The Crazy Man

The Crazy Man by Pamela Porter

I wanted to revisit this gem of a book, it left me hungry for the hot, dry days of summer, with crickets chirping, winds making the fields of wheat move as if in choreographed wave, and a simplier time.

Here's the summary:
In 1965, twelve year old Emaline , living on a wheat farm, must deal with a family that is falling apart. When her dog Prince, chases a hare into the path of the tractor, she chases after him, and her father accidently runs over her leg, leaving her with a long recovery and a permanent disability. Even worse, from Emaline's point of view, is that in his grief and guilt, her father shoots Prince and leaves Emaline and her mother on their own.

This is a novel written in verse, so it reads very quickly, it's a touching story and will make you think about how times and values have changed.
Here's my favourite passage.
"Heard coyotes in the night
from my open window.
Far away.
One pack calling,
another answering.
Young ones yipping
along with deeper voices.
Smell of wood smoke
on the night air.
A full moon.
Their high whines.
Their wild choir.

It's like I'm standing right there next to Emaline, hearing and feeling everything she is. Now that's good writing.
If you enjoyed The Crazy Man you might want to try reading Karen Hesse's - Out of the Dust.
Read On

Reaching for sun

Reaching for Sun by Tracie Vaughn Zimmer

Josie Wyatt knows what it means to be different. Her family's small farm house seems to shrink every time another mansion grows up behind it. She lives with her career-obessed mother and opinionated Gran, but has never known her father. Then there's her cerebral palsy: even if Josie wants to forget that she was born with a disability , her Mom can't seem to let it go. Yet when a strange new boy - Jordan- moves into one of those houses nearby, he seems oblivious to all the things that make Josie different. Before long, Josie finds herself reaching out for something she's never really known,  a friend and possibly more.

Interlinked free verse poems tell the beautiful heartfelt story of a girl, a family farm reduced to a garden and a year of unforgettable growth.

The Running Dream

The Running Dream by Wedelin Van Draanen

This was great, on many, many levels. Top marks! Loved it! I'm already planning something big around this one.

Summary:

What would you do if you lost the one thing that mattered most?

Sixteen-year-old Jessica is a runner. It's not just what she does, it's who she is. So when a tragic accident causes her to lose one of her legs, she is shattered - inside and out.

Though the doctores say she'll be able to walk with a prosthetic limb, recovery is slow and full of pitfalls. Jessica wonders if the girl who died in the accident didn't get the better end of the deal. But as she struggles to reclaim her life, Jessica get to know Rosa - a girl with cerebral palsy whom she and her friends had always overlooked. Not only does Rosa come to Jessica's rescue in math, she also helps her reach for a future that is full of wonder: Is it possible not only to walk again, but to run?

"I ran everywhere. raced everyone. I loved the wind across my cheeks, through my hair. Running aired out my soul. It made me fell alive. And now? I'm stuck in this bed, knowing I'll never run again."

This book will make you look at things differently, appreciate the little things that we so often take for granted each and every day.

Here's Wendelin Van Draanen introducing the book.