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Summary
Summary
More than anything, ten-year-old Weezie wants to please her momma. She babysits her spoiled half-sister, Ruth Ann, and little Jackson. She makes tea for Momma in Gramma Emmeline's beautiful teapot. She even tries to cook dinner. But nothing turns out quite right. And Momma is never pleased. Hard times and a daddy who ran off before she was born seem to have stolen all of Momma's love.
If only Weezie could find her daddy, she's sure her life would be happier. Tired of making up stories about a parent she knows nothing about, Weezie teams up with her bike-riding buddy, Calvin, and new friend, Louella, to find her mysterious father. Does he drive a truck? Sing country and western songs? Why, her real daddy might even be better than the made-up father she's been telling lies about at school! Now, all she has to do is find him.
Jean Van Leeuwen's poignant, powerful novel introduces a feisty heroine whose brave search proves that even a life that's missing important pieces can be chock full of things that matter.
Author Notes
Jean Van Leeuwen was born in Rutherford, New Jersey on December 26, 1937. She received a bachelor's degree in journalism from Syracuse University. Before becoming a full-time author, she worked in the children's book department of a publisher. She is the author of more than 50 books including Timothy's Flower, Bound for Oregon, and the Oliver and Amanda series.
(Bowker Author Biography)
Reviews (4)
Publisher's Weekly Review
Ten-year-old Grace Louise "Weezie" Dawson has a load of heavy responsibility, taking care of her two younger siblings and their home in the Happy Days Trailer Park while her hard-bitten single mother waits tables at Pancake Heaven. Taking refuge in memories of her late, affectionate Gramma Emmeline and daydreaming about the father she has never known, Weezie worries about proving true her mother's constant criticism ("Momma says I'm a bad girl," the novel begins). Suddenly Weezie can't stop telling lies, and she grows obsessed with finding her father. Weezie's perception of the unfairness of her mother's harsh treatment, told in skillful, unadorned language, slowly swells throughout the story as she enjoys small triumphs like befriending a haughty stray cat, making a new school pal, and discovering a talent for art. Van Leeuwen (Cabin on Trouble Creek) avoids a happy ending that would ring false with the novel's unstinting realism, but Weezie's newfound strength and her growing understanding of the murkiness of life and love make for a satisfying finish. Ages 8-12. (Sept.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
Booklist Review
Despite her attempts to make Momma happy, 10-year-old Weezie knows in her heart that her mother doesn't love her. Increasingly capable and insightful, she copes as best she can, drawing support from two friends, a kind neighbor, and an art teacher. Meanwhile, she tries to discover the identity of her father, though her mother refuses to discuss him. After following that path to the final revelation, she remembers her loving grandmother, recognizes her mother's limitations, and sets her own course with determination. The basic plot, in which Weezie looks after two younger half-siblings in the family trailer and enjoys little freedom or time to herself, could easily give way to sentimental treatment, but Van Leeuwen's clean writing and crisp dialogue delivers a story with a more realistic tone. The character portrayals are convincing and consistent. Readers drawn by Weezie's matter-of-fact narrative will come away admiring her resilience and grit, especially when the search for her father brings an unexpected revelation.--Phelan, Carolyn Copyright 2014 Booklist
School Library Journal Review
Gr 4-6-This is the poignant story of sensitive Weezie, who is growing up in an 1980's Oklahoman trailer park with an overworked and unloving Mama. The fifth-grader is nearly convinced that she is a completely bad person, thanks to her mother's uncompromising expectations and lack of affection, combined with her own penchant for lying to protect herself from the other kids' curiosity about her life. Van Leeuwen beautifully balances dialogue with action and the internal narrative of her hero to create a forward-moving tale that will carry readers along, feeling alternately sad and proud for Weezie all the way. All of the secondary characters are simple, defined by one or two primary characteristics, but feel full-bodied thanks to the variation in their voices and thoughtful details, such as the teacher who "ran her fingers through her hair, making it stand out like a dark cloud around her head... when she was thinking." Unlike many protagonists of this age group, Weezie is on the innocent and naive side, and nothing shockingly bad or jarringly uncomfortable happens. Ultimately, this quiet book reveals the capacity for good within the characters-despite the hard and unyielding heart of Weezie's mother-and leaves readers with a sense of empathy and understanding about the importance of self-confidence. Recommended for readers who can handle getting emotionally involved with their protagonists, such as fans of Karen Hesse.-Rhona Campbell, Georgetown Day School, Washington, DC (c) Copyright 2014. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Kirkus Review
Hurt by her overworked mother's insistence that she's a bad girl, 10-year-old Weezie tries her best to prove her wrong. Fixing meals and babysitting her half siblings isn't enough to make up for breaking Gramma Emmeline's teapot. Weezie misses her deceased grandmother's love and the way she called her by her full name, Grace Louise. Now she constantly gets in trouble and has to spend weekends at home alone in the trailer park while whiny Ruth Ann and Jackson get Momma's attention. The only bright light in her life is the recognition her teacher gives her for her artistic talent, which goes unnoticed by Momma. Weezie knows who Ruth Ann's father was, and Jackson's daddy comes around often, but she doesn't even know her own father's name. She starts lying about him at school, making herself even more miserable. In desperation, she sets out on a search of her own, with surprising results. Weezie's earnest attempts to find her father without her mother's cooperation and her persistent efforts to be a better person are touchingly revealed through her candid narration. Strong secondary characters round out the portrayal of small-town life in Oklahoma, including Weezie's investigative partner, her friend Calvin, who is "a little slow in his thinking" but never judges Weezie for what she does. This tightly written chapter book has just the right amount of pathos for middle-grade readers. (Fiction. 8-12) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.