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Description
"After "rotten bad year" on the mainland, eleven-year-old Jett returns to Newfoundland to spend the summer with his sprightly Grandma Jo (whose hair is dyed cotton candy blue to match her house), bringing along a shameful secret involving the betrayal of a friend. As summer unfolds, Grandma Jo nurtures in Jett his sense of caring for others while giving him space to breathe. Jett finds himself examining memories of his past like bits of sea glass-arranging them in a way he can make sense of as he struggles to come to terms with past mistakes. A powerful and engaging narrative, composed of artfully wrought vignettes, Ebb & Flow washes over the reader, pulling them into the mystery of what happened to Jett on the mainland, and into his journey to redemption."--… (more)
Local notes
Gr 4–6—This touching verse novel begins with Jett headed to the East Coast to stay with his grandmother for the summer. Jett had a rough year: his father went to prison, and normally kind Jett joined forces with a bully to vent some of his anger and wound up in deep trouble for stealing from an adult with intellectual disabilities. Readers learn about Jett's recent past through flashbacks and the stories he tells Grandma Jo. The time with his "Cotton Candy Granny" is exactly what the boy needs. They collect sea glass at the beach and Jett realizes that "even after all that battering," the glass survives. His unconditionally loving Grandma's influence soothes Jett's troubled soul, and he emerges forgiven by the man he betrayed and forgives himself. Although the complete healing is somewhat idealized, this is a powerful and poetic story of emotional endurance. VERDICT Full of charm and small bits of wisdom, this redemption story will find wide appeal among fans of middle grade realistic fiction.—Elaine Fultz, Madison Jr. Sr. High School, Middletown, OH Copyright 2018 Reed Business Information.