Fish in the Sky

Gr 8 Up—On his 13th birthday, Josh Stephenson receives a stuffed falcon from his absent father and the Bible from his single, working mother. So begins the tumultuous year that will see numerous changes in Josh's life. His 17-year-old female cousin comes to stay, throwing his hormones into high gear. He learns that the father he once idolized is expecting a baby with his new girlfriend. Desperate to escape potential ridicule at school, particularly in the gym showers, Josh constructs a plan to skip school until he can figure out what's going on in his life. An amateur naturalist and zoologist, Josh uses his observations of animals to make sense of the world around him, particularly as he spends much of his time in a hollow rock by the bay. Todd Haberkorn gives a solid performance of the first person narrative. His tone is earnest and unadorned, letting the thoughts and emotions of the sensitive and introspective boy dictate the performance. Caught between childhood and adulthood, Josh's loneliness and conflicting emotions will resonate with teens, as will his attempts at rationalizing his decisions and his belief that there is no one he can talk to about his life. Not every listener will be engaged by Erlings's novel (Candlewick, 2012), but those that persevere will appreciate this affecting coming-of-age story.—Amanda Raklovits, Champaign Public Library, IL