Our beloved country is going through some difficult times and our children know it. But, they should still be able to look forward to life and to the little things that bring us happiness, love and most of all hope. "Hope Was Here", by Joan Bauer, is just what the doctor ordered to give a child a great story of en-couragement.
Hope is a sixteen year old who was abandoned by her mother when she was very young. Her mother had named her "Tulip." She despised that name and was constantly trying to think of how to get rid of it. Her Aunt Addie, who is raising her, has told her that when she turns thirteen to think of a new name that she can be proud of and will enjoy. When she comes across "Hope", she knows it is the perfect name. "Hope is just about the best thing a person can have."
Now her Aunt Addie is one fabulous cook. The only problem her aunt faces is that every restaurant she cooks for seems to go out of business. It has nothing to do with her great cooking, it just seems that for various reasons, the restaurants end up closing their doors, leaving Aunt Addie and Hope to pull up roots and move to another location, usually in another state. Hope is having more difficulty with this last move because she has been living in Brooklyn and has made some wonderful friends she doesn’t want to leave. But she must leave because her aunt has just accepted a cooking job in Wisconsin and Hope can help waitress.
Hope thinks of herself as an outstanding waitress and looks forward to a new opportunity to show off her talents. But she has more challenges than she thinks possible. Mulhoney is a town with a population of around 5,ooo people and everyone knows everyone. The man who hired Aunt Addie, C. T. Stoop, is in dire need of her help because he has recently been diagnosed with leukemia. As soon as Aunt Addie starts cooking up some of her delicious menus, the restaurant is flooded with customers. C.T. lets Addie completely take over the cooking because he has just decided to run for city mayor. Everyone is surprised and amazed. Not only does he have cancer, but the current mayor is very powerful and probably dishonest. C. T. has announced that he will uncover all of the lies and cheating that the Mayor has taken advantage of because "I’ve learned how important it is to do the right thing, no matter who opposes you." But life has just become much more complicated for those who work at the restaurant, including Aunt Addie and Hope. Not only are they thrown into trying to help C. T. clean up the city, but they also become strong forces in helping him through some difficult times with his cancer.
Ms. Bauer has once again, as she did with her much awarded "Rules of the Road", woven a tale that is told through the eyes of a girl who is longing for acceptance, love and understanding. What she doesn’t understand is that she may already have these gifts. Several times people turn to her to ask for advice and to her surprise not only does she give good advice, but gives it with crystal clarity that rings true to the one who asked. She soon finds other people who look up to her with respect and love. Probably the most heart wrenching part of the story is when C.T. asks if he can legally adopt her. The allegory in this section is as beautifully written as any Shakespeare!
The story is very up-beat, interesting, amusing and entertaining, but most of all it is extremely well written! This is a wonderful book that should be read by anyone 11 and older! It’s a recent Newbery Honor winner, as well.
"Uptown", by Bryan Collier, is an incredible look into the Harlem section of New York City. This picture book has a feel about it that made me immediately look to the back of the book to find out about the author/illustrator. I was not in the least surprised that Mr. Collier currently lives in Harlem. The interesting text, with its different colors and sizes of fonts, goes right along with the pictures. It begins with "Uptown is a caterpillar", with the words going up and down just like the insect. The reference has to do with the Metro-North train. Also, there is a page where it says, "Uptown is Jazz, but the word Jazz looks jazzy. The combination of watercolors and collages are breathtaking.
If Mr. Collier set out to help the reader sense what it feels like living in Harlem, he has succeeded! I could almost feel the earth shake as the train set out over the Harlem River. I could almost smell the chicken and waffles as they cooked all day and night. I could almost hear the basketball bounce "at the Ruckers." The picture of the brownstones lined up side by side gave me a sense of standing across the street from them. I have never been to Harlem, never even been close to that part of the city. But after becoming entranced with this picture book, I have a new appreciation for the heart of a city I never really knew before now! A beautiful book for all to enjoy!