Ebook Hold Fast, by Blue Balliett
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Hold Fast, by Blue Balliett
Ebook Hold Fast, by Blue Balliett
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From NYT bestselling author Blue Balliett, the story of a girl who falls into Chicago's shelter system, and from there must solve the mystery of her father's strange disappearance.
Where is Early's father? He's not the kind of father who would disappear. But he's gone . . . and he's left a whole lot of trouble behind.
As danger closes in, Early, her mom, and her brother have to flee their apartment. With nowhere else to go, they are forced to move into a city shelter. Once there, Early starts asking questions and looking for answers. Because her father hasn't disappeared without a trace. There are patterns and rhythms to what's happened, and Early might be the only one who can use them to track him down and make her way out of a very tough place.
With her signature, singular love of language and sense of mystery, Blue Balliett weaves a story that takes readers from the cold, snowy Chicago streets to the darkest corner of the public library, on an unforgettable hunt for deep truths and a reunited family.
- Sales Rank: #339298 in eBooks
- Published on: 2013-03-01
- Released on: 2013-03-01
- Format: Kindle eBook
From School Library Journal
Gr 6-9-The four Pearls live in a one-room apartment in South Side Chicago, rejoicing in their love for reading and celebrating words and poetic rhythms while keeping their eye on the dream of a house of their own. Dash, the father, works at the library, quotes Langston Hughes, and takes on some extra work for a dealer of old books, hoping to build up the family nest egg. When he disappears, and a violent break-in forces Early; her mother, Sum; and her younger brother, Jubilation, to escape to a homeless shelter, they are sure that their father will show up soon and they will be together again. But Dash's strange disappearance and the police's refusal to believe that there is more to the story cause Early to summon her strength and follow the clues herself. Balliett paints a vivid picture, a literary composition reminiscent of an Impressionist painting, and the landscape of life as a child within the social-services system comes into focus through the eyes of an 11-year-old. Early's interactions with the other kids at the shelter and at school help her devise a letter-writing campaign about housing for the homeless that one hopes might gain a foothold in the real world. This is an engaging mystery in which books are both the problem and the solution, and the author shows that the fight to hold fast to your dreams rewards those who persevere. Excellent.-Cheryl Ashton, Amherst Public Library, OHα(c) Copyright 2011. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
From Booklist
*Starred Review* In a one-room apartment on Chicago’s South Side lives the Pearl family: Dash, Summer, 11-year-old Early, and little Jubie. Do they have a lot? Well, yes, they have Dash’s love of words, their devotion to each other, and their dream: to have a home. Trying to help that dream along, Dash, a page at the Chicago Public Library, makes extra money inventorying a private collection of old books. One ice-cold day, Dash disappears, and the family must move to a shelter after an odd robbery sees their possessions stolen and their apartment destroyed. The story has some problems, especially when it comes to the mystery. The perpetrators are cartoonish, and Early’s decision to be home schooled just when she needs to be free to find clues is awfully convenient. On another front, the national attention for a homeless program Early’s devised might have fit better in a sequel. But what’s wonderful about this book, overshadowing the plot flaws, is the way Balliett so thoroughly gets inside the mind of a child accustomed to love and protection—and who now sees her life slipping away. Sadness and stoicism mingle freely in ways that will pierce all readers. Early is a clever heroine, and her smarts are enhanced by the poetry of Langston Hughes, which ripples beautifully through the story and infuses it with hope. One to ponder, this has a beat all its own. HIGH-DEMAND BACKSTORY: A new book by Blue Balliett, author of Chasing Vermeer (2004), is always an awaited event, and this title will be no exception. Grades 4-7. --Ilene Cooper
Review
"The four Pearls live in a one-room apartment in South Side Chicago, rejoicing in their love for reading and celebrating words and poetic rhythms while keeping their eye on the dream of a house of their own. Dash, the father, works at the library, quotes Langston Hughes, and takes on some extra work for a dealer of old books, hoping to build up the family nest egg. When he disappears, and a violent break-in forces Early; her mother, Sum; and her younger brother, Jubilation, to escape to a homeless shelter, they are sure that their father will show up soon and they will be together again. But Dash’s strange disappearance and the police’s refusal to believe that there is more to the story cause Early to summon her strength and follow the clues herself. Balliett paints a vivid picture, a literary composition reminiscent of an Impressionist painting, and the landscape of life as a child within the social-services system comes into focus through the eyes of an 11-year-old. Early’s interactions with the other kids at the shelter and at school help her devise a letter-writing campaign about housing for the homeless that one hopes might gain a foothold in the real world. This is an engaging mystery in which books are both the problem and the solution, and the author shows that the fight to hold fast to your dreams rewards those who persevere. Excellent." – Cheryl Ashton, School Library Journal starred review
"Eleven-year-old Early Pearl holds fast to her family’s dream of a home of their own even after her father disappears, their apartment is ransacked, and she and her brother and mother are forced to move to a shelter.
