| United States - African American & Black |
| People & Places |
| Adolescence & Coming of Age |
| Social Themes |
| Depression & Mental Illness |
| Juvenile Fiction |
Summary
Summary
After the death of her mother, seventh-grader Serena finds herself facing the day-to-day challenges of caring for herself and her younger brother, Henry, all while attempting to lead a normal pre-teen life.
Seventh-grader Serena Shaw is trying to keep up at school while rehearsing for the lead role in the spring musical and dealing with a father so "blue" he is nearly catatonic. With the aid of a not-so-secret admirer, as well as a growing sense of self-confidence, she faces the challenges of caring for herself and her ball-of-charm younger brother--all while attempting to lead the life of a normal pre-teen.
Readers will be drawn into this convincing portrait of a vivacious young person who is on a path to discovering that taking on responsibility sometimes means finding the best way to ask for help.
Author Notes
TRACI L. JONES's first novel, Standing Against the Wind , was met with critical acclaim, won the Coretta Scott King-John Steptoe New Talent Award, and was named to five state reading lists. Her subsequent novels include Finding My Place and Silhouetted by the Blue . Jones grew up in Denver, Colorado, in the very same house in which she now lives with her husband and four children.
Reviews (5)
School Library Journal Review
Gr 6-8-Serena Shaw, an African-American seventh grader, is in crisis mode. Her mother died 18 months ago and since then her father has been slipping deeper into "the blue." He has had short periods of melancholy in the past, but his wife was always there to help him. Now, he has stopped taking his medicine and rarely gets out of bed. Serena, who hopes to get into Juilliard, is thrilled to win the lead in her school's musical, but the after-school rehearsals are making it harder for her to take care of her younger brother, Henry. Although her life is difficult, she doesn't want to share her problems with her best friends, or anyone else, worried that their father might "get sent somewhere." The situation escalates until she is forced to call the only person she thinks can help her family, her Uncle Peter. Jones has done a magnificent job of describing someone who is clinically depressed. Serena vacillates between sadness for her father's grief and rage because he's not being a father to her and her brother, but there is never any doubt that she loves him. Serena and Henry are well-defined characters who are trying to deal with a problem that they don't fully understand as well as grieve for their mother. It is a sign of Serena's strength that she finally realizes that she has to ask for help. The ending is not a quick fix, but it sends a hopeful message that with the right help, depression can be controlled.-Nancy P. Reeder, Heathwood Hall Episcopal School, Columbia, SC (c) Copyright 2011. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Publisher's Weekly Review
In this coming-of-age tale, Jones creates a moving portrait of a girl forced by her mother's death and her father's incapacitating depression to accept adult household and child-raising responsibilities. Whether making afterschool arrangements for her younger brother, Henry; rehearsing for her role in the school play; handling laundry, shopping, and cooking; or finding time for homework, seventh-grader Serena responds with grace, fortitude, and humor to her challenges until, incrementally, they begin to overwhelm her. Jones (Finding My Place) offers a harrowing depiction of depression as witnessed and comprehended through young eyes, the suspense centering on whether Serena will recognize the gravity of her father's illness in time to seek help. Complex relationships with friends emphasize Serena's exposure to a wide range of social choices. Visual and dramatic arts figure highly: singing provides Serena with her one trusted mode of self-expression, while the novel's title refers to Henry's painting of Serena, which creates a turning point moment. Jones leaves readers with a sense of hope, though it's clear Serena and Henry's problems are far from over. Ages 10-14. (July) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
Horn Book Review
Since the death of her mother in an accident eighteen months earlier, more and more has fallen on seventh-grader Serena's shoulders. Her depressed father has stopped taking his medication and won't leave his bed, so it's Serena who must make sure she and her younger brother Henry get fed, clothed, and out the door to school each day. She maintains a snappy personality and is even chosen for the lead role in the school's production of The Wiz, but her life becomes increasingly stressful as she tries to keep up her grades and care for her family. Jones accurately and vividly depicts the strains many students feel under the pressures of school and demands of home. Serena's overly good actions are balanced by her sharp tongue as she occasionally lashes out at her younger brother even while making sure he is properly cared for. The concluding scenes with a suicide attempt seem rushed and the ending a little too upbeat, but Serena's courage, perseverance, and hesitant relationships with friends, with Henry, and with new boyfriend Elijah make her a compelling character. susan dove lempke (c) Copyright 2011. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Kirkus Review
A young teen struggles to balance responsibilities she shouldn't have to assume against the day-to-day travails of seventh grade.Serena Shaw, a spirited middle-school student, is trying to keep her family together following the accidental death of her mother and the subsequent debilitating depression of her father, a noted illustrator.Her little brother is having problems coping with the change in their family. For a while, Serena thinks her father is just in a funk, and there are moments when he is able to work, but these are outweighed by days when he doesn't get out of bed. Serena has always dreamed of getting the lead in her school musical, but this means more pressure as she works on the play and assumes more responsibility at home as her father slips deeper into "the blue." She tries everything to reach her father, but his condition worsens with each day, culminating in an attempt to take his life. Finally, a family member steps in to help in the crisis. The portrayal of Serena is strong, showing both her maturity in handling her family problems and her normal seventh-grade insecurities. There are moments of great poignancy as Serena remembers her mother, who, though absent, is still an important figure.A compassionate portrait of an African-American family coping with grief and mental illness.(Fiction 10-14)]] Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Booklist Review
*Starred Review* Seventh-grader Serena Shaw's father has always struggled with depression, but since her mom died a year ago, he has been so blue that most days he doesn't get out of bed. So it's up to Serena to get her seven-year-old brother, Henry, to and from school each day, make sure he eats, and answer his questions about their mother's death. But now Serena has just landed the coveted role of Dorothy in The Wiz, and if the cast does well, they will save the drama program at her school. Her load of responsibility has gotten heavier, and she needs help, but who could she possibly ask? Jones has written another winner with this beautiful, haunting tale rich in story and characterization. The grief Henry, Serena, and their dad wrestle with is palpable, and the family dynamics draw the reader in from the first page. Serena wants to do the right thing for her father, for Henry, for herself but struggles to know what the right thing is. As poignant as it is realistic, this story deserves a wide readership.--Moore, Meliss. Copyright 2010 Booklist
