THE NAMING OF TISHKIN SILK

Griffin Silk’s mother and baby sister have gone away, and Griffin is haunted by their absence, for which he feels responsible. After a dismal first day of school, Griffin is befriended by Layla, a simpatico classmate. Their friendship helps Griffin work through his losses and find a way to help his family do the same. Those who enjoy extra helpings of sentiment and whimsy in their chapter books will find much to like in this award winner first published in Australia in 2003. Oddly reminiscent of Hilary McKay’s equally quirky Casson family, Griffin’s older sisters are named after colors—including Saffron and Indigo. Both authors use the names to signal the characters’ specialness. While Griffin’s story has an old-fashioned feel and is occasionally sentimental, it’s never maudlin, thanks to Millard’s gift for humor that rings true, as when Layla, an aspiring hair stylist, cuts Griffin’s hair and horrifies her parents. Other strengths include a rich sense of place—rural Australia—and insight into how we process grief, young and old alike. (Fiction. 7-10)