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Drizzle
When a drought threatens her family's magical rhubarb farm, eleven-year-old Polly tries to find a way to make it rain again.
Audio CD
First published February 26, 2010
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About the author
Kathleen Van Cleve
5 books20 followersKathy DeMarco Van Cleve writes fiction for adults under her maiden name, Kathleen DeMarco, and fiction for children under her married name, Kathleen Van Cleve.
She has worked as a film producer, screenwriter and development executive and teaches creative writing and film at the University of Pennsylvania, her alma mater.
She lives in Philadelphia with her husband and sons.
She has worked as a film producer, screenwriter and development executive and teaches creative writing and film at the University of Pennsylvania, her alma mater.
She lives in Philadelphia with her husband and sons.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 246 reviews
June 4, 2010
Clever premise for a book but I did not finish this. I am so bothered by continuity errors, poor grammar and poor editing that I have lost faith in the storyteller.
p.15 - I shove my hands in my pockets and push my hair back, off my face.
p.54-55 - Freddy removes his sweaty shirt and tosses it to Basford to wash. On the next page (same conversation) Freddy denies he has a fever and pulls his shirt away from his hot skin.
p.71 - "For once I didn't run to Freddy's room last night, though." Does it really make sense to have 'for once' and 'last night' in the same sentence?
p.91 - This morning when I come down for breakfast, Beatrice showed me the front page of the local newspaper.
p.15 - I shove my hands in my pockets and push my hair back, off my face.
p.54-55 - Freddy removes his sweaty shirt and tosses it to Basford to wash. On the next page (same conversation) Freddy denies he has a fever and pulls his shirt away from his hot skin.
p.71 - "For once I didn't run to Freddy's room last night, though." Does it really make sense to have 'for once' and 'last night' in the same sentence?
p.91 - This morning when I come down for breakfast, Beatrice showed me the front page of the local newspaper.
June 7, 2012
My seven-year-old recommended this book to me, and as a testament to her maturing taste in literature (as well as her knowledge of her mother!), I LOVED it. In the genre of magical realism, which is a great genre for children's literature, especially, because it helps us remember how much of the world still IS magical for them, even the scientific stuff, Polly Peabody lives on a magical farm, the best place in the world, exactly the place that you'd want to live if you were a kid, the most perfect, fantastic, home you could ever imagine.
Until it isn't. Sure, a few years back Polly's doting grandmother died, and that was a terrible loss, but then her aunt moved back home, giving up her high-powered career path, and, if anything, she dotes on Polly even more than her grandmother did. Polly still mourns her grandmother, of course, but she models a healthy grief. What's happening now is scarier, in that it's affecting the magical place that Polly calls home. The magical, regular rain that keeps the magical plants healthy and thriving just ceases, subjecting the Peabody farm to the same drought conditions that plague the rest of the midwest. The magical plants seem to be revolting, and Polly, who can somewhat speak to them, doesn't understand what they're trying to tell her. Polly's 17-year-old brother is growing ill. And scariest of all, Polly's doting aunt suddenly announces that she wants to sell this beloved farm so that she can get rich, go back to her great career, and force Polly to get out into the wider world.
What follows is Polly's journey to solve the mystery of the rain, to solve the mystery of her brother's illness, to solve the mystery of her aunt's changed affections and her cruel intentions, and to solve the more mundane, but no less important mysteries of how to get along with her schoolmates and deal with a bully. She struggles so hard with no adults to help her, and when she finally prevails, you can't help but be so proud of her.
As well as an homage to the beauty of rural life, Drizzle is, at heart, a morality tale for the modern feminist. Polly's grandmother was the matriarch of the farm, a decided housewife in a rural landscape, who, we learn, attempted in vain to make Polly's aunt be the same type of woman, and refused to accept her differences. Polly's aunt had to work extremely hard in the world to become the leader that she is, removing herself from her disapproving family, struggling alone over all the usual obstacles, and is so clearly happy and finally content in her success that she is also attempting (in vain) to make Polly be the same type of woman. Her efforts are manipulative and underhanded, endanger lives, and show that she doesn't understand this child that she claims to love any better than her own mother apparently understood her.
