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Willowood

by Cecilia Galante
265p. 978-1-41698-022-3.
COPY ISBN
Gr 4-6 Eleven-year-old Lily is not happy when her single mother decides to move them from a small town to a city. Her mother's long hours at her new job and a class bully don't help. But Lily has a gecko that she loves, and her neighbor and sitter, Mrs. Hiller, introduces her to the owner of a pet store, Bernard, and his adult son, Nate, who has Down syndrome. The characters, including Lily's new friend, Gina, the class nerd, are fully realized individuals. Nate is especially well drawn, and he becomes a true friend to Lily. As the story develops, she begins to understand that life is not always fair. With its finely tuned plot and poetic language, this novel compares well with Kate DiCamillo's "Because of Winn-Dixie" (Candlewick, 2000) in character development and plot. Children will enjoy the story of Lily's first few months in the big city."Wendy Smith-D'Arezzo, Loyola College, Baltimore, MD" Copyright 2010 Media Source Inc.
When her mother's new job forces eleven-year-old Lily to move to Riverside Heights and a different school, it seems like nothing is going right. However, she soon finds some unlikely friends--class nerd Gina and Nate, an adult with Down syndrome--who teach her important lessons about life, loyalty, and forgiveness. Strong characters and an engaging plot make for an enjoyable read.

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