Dreamsleeves

Paratore, Coleen Murtagh      Dreamsleeves      

 Scholastic/Grolier/Childrens Press/Watts  2012  273p  $16.99      978-0-545-31020-8     ms/jr       Realistic fiction

For 12-year-old Aislinn, life is rough.  She must care for her younger siblings and deal with the abuse of her alcoholic father.  Having heard of "wearing your dreams on your sleeves", she attaches notes to her clothing in hopes that someone will make her dreams come true.     Some try, but her largest dream, that her abusive alcoholic father will stop drinking, is a tall order.  Bordering precariously on bibliotherapy, this feel-good novel comes with a strong message and a strong heroine.  It is an enjoyable read for younger teens, with enough humor and a little romance, but still tackling tough subjects like abuse, alcoholism, and self realization.

G     Pat Naismith      Dreams, Alcoholism, Family

 

Creive, Megan. Give Up the Ghost.

Creive, Megan. Give Up the Ghost.
Henry Holt 2009 244p 16.99 978-0-8050-8930-1 ms/hs

Cass could not tell you when it all started, but one minute she was popular and the next she was an outcast. She knows who started it, but she does not understand why. Now her only friends are ghosts! Yes, Ghosts! She can see ghosts ever since her sister died the year before. Cass could not tell you when it all started but one minute she was popular the next she was an outcast. She knows who started it but she does not understand why. Now her only friends are ghost! Yes, Ghost! She can see ghost ever since her sister died the year before. With her life school life falling apart, Cass was shocked when her home life and her family suffered the loss of her sister. Now her sister’s ghost keeps her company all the time. At school for some reason Cass can the see the teen ghost that haunt the school. She has adopted an attitude of ‘I don’t care”. And for the most part everyone leaves her alone. Then one of the in crowd begins to follow her and keeps asking her about ghost. Turns out he just lost his mom and he is looking to communicate with her. His biggest problem though is that fact the he is depressed and drinking. How on earth can Cass help him if she can barely help herself. A great story of loss and despair with plenty of humorous moments. Kids will love it. Diaz, Magna

Whitney, Tim. Thanksgiving At the Inn.

Whitney, Tim. Thanksgiving At the Inn.
Bancroft 2009 226p 19.95 978-1-890862-64-0 jr/sr

Heath’s father suffers with alcoholism and literary rejection. To make matters worse he is suspended from school at the same time that his estranged grandfather dies. The resulting story is both heart warming and heart rendering. Heath Wellington III is between a rock and a hard place when he gets suspended from school for supposedly cheating. His father (called Junior) has suffered repeatedly from alcoholism and literary rejection since his wife left him. It is definitely not a happy family situation. His father has been estranged from his father for years because of stubbornness and pride. This presents a conflict when the grandfather dies and Heath and his father must return to the family home to settle the estate.
The grandfather (Senior) was an unusual person. He made lots of money in his lifetime, but he decided that helping others was more important than making money. When he sold his business he turned the family home into the Sleeping Inn and collected people who needed to make something of themselves. In order for Junior to inherit his father’s estate, he would have to move into the inn and run it successfully for three months keeping the residents happy and content with his management. It is a story of conflict, humor, morals to be learn, and life-changing events for Heath.
This is a well written book in which the characters are well developed. It is easy for the readers to picture: Mustang Sally who is a over muscled, over tattoo grease monkey who writes children’s books, Winstead who is a wise Jamaican and former preacher and jailbird, Mrs. Farrell who is a elderly woman giving away her late husband’s ill earned fortune to needy people, and Carter who is a TV news junkie and Harvard graduate. The interactions between residents and Heath and his father allow the reader to connect with the characters and become involved with their everyday life. It is a timeless heartwarming story that is full of life’s lessons often overlooked in today’s fast paced world. MD,LM,HW

The Lucky Place

Vincent, Zu. Lucky Place, The.
Front Street Books (see Boyds Mills), 2008, 230p, $17.95, 978-1-932425-70-3.

Front_Street_Books, Vincent, alcoholism, cancer, families, life_struggles, coping

Cassie grows up in 60’s suburbia torn between her two fathers. Sykes, the “Old Daddy” is an alcoholic gambler who once left her at the racetrack because he was too drunk to remember. Ellis, the “New Daddy” loves and raises her from the age of three after her mother divorces Sykes. Cassie loves Ellis as a father but feels guilty about it. Sykes rarely contacts Cassie and her brother and offers no support, eventually leaving their lives forever. Cassie tells the story from age three to age 12 and the author is able to show this maturing process in the writing. Cassie is the type of child that feels responsible for making everything okay, keeping her own thoughts inside. When Ellis becomes ill from cancer, Cassie takes on the burdens of her mother and the rest of the family. The story will grab readers from the start and compel them to read to the very end. The characters are real, if not always endearing and the story line is smooth and captivating. This is an emotional title that is at times quite heart wrenching. The chapters are short vignettes of Cassie's life and thoughts. The book contains mild curse words. This book will appeal to mature middle school and to high school readers, especially girls. Recommended for Tristate Books of Note.
Cassie grows up in 60’s suburbia torn between her two fathers: the one who loved her but was unable to be her father and the one who nurtured and loved her throughout her childhood. The writing is stark and engaging and the characters are real. For mature middle school and high school readers. TW