Help Me, Jacques Cousteau

July 1, 2010
Gr 9 Up—-azel and her brother, Andrew, belong to a family of eccentrics. Their dad, North, is constantly rewiring the house and studying the weather. Their mother just up and leaves them one day. One uncle collects only white animals, while another is constantly changing girlfriends. The rest of the family shows up on a whim from time to time, and even the neighbors, whom Hazel enjoys spying on, are a little odd. As Hazel narrates her life beginning from a young age, following the birth of her brother, her adolescence, and her young adulthood, readers get to know the quirky characters who make up her world. With subtle humor and lyrical, at times almost poetic, writing ("We hurry along the road in the snow, looking like an assortment of bonbons in frilly wrappings"), Adamson weaves a story that will give readers comfort in knowing their families aren't the only ones with their fair share of kookiness.—"Gina Bowling, South Gibson County High School, Medina, TN"

Copyright 2010 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

February 15, 2010
Canadian writer Adamson's second novel (published a decade before her 2007 novel "The Outlander") takes a humorous look at one very odd family. When teenage narrator Hazel says that she is "as much fun as a rattlesnake" and that her baby brother Andrew has "toes like corn niblets," it's clear that she's giving her own unadorned view of this family. Hazel's father, North, has a fondness for making gadgets and studying the weather. Uncle Castor collects white animals: dogs, cats, rabbits, and geese. Another uncle named Bishop has a string of crazy girlfriends, all of whom must be called Auntie. In addition to visits from nasty cousins, who "pour out of the car like fish from a bucket," Hazel endures a brother who has invented solar-powered curtains and a grandfather who claims to have eaten mastodon. Hazel more than meets the challenges of growing up among such eccentric people until the ending brings her life into serious focus. VERDICT Adamson's vivid characters are zany without being cartoonish. Perfect for readers looking for books similar to Mark Haddon's "A Spot of Bother" or Dodie Smith's "I Capture the Castle." Donna Bettencourt, Mesa Cty. P.L., Grand Junction, CO

Copyright 2010 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.