Homesick
After one more argument about the distinction between keeping collectibles and storing junk, Benny’s mother walks out on his father, but promises to return for her son. In the months that follow, 12-year-old Benny attempts to carry on, helped along by his teacher and his dad’s best friend. Dad’s hoarding tendencies escalate and garbage accumulates in the house, which the mayor threatens to burn to the ground. This looming conflict is sidelined by a natural disaster that sweeps through this tiny Missouri town and brings out the best in its residents. Set in 1983, the first-person novel is written from Benny’s point of view. While the story is eventful, particularly during the climactic scenes dramatizing the storm and its aftermath, the plot seems less important than the portrayal of the idiosyncratic characters inhabiting Benny’s world. Still, some aspects of the novel demand considerable suspension of disbelief. Recommended for larger collections. Grades 4-6. --Carolyn Phelan