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and Her Plans to Maximize Fun, Avoid Disaster, and (Possibly) Save the World
by Katherine Hannigan
Book Reviewed by:Comment: Ida B lives
an idyllic life on her parents farm where she is
home schooled, leaving her with plenty of time
to spend with her own thoughts and to talk with
her friends, the apple trees in the orchard.
However, her apparently secure world is
undermined when her mother undergoes treatment
for cancer.
While her mother is in hospital there is no one
at home to look after her so Ida must start
attending 4th grade at the local school (which
she is determined not to enjoy); in addition,
financial pressures cause the family to sell off
part of their land, including an orchard that
she's particularly fond of. Ida B, convinced
that she can no longer trust anyone, especially
not her parents who, in her eyes, have let her
down, hardens her heart to the kind overtures of
her parents, teachers and potential new friends
and, in her own mind, declares war on everyone,
including herself.
Of course, all comes right in the end - Ida B
cannot keep up her defenses for ever, and slowly
starts to find her way out of the black hole
she's put herself into, in order to become
reconciled with herself and those around her.
The media reviews for Ida B are
overwhelmingly positive. Publishers Weekly says
'Hannigan shows a remarkable understanding of
a stubborn child's perspective in her honest,
poignant portrayal of loss and rebirth';
Children's Literature describes it as a
'beautifully told first novel filled with
remarkable characters'; and Kirkus Reviews
describes it as 'a poignant, affirming and
often funny debut.'
Personally, I have to say that I found the
character of Ida B profoundly irritating and
more than a little self-centered, and her
parent's decision to bring her up in a such a
totally sheltered environment difficult to
understand - to the point that my personal
feelings somewhat clouded my ability to
appreciate the finer qualities of the story that
others praise. If I was Ida B's mother I would
have given her a good talking to around the end
of chapter 5 and told her to pull herself
together; but luckily for Ida B, I'm not!
The story did not resonate with either of our
children (then 10 and 12) but that is just three
people's opinions, versus a wealth of critical
acclaim!
As always, you don't have to take my opinion, or
anyone else's for that matter, for granted.
Instead you can read the first two chapters for
yourself, exclusively at BookBrowse. In
addition you'll find a range of media reviews, a
reading guide and an interview with first time
author, Katherine Hannigan.
This review
first ran in the January 4, 2007
issue of BookBrowse Recommends.
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