Praise for Freak the MightyA School Library Journal Best Book for Young Adults A YALSA Best Book for Young AdultsA YALSA Quick Picks for Reluctant Young Adult ReadersAn IRA Young Adults' Choices BookA winner of the Arizona Young Readers' Award, California Young Reader Medal, Charlotte Award, Golden Sower Award (Nebraska), Judy Lopez Memorial Award for Children's Literature (California), Soaring Eagle Book Award (Wyoming)* "Max's description of their friendship . . . is gritty, unsentimental, sparked with Freak's wry verbal wit and Max's earthier humor, and ultimately poignant. Easily read but compelling: an intriguing and unusual story."—Kirkus Reviews, starred reviewPraise for The Mostly True Adventures of Homer P. FiggA Newbery Honor BookA Kentucky Bluegrass Award NomineeAn Oppenheim Toy Portfolio Platinum Award WinnerA New York Public Library's Children's Books 2009: 100 Titles for Reading and SharingA CBC/NCSS Notable Social Studies Trade Books for Young People 2010* "The book wouldn't be nearly as much fun without Homer's tall tales, but there are serious moments, too, and the horror of war and injustice of slavery ring clearly above the din of playful exaggerations."—Publishers Weekly, starred reviewPraise for The Young Man and the SeaA Capitol ChoiceA Cooperative Children's Book Center ChoiceA School Library Journal Best Book and starred review"Readers will be hooked."—Kirkus Reviews
★ 11/25/2013
In August 2005, 12-year-old Zane Dupree reluctantly travels to New Orleans with his dog Bandy to visit Miss Trissy, his paternal great-grandmother. Zane is biracial and knows nothing about his late father’s side of the family; he acquires some pieces of the puzzle—that his father ran away from home, and his uncle “got hissef killed”—but gaps remain. Hurricane Katrina arrives, and mandatory evacuation is announced, but on a bus out of town, Bandy escapes and Zane follows him back to Miss Trissy’s house. They are rescued from the surging water and relentless heat by Malvina Rawlins, a girl Zane’s age with a stream of corny jokes at her disposal, and her elderly guardian, musician Trudell Manning. Zane’s first-person account is tense and authentically youthful as the group paddles through the flooded streets of New Orleans seeking refuge. Philbrick (The Mostly True Adventures of Homer P. Figg) vividly portrays the destruction and multitude of threats facing citizens stuck in the city, along with undercurrents of racial and social tension that didn’t wash away with the levees. Ages 10–14. Agent: Dominick Abel, Dominick Abel Literary Agency. (Feb.)
★ 02/01/2014
Gr 5–8—A boy's visit to meet his great-grandmother for the first time turns into a nightmare when Hurricane Katrina hits New Orleans. Twelve-year-old Zane has not known many family members other than his mother; after she makes contact with his deceased father's grandmother, Zane travels to the oppressively humid city. When New Orleans is placed under a mandatory evacuation, Zane and his great-grandmother leave with his dog, Bandy, and her pastor; when Bandy is spooked by growling Dobermans, he leaps from the car, followed by Zane. Zane and Bandy endure the hurricane's landfall and the failure of the levees at his great-grandmother's house until they meet a young girl, Malvina, and her guardian, Tru. The trio canoes through the snake-infested waters seeking assistance. Arriving in a neighborhood protected by privately hired security forces leads to vicious threats from the armed guards, who are loading helicopters stuffed with rugs and other expensive items. After their canoe is stolen, they head to the chaos of the Superdome and eventually to a bridge connecting the city to Algiers, in which they hope to find Tru's cousin. Vivid descriptions of the toxic waters, the commotion at the Superdome, and racial tension are handled factually yet sensitively. Information about unique New Orleans customs, including "jazz funerals," its history of biracialism, and accents are occasionally inserted. The fast bond among Zane, Malvina, and Tru is believably drawn. A time line and facts about Hurricane Katrina and its aftermath are included.—Jennifer Schultz, Fauquier County Public Library, Warrenton, VA
Narrator Jerry Dixon's strong performance and Philbrick's exceptional story about a young boy living through Hurricane Katrina ensure that this audiobook will become a classic. Zane Dupree travels to New Orleans from New Hampshire to meet his great-grandmother for the first time. During his visit they’re stranded by the hurricane. Eventually, they're rescued by Tru, an elderly musician, and a feisty girl named Malvina. Dixon perfectly captures Zane's voice as well as Tru's warmth and calm—which keeps the kids centered—and prickly Malvina—who is dealing with her absent mother. When they seek help, the trio meets the best and worst of people—all impeccably conveyed by Dixon. Listeners can almost SEE the people caught up in this American tragedy. S.G.B. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award © AudioFile 2014, Portland, Maine
Narrator Jerry Dixon's strong performance and Philbrick's exceptional story about a young boy living through Hurricane Katrina ensure that this audiobook will become a classic. Zane Dupree travels to New Orleans from New Hampshire to meet his great-grandmother for the first time. During his visit they’re stranded by the hurricane. Eventually, they're rescued by Tru, an elderly musician, and a feisty girl named Malvina. Dixon perfectly captures Zane's voice as well as Tru's warmth and calm—which keeps the kids centered—and prickly Malvina—who is dealing with her absent mother. When they seek help, the trio meets the best and worst of people—all impeccably conveyed by Dixon. Listeners can almost SEE the people caught up in this American tragedy. S.G.B. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award © AudioFile 2014, Portland, Maine
★ 2013-12-01
An appropriately serious and occasionally gruesome tale of surviving Hurricane Katina, buoyed by large doses of hope and humor. Twelve-year-old Zane Dupree, a New Hampshire native, is on his first visit to his newly discovered Grammy in New Orleans when Hurricane Katrina forces them to evacuate. On the way out of the city, Zane's dog jumps out of the van, and Zane follows, soon finding himself back at his grandmother's house alone with the storm quickly closing in. When the winds die down, rising floodwaters force Zane into the sweltering attic, from which he is rescued by local musician Tru and his spunky charge, Malvina. The three embark on an epic adventure--skirting dead bodies and poisonous snakes in the floodwaters, making it to the Superdome only to realize there is no help to be had there, escaping a drug dealer intent on capturing Malvina and attempting to cross the guarded bridge to Algiers. Careful attention to detail in representations of the storm, the city and local dialect give this tale a realistic feel. Zane's perspective as an outsider allows Philbrick to weave in social commentary on race, class, greed and morality, offering rich fodder for reflection and discussion. This compelling story of Katrina is like the floodwaters it describes: quickly moving, sometimes treacherous and sometimes forgiving, with a lot going on beneath the surface. (Historical fiction. 10-14)
