Uncle Ted has moved into the basement to draw the history of the world and father believes that there is a racoon in the attic.
Pinky, Ferris’ six-year-old sister is determined to become an outlaw.
Ferris knows that she wants to hold Billy Jackson’s
hand forever.
Kate DiCamillo sets out with no rules. The beauty of her singular style is that she can mention something, then drop it to write about something else, and return to the previous issue without losing a beat.
She builds stories within stories. In Ferris, she has constructed an engrossing and evocative collection of moving episodes on family life. They centre around love, devotion, trust and the impossible becoming possible.
Every story is a love story
Endless themes are addressed in sensitive ways, for
DiCamillo is superb when writing about personal relationships, particularly when
transmitted through her character’s dialogue.
Relationships between young and old, how to appreciate the mysteries of life even when they can’t be solved, and the indisputable need to recognise, and hold onto, the people that are significant to your life. These issues sparkle between points alluded on the necessity of language, which are threaded into the story in a fascinating fashion.
I love DiCamillo’s work. Her fabulous characters grace her writing. She leaves the reader feeling that every word is a worthwhile gift of knowledge that otherwise would have been a loss, but for having come upon her wondrous work.
Title: Ferris
Author: Kate DiCamillo
Publisher: Walker Books, $19.99
Publication Date: 3 April 2024
Format: Hardcover
ISBN: 9781760659240
For ages: 9 - 12
Type: Middle Grade Fiction