The Boy on the Porch by Sharon Creech

When John and Marta find a young boy asleep on their porch, they're not sure what to do with him. The boy seems unable to speak but possess a crumpled note which indicates that his name is Jacob and that someone will be back for him.

Meanwhile the boy displays unusual artistic and musical talents, which lend a fairy-tale like quality to the story. When days and then weeks pass with no one claiming the boy, the couple start to believe that they are actually a family and that the boy belongs to them. When the boy's father does eventually show up, he's a ne'er do well who does not seem to even care about Jacob's well being. John and Marta are however, forced to relinquish the boy to his father's care but find that caring for children suits them and they begin a life of taking in foster children. Coming full circle, one day in the future, John and Marta find a grown-up young man asleep on their porch who turns out to be the boy that they cared for all those years ago. This is where the story ends.

This is a very sweet tale but the characters are not well developed and we never find out why Jacob was abandoned or why his father returned. It's also never explicitly stated why John and Marta don't have any children of their own and they never talk about specifically longing for a child or being unhappy that they do not have any. Because of this it's difficult to become absorbed in the story or understand the characters' motivations.It is also never explained why the boy can't speak and there is a hint of mystery or perhaps something magical in the beginning of the story, which never really comes to fruition. Recommended for readers looking for a short and sweet tale. 2013.

P. Sassoon

White Fur Flying

This is a sweet, gentle tale about loss and healing. Zoe's dad is a vet and her mother fosters Great Pyrenees  dogs that have been rescued, until they can be placed in permanent homes.Great Pyrenees are large and can weigh over 100 pounds. Their weather resistant, double coat of white hair consists of a thick, straight outer layer over a dense, wooly undercoat and it requires a lot of brushing. This results in massive amounts of white fur flying around their house at all times. Their own Great Pyrenees, Kodi, befriends each rescue dog and then mourns the loss of his friend when the rescue dog leaves to go to a permanent home.

New neighbors, the Crofts, move in next door to the only house in sight of Zoe's house. Mrs. Croft is a nervous woman who seems to like order and be afraid of her own shadow. Her nephew, Philip, is staying with her and her husband while his own parents "solve a problem." Philip won't speak but is instantly drawn to the dogs, especially Kodi and the newest rescue dog, Jack.

In the big climax to the story, Philip disappears during a storm and it is Jack, the dog, who leads him to shelter. This all leads to a happy ending for both the dogs and Philip, who experiences a breakthrough. This well-written book is a great story for those new to chapter books, reluctant readers and animal lovers.   2013

Renee Rauch  

Kindred Souls by Patricia MacLachlan

Kindred Souls

Jake and his family live with his grandfather, Billy, on the family farm that his grandfather's family started  over eighty years ago. Billy was born on the farm, in the sod house that his family lived in when they first settled there. Remnants of the house are still on the property.

Jake and Billy are kindred souls, according to Jake's mom. Jake loves Billy's stories and his way with animals. Every day when Jake finishes his chores, he and Billy walk the farm visiting the animals and their favorite spots, ending at the site of the old sod house.

Billy is extremely nostalgic about the old sod house and would like to see it rebuilt, something he is not physically capable of doing at this point in his life. He asks Jake to do it, but Jake, who loves his grandfather tremendously and is usually on his wavelength, doesn't really want to do it. It is physically taxing work and would take big chunk out of his summer. He doesn't see the need for it, nor understand his grandfather's desire to see it rebuilt.

When Billy is taken ill, however, rebuilding the sod house becomes a labor of love and soon the rest of the family join in, all hoping that Billy will survive to see it.

This is a very sweet, inter-generational family story. It would be a good choice for any child dealing with the potential loss of a grandparent.       2012

R. Rauch