Skip to main content

Grounded

Image
By Lauren
Grounded
By Kate Klise
Feiwel and Friends, 2010. 196 pages. Fiction.

Daralynn Oakland is alive because she was grounded. She lied to her mom about sneaking down to the fishing hole, so she wasn't allowed to fly away on vacation with her dad, sister, and brother. Tragically, these three die in a plane crash. Left alone with her one child and no husband, Daralynn's mother flounders in a numb depression. After she prepares her family for burial, Mrs. Oakland discovers she has a knack for hairstyling and eventually buys her own salon. Daralynn also comes up with the idea to start a "living funeral" business, where people can have their lives celebrated and actually be there to witness it. Through this, she begins to heal, as well as by writing a journal of letters to her deceased family. There is a mystery story woven in, as a stranger to their small town starts a high-priced cremation business and scams the townspeople out of a lot of money.

There are some funny moments to lighten the reading experience. I especially enjoyed vicariously attending some of the living funerals- hysterical! I think this is a genius idea. Aside from the small moments of humor, Kate Klise handles the child's view of loss beautifully. Here is an author who understands children and grief, and writes well about characters going through the healing process. I believe the time period is in the late 70s because of some cultural references, but it is not stated outright. Best for 4th grade and up for thematic elements. For a more lighthearted but still topical read, check out Each Little Bird That Sings by Deborah Wiles.
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

If You Like...KPop Demon Hunters

By
KPop Demon Hunters has been one of the most talked-about movies of the summer. If you loved this movie as much as I did, you don't want the magic (or the music) to stop. Try reading these books that touch on some of the same topics and themes as the animated hit! Brick Dust and Bones By M. R. Fournet New York: Feiwel and Friends, 2023. Fiction. 247 pages. Orphaned Marius works in the family business--as their cemetery's ghost caretaker. However, Marius also moonlights as a monster hunter in order to earn the costly Mystic currency he needs to bring his mother back from the dead. As the window to bring his mother back begins to close, Marius's exploits get more and more dangerous, and he may have set his sights on a monster too big to handle on his own. Like Mira, Marius longs for familial connection, and his work as a monster hunter will satisfy the thrill of demon hunting for fans the movie. Where's Halmoni? By Julie J. Kim Seattle, WA: Little Bigfoot, 2017. Comics. W...
Post a Comment
Read more

Review: I Hate Everything!

By
  I Hate Everything! By Sophy Henn  New York: Beach Lane Books, 2025. Picture Book.  Two ghosts are floating atop a solid colored background. The first one yells, “I HATE EVERYTHING!” The second ghost responds, “Really?” Thus, begins the conversation which helps the first ghost realize that they don’t actually hate everything. This is a great picture book that is all about feelings and ghosts. The simple speech bubbles will allow even young preschoolers to understand what is happening. The illustrations though simple, have clever bits that readers will laugh out loud at. Basically, this is a brilliant book that every young reader who is mad at the world (or who knows someone who seems to be mad at the world) should read.
Post a Comment
Read more

Review: The Library in the Woods

By
  The Library in the Woods Written by Calvin Alexander Ramsey Illustrated by R. Gregory Christie Minneapolis, MN : Carolrhoda Books, 2025. Picture Book. I am always intrigued by picture books that tell stories from the past in beautiful and meaningful ways, leaving the reader educated, and also hopeful and inspired. This book definitely did that for me! The cover is a beautiful peek into the story waiting on the pages. Junior and his family have lived on a farm that is having a hard time producing what it needs to for the family to survive economically. The parents make the hard decision to move away from the farm and into the city. Junior misses a lot of things about his life in the country. However, when Junior's friends tell him about a library in the woods, things change for him in the best way! He is amazed by the seemingly endless collection of books, and is eager to check some out for his family. Junior excitedly borrows a few books, including one about a farmer for his dad ...
Post a Comment
Read more