  | Full Text Reviews: Booklist - 04/01/2014 Lucy and her family make their annual trip to visit Aunt Frankie in North Dakota just as floodwaters rise, threatening her home. Meanwhile, Lucy shares a secret with her little brother, Teddy: though the rest of the family thinks that he can’t talk yet, she knows that he can. He climbs into bed every evening and sings to her. While they’re at Aunt Frankie’s house, Teddy coaxes Lucy, the one person in their musical family who “can’t sing,” to sing to him. When Teddy goes missing near the swollen river, her voice is the only sound that might save him. Author of the Newbery Medal–winning Sarah Plain and Tall (1985), MacLachlan writes with simplicity and clarity, weaving adults and children into a close-knit circle of caring. While Lucy’s warm, supportive family will be comforting to some readers, others may find the idealized characters off-putting at times. The appealing jacket art, large type, and wide-spaced lines of text make this volume an inviting choice for readers who are beginning to read longer chapter books. - Copyright 2014 Booklist. Bulletin for the Center... - 06/01/2014 An anomaly in her musical family, Lucy can’t hold a pitch, despite her deepest longings, and thus refuses to sing out loud. Her baby brother Teddy, however, can barely talk but can sing any melody, a secret known only to Lucy, who shares a bedtime ritual with him each evening (“Teddy has music but no words. I have words but no music. We are a strange pair”). Lucy and Teddy, along with their sister Gracie and their parents, have traveled to North Dakota to help out at their aunt Frankie’s ranch. Flood season there opens with a vengeance right after they arrive, and Teddy goes missing; Lucy, unabashedly singing their shared song and listening for his response, is the one who manages to find him. There is nothing flashy or overt here; in fact, most of the relationship development is quietly inferred through shared secrets-Teddy and Lucy share music, Lucy and her father share poetry, Frankie and Lucy share the secret of other secrets. The plot trajectory is perfectly paced, investing readers in Teddy and his fate. The large, approachable font and copious spacing make this an excellent selection for early chapter book readers, particularly those drawn to strong characters and nuanced storytelling. Quiet and tender, this is a story that audiences will wish took longer to read. HM - Copyright 2014 The Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois. Loading...
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