The Great Jeff

December 15, 2018
In a companion to Firegirl (2006), Abbott turns his attention to Jeff, who was the obnoxious, bullying best friend of the earlier book's protagonist, Tom.Jeff, now in eighth grade and at a different school, is struggling to deal with the issues caused by his single mom's alcohol problems. His father, who left to live with a girlfriend, provides little in the way of financial help and even less emotional support. After his mom loses her job, their lives believably spiral downward. They are evicted, leading to a series of overnight stays in increasingly unpleasant circumstances that finally culminate in a frigid night in the car and then a move to a shelter. Jeff is determined to keep his situation a secret, but Hannah, a sensitive classmate, begins to suspect. When help does eventually appear, it's from an unexpected source: Tom, whom Jeff has avoided since their falling out in seventh grade. What elevates this effort above so many other inadequate-parent tales is Jeff himself. It's because he's a tough kid to like: His first-person narration reveals that he's angry, quick to judge, and eager to mouth off or push back against any show of kindness. It's only when the obstacles become insurmountable that he matures enough to distinguish between his friends' compassion and the pity he despises. Abbott uses naming conventions and cues such as hairstyles to hint at race in this diverse environment; Jeff and his family present white and Hannah, black.A moving, realistic coming-of-age tale. (Fiction. 10-14)

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March 1, 2019

Gr 6 Up-In this companion book to Abbott's 2006 novel Firegirl, the focus shifts to eighth-grader Jeff Hicks. Jeff is forced to attend the public middle school after his dad, who left the family when he was nine years old, stops providing the financial support that paid for his private school. When his mom loses her nursing job because of her drinking problem and can no longer pay bills, the pair face a tough new reality. They are evicted and bounce from a run-down motel to a friend's house and spend a cold night in the car before landing in a shelter. Jeff wants to keep his situation a secret from his friends and teachers. But as his appearance changes due to skipping meals to save money and not having access to clean clothes or a shower, his counselor and a classmate notice. Just as Jeff and his mom reach rock bottom, help arrives from a surprising source: Tom, a friend from his old school with whom he had a falling out last year. This realistic and moving portrayal of a family living in poverty will have readers rooting for Jeff, whose initial anger grows into resilience. While the story works as a standalone, readers of Firegirl will find resolution to some prior storylines as familiar characters cross paths with Jeff. VERDICT A powerful and realistic story of a boy coming of age with a family in crisis.-Sarah Polace, Cuyahoga Public Library System, OH

Copyright 2019 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

January 1, 2019
Grades 4-7 Jeff, the bully character in Abbott's Firegirl (2006), is back in this stand-alone companion novel. Jeff's dad has left, his mom has lost her job and is drinking a lot, and Jeff is now attending public school for eighth grade. Things start spiraling out of control as Jeff's mom struggles to pay rent and find a job, eventually leading to them getting kicked out of their house. As Jeff bounces around to different homes, he begins having trouble at school and in his homelife. Though he hated switching to public school, he starts to find hope through his English class and the help he receives from his classmate Hannah and his former friend Tom. Readers may see themselves in Jeff or find empathy with a classmate as they realize, along with Jeff, that it can be difficult to ask for help and that kindness can go a long way. Abbott has written a hopeful coming-of-age story that portrays the challenges of poverty in a realistic and relatable way.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2019, American Library Association.)