Polly, however, is the culmination of feminism, in that she understands both sides. She's been raised, you see, by both her housewife grandmother and her career-minded aunt, and she's empowered enough to clearly see that her choices are absolutely her own. She refuses to acknowledge the compartments that make women feel compartmentalized if they choose home or career, or make them feel torn if they choose both. Polly simply chooses what she wants to do, and is empowered to work to achieve whatever that desire is. Yes, her choice is life on her magical farm, for now, but for Polly it remains a conscious choice, not a definition.
My one disappointment with this otherwise wonderful book is its secondary emphasis on secrecy. The legacy that allows Polly to eventually save her farm is a deep family secret, known only to one woman in a generation. This means that when her aunt, the secret-holder, begins to work purposefully AGAINST the farm, no one knows what is going on, or why, or how to fix it. Polly must first struggle to learn that there is a secret, then must struggle to learn all the various components of the secret, then must struggle to learn the powers that she holds, as the chosen one of her generation. Surprisingly, in a child who has so far been notable in NOT accepting the given knowledge of her family, she simply accepts at the end of the book that she, too, must keep everything that she has learned a secret, preserving the mystery, keeping her entire family in the dark about the true workings of the farm, and continuing to do her own important work completely alone. This is a terrible blow at the end of the book, because this DOES compartmentalize Polly onto a very narrow path. If she can't share the secret, she can't share the labor, and the labor MUST be done to ensure the health of the farm. Polly can't go to college at this rate. Heck, she can't even go on vacation or it won't rain! Not only is this development troubling in that, in my personal opinion, it is unethical to present a conclusion in which a child chooses to keep a major secret from a loving family, but it also serves to eliminate the powerful feminist choices that Polly could have made. People should cooperate with each other, help each other. If Polly's aunt hadn't had to keep the secret, she could have taught Polly her powers long ago--she could have gone back to work! If Polly and her aunt weren't now estranged, the aunt could help Polly in the future--Polly could go to college! If Polly could share her secret with her very loving family, they could help her with much of the infrastructure surrounding her duties--she's a child, after all, and has to do schoolwork! It was a deep disappointment, after reading this wonderful book and getting to discuss the power of Polly's choices and her work with my daughter, to also have to discuss with her the importance of not keeping secrets from her family. Together, my daughter and I spun an epilogue, in which Polly realizes this crucial fact, shares with her family, gives her aunt the opportunity to reconcile with her, and then proceeds to live the powerful life that she is capable of, without any silly authoritative boundaries.
Until it isn't. Sure, a few years back Polly's doting grandmother died, and that was a terrible loss, but then her aunt moved back home, giving up her high-powered career path, and, if anything, she dotes on Polly even more than her grandmother did. Polly still mourns her grandmother, of course, but she models a healthy grief. What's happening now is scarier, in that it's affecting the magical place that Polly calls home. The magical, regular rain that keeps the magical plants healthy and thriving just ceases, subjecting the Peabody farm to the same drought conditions that plague the rest of the midwest. The magical plants seem to be revolting, and Polly, who can somewhat speak to them, doesn't understand what they're trying to tell her. Polly's 17-year-old brother is growing ill. And scariest of all, Polly's doting aunt suddenly announces that she wants to sell this beloved farm so that she can get rich, go back to her great career, and force Polly to get out into the wider world.
What follows is Polly's journey to solve the mystery of the rain, to solve the mystery of her brother's illness, to solve the mystery of her aunt's changed affections and her cruel intentions, and to solve the more mundane, but no less important mysteries of how to get along with her schoolmates and deal with a bully. She struggles so hard with no adults to help her, and when she finally prevails, you can't help but be so proud of her.
As well as an homage to the beauty of rural life, Drizzle is, at heart, a morality tale for the modern feminist. Polly's grandmother was the matriarch of the farm, a decided housewife in a rural landscape, who, we learn, attempted in vain to make Polly's aunt be the same type of woman, and refused to accept her differences. Polly's aunt had to work extremely hard in the world to become the leader that she is, removing herself from her disapproving family, struggling alone over all the usual obstacles, and is so clearly happy and finally content in her success that she is also attempting (in vain) to make Polly be the same type of woman. Her efforts are manipulative and underhanded, endanger lives, and show that she doesn't understand this child that she claims to love any better than her own mother apparently understood her.
