Where the Heart Is

February 25, 2019
Summer starts off with a bang for Rachel when she receives a refurbished bike for her 13th birthday, but things quickly go downhill as she confronts unwanted change. Her longtime best friend, Micah, wants more than just friendship, but Rachel doesn’t think she is attracted to any boy—or anyone at all—something that makes her feel “different.” Then there are the escalating fights between her parents about money, which are scary to both Rachel and her little sister, Ivy. If keeping Ivy distracted from family problems isn’t hard enough, Rachel’s also taking care of her neighbors’ animals for the summer, and the peckish chickens and an aggressive pig might prove to be more than she can handle. In this bittersweet coming-of-age novel rooted in some of the author’s own experiences, Knowles (Still a Work in Progress) paints a down-to-earth picture of an adolescent girl who is saddled with too many responsibilities. Rachel’s anger and frustration over not being able to control her situation is as vividly expressed as her growing maturity and courage. Ages 10–14. Agent: Barry Goldblatt, Barry Goldblatt Literary.

March 1, 2019
Her 14th summer teaches Rachel the meaning of the word bittersweet.All her life she and her parents and her little sister, Ivy, who's 8, have lived in an old farmhouse they've named Bittersweet Farm, for the vines on the property that her mother makes into wreaths. It's not a working farm, but they have a big garden and an elderly rescue pony. Rachel's mother has lost her job as a school librarian, so money is tight, but Rachel is chiefly concerned with her relationship with her best friend, Micah, who would love to be her boyfriend if Rachel allowed. Rachel isn't sure of her sexuality, and she is anxious around schoolmates who are richer and more self-assured. She spends the summer at the nearby beach and caring for the animals on a rich neighbor's hobby farm. Then their family loses their home to foreclosure. Told in Rachel's authentically 13-year-old first-person voice, the story suffers from uneven pacing. At first readers are led to think that Rachel's relationships and sexuality will be the story's main focus. Whole chapters are spent describing the neighbor's farm, which turns out to be unimportant to the plot, and the foreclosure, which turns out to be the primary plot point, isn't mentioned until two-thirds of the way through the book. The economic stressors this default-white family faces are well-presented.With pleasant but meandering writing and little urgency, this one's best for character-oriented readers. (Fiction. 8-12)

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April 1, 2019

Gr 4-7-A gently told story about tough transitions, family and sibling love and stress, and evolving friendships. Thirteen year old Rachel's summer is filled with uncertainties. Her relationship with her longtime best friend, Micah, is being tested by new crushes and jealousies, and her family is having serious financial problems and may lose their home. On top of that, Rachel is struggling to figure out what she wants from life and love. Many children will empathize with Rachel as she struggles with friendships old and new, emerging crushes, a little sister and a cranky pig, and worried, preoccupied parents. Even as Jo Knowles tackles some tough issues, especially income insecurity and loss of home, she keeps the tone quiet, warm, detailed, and often funny, leaving the reader space to work out questions and problems along with Rachel and her loved ones. VERDICT A good read for fans of Rebecca Stead and Jeanne Birdsall.-Katya Schapiro, Brooklyn Public Library

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