Just Like Jackie

Gr 5-8--Eleven-year-old Robbie wishes she could be more like her namesake, the great Robbie Robinson. She wishes she could let things roll off her shoulders, but she has a short fuse which keeps getting her in trouble at school. Alex, a classmate, teases Robbie for not having a mother and she winds up punching him right in the nose. This necessitates her Grandpa coming to school, which is Robbie's worst fear--she knows Grandpa is getting more forgetful with his words and actions, and she is afraid others will figure it out and take her away from the only family she has. Robbie has the weight of the world on her shoulders as she tries to take care of Grandpa without letting others know their secret--he is at his best when fixing cars and tapping the maple trees for syrup, but lately he's even having trouble doing those things. When a class project is assigned to complete a family tree, Robbie worries that it's already too late to tap Grandpa's memories and find out anything about her deceased mom. The school tries different tactics and Robbie is put into group guidance, which helps her realize even those who look like they have perfect lives may also be hiding problems. When Robbie is able to grow emotionally enough to realize family may not just be those you are related to by blood, she finally begins to open up. VERDICT A home-run story that will resonate with all who feel they might not fit into the perfect definition of a family.--Michele Shaw, Quail Run Elementary School, San Ramon, CA

Stoddard's gently powerful debut introduces a tough-as-nails fifth-grader coping with her grandfather's worsening Alzheimer's disease. Eleven-year-old Robinson "Robbie" Hart tries to emulate her cheek-turning namesake, Jackie Robinson, but her anger often explodes at school, threatening to expose her guardian grandfather's failing memory. A family tree project brings Robbie's anxiety to the forefront--she doesn't even know her deceased mother's name. Stoddard movingly contrasts Robbie's anger (such as when she's questioned about why she's white and her grandfather is black) with the places she feels safe, including her grandfather's garage, the baseball field, and the Vermont woods where she helps make maple syrup. The stakes increase as her grandfather's memory lapses turn dangerous, resulting in an accident while boiling sap. An in-school therapy group helps Robbie recognize that some of her classmates are also struggling with the family tree project, as well as divorce, illness, and other problems. This emotionally honest, sensitively written novel confronts a range of difficult topics and offers an inclusive view of what family can look like. Ages 8-12. Agent: Stephen Barbara, Inkwell Management. (Jan.)