Home Away from Home

By: Cynthia Lord

Libby ebook 24 chapters plus "about the author"

Published: 2023

Genre: YA realistic fiction

I really like this author, but this title didn't do it for me. There were big themes - change, home, birds, belonging, technology use. For some reason, it felt a little too formulaic to me. It's definitely written for an older elementary school child or a young middle schooler. Mia, the protagonist, is spending time in Maine with her grandma. Mia's mom and boyfriend are finding a new house and selling the one Mia has grown up in. But grandma has a new neighbor and Cayman comes over to spend time with her. Mia is definitely put out.

Chapter 1: Grandma didn't like to plan ahead, so I didn't have a schedule at her house.

Sounds perfect! It's great to do what the day brings for you instead of being heavily scheduled.

Chapter 1: While I was in Maine, vanilla was still my favorite.

 

Mia actually likes chocolate chip ice cream better now, but agrees to vanilla because that was her favorite in kindergarten and she's never told grandma that her tastes have changed. This theme of familiarity and not being truthful come up throughout the story.

Chapter 2: Grandma was the only person I didn't have to share with anyone else. 

I'm not sure why I highlighted this. Joshua is fairly good about "sharing me" with Benjamin, but he definitely prefers full attention.

Chapter 4: I loved them both, and I hated being in the middle. Even though there was nowhere else for me to be.

It saddens me that so many kids have to spend emotional energy making sure their parents are okay in a divorce. Ugh! Mia is aware that she needs to text news to both parents so that one doesn't feel left out or less important. I know that there are kids who are most definitely caught in the middle.

Chapter 6: I turned my phone completely off so it wouldn't distract me anymore.

There are lots and lots of technology "lessons" in this book. Phones are distracting, that's for sure!

Chapter 8: At home, we didn't go to church. But when we visited Grandma, we did. I'd, been to Sunday services, bean suppers, and I'd even been baptized there, though I didn't remember it.

Oh! I'm so glad Grandma took them to church, but sad that it was such a small part of Mia's life (and her parents' lives). How many kids don't have church and faith as part of their lives?

Chapter 9: "It takes a lot to surprise a librarian," Grandma said. "They hear it all."

I love that the librarian was a wonderful resource! And yes, it's wild how much one hears in an information based career.

Chapter 13: I felt awful that I'd caused all this. I wanted to fix things, but I didn't know how to even start. I hadn't meant to, but I'd set something in motion that was gaining speed all on its own now.

Poor Mia! She had posted on the bird website to gain understanding but inadvertently set things in motion that got out of control.

Chapter 14: And just because you've moved in doesn't mean you belong.

Again, this theme is repeated. It refers to Cayman living in the little town in Maine, the gyrfalcon in the cove, Miss Agatha the cat in Grandma's garden, and Mia.

Chapter 16: "But here's something I've learned in life, Mia. You can't always undo that hurt. And not everything can be fixed. But there are always two things you can do."

"What are they?" I asked.

"The first is that you can try to make it right," he said. "You're already doing that by helping her."

"What's the second thing?"

"You can learn from it," he said. "Would you do things differently if it happened again?"

Mia is talking with Warden Cooper, who has come to help rescue the injured bird. Their conversation is another of those big lessons in the book.

Chapter 17: As Grandma always said, the last step of any job is cleaning up.

And that's true, even for mistakes.

I love that Grandma's catch phrase is ingrained in both Mia and Cayman! Cleaning up - definitely an important step in any job.

Chapter 22: Change is always hard in the middle, but you can't skip that part. You have to go through it to come out the other side.

Mia finally gets to the part where she tells Grandma all the things she's been holding in. Besides finally "coming clean," she feels an immense amount of relief in not holding on to this any more.

Chapter 23: Wondering ate away at you. It kept you stuck, spinning like a leaf in a whirlpool, unable to move on.

 

Yes! Resolution is liberating. Sometimes I don't care what the answer is; I just want an answer and to move on. This leaf in a whirlpool image is a good one.

Half a Chance

by Cynthia Lord

Libby audiobook 5 hours

read by: Maria Cabezas

Published: 2014

Genre: YA realistic fiction

 

I hadn't realized that the narrator is the same person who read Handful of Stars. She does a great job!

 

Lucy's dad is a professional photographer who has the family moving frequently. She loves to take photos, too, but her dad is more critical than encouraging.

She is new to a quiet New England lake when she meets Nate, a nice kid whose grandmother is succumbing to dementia. They go on "loon patrol" and report back to her. I love loons, so I instantly connected with that part of the story! 

I liked the story and the characters (except the dad - he bugged me). I liked the descriptions of the photographs and the contest. I love the loons!

