After his father's death, 12-year-old Ben feels he must bring his big brother Reuben back from the war to help his mother. It's an adventure from the first as he must sneak out at night, and finds all too soon that his younger cousin Danny is as insistent about coming along as is Reuben's dog, Captain. Danny adds a fourth to the expedition when they come across a wild-eyed cow—frightened and unhappy about both the war and not having been milked. The narrative blends cannon shots, rifle sniping, and death with mundane details of two boys struggling to find their way toward the Union troops through Pennsylvania countryside. The pace is somewhat slow, which helps to bring readers slowly to accept the true horrors of war that the boys find when they end up in Gettysburg at the worst possible moment. At first, death is offstage, but gradually the author brings it closer and closer until readers, along with Ben, begin to believe in the inevitability of finding Reuben dead. Adults are kind and indulgent for the most part, which seems unlikely, but given the somber story and the suspense of knowing the boys are headed toward a battle, it works. Sturdy, unadorned historical fiction. (Fiction. 10-14)
Pub Date: March 1, 2001
ISBN: 0-399-23577-9
Page Count: 304
Publisher: Philomel
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 2001
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
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)
Pub Date: April 1, 1999
ISBN: 0-316-79899-1
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Little, Brown
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 1999
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