Here's a quirky and implausible story about sixth-grader Augie Knapp, who was born with a deformed left hand. For as long as he can remember, Augie, who lives with his single mom and her brother in a blue-collar small town in Pennsylvania, has hidden his stump in a homemade prosthesis, a glove that holds wire shapes and cotton balls to fill out the fingers. While Augie can't participate in some activities, he is generally accepted by his peers and has some close friends. Into this scene enters decidedly strange Lydie Rose Meisenheimer—a sixth-grader driving her own convertible yet—who takes an immediate shine to Augie. For reasons that the author doesn't convincingly explain, she seems to see right through Augie the moment she meets him; overwhelms him with squirmingly embarrassing attention; gets him out of a jam when he doesn't turn in a homework assignment; and repeatedly exhorts him to wait till "the Gypsies come" because they will appreciate his hand. The author doesn't make it clear just who these "Gypsies" are or whether Lydie is one herself. Over time Augie starts thinking more and more about them and hoping that they—and the father he never knew—will show up. He also gradually warms up to Lydie and accepts his handicap when she leaves town in a too-pat ending. Perhaps the Gypsies have been inside Augie all along and Lydie just helped his self-acceptance emerge. Readers will appreciate the humor here; they'll like Augie and will wonder whether the Gypsies will, in fact, ever show and what will happen then. But they are bound to be perplexed, too. (Fiction. 8-12)
Pub Date: March 1, 2001
ISBN: 0-689-83147-1
Page Count: 128
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 2001
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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)
Pub Date: Aug. 25, 1999
ISBN: 0-688-16816-7
Page Count: 192
Publisher: Morrow/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 1999
Small, a very little fox, needs some reassurance from Large in the unconditional love department. If he is grim and grumpy, will he still be loved? “ ‘Oh, Small,’ said Large, ‘grumpy or not, I’ll always love you, no matter what.’ “ So it goes, in a gentle rhyme, as Large parries any number of questions that for Small are very telling. What if he were to turn into a young bear, or squishy bug, or alligator? Would a mother want to hug and hold these fearsome animals? Yes, yes, answers Large. “But does love wear out? Does it break or bend? Can you fix it or patch it? Does it mend?” There is comfort in Gliori’s pages, but it is a result of repetition and not the imagery; this is a quick fix, not an enduring one, but it eases Small’s fears and may well do the same for children. (Picture book. 2-6)
Pub Date: Oct. 1, 1999
ISBN: 0-15-202061-6
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Harcourt
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 1, 1999
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