ROSETOWN FOREVER

Rylant’s trilogy reaches a suitably quiet conclusion.

It’s May 1974 in Rosetown, Indiana, and Flora’s nearly finished with fifth grade. She looks back on the year’s heartbreaks and joys: She and her friend Yury mourned the closure of the town bookstore, but they distracted themselves by taking horseback riding lessons at Day Road Farm and discovered a new shared interest. Fifth grade presented challenges, like oral reports; for an introverted kid like Flora, success required personal bravery, parental support, and a dash of help from the local children’s librarian. Summer sprawls ahead now. A new tenant has moved into the bookstore’s old storefront; the Slightly Cracked Teacup, an antique shop, speaks to Flora’s predilections for all things old, worn in, and reliable. Flora learns that Yury, a Ukrainian immigrant, might be leaving town, but her fear of his possible departure offers an opportunity for a generous, reassuring gift from Yury’s parents. As in the series’ previous entries, Rylant imbues her gently flowing story with almost reverent affection for its simpler-time, small-town setting. She deftly captures her protagonist’s often-conflicting feelings. Flora worries about change and thinks back on what’s been lost even as new things provide fresh delights; her perspective will resonate deeply with readers who recognize Flora as kin—sensitive children and nostalgic adults alike. Characters present white.

An elegant, empathetic final visit to a bygone time.