Homesick

Gr 5–7—Imagine being caught in an impossible home life, powerless and alone with a parent who is descending further every day into mental illness. Klise explores this situation through 12-year-old Benny. It's 1983, and his father's hoarding and paranoia are worsening to the point of making life unbearable. Benny's mom can't take it and goes back to her native New Orleans. It's not until a tornado flattens their tiny Missouri town that his dad gets the help he needs. Particular care is given in depicting a smart and talented father figure, clearly showing that mental illness is totally unrelated to a lack of intelligence. A likable main character, colorful secondary figures, touches of humor, and a well-defined rural setting make this an engaging read. Tech-savvy readers will especially appreciate the predictions of the amazing capabilities of computers in the future, along with the dismissive response to those ideas by the general population. The book's many strengths, however, are marred by highly unlikely plot twists, including a national contest with massive prizes that requires no verification, and by the extremely convenient timing of the catastrophic tornado. Where budgets allow, this is still a valid addition due to the author's popularity and to add collection depth on mental illness.Faith Brautigam, Gail Borden Public Library District, Elgin, IL