Today's fiction title is one of the best mid-grade books I have read in a long time. It is not only beautifully written, but it is also full of a very special brand of wisdom that would benefit all readers above the age of 8 or 9.
Tricia
Springstubb
Illustrated
by Heather Ross
Fiction
For
ages 9 to 12
HarperCollins,
2010, 978-0-06-198636-9
As far as Mo Wren is concerned, Fox Street
is the best place in the world to live. Everything she cares about is here, and
she is of the opinion that “your every need could be satisfied on Fox Street.”
In her little neighborhood, there are people who care about her and who watch
over her, and there is an area called the Green Kingdom where The Den is
located. Mo has lived here on Fox Street from the moment she came into the
world, and she plans on continuing to stay here. The only thing that is missing
on Fox Street are foxes and girls
Thankfully, every summer Mo’s best friend
Mercedes comes to visit, so at least for a while there is a girl around. Merce’s
grandmother Da lives on Fox Street, and Mo and Merce have known each other
forever. Usually Mo and Merce reconnect at the beginning of summer as if they
have never been apart, but this year Merce is different. She has been living
with her mother’s rich new husband, and for the first time Merce does not think
Fox Street is wonderful. Instead, to her, it looks “Used up.”
What should have been a perfect summer only
gets worse when Mo’s father’s behavior suggests that he might be considering
selling the family home so that he can open up a restaurant. For years he has
been dreaming of having his own place where he can serve good food and beer. Mo
cannot bear to imagine that her father would do such a thing, but perhaps it
could really happen.
Then Mrs. Steinbott, the neighborhood crabby
person, starts behaving very strangely. She has always ignored Da and Merce,
but now she keeps asking Mo to give Merce things on her behalf. Merce, like
most of the people on the street, wants nothing to do with the old lady, but
something about Mrs. Steinbott’s behavior touches Mo. Somehow she gets the
sense that something very important is going on. There are secrets lying just
below the surface and Mo is afraid of what is going to happen when they are revealed.
Fox Street is Mo’s safe place. It is the
place where all her memories live and where she can feel close to her dead
mother. Da, Mrs. Petrone, the Green Kingdom, The Den, and all the other things
she loves are here. She cannot stand seeing that things are starting to change,
but at the same time she cannot stop change from happening.
For children experiencing changes in their
lives, this book will help them to see that even painful change can turn out to
be a good thing in the long run. We have to have faith, and face the future
with courage, just as Mo does.
Beautifully written and with an incredibly
powerful story, this is a book everyone should read.
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