| 9780545299886 |
| (jacketed |
| hardcover) |
| 0545299888 |
Available:*
Library | Material Type | Call Number | Shelf Location | Status | Item Holds |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Searching... Penrose Library | Children's Book | BALL | Children's-J-Fiction | Searching... Unknown | Searching... Unavailable |
Searching... Penrose Library | Children's Book | BALL | Children's-J-Fiction | Searching... Unknown | Searching... Unavailable |
Searching... Rockrimmon Library | Children's Book | BALL | Children's-J-Fiction | Searching... Unknown | Searching... Unavailable |
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Summary
Summary
From NYT bestselling author Blue Balliett, the story of a girl who falls into Chicago's shelter system, and from there must solve the mystery of her father's strange disappearance.
Where is Early's father? He's not the kind of father who would disappear. But he's gone . . . and he's left a whole lot of trouble behind.
As danger closes in, Early, her mom, and her brother have to flee their apartment. With nowhere else to go, they are forced to move into a city shelter. Once there, Early starts asking questions and looking for answers. Because her father hasn't disappeared without a trace. There are patterns and rhythms to what's happened, and Early might be the only one who can use them to track him down and make her way out of a very tough place.
With her signature, singular love of language and sense of mystery, Blue Balliett weaves a story that takes readers from the cold, snowy Chicago streets to the darkest corner of the public library, on an unforgettable hunt for deep truths and a reunited family.
Author Notes
Blue Balliett was born in New York City in 1955. She received a degree in art history from Brown University. After graduating, she moved to Nantucket Island, Massachusetts and wrote two books of ghost stories. She eventually moved to Chicago and taught third grade at the University of Chicago Laboratory Schools. Her first children's book, Chasing Vermeer, won the 2005 Edgar Award in the Best Juvenile category. Her other works include The Wright 3 (2006), The Calder Game (2008), and The Danger Box (2010).
(Bowker Author Biography)
Reviews (3)
School Library Journal Review
Gr 6-9-Eleven-year-old Early Pearl, her little brother, Jubilation, and her mom are stunned when father Dash disappears one day on his way home from work as a page at the Chicago Public Library. When their apartment is broken into, most of their belongings are stolen and the family is threatened. They find themselves in an unexpected situation-living in a shelter. The loving circle of four is reduced to a nervous, uncertain, unmoored, and frightened trio struggling to hold on in an alien environment. As Early plays detective to try to figure out what might have happened to her beloved dad; she discovers that he held an extra job that involved taking inventory of a mysterious collection of books and thinks this position could play a central role in his disappearance. Early's mom starts to unravel, Jubie acts his age, and Early is far wiser than most tweens. While there are some flaws here-Early is too mature for her age, her dad is very naive, etc.-the story and characters are compelling. Bahni Turnpin narrates Balliett's story (Scholastic, 2013) in a warm, expressive voice, and her pacing and intonation are perfection. Her recitation of the Langston Hughes poetry that is incorporated throughout the novel is excellent.-B. Allison Gray, Goleta Library, CA (c) Copyright 2013. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Publisher's Weekly Review
Eleven-year-old Early loves her family: her father, Dashiell (called Dash), who works at a library and enjoys wordplay of all kinds; her mother, Summer (called Sum); and her little brother, Jubilation (called Jubie). Together they call their family "DashSumEarlyJubie," delighting in how their names "click" together like magnets, the family members fitting together perfectly in a happy unit. But after doing some off-hours work cataloging books at home, Dash mysteriously disappears, criminals threaten the family and tear apart their apartment, and Early and her mother and brother end up out of money and trying to survive in the city's shelter system. It's up to Early to solve the mystery of what happened to her father and reunite the family. Balliett's novel is perfect for audio: Dash's talks with his family are full of alliteration and rhymes, and he often quotes the poems of Langston Hughes, which later give Early clues to solving the mystery. Narrator Bahni Turpin's superb reading brings out all the musicality and rhythm of the text, and she creates authentic, distinctive voices for a multitude of characters of varying ages and accents. Ages 8-12. A Scholastic hardcover. A Doubleday hardcover. (Mar.) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
Booklist Review
*Starred Review* In a one-room apartment on Chicago's South Side lives the Pearl family: Dash, Summer, 11-year-old Early, and little Jubie. Do they have a lot? Well, yes, they have Dash's love of words, their devotion to each other, and their dream: to have a home. Trying to help that dream along, Dash, a page at the Chicago Public Library, makes extra money inventorying a private collection of old books. One ice-cold day, Dash disappears, and the family must move to a shelter after an odd robbery sees their possessions stolen and their apartment destroyed. The story has some problems, especially when it comes to the mystery. The perpetrators are cartoonish, and Early's decision to be home schooled just when she needs to be free to find clues is awfully convenient. On another front, the national attention for a homeless program Early's devised might have fit better in a sequel. But what's wonderful about this book, overshadowing the plot flaws, is the way Balliett so thoroughly gets inside the mind of a child accustomed to love and protection and who now sees her life slipping away. Sadness and stoicism mingle freely in ways that will pierce all readers. Early is a clever heroine, and her smarts are enhanced by the poetry of Langston Hughes, which ripples beautifully through the story and infuses it with hope. One to ponder, this has a beat all its own. HIGH-DEMAND BACKSTORY: A new book by Blue Balliett, author of Chasing Vermeer (2004), is always an awaited event, and this title will be no exception.--Cooper, Ilene Copyright 2010 Booklist
