Crunch

When the gasoline pumps run dry, 14-year-old Dewey and his two brothers and two sisters are on their own until their parents can make their way home from their vacation in New England. It's up to Dewey and his older sister, Lil, to take care of the younger kids in the family. Soon the whole community is faced with a new set of challenges from the lack of gas. Ramon de Ocampo provides Dewey with a calm tone and a deep, mature voice that fit his position as the oldest boy in the family. The voices of the female characters are not as smooth, but de Ocampo completely makes credible the 5-year-old twins, Angus and Eva. Surprises ensue in the family and the town as everyone waits for things to return to normal. E.N. (c) AudioFile 2010, Portland, Maine

August 23, 2010
In Connor's (Waiting for Normal) lighthearted yet realistic fourth novel, the Marriss family's five siblings are used to being self-sufficient. They live in the small town of Rocky Shores where they grow fruits and vegetables, have a few goats and chickens, and run the Marriss Bike Barn repair shop. It's a carefree summer until a gas shortage hits and their parents get stuck on the road, leaving 14-year-old Dewey and his older sister, Lil, to manage their contrary brother Vince, the five-year-old twins, their crabby neighbor, and the increase in demand for bike repairs all on their own. "I felt a sense of something—freedom or ownership. I liked it. But already I was thinking that I wasn't sure how long I wanted it to last," says Dewey. The pair slowly becomes overwhelmed and concerned as a result of the imminent grocery paucity and an increasing number of bike thieves. Connor paints an optimistic, mildly cartoonish, and endearing picture of a do-it-yourself family who discovers the power of collaboration. Ages 10–up.