Taking her title from a Langston Hughes poem, the author of Chasing Vermeer (2004) weaves a moving story of homelessness, family, and the love of words and books. This mystery opens promisingly with a wintertime bike accident, a man’s disappearance and a series of numerical coincidences. A warm family circle of four is broken; there’s a violent burglary; the three remaining flee to Helping Hand. Early and her 4-year-old brother, Jubilation, play at being spies, but the fifth grader does real detective work, researching in the Chicago Public Library, where her father worked, and enlisting the help of some sympathetic adults. Gradually she, and readers, come to realize that her dad has been caught up in an international crime operation and that all of them are in danger. Early’s family reads; her father is such an admirer of Langston Hughes that the poet’s The First Book of Rhythms is a family treasure and plays a vital role in the solution of this intricate tale. Chapters are identified by word definitions (possible clues) and line patterns reminiscent of those in Hughes’ book." - Kirkus starred review
"In a one-room apartment on Chicago’s South Side lives the Pearl family: Dash, Summer, 11-year-old Early, and little Jubie. Do they have a lot? Well, yes, they have Dash’s love of words, their devotion to each other, and their dream: to have a home. Trying to help that dream along, Dash, a page at the Chicago Public Library, makes extra money inventorying a private collection of old books. One ice-cold day, Dash disappears, and the family must move to a shelter after an odd robbery sees their possessions stolen and their apartment destroyed. The story has some problems, especially when it comes to the mystery. Theperpetrators are cartoonish, and Early’s decision to be “home-schooled” just when she needs to be free to find clues is awfully convenient. On another front, the national attention for a homeless program Early’s devised might have fit better in a sequel. But what’s wonderful about this, overshadowing the flaws, is the way Balliet so thoroughly gets inside the mind of a child accustomed to love and protection—and who now sees her life slipping away. Sadness and stoicism mingle freely in ways that will pierce all readers. Early is a clever heroine, and her smarts are enhanced by the poetry of Langston Hughes, which ripples beautifully through the story and infuses it with hope. One to ponder, this has a beat all its own.HIGH-DEMAND BACKSTORY:
A new book by Blue Balliet, author of Chasing Vermeer (2004), is always an awaited event, and this title will be no exception."
- Ilene Cooper, Booklist starred review
Praise for The Danger Box:
* "Balliett demonstrates how danger boxes are all around us–not just as containers of physical objects for which people will hazard a great deal, but as vehicles that expose us to risky ideas and dreams. This highly satisfying story will enlighten readers even as it inspires them to think about their own danger boxes." - School Library Journal, starred review
"Blue Balliett's fourth mystery, The Danger Box, spins a web of science and history into a spine-tingling yet uplifting tale. Kids are in for an adventure that leaves no reader untouched." - Chicago Sun Times
Most helpful customer reviews
8 of 9 people found the following review helpful.
Hold Fast
By Nicole Levesque
Scholastic, 2013
Mystery
288 pages
Recommended for grades 5-7
When Early's father goes missing one day her family is left a shadow of what it once was. The disappearance of Dash (her father) leads to a mystery of where he is, why he's gone, and how to get him back. The mystery develops around a business of buying and selling old books. Dash was involved, and this seems to be a key in figuring out what has happened to him.
