The Kidding Pen

Name: The Kidding Pen
Author: Hillrey A Dufner
ISBN: 978-1-5121-3123-9

by Hillrey A Dufner ‧ RELEASE DATE: Aug. 18, 2015

An often engaging story that shows that love and determination can overcome the cycle of abuse and the flaws of the social...

bookshelf

A novel about unlikely heroes, informed by longtime educator Dufner’s (Chasing Horizons: Gaby’s Story, 2013, etc.) real-life acquaintance with three young abused girls.

Fifty-year-old Virgil Castor Trevor leads a quiet existence, tending his goats and providing frequent care to Jimmy and Caryn, the children of his longtime friend Billie. He’s slightly embittered by his reduced circumstances and his estrangement from his own grown children after his divorce. He makes friends with Bianca, an 11-year-old neighbor, and quickly recognizes that she’s the victim of neglect and abuse. However, he tries not to get deeply involved, only providing her with a safe haven and plentiful food. But when a severely beaten Bianca comes to him one night, he knows he must do the right thing. He takes her to his friend, Dr. Pick, and calls the authorities. He soon becomes acquainted with the shortcomings of the legal and child welfare systems when he’s arrested and charged with abusing Bianca; meanwhile, she’s sent to a foster home, which results in different dangers to her safety. As Trevor attempts to save her, he takes on the law and, later, a Mexican gang. In a work that could easily have become overly sentimental, Dufner manages to include just the right amount of emotionality. Bianca and Trevor’s early, affectionate relationship eclipses all others, as none of the other interactions in the book achieve the same amount of emotional impact and depth. Charming pencil sketches by Esquivel, one of the young women who inspired the author, also enhance the text. However, most of the story’s conflict occurs early on, before Trevor even meets the Mexican gang, and a late plot turn is hardly a surprise after considerable, unsubtle foreshadowing.

An often engaging story that shows that love and determination can overcome the cycle of abuse and the flaws of the social care system.

Pub Date: Aug. 18, 2015

ISBN: 978-1-5121-3123-9

Page Count: 320

Publisher: CreateSpace

Review Posted Online: Aug. 2, 2016

Review Program: Kirkus Indie

Categories:

CHILDREN'S FAMILY

bookshelf

GLORIA'S WAY

by Ann Cameron ‧ RELEASE DATE: March 9, 2000

bookshelf

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

Categories:

CHILDREN'S SOCIAL THEMES | CHILDREN'S FAMILY

- BOOK REVIEW
SPUNKY TELLS ALL
by Ann Cameron & illustrated by Lauren Castillo

- BOOK REVIEW
COLIBRÍ
by Ann Cameron

- BOOK REVIEW
GLORIA RISING
by Ann Cameron & illustrated by Lis Toft

bookshelf

KEVIN AND HIS DAD

by Irene Smalls ‧ RELEASE DATE: April 1, 1999

bookshelf

There is something profoundly elemental going on in Smalls’s book: the capturing of a moment of unmediated joy. It’s not melodramatic, but just a Saturday in which an African-American father and son immerse themselves in each other’s company when the woman of the house is away. Putting first things first, they tidy up the house, with an unheralded sense of purpose motivating their actions: “Then we clean, clean, clean the windows,/wipe, wipe, wash them right./My dad shines in the windows’ light.” When their work is done, they head for the park for some batting practice, then to the movies where the boy gets to choose between films. After a snack, they work their way homeward, racing each other, doing a dance step or two, then “Dad takes my hand and slows down./I understand, and we slow down./It’s a long, long walk./We have a quiet talk and smile.” Smalls treats the material without pretense, leaving it guileless and thus accessible to readers. Hays’s artwork is wistful and idyllic, just as this day is for one small boy. (Picture book. 5-8)