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JAKE AND LILY by Jerry Spinelli


copyright date: May 2012
primarily marketed for: intermediate readers (8 and up)

This is another book for younger readers.  So, although the time you spend actually reading Jake and Lily by Jerry Spinelli won’t be long, the time this story spends traveling around in your heart will be immeasurable.

Spinelli is a master at getting straight to the heart of what keeps people from accepting one another: differences.  Through the story of young twins Jake and Lily, he tells a story of tolerance, acceptance, and ultimately friendship. 

Jake and Lily have a very special relationship.  They are able to connect with one another through dreams and across distances.  In fact, as they write their stories for us in alternating chapters, they don’t even need to read to know what they other has written. 

Conflict settles into their lives when growing up threatens to come between them.  As Jake begins to spend more time with a group of boys led by the roughest boy in the neighborhood, his connection with Lily seems to fade. 

Lily is forced to look elsewhere to fill the void left by losing her brother’s friendship.  While Jake is succumbing to the guidance of a bully who leads the boys in a hunt for Goobers, Lily finds guidance in her wise, earthy grandfather, Poppy. 

In true Spinelli-style, both children figure out what it means to be themselves.  It is a story for younger readers, but if contains Spinelli’s poetic voice of wisdom in lines crafted like these:

[Jake]
“He hates me.  Ernest Lindop of Meeker Street hates me.  I’ve never been hated before.  It’s like sunburn on my heart.”

[Lily]
“What do you do while you’re waiting for your life to happen?”

Reading Jake and Lily felt like eating dessert first.  It was a pure treat for my soul.

Reading Threads:
Loser by Jerry Spinelli
Stargirl by Jerry Spinelli
Wringer by Jerry Spinelli
Maniac Magee by Jerry Spinelli
Wonder by R. J.Palacio
Out of My Mind by Sharon Draper
The Thing About Georgie by Lisa Graff
Rules by Cynthia Lord
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Comments

  1. Linda BJuly 11, 2012 at 8:10 AM

    Terrific-I have heard that Spinelli has a new one-Thanks Christy!

    ReplyDelete
  2. SheilaJuly 28, 2012 at 10:17 PM

    Thanks for the great review of this new one by a favorite author. Have you read his short story collection called (I think) The Library Card?

    ReplyDelete
  3. SheilaAugust 17, 2012 at 11:04 AM

    Hi, Christy,

    Just thought I'd say hello again and mention another gifted author for older middle-grade kids, Kevin Henkes. He's so well known for his picture books, but I love his novels, too.

    Tasha is busy with school-related preparations and I'm sure you are, too. It's a hectic time of year.

    If you ever would like to have an author visit through Skype, I'm available. I've done it about ten times, and it's a great way to connect with student readers -- if the technology cooperates!

    Take care,
    Sheila

    ReplyDelete

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