Pixie Pushes On

December 1, 2019
A Midwestern farm girl deals with the upheaval of her mother's death and her sister's polio diagnosis. Prudence, called Pixie by her older sister, Charlotte, and her grandfather, can't believe she has to start fifth grade with Miss Meany-Beany for a teacher and without her sister's protection. Last winter, after Mama died, the girls and their father moved to their grandparents' farm. Then, in late summer, Charlotte contracted polio, just like President Roosevelt. Charlotte stays nearly a year at a hospital in far-off Indianapolis while Pixie learns to get along without her sister, making friends with a boy whose older brother is fighting in the war, coming to appreciate Miss Beany, and raising an orphan lamb. Pixie is a pleasant character, and her affection for her sister seems genuine, but the other emotional arcs in the story--Pixie's blaming herself for her sister's illness and most of Pixie's interactions with her family and friends--feel somewhat forced and predictable. Keeping Charlotte offstage for nearly all the book makes her feel more like a plot device than a character--and why does Charlotte write letters to Pixie only when family members can hand-deliver them instead of putting them in the mail? Wartime details are sometimes missing or inaccurate. There's no mention of gas rationing, for example, or how the war required farmers to grow more crops with fewer laborers and brought general prosperity to those who farmed. Sentimental, somewhat soggy, not very real. (Historical fiction. 8-12)

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January 17, 2020

Gr 4-6-In 1945, following the death of her mother, fifth grader Prudence (Pixie) Davidson has moved from Kentucky with her father and older sister Charlotte to her grandparents' Indiana farm. Struggling with her grief, adjusting to farm life, and getting off on the wrong foot in a new school, she is now consumed with worry as Charlotte, whom she idolizes, is hospitalized with polio for which Pixie mistakenly feels responsible. Her wise, understanding grandfather; her no-nonsense but nurturing grandmother; a kind teacher; and classmate Ricky are steadying forces. Charlotte's letters and their father's cautious prediction of her recovery bolster Pixie's spirits and give her hope. But her experience caring for a lamb helps her accept the reality of loss and healing. Pixie's wry first-person voice aptly conveys her inner turmoil and the flavor and hardship of rural life during World War II, along with a healthy dose of humor. Some overly familiar themes, predictable but well-drawn characters, and occasionally cloying narration are offset by a powerful message of friendship, familial love, faith, and perseverance. Details of life on a farm during the war and the scourge of the polio epidemic are skillfully incorporated into the story. VERDICT This absorbing read features an appealing heroine and is a good choice for collections where titles about nostalgia and strong family values are in demand.-Marie Orlando, formerly at Suffolk Cooperative Library System, Bellport, NY

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