Finding Someplace

May 25, 2015
New Orleans native and aspiring fashion designer Reesie Boone is consumed with excitement about her approaching 13th birthday, but Hurricane Katrina preempts her plans. Reesie’s family didn’t anticipate the storm’s severity and evacuate; separated from her parents and older brother, Reesie sticks with Miss Martine, an elderly neighbor who turns out to have had an intriguing life. Patrick (A Matter of Souls) builds absorbing tension as Katrina’s effects worsen—“It felt as if the only life left in New Orleans was there, on top of this little house on Dauphine Street.” In the aftermath of the storm, Reesie’s parents disagree about the safety of the city, and Reesie and her mother leave town to live with relatives in New Jersey. When Reesie returns to New Orleans for Christmas, it’s not the same place she left. Reesie’s determination—both to achieve her own dreams and to take care of those close to her—shine in this intimate look at the impact of a devastating natural disaster and the commitment of those dedicated to rebuilding. Ages 8–12. Agent: Jill Corcoran, Jill Corcoran Literary Agency.

Starred review from May 1, 2015
Anticipation, fear, excitement, and dread coalesce as a girl's 13th birthday collides with a terrible force of nature: Hurricane Katrina.Teresa Arielle Boone is a high-spirited girl living in the 9th Ward of sultry New Orleans. In this summer of 2005, Reesie can't wait to celebrate her upcoming birthday. However, upon overhearing tourists discuss a hurricane that has devastated parts of Florida, disbelief and fear bubble up inside Reesie. Now the storm is heading for New Orleans. When Reesie's parents argue over whether or not to leave town to avoid the storm, she feels shaken, yet she's still determined to prepare for her party. Readers will feel the twinned pulls of elation and apprehension. The anticipation is palpable. So is the desperate, futile hope that everything will be all right. When the storm finally hits, Lewis slams readers and Reesie alike with an impact that reverberates long after the skies have cleared. Reesie has inherited her Ma Maw's style as well as her sewing machine. She's a girl with dreams and ambition who can't imagine being derailed by anything, and readers will understand her aching vulnerability as she confronts a force even she can't control. Patrick builds to the climax beautifully and delivers a character who puts readers in the moment. A perfect storm of suspense and fine character building. (Historical fiction. 8-12)

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Starred review from June 1, 2015

Gr 4-6-Reesie Boone's been looking forward to her 13th birthday for a long time. As her big day approaches, people are focused on a hurricane warning, and everyone's leaving New Orleans. Reesie's family is staying put despite evacuation warnings; her father is a policeman and can't miss work. Hurricane Katrina hits while Reesie is at the neighbor's house picking up her birthday cake. Rising water forces everyone in the house up to the attic, where they chop a hole through the roof and are picked up by a rescue boat. That's just the beginning of Reesie's trouble. Her mother can't forgive her father for putting his job before his family, and takes Reesie back to her hometown in New Jersey, where she must process the trauma she's gone through as well as the loss of her home and everything she owns, and living apart from her father. Patrick does an superb job conveying the way Hurricane Katrina impacted families in New Orleans. Though important lessons can be learned from the book, the narrative allows readers to discover them organically. The pacing of the book mirrors the build up of the storm, starting out slowly, and picking up momentum. The nearly yearlong span helps readers understand that traumatic experiences take time to process. Patrick excels at creating believable, multigenerational communities. Main and secondary characters are profoundly impacted by their experiences during the hurricane. Reesie's character intentionally evolves from a protected, fairly self-involved young teen to a complex character recovering from depression and shock. Though Reesie lives through a national disaster, something most readers will not have experienced, her voice and concerns are authentic and relatable. VERDICT A powerful read for middle grade readers already familiar with the hurricane or those learning about it for the first time.-Juliet Morefield, Multnomah County Library, OR

Copyright 2015 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

July 1, 2015
Grades 4-6 Living in the Lower Ninth Ward of New Orleans, Teresa (Reesie) Boone plans to spend her thirteenth birthday party debuting a special dress she madeshe aspires to be a fashion designerand relishing neighbor Miss Martine's coconut cake. Even the worry of Hurricane Katrina can't dampen her excitement, especially since her father insists it's just another regular storm. By the time they realize it's a real threat, it's too late to evacuate. With both parents trapped at work, Reesie spends her birthday holed up with Miss Martine; and as the storm rolls in, the power goes out, and the water rises. Patrick captures Reesie's terror in ways young readers will relate tonot just her fear of the dark and the flooding but also of being separated from her parents and responsible for her own rescue. The aching loss of the aftermathReesie's lingering guilt over losing important possessions at the evacuation center; her difficulty processing the bigness of the destruction; the financial and marital problems engulfing her parentsis sensitively portrayed.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2015, American Library Association.)