Equal parts psychological realism and supernatural thriller, this story about living in the present and conquering fear has teen appeal in spades. Thirteen-year-old Davia Peters and her family travel to a plantation home in South Louisiana to care for Davia’s great-aunt Mari as she dies of cancer. The family’s task is even more difficult than one might expect given the fact that Davia’s mother has recently come through her own harrowing battle with the disease. To make the situation even tougher, Aunt Mari asks Davia to befriend the plantation’s ghost, a girl Davia’s age named Emilie. Davia somehow finds the courage to get to know Emilie, and ultimately, the exchange of their most painful secrets proves to be exactly what each girl needs most. Sinykin’s simple, straightforward prose can be read by those as young as nine, but the subject matter—disease, death, arranged marriage and suicide—makes this title more appropriate for older readers. A good choice for reluctant teens. (Fiction. YA)
Pub Date: Oct. 1, 2007
ISBN: 978-1-56145-423-5
Page Count: 224
Publisher: Peachtree
Review Posted Online: June 24, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 15, 2007
BOOK REVIEW
The poster boy for relentless mischief-makers everywhere, first encountered in No, David! (1998), gives his weary mother a rest by going to school. Naturally, he’s tardy, and that’s but the first in a long string of offenses—“Sit down, David! Keep your hands to yourself! PAY ATTENTION!”—that culminates in an afterschool stint. Children will, of course, recognize every line of the text and every one of David’s moves, and although he doesn’t exhibit the larger- than-life quality that made him a tall-tale anti-hero in his first appearance, his round-headed, gap-toothed enthusiasm is still endearing. For all his disruptive behavior, he shows not a trace of malice, and it’ll be easy for readers to want to encourage his further exploits. (Picture book. 5-7)
Pub Date: Sept. 1, 1999
ISBN: 0-590-48087-1
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Scholastic
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 1999
Big brother Duane is off in boot camp, and Justin is left trying to hold the parental units together. Fat, acne-ridden, and missing his best friend Ben, who’s in the throes of his first boy-girl relationship with Cass, Justin’s world is dreary. It gets worse when he realizes that all of his mother’s suspicions about his father are probably true, and that Dad may not return from his latest business trip. Surprisingly ultra-cool Jemmie, who is also missing her best friend, Cass, actually recognizes his existence and her grandmother invites Justin to use their piano in the afternoons when Jemmie’s at cross-country practice. The “big nothing” place, where Justin retreats in time of trouble, is a rhythmic world and soon begins to include melody and provide Justin with a place to express himself. Practice and discipline accompany this gradual exploration of his talent. The impending war in Iraq gives this story a definite place in time, and its distinct characters make it satisfying and surprisingly realistic. Misfit finds fit. (Fiction. YA)
Pub Date: Oct. 1, 2004
ISBN: 1-56145-326-9
Page Count: 224
Publisher: Peachtree
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 15, 2004
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