Keeping Safe the Stars

Gr 5–8—Pride is only 13, but when her grandpa, Old Finn, is admitted to the hospital, she is left to take care of her younger sister and brother, Nightingale and Baby. Smart and resourceful, the siblings construct a plan to maintain normalcy at all costs, earning money to buy groceries and even continuing on with their homeschooling. Soon, though, youthful gumption isn't enough. And then Old Finn is moved to a bigger hospital miles and miles away. Desperate to stay together and avoid a group home like the one they were placed in after their mother died, the children learn to face the truth, accept help from the various adults they meet along the way, and set out to find the woman who wrote Old Finn love letters. Smart kids who fend for themselves is an interesting premise, but it's hard to read the adult characters who end up watching over these youngsters; none of their motivations for wanting to help ever seem clear. While the story is filled with charm, the one-dimensional characters, 1974 setting, and slow pacing feel forced.—Jennifer Miskec, Longwood University, Farmville, VA