Polly, however, is the culmination of feminism, in that she understands both sides. She's been raised, you see, by both her housewife grandmother and her career-minded aunt, and she's empowered enough to clearly see that her choices are absolutely her own. She refuses to acknowledge the compartments that make women feel compartmentalized if they choose home or career, or make them feel torn if they choose both. Polly simply chooses what she wants to do, and is empowered to work to achieve whatever that desire is. Yes, her choice is life on her magical farm, for now, but for Polly it remains a conscious choice, not a definition.
My one disappointment with this otherwise wonderful book is its secondary emphasis on secrecy. The legacy that allows Polly to eventually save her farm is a deep family secret, known only to one woman in a generation. This means that when her aunt, the secret-holder, begins to work purposefully AGAINST the farm, no one knows what is going on, or why, or how to fix it. Polly must first struggle to learn that there is a secret, then must struggle to learn all the various components of the secret, then must struggle to learn the powers that she holds, as the chosen one of her generation. Surprisingly, in a child who has so far been notable in NOT accepting the given knowledge of her family, she simply accepts at the end of the book that she, too, must keep everything that she has learned a secret, preserving the mystery, keeping her entire family in the dark about the true workings of the farm, and continuing to do her own important work completely alone. This is a terrible blow at the end of the book, because this DOES compartmentalize Polly onto a very narrow path. If she can't share the secret, she can't share the labor, and the labor MUST be done to ensure the health of the farm. Polly can't go to college at this rate. Heck, she can't even go on vacation or it won't rain! Not only is this development troubling in that, in my personal opinion, it is unethical to present a conclusion in which a child chooses to keep a major secret from a loving family, but it also serves to eliminate the powerful feminist choices that Polly could have made. People should cooperate with each other, help each other. If Polly's aunt hadn't had to keep the secret, she could have taught Polly her powers long ago--she could have gone back to work! If Polly and her aunt weren't now estranged, the aunt could help Polly in the future--Polly could go to college! If Polly could share her secret with her very loving family, they could help her with much of the infrastructure surrounding her duties--she's a child, after all, and has to do schoolwork! It was a deep disappointment, after reading this wonderful book and getting to discuss the power of Polly's choices and her work with my daughter, to also have to discuss with her the importance of not keeping secrets from her family. Together, my daughter and I spun an epilogue, in which Polly realizes this crucial fact, shares with her family, gives her aunt the opportunity to reconcile with her, and then proceeds to live the powerful life that she is capable of, without any silly authoritative boundaries.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 2, 2014
Imagine having a farm that grew plants that taste like chocolate ,and u are still eating healthy. Everyday is a adventure for Polly Peabody on Rupert's World Famous Rhubarb Farm. Polly knows that their farm is rather unusual after her Grandmother died and all around her diamonds sprout from the ground ,and on every Monday it rains at 1:00. When it rains the hole farm is swarmed with tourist that want the ride the giant red umbrella. But then one day the rain stopped ,Polly's hole world falls apart. Her older brother Freddy comes down with a severe illness ,and her family could lose the farm. Polly must uncover many secrets to help her brother survive. She must be quick on her feet to uncover the secrets in time.
June 17, 2010
Okay. So usually this is the part of the review where I tell you what the book is about, except I’m not sure how to succinctly summarize Drizzle. It is, and I mean this in the best possible way, unlike any other book I’ve ever read. That was what attracted me to it. The truth is, I can’t even really tell you that much about it without spoiling the whole thing, and I don’t want to do that. Mrs. Van Cleve has crafted a work of stunning originality and you owe it to yourself to put Drizzle on your reading list.
Welcome to Rupert’s world famous rhubarb farm. It is a place different from any you’ve ever encountered . Mrs. Van Cleve never specifies that Oompa Loompas don’t work there and I prefer to imagine they do. The rhubarb grown at Rupert’s farm tastes like chocolate, but it’s still a vegetable so your parents can’t get mad. Some of the rhubarb is grown for medicinal purposes and shows tremendous promise as a cure for cancer among other ailments. And there’s giant rhubarb that’s really helping out with the hole in the ozone layer.
