As I was finishing the book Prairie Evers by Ellen Airgood I worried the ending would be too perfect--everything would work out in such a way to leave the reader happy, even if isn’t the way real life worked. And it reminded me of One for the Murphys , which made me cry because it was real life. Turns out the ending of Prairie Evers is open, and that’s how it should be. One for the Murphys , sigh, ended as it should have too. Let’s compare (spoilers ahead). Prairie Evers , which is for children in grades 3-5, is about a once-homeschooled girl who finds a BFF in Ivy Blake when she starts attending the local school. Ivy, though, comes from a troubled home. Where Prairie is outgoing with artsy, but stable parents, Ivy is shy and fatherless. Worse, her mom killed her father in a domestic accident. Ivy’s mom is sullen and depressed and cares not a whit for Ivy. Prairie and her family recognize this and Ivy becomes a de facto member of their household. Ivy’s mom meets, then marries Ge
A blog about books ... those I've read, those I'm reading, and those I plan to read.