When a group of people break into Early's apartment, trash it and take all the money the family has, Early finds herself in a shelter with her mother and younger brother.
I loved the writing style, there are some truly beautiful lines. Langston Hughes' work is woven throughout, and is an important poet in the lives of the characters. The mystery isn't rich enough to keep younger readers hooked though. Even I found myself wondering when we could wrap things up. It just wasn't a home run for me.
16 of 21 people found the following review helpful.
But no cigar
By E. R. Bird
I honestly don't think you can be a reviewer without being honest about your own personal prejudices first. When I pick up a book for children I have to cut through a thick swath of issues infecting my brain that may have little to nothing to do with the book in hand. Maybe I was forced to read Stuart Little when I was a child and that's why I've never liked animal fantasies. Maybe a poorly constructed sports novel burned a small hole in my soul and that's why this particular baseball novel isn't ringing true to me. You have to own up right from the start to what makes you tick as a reviewer. So that's what I'm going to do with Blue Balliett's book "Hold Fast". Here are the facts of the matter. I have read two other books of Ms. Balliett's in the past and they were not to my taste. That's fact number one. Fact number two is that when I am disappointed in a book it makes me even more critical of the title than would be normal for me. So read on if you like, but bear in mind that these two facts are at the forefront of this very review. I read "Hold Fast" by Blue Balliett. I did not much care for it.
Sum, Dash, Early and Jubie. Four people in a single family. Take away one of them? Disaster. That's how Early feels when her beloved father Dash disappears one night on his way home from the library. The police are willing to believe that he's just another deadbeat dad but Early knows better. Surely his disappearance has something to do with a side job he got at the library. And what's the connection to those scary men who threatened her family, forcing them to seek help in one of Chicago's many shelters? Though she's just a kid, Early is determined to solve the mystery for the sake of her little brother Jubie, her seriously depressed mom Sum, and the father who might be out there needing her help.
You might wonder why I would suck on such bitter disappointment with this book right from the get-go when, as I've already stated, it wasn't as if my expectations were high to begin with. But you see my expectations were high. Not because of the author necessarily, but because of the description of the plot. I work in the ultimate urban library system: New York City. I see middle grade books for kids waltz through my library's doors every single solitary day. Sheer hoards of books are published for children in a given year. Now recount for me all the titles you can think of off the top of your head that deal with the shelter system. Not the foster care system (though that genre could certainly use a kick in the pants as well) but the kids and adults caught up in shelters. In all my years of librarianship I can tell you honestly that I have never read a single solitary middle grade novel, or picture book for that matter, that dared to explain, explore, or inhabit the world of shelters. The children living there might as well not exist for all that they don't show up in books. So for Ms. Balliett to research and throw herself heart and soul into a book that dares to explore this remarkable topic is to her credit. For that alone she should be commended. And had I not read the book I could have left it at that. But I did read the book. That is where the trouble started.
I recently wrote a post on my blog decrying the lack of African-American male protagonists in middle grade novels (particularly in the publishing year 2013). Balliett's protagonist is female, but that's fine and dandy with me. As much as we need boys, we need girls just as much. I've never had a problem with an author writing about a character outside their own race. Do your research and avoid the obvious pitfalls and you'll have my support. "Hold Fast" starts out fine in this respect. The family lives lower-income lives (in part, perhaps, due to Summer's crippling and understandably untreated depression), just about scraping by until tragedy knocks them flat. But once they entered the shelter my hackles began to raise. With the exception of Summer and an older woman they meet in the shelter with grown children, almost every mother encountered in this book threatens her children with beatings, beltings, slaps, hits, and other forms of physical punishment. About the third time it happened I was getting worried. What precisely are we trying to say here? The rare mom who doesn't hit her kids is either sunk in depression or gets carted off for drug possession. Is this really what we want to say about the African-American women caught in Chicago's shelter system? I understand that such physicality occurs, but the frequency went beyond mere personality quirk to commentary. And not a commentary I necessarily want kids to read.
