and well-crafted historical novel of these mountain people. (Fiction. 9-14)
Pub Date: May 30, 1993
ISBN: 0-02-775805-2
Page Count: 206
Publisher: Palgrave Macmillan
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 1993
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by Scott O'Dell ; illustrated by Ted Lewin ‧ RELEASE DATE: Oct. 1, 1990
An outstanding new edition of this popular modern classic (Newbery Award, 1961), with an introduction by Zena Sutherland and...
Pub Date: Oct. 1, 1990
ISBN: 0-395-53680-4
Page Count: -
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 1, 2000
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by Scott O'Dell
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by John Cho with Sarah Suk ‧ RELEASE DATE: March 22, 2022
Equal parts suspenseful and emotionally insightful.
Noted actor Cho and co-author Suk share the journey of a Korean American sixth grader struggling with feeling inadequate.
It’s 1992 in Glendale, California, and Jordan’s life is coming apart: He’s been suspended from school for cheating. He’s banned from seeing Mike, his impulsive church friend. Sarah, his adored older sister, is always busy—and so perfect that he looks even more disappointing by comparison. Appa and Umma, burdened with financial worries, are constantly working at their liquor store. Jordan’s family immigrated 9 years earlier, but the bright American future they sacrificed so much for seems questionable. Now people are erupting in protest over the unjust Rodney King verdict and tragic killing of Latasha Harlins by a Korean shop owner. Driven by deep emotional pain and a desire to prove himself to Appa, Jordan sneaks out with Mike—and the gun his father’s forbidden him to touch. As violence spreads toward Koreatown, he tries to deliver it as protection for Appa, who’s boarding up the store. This ill-conceived plan goes awry, and during the fraught evening the boys learn about integrity, bias, and more. The realistically middle-grade voice, strong characterization, and well-paced storyline show the growth of a boy who is moving from limited awareness to a mature perspective on his place in his family and broader community. The novel weaves together large-scale issues of social injustice and interracial barriers with the intimate pain—and joy—of personal relationships.
Equal parts suspenseful and emotionally insightful. (author’s note) (Fiction. 9-13)Pub Date: March 22, 2022
ISBN: 978-0-7595-5447-4
Page Count: 224
Publisher: Little, Brown
Review Posted Online: March 1, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2022
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