When Great-uncle Benson roars in on his motorcycle for a long visit, ten-year-old Rachel discovers a soul mate: he listens to her, cares about the things she cares about, and, like her, treats everyone, adult or child, with intelligent respect. He's disturbed, though, that Rachel's family doesn't have sit-down dinners—''How in the world can you have a family, if you don't have family dinner?'' Benson whips up a series of tempting concoctions, and Rachel persuades her parents, and her older brother and sister, to give the custom a try. Cutler infuses her story with the same friendly domestic air that Patricia Maclachlan brings to her writing. The characters here (with the notable exception of the Mrs. Malaprop of a housekeeper—``It's as plain as the nose on your plate'') aren't as eccentric as those in, say, Unclaimed Treasures (1984), but they're distinct and believable, with stories of their own. The experimental meal is a total failure, but the plot takes a gentle twist at the end when Benson, Rachel, and a group of friends and neighbors sit down together the next day over leftovers, proving that the sociability of family-style dinners can survive, even if not in a particular family. Caswell's precise soft-pencil illustrations are unusually perceptive and creatively staged to dramatize relationships. (Fiction. 10-13)
Pub Date: Jan. 1, 1992
ISBN: 0-374-32267-8
Page Count: 117
Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 15, 1991
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
When an eighth grader's wish that his little brother had never been born actually comes true, he's dismayed by the implications. Alec's father expects him to excel at sports; his older sister excels at everything; and little brother Stevie gets the unquestioning affection that Alec himself feels he has lost. One afternoon while he's minding Stevie (under protest) at the mall, Alec has an encounter with a bag lady who gives him a talisman that grants him just the one wish that he imagines will solve his problems. Instead, he discovers that the rest of the family is radically changed without Stevie: they may be richer in possessions, but they're poorer in mutual regard and interaction. Fortunately, he's able to reverse his wish and live more contentedly ever after. It's a promising premise, and the depiction of a boy who is chronically exasperated with his little brother and insensitive to almost everyone else's feelings, yet touchingly considerate of a bag lady, rings painfully true. Koller takes on too many issues without dealing with them in any depth (e.g., overbusy, affluent parents; the homeless); still, amusing, though lightweight. (Fiction. 11-13)
Pub Date: Nov. 1, 1991
ISBN: 0-316-50150-6
Page Count: 161
Publisher: Little, Brown
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 15, 1991
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
It's a dream come true when Andy's irascible Grandpa allows him to buy a neighbor's twin Percherons. Suddenly, what looked like a dull summer becomes a busy one; Andy must not only raise the money to pay for the huge horses but also, with an eye toward the Eastern Idaho State Fair Pulling Contest, train them to work together. Under Grandpa's exacting tutelage, Andy learns to use them as a team, hauling feed, logs, and even—when a friend is injured in an accident—an immense rock. As in all good horse stories, the animals take center stage here, exhibiting strong, distinct personalities. Though the author doesn't spare much sympathy for Andy's separated parents, she allows the (virtually all-male) human cast some personal concerns, too. Andy gets to the fair, and his horses not only win the pulling contest but—in a dramatic finale—they pull a record-breaking load. Simple and satisfying. (Fiction. 10-13)
Pub Date: Nov. 1, 1991
ISBN: 0-8234-0913-9
Page Count: 196
Publisher: Holiday House
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 15, 1991
BOOK REVIEW
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