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THE MIDDLE OF SOMEWHERE

Name: THE MIDDLE OF SOMEWHERE
Author: J.B. Cheaney
ISBN: 978-0-375-83790-6

by J.B. Cheaney ‧ RELEASE DATE: May 8, 2007

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Ronnie takes care of her ADHD little brother, Gee, with more responsibility than usual for a 13-year-old, while developing her own philosophy from a self-help book. Opportunity for a summer vacation emerges when Ronnie’s grandfather arrives at their Missouri home in a brand new RV and a business plan to travel through Kansas for some “wind prospecting.” Mom seizes the chance to recuperate from a broken ankle and convinces Pops to take the children for two weeks. But traveling with an older, quirky loner not used to children proves to be less of a vacation and more of a thrill ride with some alarming moments for all three. Gee’s overactive exuberance and impulsive behavior are quite a challenge for Ronnie, left to babysit at each campsite while Pops is out working. Quoting from her book, Ronnie tries to keep a positive outlook, but when Gee disappears to follow a carnival performer, and her grandfather gets hurt in a motorcycle accident, things get a bit serious, if not intriguing, before they are neatly resolved. While Cheaney provides plenty of “oh-my-gosh” scenarios with Gee’s escapades, the story, as the trip, tends to drag on a bit until the climactic conclusion, despite the crafty, descriptive first-person narrative. (Fiction. 12-14)

Pub Date: May 8, 2007

ISBN: 978-0-375-83790-6

Page Count: 256

Publisher: Knopf

Review Posted Online: June 24, 2010

Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2007

Categories:

CHILDREN'S FAMILY

- BOOK REVIEW
I DON'T KNOW HOW THE STORY ENDS
by J.B. Cheaney

- BOOK REVIEW
SOMEBODY ON THIS BUS IS GOING TO BE FAMOUS
by J.B. Cheaney

- BOOK REVIEW
MY FRIEND THE ENEMY
by J.B. Cheaney

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KEVIN AND HIS DAD

by Irene Smalls ‧ RELEASE DATE: April 1, 1999

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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)

Pub Date: April 1, 1999

ISBN: 0-316-79899-1

Page Count: 32

Publisher: Little, Brown

Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010

Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 1999

Categories:

CHILDREN'S FAMILY

- BOOK REVIEW
MY POP POP AND ME
by Irene Smalls & illustrated by Cathy Ann Johnson

- BOOK REVIEW
MY NANA AND ME
by Irene Smalls & illustrated by Cathy Ann Johnson

- BOOK REVIEW
DON’T SAY AIN’T
by Irene Smalls & illustrated by Colin Bootman

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RAMONA'S WORLD

by Beverly Cleary ‧ RELEASE DATE: Aug. 25, 1999

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Ramona returns (Ramona Forever, 1988, etc.), and she’s as feisty as ever, now nine-going-on-ten (or “zeroteen,” as she calls it). Her older sister Beezus is in high school, baby-sitting, getting her ears pierced, and going to her first dance, and now they have a younger baby sister, Roberta. Cleary picks up on all the details of fourth grade, from comparing hand calluses to the distribution of little plastic combs by the school photographer. This year Ramona is trying to improve her spelling, and Cleary is especially deft at limning the emotional nuances as Ramona fails and succeeds, goes from sad to happy, and from hurt to proud. The grand finale is Ramona’s birthday party in the park, complete with a cake frosted in whipped cream. Despite a brief mention of nose piercing, Cleary’s writing still reflects a secure middle-class family and untroubled school life, untouched by the classroom violence or the broken families of the 1990s. While her book doesn’t match what’s in the newspapers, it’s a timeless, serene alternative for children, especially those with less than happy realities. (Fiction. 8-12)