But I haven’t even told you the most interesting parts! If Hogwarts were a farm, it would be Rupert’s Rhubarb Farm. It’s a popular tourist destination, and it isn’t hard to see why. There’s a full scale version of the White House on the premises, and if that doesn’t do it for you, check out their castle. There’s also a certain Dark House that may or may not be haunted. And there’s a giant “peace” maze to wonder through and an umbrella ride. It rains every Monday at 1:00pm, except the one Monday it doesn’t. Oh, and get this, there’s a lake in which no one can drown. One boy managed to stay underwater an entire hour and was just fine.
All of these fantastic revelations about the farm take some telling and it is worth noting that the main conflict of the novel isn’t really introduced until page 75, which is practically waiting until the sequel as far as the pacing in middle grade novels goes. And that’s the thing that really got me jazzed about Drizzle. Kathleen Van Cleve brazenly breaks all the rules and displays uncommon courage for a middle grade writer and she pulls off everything. Her book, were it in the hands of a lesser writer, often flirts with disaster, but Van Cleve’s got the chops to make it rain, as it were.
For starters, Drizzle is 358 pages, which puts it in YA range according to many standards, but the main character is eleven and the book is recommended for grades 4-6, clearly upper middle grade or tween range. I won’t pretend to understand how Van Cleve pulled off all of her tricks, but as for how she got away with delaying until page 75 to introduce the main plot when so many of us labor to work it in by page 5, that I get. Now to be fair, she does foreshadow the main plot and she opens the novel with this scene:
But then, on one rainy Monday afternoon, the twentieth of September, I found her, lying faceup, in between the P and E of the PEACE maze. The toes of her silly slippers pointed up to the gray sky as rain washed over her cheeks. I turned to see that all around us the rhubarb plants swished their wide green leaves over their heads, pointing to her body. The lake began to roar as if there were a windstorm, even though there wasn’t. I turned back to Grandmom and begged.
Please wake up, please wake up.
See what I mean? Fearless! And the first line of the novel is “The mist is back.” So there is a hook and the reader is carefully drawn into world of the story. But otherwise, Van Cleve spends 75 pages introducing us to Rupert’s Rhubarb farm and the mysterious nature of the place is so compelling you won’t even notice the main plot, though hinted at, hasn’t started. She uses the time to introduce characters, all of them memorable, and themes she’ll spend the novel discussing, one of the central ones being science versus mysticism—fascinating stuff for a middle grade novel or any novel.
Our heroine is plucky contrarian Polly Peabody, an eleven-year-old after my own heart; after everyone’s heart. You’re going to love her. She’s shy sometimes, arrogant at others, a genuine hero, and readers will definitely identify with her. I want to talk about her most controversial action in a moment, but that means I’m going to enter spoiler territory, so I’ll go ahead and finish the review first. Drizzle is a great book and you don’t want to miss it. It’s funny and an all around good time, but there’s plenty of substance as well. Go order your copy, read it, and then come back for the rest of this blog post in which I spoil something major and discuss Van Cleve’s prose style.
Those of you still reading, I warned you. There is an element in Drizzle a little like a standard Disney cartoon. There are dragonflies and rhubarb plants that communicate with Polly through body language and they are her friends the way Ariel has that singing crab, or Belle has that talking candlestick. One rhubarb plant in particular, Harry, is Polly’s best friend. Harry is no throw away character. He is a genuine best friend to Polly. She shares her secrets with him and they have a true relationship. She even introduces him to other characters. He’s a rhubarb plant, but he’s personified and is a character in the story.
I have long been of the opinion that it takes far more courage to be controversial when writing for children than when writing for adults. Kids are much tougher than adults often give them credit for, but don’t tell that to some parents or teachers. For crying out loud, people in this country protested Harry Potter. In the adult fiction world, one has to write American Psycho to generate controversy, but write one gay character into a popular children’s book and national headlines are made.
