Pam's Picks

Summer of the Gypsy moths is precious. The story snuggled down inside of me and touched me in a special way. How would a child really handle a tragic event without a parent to help her?

Young Stella is confused, frightened and resourceful. Her life has forced her to be a grown-up way too soon and she draws on that experience to survive. But in spite of that, she maintains her sweetness. She and Angel, a teenage foster child who is tough and street-wise, build a tenuous bond when their older guardian Louise dies.

Out of their fear of going “into the system” they solve the problem of her death in an unusual way – by burying Louise in the backyard and pretending to others that she is still alive.

Macabre? No way. Sara Pennypacker manages to treat the subject with poignancy and respect. These two gutsy girls struggle with hunger, fear and sadness as they try and form a “family” of two, but at the same time always dreaming of a real family.

I won’t give away the ending, but you won’t be disappointed. You might just say, like I did, “wow.”

I admit, I love young boy against the elements coming of age stories and this one quickly rose to the top of my favorites list. The whole time I was reading, I felt like I was sitting on the floor of a ranch house listening to an old man, his voice deep and slow, tell the story of his youth.The main character, who everyone calls Brother (because he hates his given name), endures many adventures as he grows up on an Oregon ranch. Although his adventures are common in this type of book (taking care of the ranch while his dad goes to Iraq, dealing with rattlesnakes, fire, baby lambs) the storytelling is so good that I actually believed that one young boy could endure them with the courage and maturity that he did. It even includes his own spiritual journey.

Children will love his adventures, adults will relate to his struggles. I highly recommend that parents read it to their kids so that all ages can enjoy the story. A Mark Twain nominee for 2011-2012