Flora (Floss) Barnes shuttles back and forth between Dad and Mum, Steve and half-brother Tiger. When her stepfather’s job requires moving to Australia for six months, Floss makes the agonizing decision to stay behind with her father who is in serious debt with his failing café business and on the verge of becoming homeless. Suddenly, Floss’s life changes dramatically with newfound worries and fears offset by everlasting hope her father will succeed and build a new life for them. Floss’s normal school and tween friendship conflicts are complicated by an adult lifestyle that is less than suitable for a suburban middle-class child. Added to her stress is the guilt Floss feels keeping Mum in the dark and her stoic resolve to stay with Dad for moral support. British author Wilson portrays heavy issues of poverty, bankruptcy, drunken/bawdy adult behavior, bullying and unconditional parental/child love through a determined protagonist and a group of believable secondary characters—though they’re somewhat melodramatic in their thoughts and actions. Chapters foreshadow with a one-page black-and-white set of graphic novel–style scenes. Will provoke readers’ questions and speculation on the open-ended conclusion, and mother/daughter discussion possibilities are encouraged with the appended reading guide. British idioms outlined in “Floss’s Glossary.” (Fiction. 10-14)
Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2007
ISBN: 978-1-59643-241-3
Page Count: 352
Publisher: Deborah Brodie/Roaring Brook
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2007
A heartfelt portrait of the complexities of grief and the indomitable human spirit.
In the Newbery Honor–winning author’s latest, a Harlem teen copes with overwhelming pain while learning how to open up.
Sage’s 13th birthday was the worst day of her life; it was the day her best friend, Angel, was killed after a hit-and-run. In the wake of Angel’s death, Sage takes part in grief counseling with four other students; she connects with Ebony and DD, whose losses were sudden as well. Sage grapples with conflicting emotions, but the person who could help her sort them out is gone forever, leaving her convinced it was her fault. She wishes her life had concrete answers, like the math problems she enjoys. Instead, new friendships and a possible romance raise more questions. Finally, all her pent-up anger and sadness spill over, and Sage can longer hold in her feelings. Much to her surprise, speaking honestly helps lift the veil of sadness and sets her on a path toward healing. Watson has crafted an achingly beautiful novel that masterfully captures the realities of loss—the constant reminders of what life used to be like, the guilt that haunts Sage, and the anguish of “talking about someone you love in past tense.” Sage’s voice, rendered in a mix of prose and free verse, is visceral and wholly authentic, while the supporting characters are also richly and fully realized. Characters are cued Black.
A heartfelt portrait of the complexities of grief and the indomitable human spirit. (author’s note, resources) (Verse fiction. 10-14)Pub Date: Feb. 4, 2025
ISBN: 9781547605897
Page Count: 208
Publisher: Bloomsbury
Review Posted Online: Nov. 23, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2025
Frequent allusions to The Wizard of Oz—with Tin Man the robot, Oz the teacher and themes of brains, heart and courage—add to...
The last thing troublemaker and mediocre student Donovan Curtis ever expected was a transfer from Hardcastle Middle School to the prestigious Academy for Scholastic Distinction.
When he whacks a statue of Atlas on the butt, and Atlas’ globe falls off his shoulders, rolls down the hill, and crashes through the glass doors of the gym, Donovan expects to be in big-time trouble. Instead, he receives a letter informing him that he’s been selected to attend ASD. He does attend but soon feels like “some exotic space alien who crash-landed in the gifted program.” Donovan’s journey through his strange new world is told through multiple points of view, allowing his teachers and gifted classmates to offer thoughts on this clearly ungifted boy in their midst. When the robotics class creates a robot named Tin Man, though, it’s Donovan’s skill with the joystick, developed by hours of playing video games, that gives the team hope of winning the upcoming competition. And as he and his new friends try to find some common ground, Donovan becomes the heart and soul of the school, if not the brains.
Frequent allusions to The Wizard of Oz—with Tin Man the robot, Oz the teacher and themes of brains, heart and courage—add to the charm of this tale of a boy finding his home. (Fiction. 10-14)Pub Date: Aug. 21, 2012
ISBN: 978-0-06-174266-8
Page Count: 288
Publisher: Balzer + Bray/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: May 22, 2012
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 2012
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