Bound To Stay Bound

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School Library Journal - 10/01/2014 PreS-Gr 3—The Upagainstit family of seven lives in Texas in a dilapidated house surrounded by sand and tumbleweeds. As the five children are walking home from school one day, the "biggish" boy stumbles over a tumbleweed concealing a wild baby. The youngsters agree to take her home, all except the littlest-of-all girl, who thinks they should just put her back. When the kids get back, Mama decides that this wild baby needs a bath immediately, and the much-needed washing is a challenge indeed. The family begins to work together to try to settle the baby into their routine, much to the chagrin of the littlest-of-all girl, who maintains that this addition is a bad idea. Each family member uses his or her unique interests and talents to help the baby assimilate and to make an argument as to why they should keep her. When the final decision is finally made, an interesting change of heart brings it all home. Myers's tall tale is reminiscent of Dust Bowl-era Americana. The characters are warm and likable, and the interaction among siblings is realistically appealing. Vess's beautifully drawn artwork created in ink and colored pencil adds a higher level of emotion to a sweet tale of family life.—Amy Shepherd, St. Anne's Episcopal School, Middleton, DE - Copyright 2014 Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and/or School Library Journal used with permission.

Booklist - 10/01/2014 The Upagainstit family’s ramshackle home in Nowhere, Texas, is surrounded by sand and tumbleweeds everywhere. When a foundling somersaults out of the brush, the littlest-of-all Upagainstit girl objects to this interloper. “She’s a wild-all-over baby. . . . Put her back.” Mama gives the resisting newcomer a bath, and Papa gives her a supper of peas and mashed potatoes, which she hurls madly into the air. Furthermore, she produces a terrible ruckus at bedtime. However, the family members provide creative justifications for keeping her and proceed to “love all the wildness out of her.” Full of warmth and energy, the story is illustrated with a palette of sandy yellows, warm browns, and vast blue skies that depict a nostalgic western landscape. Illustrations in colored inks and colored pencils and specific dialogue give special character to each family member, including the tangle-haired toddler, who learns a surprise from her sister at the conclusion. Lots of humor here and lots of love. - Copyright 2014 Booklist.

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