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Fogelin, Adrian
9 Reviews
(4)
4-6
Neighborhood Novels series.
For Ben, Cass, Justin, and Jemmie, the summer before high school will be like all the others: long and boring. That is, until Ben's six-year-old brother Cody finds a "magical" hat that leads them to an abandoned garage with a haunted past. Alternating narration allows for some character development, though details that distinguish the kids are often stereotypical.
Reviewer: Lana Barnes
(4)
4-6
When his estranged great-grandfather offers to buy Socko's mom a suburban house--if they become his caretakers--she jumps at the chance to escape the impoverished inner city. Socko mourns leaving his best friend behind and struggles to adjust to the strange new situation. Although the story is slow, it provides an interesting examination of the limits of helping others.
Reviewer: Randy Ribay
(3)
YA
The development of an old-fashioned epistolary friendship allows Mica, the daughter of an itinerant marine biologist, and Anna, the product of serial foster placements, to tentatively reach for security and self-confidence. Their long-distance relationship is forged and tested as both adjust to new homes. Pencil sketches of the objects in nature both girls love enhance this gentle tale of resilience and friendship.
Reviewer: Megan Lynn Isaac
(4)
YA
Fisher Brown should be studying for his SATs. Instead, he tags along on a road trip with bad-boy Lonny to visit Lonny's ex-girlfriend and their son. After Lonny bails, Fisher must weigh a sense of duty against his need to get home. Although many of the conflicted characters remain satisfyingly imperfect, Fisher's transformation from super-geek to independent young man seems forced.
Reviewer: Elissa Gershowitz
(3)
4-6
Middle-schooler Justin must contend with his parents' separation, his mother's depression, and now, in early 2003, his soldier-brother's deployment to Iraq. The sympathetic narrator's everyday concerns (his growing appreciation for music and first tentative romance) prevent this slice-of-story from being overwhelmed by the heavy issues involving family and world turmoil.
Reviewer: Peter D. Sieruta
(4)
4-6
Twelve-year-old Rox lives with her grandmother and works weekends at a flea market. The discovery of an old diary helps Rox come to know the mother she never knew, while a cousin's supportive new girlfriend brings the family further positive changes. The plot is rather unwieldy, but the characters are admirably three-dimensional.
Reviewer: Peter D. Sieruta
(4)
4-6
Narrator Ben Floyd and his family spend Christmas vacation in the Florida Keys, taking care of a marina for relatives. Ben and his younger brother meet Mica, a girl who lives on a sailboat with her heavy-drinking father. The unfocused plot is slow, but the characters--particularly the arrogant but emotionally needy Mica--are well drawn.
Reviewer: Peter D. Sieruta
(4)
4-6
Twelve-year-old Anna and ten-year-old Eb are thrown together as foster siblings in the home of prim and proper Miss Dupree. Gradually they make friends with the neighborhood kids, a homeless man, a local environmentalist, and each other. Overly long and rather predictable, the story tries to address too many issues but will still resonate with readers who can relate to Anna's desire for a stable home and a certain future.
Reviewer: Anne St. John
(4)
4-6
Cass, who is white, and Jemmie, her new neighbor who is black, become friends but are forbidden to see each other when their prejudiced parents find out. While the twelve-year-olds' friendship is engaging (they are both runners and fans of Jane Eyre), the history lessons about slavery, Rosa Parks, and segregation are a bit heavy-handed in this why-can't-we-all-just-get-along novel.
Reviewer: Bridget McCaffrey
9 reviews
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