From School Library Journal
Gr 4-6-A toddler's unabashed adoration and the patience and wisdom of two unlikely foster parents spark the beginning of 11-year-old Ben's healing process in this story of a summer of growth and change. Ben doesn't have high expectations when he moves in with his eighth foster family, the Torgles. He fully intends, in fact, to keep his distance and merely bide his time until a better opportunity appears. Those intentions start to slip away the minute he finds a way to quiet baby Grover, and are helped to their demise by adults who treat him with genuine caring and respect. Friction between Ben and Tracey, Grover's teenaged mom who pays periodic visits to her son, along with the descriptions of daily life in a more-than-lively household that includes seven-year-old twins, keep the book moving. The very real pain of children whose parents have failed them is tempered by scenes in which Grover demands endless readings of Hop on Pop or experiences the "dropping" stage by flinging french fries from his high chair. The minor characters are exceptionally vivid, from Tracey, who named her baby after a Sesame Street character, to Lenora, a foster child who drops the name she has always been known by as an acknowledgment of her father's purposeful abandonment. Quattlebaum captures the essence of childhood when the family has unraveled, yet has peopled her world with survivors and infused it with hope. With a much greater focus on foster care than Paula Fox's Monkey Island (Orchard, 1991), this will fill a gap in most collections.
Faith Brautigam, Gail Borden Public Library, Elgin, IL
Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
Gr. 4-7. Eleven-year-old Ben Watson, a veteran of foster care, still longs for a real home. He's hoping his eighth foster family isn't it, but among the other foster kids is Grover G. Graham, a baby abandoned by his mother, much like Ben. Though determined to remain unemotional and disengaged, Ben discovers he's good at--and enjoys--caring for Grover. Unfortunately, his concern for Grover's welfare leads him to do something rash--something that brings both consequences and new perspective. Ben is a likable, multilayered character, and his lively, descriptive narrative, peppered with dry wit and intimate detail, is both an engaging read and an exploration of foster care. The supporting characters and situations are somewhat stereotypical here, but taken together their stories illustrate that good hearts and homes can be found where least expected.
Shelle RosenfeldCopyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
