This is the story of Ida B, a fourth grader who is fun-loving, so happy I think it better to call it joyous, and very quirky. She has to have a schedule, she eats the same things every day at the same time, and she talks to the apple trees in her family’s orchard. And they talk back. Strange, I know. The first few chapters really focused on this, and I was a little worried about where the story was going to go… but I’m really glad I stuck with it. In fact, by the end of the book, I almost wanted to try to go talk to the trees in my backyard! (Ok, maybe not really.)
Ida B just loves life while she is home-schooled by her mom, but then her mom gets cancer. Not only do her parents not have enough time or energy for her anymore, but they sell some of their land (along with her beloved apple trees) to get money to pay for treatments, and they send her back to school. Ida B transforms from a happy-go-lucky kind of gal, to a hard-hearted, angry, and mean girl.
Over the course of the story, Ida B learns a lot about herself, her relationships, and life in general. The story has a happy ending – Her mother heals from the cancer (so no worries about that conversation) and she learns to be happy in school. She learns that it’s ok to be happy – even if things don’t work out exactly as planned.
There are a few things that were really great about this book. The language is fantastic. The way the author describes Ida B’s feelings is sure to make even the youngest reader (or listener) understand exactly what she’s going through. For example, when Ida B hears that they are selling her trees and sending her to school, her heart begins to shrink and gets smaller and smaller until it is a sharp, black stone that is small enough to fit in the palm of her hand. The author also uses phrases to “name” things in the book that are really quite hilarious. School is “that Particular Place of Slow but Sure Body-Cramping, Mind-Numbing, Fun-Killing Torture”. (Don’t worry… Ida B ends up with a fabulous teacher who shows her, and your child, that school can actually be a wonderful place.) The school bus is “the Yellow Prison of Propulsion”, and when Ida B has a great idea, it is her “Golden and Supremely Important Nugget of Wisdom”.
The other thing I thought was really great about this book was that it handled several really heavy, serious topics in a light, funny way. It deals with cancer, being a new kid, and dealing with anger, but it is in no way a really heavy or depressing book.
It’s always important to talk about a book as you’re reading it, and once you’ve finished. I don’t mean asking simple questions to see if your child “got it”, but really having conversations. This book lends itself really well to discussions about illness, and how it affects all members of a family. It’s also a great way to discuss the “mean” kid in school, and the fact that s/he probably has some bad stuff going on at home, and is just having a hard time dealing with the sadness or anger that comes along with it. It could also lead to an interesting debate on home-schooling vs. traditional schooling.
I would recommend this book for kids in grades 3 through 6. I think it could appeal to both boys and girls, even though the main character is a girl. (Boys usually don’t like that, but I think they could probably make an exception for this book.) It would be great for a child who knows someone with cancer, who is starting a new school, or really for anyone who is feeling angry over something, and might be struggling to deal with it. You could just hand it to your child to check out on their own, but I think it would make a great book to read aloud as well.
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