β Scribed by Sarah Weeks
No coin nor oath required. For personal study only.
Grade 46Verbena's fifth-grade year has been miserable. She feels mean,
moody, and self-conscious but doesn't know why. When she stumbles onto the
fact that she is adopted and that her birth father is incarcerated for murder,
she decides that the obvious explanation is that she takes after him. She also
learns that she was exposed fetally to alcohol, which explains her small size
and learning problems. She finds a diversion when she meets Pooch, a boy
vacationing in her small town in the Catskills, and convinces him she's a
ghost. In the aftermath of a crisis that puts Pooch's life in jeopardy, Verbie
begins to repair her relationship with her mother and to come to terms with
who she is as a person. Children who have suddenly noticed that their parents
are the most embarrassing people on earth; who have been unable to keep from
saying awful, hurtful things; or just realized that life isn't as simple as it
once seemed will relate to Verbie's emotional discomfort. The other aspects of
her life, including no mention of cell phones and the like, may seem less
familiar. Pooch is likable, self-sufficient due to minimal parenting, and yet
responsive to nurturing. The ending wraps things up a little too neatly, but
all readers, at times, need reassurance that the difficult periods in life
will pass. Despite the girly cover, there are many passages that could jump-
start a booktalk and get this into kids' hands._Faith Brautigam, Gail Borden
Public Library, Elgin, IL_
Copyright Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All
rights reserved.
There are many passages that could jump-start a booktalk and get this into
kids hands. (School Library Journal )
Young readers will recognize their struggles to grow and understand their own
lives, while laughing, and crying along the way. Nothing simple here; just
fine writing. (Avi, Newbery Medal-winning author of CRISPIN: THE CROSS OF
LEAD )
Life and death weave together in strange ways one summer for twelve year old
Verbena Colter. Sarah Weeks tells her story with warmth, grace, and deep
compassion. A stunning novel about lifes many complications and how we
struggle to grow up, into ourselves. (Brian Selznick, author and Caldecott
winning illustrator of THE INVENTION OF HUGO CABRET )
Verbena is a character you will not want to leave. An endearing story,
heartfelt, and buoyant. (Pam Munoz Ryan, author of ESPERANZA RISING )
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