Image: Candlewick Press
Happy Monday. Middle Grade Monday features Ferris by Kate DiCamillo. The summer between fourth and fifth grades is an eventful one for Ferris. Her real name is Emma Phineas Wilkey, but she's called Ferris because she was born at the bottom of a ferris wheel. She lives in a small community, in a home with her parents, her beloved grandmother, her six-year-old sister, Pinky and Boomer her dog. Uncle Ted has recently left his wife and moved into the basement to paint the history of the world. She likes things predictable, but that summer there's a lot of change. In addition to Uncle Ted, Ferris receives an unfortunate perm from Ted's hairdresser wife, and her headstrong sister decides she wants to become an outlaw complete with a "Wanted" poster. Oh, and her grandmother is being visited by a ghost.
In typical DiCamillo fashion, each character in this slim novel springs to vivid life. She has a knack for capturing mundane moments and making them shine with beauty and possibility. This is a beautiful story of family bonds, best friendship, ghosts and raccoons. At turns heartfelt and hilarious, fans of Kate DiCamillo will feel right at home. The performance by Cherry Jones is pitch perfect.
Here's a link to a short video of Ms. DiCamillo discussing the book.
Happy reading!
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