The Summer We Found the Baby by Amy Hest is a realistic fiction novel set in Belle Beach, New York during World War II. The book’s main characters are Julie, age 11, Julie’s little sister, Martha age 6, and their neighbor, Bruno, age 12. The trio finds a baby abandoned on the steps of the Belle Beach Library and Julie decides to keep it as her other little sister. Julie writes “I’m the one who found her. A real, live, baby girl and I saw her first. I saw the basket… I just wanted to hold her awhile. I didn’t mean to take the baby.” (Page 3) The main objective of this story is for the trio to find the mother of the baby and reunite the baby with its family. I found this book to be special because the author writes from several perspectives. The book also depicts how families are coping with loss, and exemplifies how the characters fill gaps in one another’s lives and hearts. Each chapter of this book is written from the perspective of a different person from the trio. As I progressed through the book, my vantage point alternated between Julie, Martha, and Bruno. This is a very engaging style of writing because the story is not filtered through the voice of only one character. Instead, there are multiple points of view, and the reader develops a broader understanding of the other characters’ intentions and feelings. As we cultivate empathy for the people in the book, we understand their emotions better. This makes the book more intriguing and hooks the reader in from the first page. “Six. I’ve been to six of them altogether. Six memorials on the beach. All because of the war,” (Bruno, 109). I found this book absorbing because many characters in the story are struggling with loss of family members and uncertainty about the war and its outcome hovers over the book’s action. For example, the Ben-Eli family worries about their eldest son, Ben, at war in Europe, and they hope each day for a letter from the frontlines. Meanwhile, another family in the community loses their son in battle. In addition, Martha and Julie are continuing to cope with the passing of their mother, who died in childbirth. This attention to loss is intriguing because I learned from the characters’ struggles and better understood how humans confront and persist despite fear and grief. In an effort to cope with their own loss, the characters tend to lean on each other and fill gaps in one another’s lives. For example, Mrs.Ben-Eli sometimes acts like a mother towards Martha, who explains, “Mrs. Ben-Eli said I would get my own library card! I can’t wait to have my own library card!”(148). By receiving a library card, Martha is delighted to have a neighbor that cares for her and nurtures her like a real mother would. Likewise, Mrs. Ben-Eli is desperately missing her son who’s fighting in the war and so she directs her mothering to Julie and Martha as substitute children. The author shows us that in challenging times, a community can come together by creating new bonds. In conclusion, The Summer We Found the Baby by Amy Hest is a book that helps readers understand the difficulties of people facing loss. Empathy is an important part of our hearts and minds and helps us understand others. This characteristic is what makes all of us human, and it is used to develop a strong community. Finding the baby on the steps of the library unites these different characters, and by seeing this event through different perspectives, we as readers come to understand and appreciate each character. I recommend this book for people who either want to learn more about World War II, or who have experienced loss or grief before. The Summer We Found the Baby by Amy Hest. Candlewick Press (MA), 2022. Buy the book here and help support Stone Soup in the process!
