In the Okefenokee, swampers and outlanders don’t mix much, and 12-year-old Hamp Cravey has never met a Yankee, his father’s never owned slaves, and he’s never had to examine the complexities of “what hain’t true and what is.” But when he and his little sister Neeta discover runaway slaves in a neighbor’s smokehouse and Neeta takes the initiative in helping them escape, Hamp must decide where he stands in relation to God, the Confederacy, and the mistreatment of fellow human beings. The tale becomes a journey across the Okefenokee and into the tangles of his own conscience. Siegelson’s rich descriptions of the swamp, Hamp’s nightmares about swamp monsters, threats of giant rattlesnakes and killer boars, and a slaveowner out to avenge his brother’s death make for an exciting, multi-layered tale. The ending is a bit tidy and didactic, but not so much as to mar a sumptuously written narrative. A great match with Richard Peck’s The River Between Us (2003) or Margaret McMullan’s How I Found the Strong (p. 333). (Fiction. 10+)
Pub Date: May 1, 2004
ISBN: 0-399-24021-7
Page Count: 176
Publisher: Philomel
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 2004
BOOK REVIEW
An outstanding new edition of this popular modern classic (Newbery Award, 1961), with an introduction by Zena Sutherland and...
Pub Date: Oct. 1, 1990
ISBN: 0-395-53680-4
Page Count: -
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 1, 2000
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Navigating this stunning novel requires thought and concentration, but it’s well worth the effort.
Returning to themes she explored so affectingly in Moon Over Manifest (2011), Newbery Medalist Vanderpool delivers another winning picaresque about memories, personal journeys, interconnectedness—and the power of stories.
Thirteen-year-old Jack enters boarding school in Maine after his mother’s death at the end of World War II. He quickly befriends Early Auden, a savant whose extraordinary facility with numbers allows him to “read” a story about “Pi” from the infinite series of digits that follow 3.14. Jack accompanies Early in one of the school crew team’s rowing boats on what Jack believes is his friend’s fruitless quest to find a great bear allegedly roaming the wilderness—and Early’s brother, a legendary figure reportedly killed in battle. En route, Early spins out Pi’s evolving saga, and the boys encounter memorable individuals and adventures that uncannily parallel those in the stories. Vanderpool ties all these details, characters, and Jack’s growing maturity and self-awareness together masterfully and poignantly, though humor and excitement leaven the weighty issues the author and Jack frequently pose. Some exploits may strain credulity; Jack’s self-awareness often seems beyond his years, and there are coincidences that may seem too convenient. It’s all of a piece with Vanderpool’s craftsmanship. Her tapestry is woven and finished off seamlessly. The ending is very moving, and there’s a lovely, last-page surprise that Jack doesn’t know but that readers will have been tipped off about.
Navigating this stunning novel requires thought and concentration, but it’s well worth the effort. (author’s note, with questions and answers, list of resources) (Historical fiction. 10-14)Pub Date: Jan. 8, 2013
ISBN: 978-0-385-74209-2
Page Count: 320
Publisher: Delacorte
Review Posted Online: Oct. 30, 2012
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 15, 2012
BOOK REVIEW
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