Lexie

July 11, 2011
"A big part of growing up is dealing with things we don't like," says 10-year-old Lexie's recently divorced mother when Lexie laments that her mother won't be part of this year's beach vacation. These words ring all the truer when Lexie's father informs her that his girlfriend and her children will be joining them. Lexie must move out of her bedroom into a closetlike space; aloof teenager Ben calls her father by his first name ("I didn't like it that he sounded like he'd known Daddy longer than I had"); and toddler Harris is a pest. Through Lexie's thoughtful, candid voice, Newbery Honor author Couloumbis (Getting Near to Baby) credibly conveys her ricocheting emotions and gradual acceptance of the new individuals in her life; Denos's loose b&w spot illustrations give readers a taste of the casual oceanside setting. Lexie's loyalty to her mother runs deep; when she learns that her father will remarry, she wonders, "Who was going to tell my mother?... I didn't want to know this if Mom didn't." Readers experiencing similar transitions should welcome this incisive yet gentle portrayal of adjusting to change. Ages 8â12.

May 1, 2011

Quietly and ever so gently, Couloumbis explores the topics of divorce and remarriage and how they affect the children involved.

Ten-year-old Lexie is off for a week at her family's beach cottage on the Jersey Shore, reluctantly leaving her mother behind for the first time since her parents' recent divorce. What she doesn't expect is that her father has invited his new "friend," Vicky, and her two children, 14-year-old Ben and 3-year-old always-sticky Harris, who makes constant truck noises, endearingly preferring to be called Mack—for the truck, of course. Vicky's Mary Tyler Moore smile, perpetually pasted on her face, makes her real feelings hard to read, and Ben's a bit prickly. What's worse is that Lexie didn't see it coming; her father, afraid of her reaction, hadn't told her this relationship is serious. The cottage is small, so all of them quite believably get in each other's way while exploring what this new family might feel like. Lexie's fears—becoming a guest in her father's house and that her mother will be deeply hurt—are valid, but her worries are eased by the loving relationships surrounding her. Convincing characters and solid dialogue enhance the credible plot, which is more focused on feelings than action.

This tender, realistic tale might go a long way toward soothing the doubts of many children who are dealing with similarly trying situations. (Fiction. 9-12)

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

July 1, 2011

Gr 3-5-Spending time at the beach house on the Jersey shore is filled with tradition and ritual, and 10-year-old Lexie has always loved it-until this year. It's the first summer after her parents' divorce, and everything has changed, especially when she discovers en route that she and her dad won't be alone. He neglected to tell her that his new girlfriend and her sons will be spending the entire week with them. Lexie finds herself sharing a small space with a woman who doesn't know the house rules and who sounds whiny; an adolescent boy; and an eternally grubby preschooler. She also sees a side of her father that is new to her. Lexie makes a keenly observant narrator, a believable only child who has spent much more time around adults than the average kid. Tuned in to emotions, both hers and those of the people around her, she makes a fine reporter as the two families work toward creating a new kind of normal. The characters seem remarkably real. Each one is flawed but also, by turns, warm, sympathetic, and likable. The action is largely interpersonal, yet the depiction of the ebb and flow of family life by an insider turned observer is a memorable testament to its importance in our lives. Readers will continue to think about Lexie's family and their own long after reading the last page.-Faith Brautigam, Gail Borden Public Library District, Elgin, IL

Copyright 2011 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

July 1, 2011
Grades 3-6 Ten-year-old Lexie knows that it will seem strange spending a week at the beach house with just her father, now that her parents are divorced. But she is unprepared for how she'll feel when she learns, en route, that he has invited Vickya woman she has only briefly metand her two sons to stay with them all week in the tiny house. Two days later, Lexie is blindsided when one of the boys lets another bit of unwelcome news slip. As the first-person narrator, Lexie acutely observes the actions and emotions of those around her, and she expresses herself with uncommon clarity and self-awareness. While the characters share meals, deal with sand-flea bites, and rescue a sand shark, this precisely worded story explores the nuances of Lexie's feelings about her father and the three strangers who quickly (maybe too quickly) become familiar to her. Adding to the book's appeal are the winsome jacket art and the full-page drawings appearing at the beginning of each chapter.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2011, American Library Association.)