How much tragedy equals a pony? Four years ago, Nathaniel had a pony, a nice house and a Dad—but now his Dad is gone and his mother struggles to keep the family fed. When he sees an ad in the paper for a free pony, he and his two sisters set their hearts on it, but getting it brings more challenges. Subplots involving an abused horse, a rich girl, the missing dad and the strange behavior of one of Nathaniel’s sisters all promise more than they deliver, and some of the details about the pony, Smokey, and the barn where he’s kept ring false. (Among them: he’s a stallion at the outset, and his owners hand him over to the three children without ever speaking to an adult.) Nathaniel is a nuanced character but doesn’t grow within the story; the ending falls from the sky. Gorgeous writing, subtle characterizations and a few very good scenes make this book initially seem better than it is. (Fiction. 10-14)
Pub Date: April 1, 2005
ISBN: 0-7636-2422-5
Page Count: 256
Publisher: Candlewick
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2005
BOOK REVIEW
An engaging and heartfelt presentation that never whitewashes the difficult time and situation as Little Man comes of age.
Little Man, whose real name isn’t revealed until the conclusion, stutters badly, a situation that presents new difficulties now that he’s taken over his friend’s paper route for a month.
Debut author Vawter depicts a harshly segregated 1959 Memphis, and since the tale is highly autobiographical, he captures a full and realistic flavor of the time. Little Man, as he’s called by his brave, black live-in housekeeper, Mam, has a few less-than-effective strategies that he employs to control his stutter, but it dominates his life nonetheless. Along the paper route, he encounters three fully rounded characters who make their mark on the story: Mrs. Worthington, a young, attractive and abused wife who drinks too much and awakens in Little Man a new, albeit very safe, interest in the opposite sex; Mr. Spiro, a widely read retired seaman who offers Little Man heartfelt advice and insightful support; and scary junkman Ara T, who steals Little Man’s knife and evolves into a looming threat both to the boy and Mam. Carefully crafted language, authenticity of setting and quirky characters that ring fully true all combine to make this a worthwhile read. Although Little Man’s stutter holds up dialogue, that annoyance also powerfully reflects its stultifying impact on his life.
An engaging and heartfelt presentation that never whitewashes the difficult time and situation as Little Man comes of age. (Historical fiction. 10-14)Pub Date: May 14, 2013
ISBN: 978-0-385-74244-3
Page Count: 256
Publisher: Delacorte
Review Posted Online: March 12, 2013
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 2013
BOOK REVIEW
A grand journey measured in both physical and emotional distance.
Mari is lost.
Her mother has died suddenly, but before she even breaks the news to her 9-year-old brother, Conor, who is on the autism spectrum, she knows they have to get out of there. Mari was in the foster care system before being adopted; her adoptive mother gave birth to Conor, and their dad later left the family. With this history and no one else to turn to, Mari refuses to get thrown back into the system, much less allow Conor to be separated from her. So, she takes her mother’s car and their camping gear, and they leave Los Angeles for their grandmother’s house in Massachusetts even though they haven’t spoken in three years and Mari doesn’t have a license (she’s 15). It’s 2017, and she persuades Conor, an astronomy buff, to comply by promising they will stop in Missouri to see the much-hyped upcoming solar eclipse. During their cross-country trip, they also visit state and national parks, eat a lot of chips, briefly pick up a hitchhiker, grieve, and meet with some genuine kindness. This road-trip story is introspective and revealing, much like the desert highway in the middle of the night. Mari’s perspective is transparent and fragile, completely realistic to her circumstances. Her attitude toward Conor, while fundamentally loving, is not perfect, but it feels honest for a teen sibling in her position. Main characters read as White.
A grand journey measured in both physical and emotional distance. (Fiction. 10-14)Pub Date: Aug. 1, 2021
ISBN: 978-1-68263-247-5
Page Count: 384
Publisher: Peachtree
Review Posted Online: May 31, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 2021
BOOK REVIEW
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