Catching a Storyfish

July 25, 2016
In this affecting novel in verse, Keet has always had a lot to say, but since moving from Alabama to Illinois, her voice feels stifled. With a conspicuous accent and no friends, Keet finds happiness in her weekend fishing trips with her grandfather. In the poem “Why?,” Keet questions the motivation for her family’s relocation: “Better job,/ better pay,/ better school,/ away, away./ For Grandpa’s sake. He’s all alone./ For all the reasons parents drone,/ for all the reasons parents say,/ for bigger dreams, for better dreams,/ we moved away.” Keet feels even more adrift after Grandpa has a stroke and retreats into depression. With the help of a new friend and her own passion for storytelling, Keet reconnects with her grandfather and finds her voice. Harrington (Busy-Busy Little Chick) makes thoughtful use of several types of poetry to tell Keet’s story, including blues, catalog, concrete, narrative, contrapuntal, and prose poems (all discussed in a glossary). The poetry forms are well-chosen, their diverse rhythms and formats sensitively reflecting the fluctuating emotions of Keet’s narration. Ages 8–12. Agent: Stephen Fraser, Jennifer De Chiara Literary.

Starred review from June 1, 2016

Gr 4-7-Keet, a girl from Alabama, loves language and storytelling, but her family's move to Illinois makes her feel silenced. Comfort comes through a budding friendship with Allegra, her Latina classmate and neighbor, and through fishing with her beloved grandfather. "To catch a fish," he tells her, "You've got to sit quiet and hold still/You've got to listen, really listen/with your inside ears." Like Nikki Grimes does in Words with Wings, Harrington perfectly captures her character's growth by using all the tools poetry provides: artfully chosen words, thought-provoking metaphors, appropriate rhythm and pacing, and changing points of view. Some poems give voice to other characters. Harrington also includes various poetic forms and a postscript offering additional information about each of them: an unusual addition for a title of this format. There is very little to identify the social or racial context of Keet's family, but close reading reveals Keet as brown skinned with "flippy-floppy braids." VERDICT Keet's is a simple and familiar-feeling story, but one that is understated, fully realized, deftly written, and utterly absorbing.-Rhona Campbell, Georgetown Day School, Washington, DC

Copyright 2016 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Starred review from June 15, 2016
Poet and storyteller Harrington offers a verse novel about a girl named Katharen, nicknamed Keet for the parakeetlike chattiness that her family loves, particularly her grandpa, an avid fisherman. When Keet's family moves from Alabama and the "brown arms" and "brown legs" of her friends to Illinois and the classmates with "faces like sour grapefruits" and "eyes like measuring tape" who tell her that she "sounds funny," she silences her storytelling voice. She slowly befriends Allegra, a Spanish-speaking girl who lives in the neighborhood, with whom she bonds after telling Allegra where her cockatoo escaped. Through this emerging friendship, her grandfather's encouraging love and life lessons imparted while they wait to catch Ol' Muddy Joe the legendary Fish, and an Appalachian storyteller who visits her school, Keet finds her voice again--and with heartwarmingly victorious results. Harrington announces Keet's race as subtly as she develops her characters and in details such as the simple, almost-missable mention of the number of braids Allegra draws in her rendering of Keet. A poetry glossary concludes the book, explaining the various forms used, including blues poems, contrapuntal poems, and pantoums. A gentle-spirited book about a black girl who almost gives up her gift but for love and friendship. (Verse novel. 8-12)

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September 1, 2016
Grades 3-6 This lyrical novel in verse effortlessly weaves together multiple poetry forms to introduce readers to Katharen, called Keet, a young girl who loves to talk and spin stories. When her Alabaman family moves up north, she becomes the new kid who talks funny. Her stories go away, Keet hardly speaks any more, and the only time she is really happy is when she is fishing with her beloved grandpa. As the school year progresses, Keet develops a friendship with quiet next-door neighbor Allegra (Allegra's reticence is due to a broken front tooth), and Allegra offers support when Grandpa has a stroke. As Grandpa recovers, Keet also rediscovers her voice and starts writing and sharing her stories again. The poems effectively convey conflicting emotions, and the different styles (haiku, concrete, blues, etc.) express moods and nuances without being distracting. (A glossary defines poetic forms and identifies examples from the book.) This is a wonderful addition to the novel-in-verse canon, whether enjoyed individually, shared as a read-aloud, or used as a class text.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2016, American Library Association.)