Water Steps [Hardcover]

A. LaFaye (Author)

Book Description

Age Level: 8 and up | Grade Level: 2 and up

Kyna likes her friends, her purple hair, and taking photographs. But there's something she definitely doesn't like: the water. Every time she comes near it, she feels the sinister pull of the depths trying to draw her down to a watery grave. Even the calm water in the bathtub reminds her of the torrential storm that took the lives of her sailing family when she was just a baby. But Kyna's adopted parents love nothing more than to swim and splash about in lakes and streams, or even the local pool. When they decide to spend the summer at a beach house on Lake Champlain, Kyna is convinced that they're trying to teach her something about water that she's not ready to learn. Little does she know that the water will reveal far more than she ever could have imagined. Inspired by Champ, the legendary monster living in Lake Champlain, Water Steps finds novelist A. LaFaye at her best, expertly interweaving themes of adolescent fears and fantasies, the frustrations and rewards of family, and a world of mystery and magic under the placid surface of nature.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 4–7—Eleven-year-old Kyna must go to Lake Champlain with her adoptive parents, Mem and Pep, for summer vacation. But she is terrified of water because she witnessed the drowning of her family when she was a young child. Mem and Pep, who saved her, have helped her take "water steps" over the years to overcome her fear. This summer, they want her to take her final step. At the same time, they have a secret to reveal. Upset at the thought of spending the summer near water, Kyna sets out to make the best of it. She befriends Tylo, a fellow vacationer. He tells her he has seen silkies in the lake and wants to get a photograph of them to prove it to others. Kyna tells him there is no such thing, though Mem and Pep believe in them. As the story progresses, Kyna puts together clues about her parents to figure out their secret, though she doesn't want to believe it. Told from Kyna's point of view, the story ends with a neat resolution, and the engaging writing style flows smoothly and is well paced. The language is almost poetic with its use of sensory detail, alliteration, and precise word choices. A satisfying story of overcoming one's fears and discovering secrets.—Jennifer D. Montgomery, Western Kentucky University, Bowling Green END

From Booklist

A boating accident claims the lives of 11-year-old Kyna’s parents and older brother, and she develops a fear of water so crippling she cannot even bear to drink. Mem and Pep, who saved her from drowning and eventually adopted her, are gently persistent that she learn to tolerate water again, but Kyna doesn’t understand why until a summer at a lake house reveals a magical secret about the two Irish grown-ups she loves most in the world. Astute readers will guess the secret about halfway through the book, but Kyna’s struggles to take “water” (baby) steps and move through her fear will resonate with many kids who are wrestling overwhelming fears of their own. In spite of a voice that frequently sounds too mature to come from a sixth-grader, Kyna’s story is a satisfying journey to hope and understanding. Pair this with the film The Secret of Roan Inish for a supernatural “book-and-a-movie” night. Grades 4-7. --Cindy Welch

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 8 and up
  
• Hardcover: 208 pages
• Publisher: Milkweed Editions (April 7, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1571316876
• ISBN-13: 978-1571316875
• Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 5.6 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,680,673 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #4 in Books > Children's Books > Social Situations > Phobias

More About the Author

when I started elementary in a small town in central Wisconsin, I discovered that I had a serious problem--I was a complete and total geek! I showed up at school with my clothes on backwards (not to start a new fashion trend, I just pay a lot of attention when I was getting dressed); I talked to myself (why not, no one else would); and I was constantly making up stories.

By the time I was 8, most of the kids in school hated me. They called me names, threw things at me, and generally made my life miserable. I want to do something to make them want to get to know the real me, becuase I felt sure that they'd like me if they really got to know me.

My big plan back then was to break a World Record in the Guiness Book of World Records, then I'd become famous and everyone would want to get to know me. Unfortunately, I could find a record I could break. Then I found Dorothy Straight who published a novel when she was six. I thought, "If a six year old can do, then so can I." That's what started me on the road to becoming an author.

Since then, I've become an author and a writing teacher. I've published nearly a dozen books including WORTH which one the 2005 Scott O'Dell Award and my most recent title THE KEENING which tells the story of a grieving girl who discovers she has a hidden family talent-- she can see the dead.

More importantly, I've realized that it's wonderful to embrace your inner geek, believe in the person God made you to be, and use the gifts God make you to try and make the world a better place. I hope my books do that.

Happy Reading!

