The Road to Tater Hill

Book Information
Hemingway, Edith. The Road to Tater Hill. New York: Yearling, 2009.


Book Review



This book is for older children (ages 9 - 12) who are looking to read about serious and sensitive issues. It opens the door to reflection on several discussions, including grief, healing, friendship and the (mis)judgement of society about unfortunate people. A gripping read -- highly recommended.


Summary (from www.randomhouse.com)
Annie can always count on spending summers at her grandparents''. This summer should be even better because Mama is going to have a baby soon. Before Daddy leaves for his Air Force assignment, he gives Annie a journal for summer memories. But now Annie is grieving over the death of her newborn sister. How can she tell Daddy that ever since the baby died, Mama has been slipping away? If Annie wrote those words, Mama might stay that way forever. The only comfort Annie finds is in holding a stone she calls her "rock baby."  Then Annie secretly befriends a mysterious woman. She helps Annie accept her loss while Annie hopes to draw her back into the community. But all that is interrupted when a crisis reveals their unlikely alliance and leads to a surprising turn of events.

Mockingbird by Kathryn Erskine

Book Information

Erskine, Kathryn. Mockingbird. New York: Philomel Books, 2010.

Book Summary

Caitlin loves reading and drawing. In Caitlin's opinion, books and pencil sketches are black-and-white, clear, and easy to understand. Especially when you compare them with the challenges of making and keeping friends at school.

After her brother dies, Caitlin's world changes. She looks up the word "closure" in a dictionary, and decides that she should find it for her and her father. But since she is only ten, and she has Asperger's, finding closure is not easy. Her search takes many funny missteps that add colour to her world, transforming her from outsider to friend and "big sister".

My Review

Mockingbird is a children's novel that works well on many levels. First, the author's writing style is clear and funny throughout the book. Erskine tackles difficult issues using simple vocabulary and short sentences. She plays with words, exploring their different meanings, and capitalizes some of them for special emphasis. For example, when Caitlin is confused, she often doesn't "Get It".

The title of the book comes from the movie To Kill a Mockingbird, which Caitlin discusses many times. Caitlin's brother is the obvious "mockingbird", as he was young and innocent at the time of his death. Caitlin is a less obvious "mockingbird", since she loses some of her innocence, and matures into a more outgoing girl.