A Stitch in Time

Starred review from April 23, 2018
Tautly written yet surging with emotion, this debut novel is set in 1927 Vermont, where an 11-year-old girl contends with wrenching past, present, and (she fears) future loss. After her mother died in childbirth, Donut (nicknamed for the confection that alone could lull her to sleep as a baby) was raised by her father, whose recent accidental death brings a double-edged sadness: not only does Donut miss him immensely, but without the memories he shares, “She’d lost her mother for good, now.” Her stodgy aunt’s decision that Donut move to Boston to live with her outrages the girl, who recognizes that leaving her village means “I’ll be leaving Pops, too. He’s here, everywhere.” In protest, Donut runs away to an abandoned cabin, but she sinks her father’s homemade boat midlake and inadvertently sets fire to the shack. Kalmar introduces a delightfully intricate character in Donut, whose passions include bird taxidermy, memorizing tidbits from the atlas Pops gave her, and her friendships with affectingly portrayed Vermonters. The author leaves readers knowing that her insightful, articulate, and wry heroine will land—solidly—on her feet. Ages 8–12. Agent: Susan Hawk, Upstart Crow Literary.

June 1, 2018

Gr 4-6-Eleven-year-old Donut's world is turned upside-down when her father is tragically killed in an automobile accident. Just as suddenly as her father disappeared, Aunt Agnes appears from Boston, her rigid personality an unwelcome presence in Donut's quiet Vermont town. When Agnes resolves to bring Donut back to the big city with her, the young girl can't imagine her future anywhere not layered with reminders of her father. When her godfather, Sam, fails to convince Agnes to allow Donut to stay with him, she sets out to live at Chanticleer, an abandoned cabin in the woods on the edge of Dog Pond. As Donut hunkers down, she wills Aunt Agnes to leave for Boston without her, gathering support from friends in her village. Kalmar transports readers into the woods of Vermont with her vivid descriptions. Readers will empathize with Donut's heartache over the loss of her father and her fierce desire to resist change at all costs. A superb read-aloud, educators and readers will find much to discuss. VERDICT A solid piece of historical fiction, this novel is a recommended purchase for most libraries.-Amy McInerney, Falmouth Elementary School, ME

Copyright 2018 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Starred review from May 15, 2018
Grades 3-6 *Starred Review* It's been a difficult few weeks for 11-year-old Donut, n�e Dorothy, since her Pops passed in an accident and her stick-in-the-mud Aunt Agnes moved into their house. Donut wishes she'd just go home and leave her to her taxidermy, Pops' inventions, and her beloved Rand McNally World Atlas. Then the horrible truth is revealed: Aunt Agnes is planning to go back to Boston, but she's taking Donut with her and enrolling her in a stuffy girls school. Rage and desperation surge in Donut, who can't fathom leaving her Vermont town, friends, or memories of her parents behind. When reason, refusal, and a visit from her godfather Sam all fail to persuade Aunt Agnes to let Donut stay, she runs away to an old hunting cabin across the lake, prepared to stay there until her aunt gives up on her for being too much trouble. Written in the third person limited to Donut's perspective, Kalmar's debut has an authentic voice that brings her protagonist vividly to life and lends her struggles with grief an immediacy that belies the 1927 setting. Donut is brassy and flawed but easy to love, especially in light of how much she values friendships and her growing self-awareness. Kalmar doesn't break ground here, but she writes so well that this familiar story feels new.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2018, American Library Association.)