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4.0 out of 5 stars Beautifully written, December 1, 2009

By 

Jennifer R. Sommer (Dayton, OH) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Water Steps (Paperback)

Kyna has a crippling fear of the water due to a horrible storm that took the lives of her family while sailing. Saved by Mem and Pep, who eventually adopt her, she is taking "water steps" to overcome her fear that includes baths, puddles, and even drinking water. Water has a burning sensation to her, but not to Mem and Pep who love being in the water. They take her to Lake Champlain for the summer where they can frolick. Kyna cannot stand to even look at the lake, but eventually brings herself to build a treehouse in the woods that overlooks it, thinking she will spend her time trying to photograph an owl in flight that she may enter into a county contest. Meanwhile, she makes friends with Tylo, who believes he's seen silkies in the lake. Kyno agrees to help him capture a photo of the creatures about which Kyna's Irish parents have told her stories, and in the process takes her biggest water step of all. The beautifully written novel will appeal to readers in grades 5 and up who enjoy a little mystery and magic to spice up their stories. Some shrewd readers may figure out the secret of Lake Champlain before it is revealed, but that won't spoil the journey Kyna takes as she tries again and again to overcome her fear of water. Children with their own fears, whatever they may be, will identify with Kyna's struggle and pain. This book is destined to win some awards for its literary qualities. Highly recommended.

4.0 out of 5 stars Courtesy of Mother Daughter Book Club.com, November 16, 2009

By 

Cynthia Hudson (Portland, OR) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Water Steps (Paperback)

Ever since she nearly drowned in a storm that took the lives of the rest of her family, Kyna has had a crippling fear of the water. Only three when she was rescued by the couple who became her adoptive parents, Kyna has spent the seven years since then learning to take water steps--small victories that help her get over her anxiety from even simple things like washing her hands.

Mem and Pep, Kyna's adoptive parents, are patient with her, supporting her efforts and always there to encourage every new water step she takes. But Kyna is dismayed when they book a house by a lake for the summer. Don't they know she's not ready to take that big of a step yet?

Despite Kyna's determination to stay as far away from the lake as possible while she explores the forest instead, she finds herself longing to overcome her fears once and for all so she can stop the limitations she puts on herself.

Despite the gloomy-sounding premise, Water Steps by A. LaFaye is delightful to read. Kyna has experienced so much pain and loss, but she's surrounded by love and hopefulness too. Just as Kyna's adoptive parents fill her with stories of magical creatures from their native Ireland--silkies, fairies and leprechauns--her story has a hint of magic as well. You'll find yourself cheering for Kyna with every water step she takes. And you'll love the Irish myths woven into the story along with a little bit of mystery too.

Good discussion points for mother-daughter book clubs reading Water Steps include overcoming fears, friendship, acceptance, and courage. Recommended for book clubs with girls aged 9 to 12.

5.0 out of 5 stars Water Steps, May 26, 2009

By 

Amie Rotruck "Amie Rotruck, AKA R.D. Henham" - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Water Steps (Paperback)

A.LaFaye's latest work delves into fantasy, an area that she manages just as well as historical fiction. Eleven-year-old Kyna has a crippling fear of water, one so strong that even showers are a problem. After her entire family drowned in a boating accident, Kyna was adopted by the couple who rescued her. Mem and Pap have always been very understanding and gentle when dealing with Kyna's fears, but this summer they've decided she needs to confront her fears by moving near a lake. Kyna is terrified at first, but she begins to find things she does enjoy about the area, such as exploring the woods with a new friend.

While Kyna is coping with her fear, she also is beginning to question Mem and Pap. Why are they so in love with the water Kyna fears, and who are these strange friends of theirs, all who share Mem and Pap's Irish accents? Kyna begins to have suspicions about who Mem and Pap really are, but it's too fantastic to be true. Right?

LaFaye's pairing of myth and phobia is utterly brilliant. The strength of a story based on myth lies in the characters and how well a reader can relate to them. Fortunately, characters are where LaFaye shines in all her work. Kyna and her water phobia are very realistic (no small feat considering the severity of Kyna's phobia), and Mem and Pap are gentle but firm; model parents for a child with Kyna's traumatic past. While anyone with a knowledge of Irish folklore can guess the solution to the mystery, one keeps reading to find out what exactly happens to Kyna and her family.

I'd been hoping LaFaye would do more fantasy ever since I read "Dad, In Spirit," and am so very glad that she has returned to the genre in such a spectacular manner!

--Amie Rotruck (aka R. D. Henham)