Then there was the small difficulty of Dash's personality. There is a thin line between the joyous father figure character that supports his children's hopes and dreams, inspiring them along the way, and a character that speaks almost entirely in platitudes. Dash might have been able to take a page out of the book of Ratchet's father in "This Journal Belongs to Ratchet" by Nancy Cavanaugh. A fellow 2013 publication, Ratchet's dad bears much in common with Dash. Both men have high aspirations for a better world and speak truth to power. Both enjoy wordplay. But while Ratchet's dad speaks in platitudes on a regular basis, he has a personality above and beyond his aphorisms. More to the point, he has some major character flaws. Dash, in stark contrast, feels less like a real flesh-and-blood human and more like a stand-in for an idea. The self-made man who quotes Langston Hughes is a caricature if not reigned in continually. Dash, unfortunately, is never given any flaws except an excess of misplaced trust in his fellow man. I wanted someone real to worry about. Instead, all I had was a symbol.
That Early has a bit of a Pollyanna in her is almost a necessary character quality. When you're so beaten down you find yourself trapped without seeing any hope in your situation, you need some kind of inner strength to carry on. She has it in droves, and mostly as a character she worked for me. There were, however, two exception to this. The first was a sequence where Early introduces the joy of reading to the other kids in the shelter. It's an old-fashioned "reading is fun" portion of the book that didn't feel right at all. It contained honest-to-goodness lines like, "It's so fun, like seeing a movie with popcorn, only better, because it stays in your head as long as you want it to and then you can go back and see parts of it again!" Like an after school special had walked into what was otherwise a rather realistic novel. Then there were Early's interrogation skills. Even a willing sense of disbelief must raise a skeptical eyebrow when a kid asking a grown person questions in conjunction with a crime can make that adult sweat profusely and quail under their directness. That one was a bit hard to buy.
What kills me is that there is so much to potentially enjoy in this book. The idea of using the definition of words as a way of finding clues? That's fun! The section that rightly points out that it was, "as if you weren't 100 percent human when you came into the police station on the wrong side of the front desk. If you were upset, it was unreasonable. If you had a question, it could wait. Just the fact that you were there seemed like a strike against you." That's good writing. And that's what kills me. So much of this book works. What sinks it is that the parts that don't work REALLY don't work and the bad weighs down the good. If I can't believe in my characters then I can't believe in a book. My favorite character in "Hold Fast" ended up being the setting. In terms of a sense of place, Balliett can't be beat. You are there. You are with her. You are trapped even as her characters are trapped. But you're prevented from completely identifying with them. The end result is that you still end up learning a lot about the shelters and the people in them, despite the actual plot. And maybe, in a way, that's a success that makes the whole book worth it in the end. However you chose to look at it, the bones of "Hold Fast" could be called strong. It's the excess that keeps it from reaching what could have been its full potential.
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful.
Trying a bit too hard to educate and not enough to entertain
By Jennifer Grey
How you feel about Hold Fast, the latest of a series of novels by Balliett that both educate and entertain, probably depends on where the emphasis of your interest falls, on the former or the latter.
If the former, Hold should be right up your alley. It's a gripping, even heart-rending, tale of a family living on the financial edge and what happens when they tip over it. It deserves to be read for its sympathetic yet jarring depictions of shelter life and what that kind of life can do to the people who are forced to live it. If Balliett's regular focus on the humanities is a bit blunted here (there's some nominal stuff about Langston Hughes, but it's not nearly as central to the plot as in her other novels), there's still plenty of facts of life to learn.
If, however, you're more on the entertaining end of things... well, that's a different story. Hold Fast's plot is paper thin, and frequently laughable - or would be, if its heavy-handed coincidences didn't involve so much personal tragedy for the characters. The mystery seems tacked on, more an excuse for a societal examination than anything else. And the less said about heroine Early's mother - who should read as a woman ground down by the system and the desperate need to care for her two children, but instead comes off as a man-dependent twit - the better.
In short, Hold Fast feels a bit like required reading... even when it's not.
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