Josie Bloom and the Emergency of Life

October 14, 2019
In Long’s (The Magic Mirror) novel set in small-town Maine, it’s 1977, and intrepid sixth grader Josie Bloom is doing her best to make ends meet. The grandfather with whom she lives following her single mother’s death has been misplacing money and forgetting to pay bills, and he blurts non sequiturs when questioned. After discovering an unpaid mortgage bill, Josie enlists the aid of her best friend Elwyn “Winky” Wheaton, who is visually impaired due to Stargardt disease, to help her raise the money. The inventive duo tries several get-rich-quick schemes with hilariously unfortunate results (their sole yard-work customer pays them to never clean his yard again). The plot picks up when Josie and baseball-obsessed Winky become entangled with recently disgraced player Joe Viola, whose continued slump is blamed on Josie having touched his glove. Josie’s first-person narration is humorous (facts from Ripley’s Believe It or Not! inform many of her brainstorms) and sometimes poignant (as when a memory of her mother crops up); Long nails the voice of a kid trying as hard as she can to tackle adult problems on her own when the well-meaning adults in her life fall short. Ages 8–12.

October 15, 2019
Orphan Josie Bloom's grandfather is acting very peculiar, leaving her to take up the slack. Signs of Grandpa's problem are everywhere. Wads of money appear in unexpected places, like inside a bologna package. Grandpa not only won't explain where the money's coming from, but now he's started blurting out random words and phrases: "Lima beans!" Worst of all, he seems to have lost track of the need to pay bills. An intrepid person, Josie figures out how to use the checkbook and the rudiments of banking. It's the mortgage that seems like the final straw. What will happen if she can't find the money to make the monthly payments? Throughout all her trials, she's supported by Winky, her steadfast classmate, a talented baseball player who's gradually going blind. Her teacher is also helpful, but Josie's afraid to confide her extreme difficulties, fearing the outcome. Perhaps a washed-up major league player who might just be her long-lost father could be the solution. Setting her story in 1977 in a small Maine town, Long does little to create a strong sense of time or place, and even though baseball is a major theme, it, too, takes the bench to the strong, attractive personalities that flavor this character-driven coming-of-age tale. It's those lovingly crafted people, seemingly all white, who elevate the story above the rest. Entertaining and emotionally resonant. (Historical fiction. 9-12)

COPYRIGHT(2019) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

January 1, 2020

Gr 3-6-Josie Bloom has a problem, and it's not just the mortgage. While her grandpa blurts out nonsense and feeds the squirrels, she finds a past-due mortgage statement. Since Grandpa is no help, she has to find a solution herself. With the help of her best friend, Elwyn "Winky" Wheaton, her teacher, a librarian, and a past-prime baseball player, she might just find the assistance she needs and maybe even the family she doesn't know she wants. Though this novel has an appealing premise, the writing falls short on details. The story takes place in 1977 Maine, but there is little description to solidify the setting. There is a small reference to Star Wars but because of Josie's situation, it seems unlikely she would have seen it in the theater. There is a mention of the 1974 World Series "bracket" and "quarterfinals," neither of which exist in baseball. The most problematic detail may be the nickname "Winky" due to Elwyn's Stargardt disease that causes macular degeneration. The explanation for Josie's grandfather's verbal tics is also troubling. He is addicted to a slot machine and yells out the symbols (i.e., "Peanuts!") at random times. VERDICT Some fans of realistic fiction might enjoy this title, but those seeking a charming, historical coming-of-age story may be disappointed. For larger collections.-Rebecca Fitzgerald, Harrison Public Library, NY

Copyright 2020 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

December 1, 2019
Grades 4-6 Josie has lived with Grandpa since her mother's death, but lately he's been acting strange: hiding cash, blurting odd phrases, and sneaking out at night. When she realizes that he's not paying the bills, she tries to do it herself, but it's a lot for any 11-year-old to handle. And though her teacher senses that something's wrong, Josie won't confide in anyone except her best friend, a boy who is legally blind and crazy about baseball. When they meet his favorite player, Josie decides that the man is her long-lost father. In her wry, first-person narrative, Josie emerges as a girl who, while caught in a situation she can't control, has the gumption to keep trying and the empathy to help others. Maybe Josie can't always control the forces at work, but readers will enjoy her efforts, her hard-won wisdom, and her occasional successes, such the final scene featuring a baseball league for blind and visually impaired players. Solid character portrayals and unpretentious narration make this a very readable historical novel, set in Maine in 1977.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2019, American Library Association.)