In Front of God and Everybody

April 11, 2011
In McCrite's first novel, which launches the Confessions of April Grace series, eccentric characters, both human and animal, make appearances at 11-year-old narrator April Grace's farmhouse and neighborhood in the Ozarks. Some come for pop-in visits, others for extended stays, but all are subject to the scrutiny of the ever-observant April Grace. With parents who strive to live by St. Francis of Assisi's prayer ("Lord, make me an instrument of your peace"); an older sister who loves fashion, fancy cars, and soap operas; a grandmother ready to start dating again; and farm work morning to night, April Grace cannot believe her parents' decision to host, indefinitely, the obnoxious new California-bred neighbors whose crumbling house is unsafe for human habitation. With keen eyes and good humor, April Grace notes the quirks, presumptions, and motivations of family and neighbors; she has plenty of fodderâthe characters' personalities are dialed up to 11. While trying to follow her parents' good example, April Grace's instincts alert her to foul play regarding her grandmother's beau, and she turns detective, adding a satisfying mystery element to McCrite's entertaining debut. Ages 9â12.

July 1, 2011

Gr 4-6-In this story set on a farm in the Ozarks during the 1980s, third-grader April Grace is an observer of human nature. She watches the various people in her daily life, such as her soap-opera-obsessed sister who's more interested in make-up and clothes than in doing her chores. April's patient, nonjudgmental parents don't always do what she thinks they should. For example, when her widowed grandmother starts dating a shifty ex-rancher from Texas, they aren't even suspicious, telling April not to think negatively. Just because they try to be Christian and pattern their lives along the lines of St. Francis Assisi's Prayer for Peace doesn't mean they should close their eyes when her grandmother is in danger of marrying a con artist. Well-developed characters and humorous writing will engage readers wanting to know how it will all turn out. Serious subjects, such as an eating disorder, are handled sensitively, and the religious aspects of the story are subtle. This is a book to hand to readers who enjoyed Jennifer L. Holm's Turtle in Paradise (Random, 2010) and Phyllis Reynolds Naylor's Faith, Hope, and Ivy June (Delacorte, 2009).-Tina Martin, Arlington Heights Memorial Library, IL

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