A Handful of Stars

by Cynthia Lord

Libby audiobook 4 hours

Read by: Maria Cabezas

Published: 2015 

Genre: YA realistic fiction

 

This may be more "children's" than "young adult" . . . which is part of my review. Friendship, fitting in, etc. Lily (Tiger Lily) is being raised by her grandparents because her mom died when she was little. Maine is known for its blueberries and the annual festival crowns a Blueberry Queen each year. Lily's mom won it three years in a row - a record!

 

But . . . who has elementary aged kids do this? Most festivals have teens or young women as their "royalty." The idea of doing this with little kids just seems weird.

 

Lily's best friend is now interested in boys. Lily wants to earn enough money selling bee houses to get an operation for her dog so he can regain his vision. She connects with migrant worker Salma Santiago and together they want to help Lucky.

 

My faves: Salma's creativity and honesty! The vet and her kindness toward Lily. This line about summer:

 

"Enough afternoons to do every single thing you wanted to do, and even some days left over to do nothing at all. But somehow summer fills up and flies by." 

Too true! (As I'm writing this on August 24, 2023 . . . )

A sweet book, but geared to younger readers.

Because of the Rabbit

by: Cynthia Lord

Libby audiobook 3 hours

Read by: Kate Reinders

Published: 2019

Genre: childen's realistic fiction

This was sweet, but clearly for an elementary age reader (interesting that I enjoy middle grades fiction so much!). Emma helps her game warden dad rescue a rabbit one evening. This is no wild animal; it's a pet! Holding it overnight to take to the shelter in the morning, Emma falls in love. 

 

Oh, and Emma is going to public school for the first time after having been home schooled.

This is a story about fitting in and standing out. It's about kids and relationships and meanness and friendship. It's sweet but not terribly memorable.

When We Collided

by Emery Lord
Hennepin County Library hardcover 337 pages
genre: YA realistic fiction

Oh my! This made me smile and cry and think. Loved it! Put it with John Green and Rainbow Rowell books.

Told from two POV, Vivi is bipolar and not taking all her meds. Jonah is struggling with the loss of his dad and trying to hold the family together while his mom withdraws. Amazing book that had me crying at the end. (Though some of my "predictions" didn't happen . . . nice to not KNOW the ending of the book ahead of time!)

page 126 - Vivi "To the deepest, most cellular level of my being, I resent people who believe that depression is the same as weakness, that "sad" people must be coddled like helpless toddlers."

page 158 - Jonah "I didn't think about money, let alone worry about it, for almost sixteen years of my life. Worrying about money makes you old."

page 214 - Jonah "Sometimes I think everyone should be handed a manual for this stuff when they turn fourteen. That seems like a good age. Starting high school. Staring at the business end of your childhood, when you have to start growing up. So maybe the school school distribute a book called The Field Guide for Broken People."

Page 233 - Vivi "If you want to push someone away, I strongly recommend rambling about death and theology. That oughta do it."

Page 308 - when Ellie visits Vivi and they talk about depression, it's such a powerful and moving scene. As mature as this book is (reading with my "middle school teacher" lens), it contains a wonderful story AND some powerful information (in a non-teaching manner) about depression. I know some of our students could really get a lot out of this book. In fact, I'm thinking of a few students (who will be ninth graders in the fall) who I may contact to recommend this book . . . despite the mature language, sex, and drugs. The mature stuff isn't over-the-top and in-your-face; it's just a part of Vivi's life and reality.

The author's note was wonderful, too. I hope teens read it. One paragraph starts "I can also tell you that you are so, so not alone." Wow. Amazing job, Ms. Lord.

Rules

by Cynthia Lord
PRMS paperback 200 pages

I'm glad I finally read this! I like the story of Catherine and her struggle to have a "normal" life, though her brother David has autism and affects her daily existence. Funny, sweet, and touching, this book centers on Catherine's desire to have a friend over the summer while her best friend is staying with her father in California. Between Kristi, Jason, Ryan, and her own family, Catherine is caught between doing what she wants and doing what's right.

Added 2/21/13 (initial post of 11/29/09)
I re-read it to prepare for the 7th grade book club discussion. It's such a lovely little book. Catherine is a bit young to be so agitated by her brother's challenging behavior, but her friendship with Jason truly brings out the best in her (ultimately). Kristi is the new neighbor Catherine hopes to befriend. Ryan is the mean neighbor boy who clearly likes Kristi. Jason is in a wheelchair and cannot talk. His book of words (to point to) becomes a crucial part of the story as Catherine uses her artistic talent to make new word cards for him. The author's notes at the end were interesting.