bookshelf

THE GATE IN THE WALL

Name: THE GATE IN THE WALL
Author: Ellen Howard
ISBN: 0-689-82295-2

by Ellen Howard ‧ RELEASE DATE: April 1, 1999

bookshelf

Locked out of the silk factory for being but a moment late, an orphan passes through an unexpectedly open gate to a better life in this engrossing tale of expanding horizons from Howard (A Different Kind of Courage, 1996, etc.). Hungry and despairing, Emma peers past an open door to see a gaily painted boat, the Cygnet, moored on the nearby canal, the shipping lanes of Victorian England. The scent of potato is too strong to resist, but she’s just eaten one raw when she is pressed into service as a “huffler” for crusty old Mrs. Minshull, the boat’s owner, helping haul cargoes of potatoes, coal, salt, and the like between towns, while caring for Rosie, the huge, gentle tow horse, and getting regular meals for the first time since her parents’ deaths. Readers will be drawn in, both by Emma’s sense of wonder at the new world that unfolds before her, and by Howard’s evocative portrait of the canal people’s distinctive way of life. Emma develops into a sturdy, loyal, self-reliant child who proves herself by resolving an internal conflict, then by hatching a scheme to keep the Cygnet independent. Although the uniformly kind-hearted supporting cast and neatly wrapped ending give this a conventional narrative arc, the strong female leads and well-established sense of era will remind readers of Karen Cushman’s The Midwife’s Apprentice (1995). (Fiction. 10-12)

Pub Date: April 1, 1999

ISBN: 0-689-82295-2

Page Count: 148

Publisher: Atheneum

Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 1999

Categories:

CHILDREN'S FAMILY | CHILDREN'S HISTORICAL FICTION

- BOOK REVIEW
THE CRIMSON CAP
by Ellen Howard

- BOOK REVIEW
THE LOG CABIN WEDDING
by Ellen Howard & illustrated by Ronald Himler

- BOOK REVIEW
THE LOG CABIN CHURCH
by Ellen Howard & illustrated by Ronald Himler

bookshelf

GLORIA'S WAY

by Ann Cameron ‧ RELEASE DATE: March 9, 2000

bookshelf

Fans of Cameron’s Huey and Julian stories (More Stories Huey Tells, 1997, etc.) are in for a treat as Gloria, their friend from those tales, gets a book of her own and graciously allows the two brothers to share it . In the first tale, Gloria makes a wonderful card for her mother, but the wind blows it away and it ends up in the cage of a cantankerous parrot. Thanks to Mr. Bates, Huey and Julian’s dad, the day is saved, as is the burgeoning friendship that Gloria and the boys have struck up with new neighbor Latisha in the story, “The Promise.” In another story, Gloria has to deal with a huge problem—fractions—and this time it’s her dad who helps her through it. Mr. Bates proves helpful again when the group trains an “obsessed” puppy, while Gloria’s mother is supportive when Gloria is unintentionally hurt by her three best friends. The stories are warm and funny, as Gloria, a spunky kid who gets into some strange predicaments, finds out that her friends and wise, loving adults are good to have around when trouble beckons. Great fun, with subtly placed, positive messages that never take center stage. (b&w illustrations) (Fiction. 8-12)

Pub Date: March 9, 2000

ISBN: 0-374-32670-3

Page Count: 93

Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux

Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2000

Categories:

CHILDREN'S SOCIAL THEMES | CHILDREN'S FAMILY

- BOOK REVIEW
SPUNKY TELLS ALL
by Ann Cameron & illustrated by Lauren Castillo

- BOOK REVIEW
COLIBRÍ
by Ann Cameron

- BOOK REVIEW
GLORIA RISING
by Ann Cameron & illustrated by Lis Toft

bookshelf

KEVIN AND HIS DAD

by Irene Smalls ‧ RELEASE DATE: April 1, 1999

bookshelf

There is something profoundly elemental going on in Smalls’s book: the capturing of a moment of unmediated joy. It’s not melodramatic, but just a Saturday in which an African-American father and son immerse themselves in each other’s company when the woman of the house is away. Putting first things first, they tidy up the house, with an unheralded sense of purpose motivating their actions: “Then we clean, clean, clean the windows,/wipe, wipe, wash them right./My dad shines in the windows’ light.” When their work is done, they head for the park for some batting practice, then to the movies where the boy gets to choose between films. After a snack, they work their way homeward, racing each other, doing a dance step or two, then “Dad takes my hand and slows down./I understand, and we slow down./It’s a long, long walk./We have a quiet talk and smile.” Smalls treats the material without pretense, leaving it guileless and thus accessible to readers. Hays’s artwork is wistful and idyllic, just as this day is for one small boy. (Picture book. 5-8)