Donaldson, Julia. Running On the Cracks.

Donaldson, Julia. Running On the Cracks.
Henry Holt 2009 218p 16.99 978-0-8050-9054-3 ms/hs

Facing a threat of child abuse from her uncle, recently orphaned Leo runs away to Glasgow to find her father’s estranged family. She encounters many along the way who try to help her. It is not the conflict, plot and theme that are unique in Running on the Cracks. It is the character development and the denouement of the plot through the voice of each character. Each person that Leo meets on her quest to find her father’s estranged family is carefully crafted by Julia Donaldson to contribute to the savory tone of the book. The protagonist, Leo, is not unusual in escaping from her creepy uncle who stares at her in a lascivious way. What makes her unusual is how she pulls from her talents to help her along her journey. She is artistic, intelligent, daring and crafty, and young readers will enjoy trusting who she trusted along her journey and interacting with a stranger side of life. Mary is the schizophrenic street person who shelters Leo. Mary’s unique talent is her ability to put language together with ramblings of a mad woman that make perfect sense! She figures out how to help Leo find her Chinese family by ordering Chinese food from all of the local restaurants for a banquet with all of her quirky friends. Finley is Leo’s friend, a misfit sort who takes chances much like Leo in his quest to help her. He shows dedication unusual in young people. He is an “I’m all in” kind of guy who helps Leo at the expense of his family relations, his pocketbook and his reputation with the law. Donaldson reveals the perversion of Uncle John through his conversations with his birds, and produces a very creepy, prognostication of what will happen to Leo if he finds her. The author keeps the pace moving through her use of perspective, telling her story from each character’s viewpoint. Readers hope that Leo finds satisfaction and peace in life, relish the resolution of a new start for Leo, and finally, see that one has self-empowerment to change life’s circumstances. Squaresky, Martha

Donaldson, Joan. On Viney’s Mountain

Donaldson, Joan. On Viney’s Mountain
Holiday House 2009 231p 16.95 978-0-8234-2129-9 hs
When Englishmen buy up land and start to clear the land for a town, Viney, a talented weaver wants to find a way to stop the progress. Along the way she learns about herself and finds love. In the Tennessee Appalachian mountains, Viney, a very talented weaver, lives with her older brother and sister. As she is gathering herbs and plants for dyes, she sees a group of English gentlemen clear cutting of a section of forest. She wants to find a way to stop the coming of the town and the destruction of her beloved forest. Her sister goes to work in the town and Viney considers her a traitor. As Viney interacts with the foreigners to try to find their weakness, she meets two young men and pretends to let them court her. Along the way she discovers she has feelings for one of them. He wants to be able to buy land before making a commitment, so they head their separate ways.
This book is based on the real community of Rugby built in in the 1880’s. Several buildings survive and can be visited. Viney is a weaver and weaving terms and the process are features throughout the novel. There is an extensive glossary of both mountain terminology and English terms used to give an authentic feel to the narrative. Also included are web sites about the town of Rugby and weaving.
This book gives a good historical picture, well researched, but also includes mountain lore, weaving, and a love story.
It is an excellent read for high school students. Joan Theal