Georgie Hall, the spindly nine-year-old stalwart of The Fledgling, confronts the US president over the "peace Missile"—after visionary promptings (the Minute Men, "Uncle Freddy's beloved Henry Thoreau," the world in flames) from the tattered flag in the Hall's Concord attic. Better than the fantasy is the satire: smarmy President Toby announcing a letter contest for the nation's children to herald his new sequined flag—most of which letters (who needs so many?) go unread into the White House furnace, while Georgie is vainly trying to mail hers on time. Best is the ensuing children's-march-to-Washington: Georgie carrying the flag; siblings Eleanor and Eddie, 14 and 12, along for support; president's grandson Robert Toby, Eleanor's crush, a surprisingly ready recruit; Georgie's bossy friend Frieda soon taking command. Five children, with knapsacks and permission slips, heading for U.S. One . . . and soon to be joined by sixth-grader Cissie, pushing baby brother Carrington in his stroller. (No, he doesn't need diapers; yes, he has a permission slip.) Walking isn't like riding, Eleanor quickly decides; and Route 1 is an all-American Strip—noisy, smelly, littered, and not meant for walking at all. Policemen stop them; bikers harass them. Nights, they search for a soft, off-the-road spot. But newspapers begin to pick up their trail; churches and schools offer food and shelter; "The March Becomes a Crusade." Meanwhile, back at the White House, the state contest-winners, chosen for their innocuously patriotic letters, add on hopes-for-peace. New marchers join the Concord band. White House concern mounts. Tot TV-personality Veronica Glassmore marches briefly—hogging the limelight, spying for the president. And all along president's grandson Robert has been mysteriously disappearing: could he be a traitor? No: he'll usher Georgie into his grandfather, and their joint appeal, on top of "all those thousands of little kids tramping through his head," will win the president over just before the scheduled missile-firing. Kids may add this in with the fantasy; what'll win them over are the scrappy kid-characters, the perils of the open Strip, the story-telling ginger and snap.
Pub Date: Sept. 1, 1984
ISBN: 0064403114
Page Count: 276
Publisher: Harper & Row
Review Posted Online: May 1, 2012
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 1984
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
An ode to the children of migrants who have been taken away.
A Mexican American boy takes on heavy responsibilities when his family is torn apart.
Mateo’s life is turned upside down the day U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents show up unsuccessfully seeking his Pa at his New York City bodega. The Garcias live in fear until the day both parents are picked up; his Pa is taken to jail and his Ma to a detention center. The adults around Mateo offer support to him and his 7-year-old sister, Sophie, however, he knows he is now responsible for caring for her and the bodega as well as trying to survive junior year—that is, if he wants to fulfill his dream to enter the drama program at the Tisch School of the Arts and become an actor. Mateo’s relationships with his friends Kimmie and Adam (a potential love interest) also suffer repercussions as he keeps his situation a secret. Kimmie is half Korean (her other half is unspecified) and Adam is Italian American; Mateo feels disconnected from them, less American, and with worries they can’t understand. He talks himself out of choosing a safer course of action, a decision that deepens the story. Mateo’s self-awareness and inner monologue at times make him seem older than 16, and, with significant turmoil in the main plot, some side elements feel underdeveloped. Aleman’s narrative joins the ranks of heart-wrenching stories of migrant families who have been separated.
An ode to the children of migrants who have been taken away. (Fiction. 14-18)Pub Date: May 4, 2021
ISBN: 978-0-7595-5605-8
Page Count: 400
Publisher: Little, Brown
Review Posted Online: Feb. 22, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2021
BOOK REVIEW
A heavy read about the harsh realities of tragedy and their effects on those left behind.
In this companion novel to 2013’s If He Had Been With Me, three characters tell their sides of the story.
Finn’s narrative starts three days before his death. He explores the progress of his unrequited love for best friend Autumn up until the day he finally expresses his feelings. Finn’s story ends with his tragic death, which leaves his close friends devastated, unmoored, and uncertain how to go on. Jack’s section follows, offering a heartbreaking look at what it’s like to live with grief. Jack works to overcome the anger he feels toward Sylvie, the girlfriend Finn was breaking up with when he died, and Autumn, the girl he was preparing to build his life around (but whom Jack believed wasn’t good enough for Finn). But when Jack sees how Autumn’s grief matches his own, it changes their understanding of one another. Autumn’s chapters trace her life without Finn as readers follow her struggles with mental health and balancing love and loss. Those who have read the earlier book will better connect with and feel for these characters, particularly since they’ll have a more well-rounded impression of Finn. The pain and anger is well written, and the novel highlights the most troublesome aspects of young adulthood: overconfidence sprinkled with heavy insecurities, fear-fueled decisions, bad communication, and brash judgments. Characters are cued white.
A heavy read about the harsh realities of tragedy and their effects on those left behind. (author’s note, content warning) (Fiction. 14-18)Pub Date: Feb. 6, 2024
ISBN: 9781728276229
Page Count: 416
Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire
Review Posted Online: Jan. 5, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 2024
BOOK REVIEW
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