by Bobbie Pyron
304 pages; ages 8 - 12
Katherine Tegen Books, 2019
I am a Bobbie Pyron fan. What can I say? I love her dog stories and can never resist just one more… and this one hit close to home. Because that’s what it’s about, at its core: finding home.
Piper, who’s not-quite-twelve, and her family arrive in a new city by bus. The buildings are tall, sunlight fills the sky, and mountains in the distance nearly poke through the blue and into heaven. A new start, but when her family arrives at the address for Hope House, they find a hotel-like emergency center – and daddy has to live apart from them, in the men’s residence.
Baby is luckier – he gets to live with his person, Jewel, in a park. Every day presents a new chance to explore the city. They have a corner where Jewel sits, and some people give her money or food, and others yell at her to get a job. But always, they have each other and the park. Life is good, but something is not right with Jewel.
Using alternate points of view, Piper and Baby, Pyron dives into a tale of what family means. What friendship means. And what kids can do to make the world a better place, even when they don’t have a home to call their own.
What I like about this book: I love the sense of place. Bobbie sets the story in a place so real that you can find it on a map. And even though it’s been years since I lived there (and downtown landmarks have changed) I could visualize the paths she walked through the park and the corners where Jewel and her comrades fly their signs.
I love how real each character is. And, as a once and future Girl Scout, I really love that Piper gets involved with the “Firefly Girls” - and that their service project embraces finding a way to reconnect Jewel with Baby while raising awareness about mental health issues and homelessness.
If I gave out stars, Stay would get an entire Kibble’s box worth.
This sounds wonderful! Have you read Patricia MacLachlan's books that often depict dogs, like The Poet's Dog and My Father's Words? Both made me cry. She can really tug at the heart strings.
ReplyDeleteI haven't. Thanks for suggesting them!
DeleteThat cover! I doubt I could pass that one by. It sounds like an important story. Thanks for telling me about it. I will check it out.
ReplyDeleteGlad you enjoyed this one. And like Rosi, I love the cover.
ReplyDeleteThis sounds like a great book! Not many MG books tackle the issue of homelessness, so it's great to see this one! Thanks for the great review!
ReplyDeleteYes, I agree. The cover is irresistible. The story sounds great, too. I'll be looking for it and thanks for featuring on MMGM.
ReplyDeleteI love dog stories, and this sounds like a meaningful read on many levels. I have not yet read this author's work, so I will be looking for her books when our library system finally opens up again someday soon, I hope. Thanks for sharing this gem for MMGM, Sue!
ReplyDeleteThe cover is a winner and draws you to the book. I'm not familiar with Bobbie Pyron's dog stories, but am glad to see this review. I am pleased this story focuses on mental illness and homelessness. Excellent share today!
ReplyDeleteWhat an enticing cover! Such a cute dog! I am sure it will pull in a lot of kids too. This sounds like an important book and I will keep an eye out for it. Thanks for sharing. :)
ReplyDelete~Jess