This is an excerpt from one of my very favorite reviews of 2013, published in the Christian Science Monitor, written by reviewer and author Augusta Scattergood. I love it because I think it captures BEHOLDING BEE so well.
"Yes, I'd heard the
early buzz. Readers whose taste mimicked mine loved it. I was
attracted to the appealing cover art, the heft of the book, the fresh voice of
the narrator. And it began with a surprising concept. After the death of her
parents when she was quite young, 12-year-old Bee is in the care of her friend
Pauline. Together, they work at a traveling carnival. Although Bee's birthmark
causes her to constantly cover her face and look away, Pauline offers
encouragement, telling her it is a diamond. Such a unique setting! So many
oddball, intriguing characters, and Bee certainly seemed like a girl to root
for....
"Sometimes you can
only take so many goodbyes in life," Bee observes as she sets Cordelia
free. The pig, the girl, and her funny-looking dog take off to an unknown
destination, the animals taking the lead. Bee follows without much enthusiasm.
After all, it's "hard to get excited about running when you cannot see the
finish line."
Finish line? A pet pig
and a rescued dog? Those aunts? I couldn't put the book down. Bee had stolen my
heart. I worried she'd never find a home. When she did and she slept in her
first real bed, I loved her bravery and her friendships. The disappearing aunts
were such a surprising and funny touch. The strange, outdated clothes, the
candles, and the neighbors turn the novel into a mystery. Worry about food
rationing and soldiers fighting in World War II move it soundly into the realm
of historical fiction.
Historical,
mysterious, fantasy? In the end, none of this will matter to young readers. All
they need to know is that Kimberly Newton Fusco's newest book is a really
terrific, hopeful story. Yes, the year is young, but this could be my favorite
middle-grade novel of 2013."
Augusta Scattergood
regularly reviews children's books for the Monitor.
