The Secret Hum of a Daisy by Tracy Holczer

At first glance, this is the story of Grace, who is sent to live with the Grandma she has never met after her mother dies.  This book is much deeper than that.  

The book starts with loss.  Both Grace and her Grandma are dealing with some pretty heavy losses.

Grace never met her father, her father’s parents, or her grandfather because they all died in  accidents before she was born.  She and her mother moved around frequently, often packing quickly and only what would fit in their car. Then her mother accidentally drowns.  Only twelve years old, she has to leave Mrs. Greene and her daughter, Lacey, with whom she thought she and Mama had found a home, to live with Grandma.   

Grandma is dealing with the deaths of her husband and daughter.  Now she has to raise the granddaughter she never met.  

At first, Grace is sad and angry.  She is mean and deceitful and she misbehaves in an effort to be sent back to live with Mrs. Greene and Lacey.  During a visit with Mrs. Greene convinces Grace to give Grandma a chance.

Grace and Grandma slowly develop a relationship with each other; Grace by moving from the shed into the house, and Grandma by answering all of the letters Grace wrote her over the years (even the angry ones) and knitting her a scarf.  Grace forges a friendship with Jo and learns about her mother from people in town.  Her mother becomes a magical, mystical presence in the story, gently guiding Grace through this transition in her life.

At it’s heart, this book is about life.  It’s about losing pieces of yourself and finding a way to put yourself back together.  It’s about creating a family and a place for yourself where you thought there wasn't one.  It’s about trusting yourself.  It’s about letting people be who they are and loving them for it.   It’s about paying attention to the magical signs all around you.  Most importantly, it’s about learning from the past, living in the present, and preparing for the future.  

Grace remembers that Mama said, “thinking can steal the magic right out of a thing.”  I hope, in this instance, this quote is not true.  I will be thinking about this book for quite a while, but I don’t want the magic of it to fade.  

This book is like a secret hum in my head.  I hope you will read it and hear the humming.

I Kill the Mockingbird by Paul Acampora

“We support all actions that lead to the joy, the fun, the reward, the challenge, and the adventure of reading.”  So begins the I Kill the Mockingbird Manifesto.  This is the story of eighth grade students and best friends Lucy Jordan, Elena Vallejo, and Michael Buskirk who love reading and become a self described trio of radicals, rebels, and literary terrorists.  

As they prepare to move on to high school, their teacher, Ms. Caridas gives them a summer reading list.  Among the seven book choices is To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, Lucy’s favorite book.  Many of the local bookstores stock the books on the reading list to make them available to students.  After a trip to one of these bookstores, the trio devises a plan to encourage more people read and appreciate To Kill a Mockingbird.  The plan, called “I Kill the Mockingbird”, involves hiding books, flyers, a website, and social media.  The movement eventually spreads across the country, and the trio realizes they may be in over their heads.

Read this story to find out how the I Kill the Mockingbird movement ends and what happens at the Mockingbirdpalooza.

I also support the joy, the fun, the challenge, and the adventure of reading.  You should, too.

Rain Reign by Ann M. Martin

Rose (rows) Howard is a fifth grade (grayed) student.  She has been diagnosed with high (hi, heigh) functioning autism and loves words (specifically homonyms), rules, and numbers (especially prime numbers).  She struggles with making friends at school and being in a classroom.  She lives with her father, Wesley, who struggles with being a single parent.  Her Uncle Weldon, who is much more stable and has more patience (patients) than her father, lives nearby.  

One night, her father brings home a blonde dog with seven white toes (tows).  Rose names her Rain (reign) because her father found her in a rain storm.  Rose and Rain develop a special bond.  By taking care of Rain, Rose develops a routine at home and is not (knot) so lonely.  She is able to (two, too) use Rain to develop relationship with her peers.

During Super Storm Susan, Rose’s father lets Rain out of the house without her collar.  Rain runs away and Rose is determined to find her.  

This is a wonderful story with themes of autism, bullying, single parents, love, loss, determination, and integrity.  

Please (pleas) read this book.  You (yew, ewe) might (mite) need a tissue toward the end, but the conclusion is well worth any tears that may fall.   

The Graham Cracker Plot by Shelley Tougas

Almost twelve year old Daisy Bauer lives in the River Estates Mobile Home Park, a place with neither a river nor estates, with her mother, a single mother with a set of problems and a new boyfriend named Alex.  Her father, The Chemist, is serving time in a minimum security prison, nicknamed Club Fed, for accidentally blowing up a house during a chemistry experiment.  Once a month, Daisy’s grandmother takes her to Club Fed to visit The Chemist.  During a visit, Daisy realizes that his time in prison may be more difficult for him that she thought.

Graham Hassler, or Graham Cracker, is Daisy’s sometimes friend.  He lives with his mom, Kari,  in the trailer park.  He hates school and wants to run away from home to start a new life where his mom won’t have to work extra hours to pay the bills, he won’t have to wear thrift store jeans, and he won’t be bothered by a bully.  

One day, Daisy’s mom announces that she and Alex are taking a vacation to Mexico for some alone time.  Daisy will spend Spring Break with Graham and his mom.  During this time, Daisy devises a plan to break The Chemist out of prison and move to Canada to start a new life.

With a pair of wire cutters, a jar full of change, a notebook, sandwiches, a change of clothes for The Chemist, and two rolls of toilet paper, Daisy and Graham start head to Club Fed to execute their plan.  They pick up Graham’s cousin Ashley, a twenty four year old with her own set of problems to be their getaway driver.   A horrible sense of direction, poor map reading skills, a dog, and a mini horse all contribute to this adventure.  

Daisy tells the story through flashbacks in letters she writes to Judge Henry. Through the letters, Daisy learns about family, broken trust, admitting when she is wrong, and unconditional love.

I will tell you three things right now.

Number one:  This book is funny.  I could tell you why, but I don’t want to ruin the book for you.

Number two:  This book is relatable.  People like Daisy, Graham, and their families really exist.  

Number three:  You should read it. You will enjoy it.