![]() ![]() ![]() Publishers Weekly (starred review) The girls don’t form an immediate bond, but their initial association of convenience eventually turns into a friendship of understanding and fierce loyalty. The book culminates with a daring cat-rescue mission: fraught with adventure, danger, and a miracle or two, the escapade reveals how love and compassion can overcome even the highest hurdles. Kirkus Reviews (starred review) With extraordinary skill, two-time Newbery Medalist DiCamillo traces the girls’ growing trust in each other while using understated confessionals and subtly expressed yearnings to show how tragedies have affected each of them. Raymie may not find answers to why the world exists or how the world works, but she can hold onto friends and begin to see more clearly the world as it is.Once again, DiCamillo demonstrates the power of simple words in a beautiful and wise tale. Readers will approach the tense and dramatic conclusion and realize how much each word matters. Booklist (starred review) DiCamillo's third-person narrative is written in simple words, few exceeding three syllables, yet somehow such modest prose carries the weight of deep meditations on life, death, the soul, friendship, and the meaning of life without ever seeming heavy, and there's even a miracle to boot. The New York Times Book Review As in her previous award-winning books, DiCamillo once again shows that life’s underlying sadnesses can also be studded with hope and humor, and does it in a way so true that children will understand it in their bones. DiCamillo has called this novel, based partly on her own fatherless Florida childhood, "the absolutely true story of my heart." What a beautiful and generous heart it is. It allows her characters to sparkle and soar. There is something wonderfully off-balance, too, about ¬DiCamillo’s storytelling. With its short, vibrant chapters and clear, gentle prose, this triumphant and necessary book conjures the enchantments of childhood without shying away from the fraught realities of abandonment, abuse and neglect…Twirling a baton requires flair and confidence, in addition to an understanding that the baton is always balanced just a tiny bit off-center. But as the competition approaches, loneliness, loss, and unanswerable questions draw the three girls into an unlikely friendship - and challenge each of them to come to the rescue in unexpected ways. To win, not only does Raymie have to do good deeds and learn how to twirl a baton she also has to contend with the wispy, frequently fainting Louisiana Elefante, who has a show-business background, and the fiery, stubborn Beverly Tapinski, who’s determined to sabotage the contest. If Raymie can win the Little Miss Central Florida Tire competition, then her father, who left town two days ago with a dental hygienist, will see Raymie's picture in the paper and (maybe) come home. Raymie Clarke has come to realize that everything, absolutely everything, depends on her. Book Clu b Two-time Newbery Medalist Kate DiCamillo returns to her roots with a moving, masterful story of an unforgettable summer friendship. A 2016 National Book Award Finalist! As featured on The Today Show’s Read with Jenna Jr. ![]()
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