book review
A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder, Reviewed by Jeremy Lim, 10
A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder is a masterpiece, a tapestry woven by Holly Jackson, a New York Times bestselling author. This book is relatively tranquil in the early beginning, with odd evidence that doesn’t really seem to relate and a growing list of suspects. However, as the evidence trail continues, uncovering darker and darker secrets about seemingly ordinary people in the town, the suspense and action quickly ramps up. As Pip realizes that she might actually be right about the murder case, and she joins up with Sal Singh’s brother to pursue this case even farther, it becomes more than just Pip’s senior project. It branches out to every aspect of her daily life—secrets from close friends, confessions, and then… it gets completely personal. Death threats are sent. They go after her dog. This is where the story really ramps up. One thing I liked a lot about this book is the suspense that affects not just you, but the characters and also the realistic feelings of guilt, fear and anger that hang all around the story, setting the mood. In the end, Pip and the other characters have to deal with both their past and present actions as truths and secrets are spilled. The center of the story revolves around the murder five years ago, as the murderers come back to haunt Pip, and the stakes grow higher and higher. In the end, Pip has to choose between potentially closing the case once and for all, or hopefully protecting her family and friends. This makes the book stand out as a unique, extraordinary murder mystery. Additionally, the switching between the case files and the real time story is balanced, with each coming in at just the right time. The story builds in a magnificent way, showing Pip and Ravi’s findings first as they sift through the evidence, and then showing the conclusions that the Pip comes to based on that evidence. This is not always common in this genre, but I personally like it, because it gives everybody a chance to actually guess who the murderer is based on the data. I am not a very good detective myself, so it made me happy that in this book, before the big reveal, I actually (almost) got it right! Finally, this book is great, because like all good mystery books, the killer’s motives are relatable and not far-fetched. Andie Bell’s murder is more like a series of unfortunate events leading up to her death. Objects in the story are things that we use in our everyday lives. In this way, you cannot put this stellar book down because everything, everyone and the entire setup fits YOU. You become immersed in this other world that is not at all that far away. A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder is a great book that everyone should enjoy, although it is not suitable for younger readers. The plot and details involve crimes that delve in the darker side of things. However, for those who can read it, this book is good for fans of books such as Sherlock Holmes or Murder on the Orient Express. Action book fans might like the ending, and the suspense is all around. This book dives very deep into the personal lives of the fictional characters, and was a New York Times bestseller for 77 weeks. So what are you waiting for? Go read this book! A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder by Holly Jackson. Ember, 2021. Buy the book here and help support Stone Soup in the process!
The One and Only Ivan: Take it … Or Toss it?
“It’s never too late to be what you might have been.” – Katherine Applegate, The One and Only Ivan Ivan is a gorilla, and, as he lets us know pretty early on in the story, it’s not as easy as it looks. He has been living in a metal, glass, and concrete cage for 9,861 days. He has not seen another gorilla in decades. And, he has a past he would rather forget. Ivan’s only friends are Stella, a wise old elephant with a passion for stories and a love of the moon; Bob, a stray mutt, with a love of anything edible and a deep distrust of humans; and Julia, the janitor’s daughter, with a passion for art, just like Ivan. Ivan tries to ignore the way Mack, the owner of the mall and the man who raised Ivan in his own home, treats them all. Especially when a new baby elephant arrives to bring more crowds to the shopping mall and its small circus. When tragedy strikes and Ivan is left with a promise that will be impossible to keep, he begins to remember everything, and with his memories comes hope that maybe, there is a safer place beyond the bars of his cage, beyond Mack, beyond the billboard that brings people to the mall… beyond his wildest dreams. He made a promise, and a silverback never breaks their promises. But it will take all his friends to get there. It will take perseverance, passion, and… paint. Lots and lots of paints. This story is so well crafted, and every word seems to matter. It is such a reflection of the longing for freedom, with beautiful descriptions and clever lines that will instantly become your new favorite quotes. The novel is written entirely in verse, which only heightens the experience. This is a truly life-changing book. It is entrancing, magical. It is a must-read for everyone, young and old. So, as Ivan says, “Humans waste words. They toss them like banana peels and leave them to rot. Everyone knows the peels are the best part.” So, without further ado, and without wasting any more words, I give you the verdict. (You probably already knew where this was heading, but….) Take It … Or Toss It? TAKE IT!! This book, winner of the John Newbery award in 2013, is a must-read for kids of all ages, young and old, children and adults alike. Take Ivan’s advice: Don’t waste words. Or, in this case, time! Put The One and Only Ivan at the top of your reading list and find your next favorite book! And, if you love this, be sure to check out Katherine Applegate’s other books! The One and Only Ivan by Katherine Applegate. HarperCollins, 2012. Buy the book here and help support Stone Soup in the process!
