Bound To Stay Bound

Booklist - 09/15/2012 Hailee Richardson is on the lower rung of her neighborhood’s economic ladder, but things take a turn when her parents win the lottery. Though Hailee sees big houses and a horse in her future, the story plays out more realistically. While three million dollars is a lot of money, it’s set up to come in installments over decades, so a new lifestyle isn’t in the works, except for one thing. When Hailee learns that her parents are transferring her to the exclusive Magnolia Academy, she tries to fight it, but soon enough she becomes intrigued with what it offers, even as she tries to redefine her relationship with her neighborhood BFF. Haworth does an excellent job of portraying the modern kid’s life (cell phones, Facebook) mixed with evergreen problems like trying to fit in with the popular crowd and cheating on tests. She also makes the smart decision to have the lottery win be a plot point that propels the story into places that will interest kids most, rather than its center. The fact that religion plays quietly and comfortably into the narrative is another plus. - Copyright 2012 Booklist.

Bulletin for the Center... - 11/01/2012 You’d think winning the lottery would solve all your problems in an instant, but sixth-grader Hailee finds out it isn’t that easy. She has to go to a posh new school, for one thing, a circumstance that she did not foresee or desire, but her parents want her to have a better education than they had. Her new cell phone also brings new conflict with her parents, as she immediately becomes addicted to texting and checking her Facebooks updates. Her biggest challenges, though, are moral ones-now that she has access to the popular girls who live in the big houses, will she continue to do what she knows is right for her, like joining the Library Club, or sacrifice her principles to earn the favor of girls who don’t share her values? Hailee has a fresh, quirky outlook, peppered with wryly humorous observations that ring both wise and age-appropriate. Her direct questions to the reader as she ponders moral questions create a friendly intimacy, and readers will be gratified that she doesn’t always make bad choices, even when it’s tempting to do so. She’s got a down-home relationship to church on Sundays that threads through her decision-making in ways that many readers will relate to, and the changes that the lottery win makes in her daily life are small enough to insert a healthy dose of reality into that cherished fantasy. She also bookishly sets her emotional troubles in the context of familiar middle-grade novels, a trait that amps up both her likability and her credibility. Readers will definitely feel as though they have made a new friend in Hailee. KC - Copyright 2012 The Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois.

School Library Journal - 12/01/2012 Gr 5–8—In this highly enjoyable novel, middle-schooler Hailee Richardson is embarrassed by her garage-sale bicycle, her clothes from Goodwill, and her father's job cleaning carpets. But when her parents win millions in the lottery, her life changes dramatically, and not always for the better. Hailee loves her new cell phone and even reluctantly grows to like her new private school. Her relationship with her longtime best friend becomes strained, however, as Hailee tries to win over her wealthy classmates. She once envied Amanda, who had a beautiful bicycle, but now worries that her old friend will embarrass her. Then Nikki, a girl from her new school, drags Hailee into questionable situations, asking her to ditch school, cheat on a quiz, and even egg another student's house. While Hailee's family enjoys their newfound wealth, the money also brings somewhat predictable problems. Tensions mount toward a moving climax; Hailee learns lessons that will come as no surprise but are satisfying nonetheless. Readers who are not quite ready for the serious problems of more graphic YA novels will enjoy this rather lighthearted story-the "bad girl" is not all that bad, and Hailee triumphs over the "mean girls" while realizing that she has not behaved well herself. This is a solid and pleasurable exploration of friendship, materialism, and how money can change everything.—Miranda Doyle, Lake Oswego School District, OR - Copyright 2012 Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and/or School Library Journal used with permission.

Loading...