Grade 4-6?Told in a chatty first-person narrative, this story looks at growing up in a time of personal and national turmoil. It's the summer of 1969 and Wheezie has been sent to Aunt Ida and Uncle Ollie's farm while her parents make decisions about a divorce. There she must cope with her handicapped cousin, daily chores, party-line telephones, butchering the livestock, the moon walk, Vietnam, and getting her first period. Wheezie eventually comes to terms with the struggles in her family and crosses over into the adult world in the process. Unfortunately, this is a rather bland offering with shallow characters and too few moments of poignant humor. Stick with Byars, Lowry, and Hurwitz for female coming-of-age stories.?Beth Tegart, Oneida City Schools, NY
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.
From Booklist
Gr. 5^-8. The events of 1969 form the backdrop for the story of 13-year-old Wheezie Moore, who wears a copper bracelet in honor of her cousin Obadiah, missing in action in Vietnam. But the war is only one source of turmoil for Wheezie. Her parents are contemplating divorce and have sent her to spend the summer on Aunt Ida and Uncle Ollie's farm. Wheezie can't forget her parents' situation, can't settle into farm life, and can't stand her mentally retarded cousin, Slow Roscoe, who's enthralled with the moon landing. Wheezie concocts a plan to prevent her parents' divorce by running away, but when her scheme goes awry, she learns to face reality with grace and finally makes peace with her kin and herself. Wheezie's change of heart is rather abrupt, but her situation and bummed-out attitude will make her sympathetic to readers. Her relationship with Roscoe is complex and believable; however, because many characters are sketchy, other relationships are not as strongly drawn. The 1960s time frame gives an interesting twist to a familiar theme. Leone McDermott
See all Editorial Reviews
