It is 1983 in Dennis Acres, Missouri, and Beignet “Benny” Summer is 12 years old. His dad, Calvin, who hoards junk and goes on and on about a future worldwide computer network, keeps the house in a state of utter filth, which has driven Benny’s mom away. Various people - from Calvin’s best friend Myron to Benny’s own teacher - try to help Benny get things cleaned up, but the more help is offered, the more resistant Benny’s dad becomes. Then the worst happens - the U.S. Chamber of Commerce names Dennis Acres America’s Most Charming Small Town. Representatives of the government will be coming to town to install a computer in every household. Now everyone in town is looking to Calvin to clean up his act, and Benny feels torn between his love for his dad and his loyalty to his town.
The first book I ever read by Kate Klise was one of her collaborations with her sister, M. Sarah Klise, entitled Regarding the Fountain. While I loved that one, future books of theirs, such as 43 Old Cemetery Road: Dying to Meet You didn’t resonate with me as much. I do like their picture books, such as Why Do You Cry? and Shall I Knit You a Hat?, but until now, I had never read any of Kate Klise’s middle grade novels, because I wasn’t sure I would like her writing style on its own, without her sister’s illustrations. The fact is, I could not have been more wrong. Homesick is the strongest book I have read by this author to date.
I wouldn’t say that Klise’s writing is especially flowery, but her words are very evocative. Dennis Acres is similar to a lot of other small towns I have read about, but her descriptions give it a very specific look and feel. As I read, I could picture each house and each business. I could imagine Benny’s dad’s leaning tower of moldy pizza boxes, and the rats living in the root cellar. I could picture Myron sitting behind the microphone at his radio station, and Benny blushing as the kids on his school bus teased him for sharing his seat with a teacher. Best of all, during the tornado that occurs at the book’s climax, I felt like I was there as Benny’s whole world fell apart. There are so many beautiful images throughout the story that just stuck with me and will stay with me for a long time.
I suppose some readers might complain that the resolution to Benny’s home situation is resolved too easily by an act of God. Other staunch realists might argue that the story isn’t believable because the events are so unlikely and contrived. I think the quality of Klise’s writing cancels out these concerns, however. The plot is important, and the characters are important, but what makes this book unique is the way the story is told. The emotions of what happens in this book are so vivid that the events of the story seem significant and possible, even if they might never happen in real life. I also think it’s neat that this book, set in the 1980s, foreshadows the Internet, and gives young readers a taste of what life was like when their parents were kids.
I recommend Homesick to fans of The Higher Power of Lucky and Susan Patron’s other books about Hard Pan, as well as to fans of the 2013 Newbery Honor book, Three Times Lucky. I also think libraries and bookstores should display Homesick face-out whenever possible. It has a great cover that is sure to attract interested readers!
I borrowed Homesick from my local public library.
For more about this book, visit Goodreads and Worldcat.
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