True (. . . Sort Of)

March 28, 2011
A serious story about child abuse gets lost in Hannigan's (Ida B) overlong novel that too often crosses the line from quirky to twee. After a childhood clashing with her parents, school, and police for offenses ranging from self-harm to brownie theft, 11-year-old Delaware Pattison is one strike from being sent to some unspecified "away." The fifth of six children (all named after places), Delly, as she's known, needs more attention from her working parents. Instead she latches onto new girl Ferris, who has an androgynous appearance, does not speak, and cannot be touched. Despite these hurdles, Delly makes Ferris her project. Delly has an extensive vocabulary of made-up words like chizzle and hideawaysis (a three-page glossary is appended), which gives her a cartoonish quality that is an uneasy fit with the gravity of the underlying plot. Many questions are left unanswered: where is Ferris's mother? why do teachers accept that Ferris cannot talk or be touched without further inquiry? After a lengthy setup, the ending feels rushed, dulling the impact of its important message about speaking up when someone is in danger. Ages 8â12.

April 15, 2011

Impetuous, mercurial Delaware Pattison, stuttering Brud and silent, lonely Ferris find an intertwined salvation.

Delly, an impulsive middle child loved by her parents and tagalong young brother, meets life on her own terms and with such self-centered focus that she bends language to suit and reflect her. A ride home in Officer Tibbetts' squad car is a "Dellylivery"; "What the glub?" Delly exclaims, citing her "nocussictionary"; she anticipates "surpresents" especially for her; Ferris' treehouse is a "hideawaysis." (An appended glossary—Dellyictionary—offers 40 of these portmanteaux). Brud longs to shoot baskets like Ferris, a girl so silent and thin that both he and Delly think she's a boy. Ferris fascinates Delly with her solitude and ability to connect with wild creatures and Brud with her miraculous basketball skills. Delly's teachers, though aware of Ferris' elective mutism and fear of being touched, don't question the girl's safety at home. But Delly notices scars on Ferris's back and gets a bad feeling about Ferris' normal-seeming father. There's a lot going on, and Delly's quirky language occasionally threatens to obscure the plot. Ferris is rescued, at least temporarily, but young readers may be left wondering whether adults are truly capable of protecting them.

Plenty of action and dialogue carry this uneven story along. (Fiction. 9-12)

(COPYRIGHT (2011) KIRKUS REVIEWS/NIELSEN BUSINESS MEDIA, INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.)

May 1, 2011

Gr 4-6-Are we defined by the labels others assign to us? Does friendship have the power to transform our lives? Hannigan tackles these questions and more in this story. Delly Pattison is strong on creativity, a dangerous thing since the idea of impulse control has never crossed her mind. Constantly being told how bad she is eventually makes for one angry kid, and when she is 11 and resorts to fistfights, she is on the verge of being sent to an alternative school. As she struggles to control her behavior, Delly begins to notice a new classmate. Ferris Boyd doesn't speak and can't be touched, yet the two bridge the gap. Trust and friendship follow, and are strong enough to handle crisis when it occurs. Told in carefully crafted language that begs to be read aloud, the story runs the gamut from laugh-out-loud funny to emotionally wrenching. Readers will likely be divided in their response to Delly's propensity for combining existing words into new ones; a present that's a surprise, for example, is a "surpresent." The same may be said of the touches of magical realism that occasionally advance the plot. Even those who quibble with bits and pieces will find meaty themes, a host of fleshed-out characters, and the same storyteller's ear that created Ida B. (Greenwillow, 2004).-Faith Brautigam, Gail Borden Public Library, Elgin, IL

Copyright 2011 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

March 15, 2011
Grades 4-6 As she did in Ida B, (2004), Hannigan looks at a child people consider troublesome and examines the events and emotions that make her change. Here, that child is 11-year-old Delly Pattison, who ditches class, ferociously fights, and hacks up spitballs as weapons. Dellys about to be kicked out of school, but lifelines come from unexpected sources. One is an odd newcomer, Ferris Boyd. She doesnt speak and goes wild if touched, yet somehow the girls allow each other into their worlds, and, by doing so, make those worlds kinder and better places to be. With her unique way of speaking (a Dellyictionary is appended) and her honest emotions, Delly can be quite touching. Its the story that falls apart at the end when, in hurried fashion, Ferris is revealed to be abused by her father. Was this really such a mysturiosity? Even in Dellys one-horse town, teachers and social workers must be aware that silent, untouchable kids have problems. Logic disappears so Delly can be a heroine. Perhaps readers will be so taken with the intriguing characters they wont mind.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2011, American Library Association.)