When at last the main plot is introduced—the farm is up for sale and the plant life is revolting—Polly becomes very upset. She goes to her friend Harry for answers and believes he has betrayed her. So… she shreds him. I’m not talking like hurts him a little. No. She rips him limb to limb until he is murdered and there is no Harry left. She feels very guilty afterwards and her remorse is a major motivation later. And this is a magic farm in which no one ever drowns, so there’s at least a chance Harry the chocolate rhubarb might be brought back to life.
Still, this is an event that will divide readers, I think. Not kids. Kids will be fine with it. But it may upset some parents to read a book in which the eleven-year-old protagonist commits such a violent act. And it is brutal. As I think you can surmise from the “finding Grandmom’s body” scene I reproduced earlier, Van Cleve isn’t handling the reader with kid gloves. She doesn’t condescend, nor does she revel in being intentionally nasty. She simply tells the story in the most effective way possible.
I, for one, loved the scene in which Polly shredded Harry. I laughed and laughed, partly because I was so shocked, and partly because I have always prayed for a children’s story in which one of those annoying cutesie wootsie sidekicks is horribly mangled. More though, I truly admire the courage of Van Cleve’s convictions. She didn’t truckle. She told the story she wanted the way she wanted, something we don’t get to see nearly enough of. And more, the scene works. It flushes out some of the most interesting aspects of Polly and it is integral to the plot. But it will offend the delicate sensibilities of some adults, I’m sure.
Okay. I see that this review is too long, so I’ll stop here. Except I really want to praise Kathleen Van Cleve’s writing style. Her prose is funny and often lyrical, while clear and effective. There are many passages I highlighted and would like to reproduce here, but what struck me most is her use of white space. The book is 358 pages, it’s true, but it doesn’t feel like it. This is because of frequent paragraphing and use of white space. The pages fly by and I bet young readers are thrilled by how quickly they’re able to read a big book. I’m going to leave you with this passage that I think really best illustrates how Van Cleve uses white space to increase suspense and the pace. It, of course, can be found on page 75:
We both turn to the Umbrella at the same time.
People are screaming. Screaming.
I don’t understand at first. But I look closer and see the people on the individual swings spinning around, out of control—I hear the clickclickclick of the rising Umbrella shaft, relentless, unstopping.
I’m close enough that I can see Chico waving his hands like a banshee behind the controls.
I look up to the Umbrella again, just as the platform seems to slip just a little and the screams become even more awful.
The Umbrella.
It’s stuck.
Visit me at WWW.MIDDLEGRADENINJA.BLOGSPOT.COM to read an interview with the author, as well as other writer interviews and book reviews.
Welcome to Rupert’s world famous rhubarb farm. It is a place different from any you’ve ever encountered . Mrs. Van Cleve never specifies that Oompa Loompas don’t work there and I prefer to imagine they do. The rhubarb grown at Rupert’s farm tastes like chocolate, but it’s still a vegetable so your parents can’t get mad. Some of the rhubarb is grown for medicinal purposes and shows tremendous promise as a cure for cancer among other ailments. And there’s giant rhubarb that’s really helping out with the hole in the ozone layer.
But I haven’t even told you the most interesting parts! If Hogwarts were a farm, it would be Rupert’s Rhubarb Farm. It’s a popular tourist destination, and it isn’t hard to see why. There’s a full scale version of the White House on the premises, and if that doesn’t do it for you, check out their castle. There’s also a certain Dark House that may or may not be haunted. And there’s a giant “peace” maze to wonder through and an umbrella ride. It rains every Monday at 1:00pm, except the one Monday it doesn’t. Oh, and get this, there’s a lake in which no one can drown. One boy managed to stay underwater an entire hour and was just fine.
All of these fantastic revelations about the farm take some telling and it is worth noting that the main conflict of the novel isn’t really introduced until page 75, which is practically waiting until the sequel as far as the pacing in middle grade novels goes. And that’s the thing that really got me jazzed about Drizzle. Kathleen Van Cleve brazenly breaks all the rules and displays uncommon courage for a middle grade writer and she pulls off everything. Her book, were it in the hands of a lesser writer, often flirts with disaster, but Van Cleve’s got the chops to make it rain, as it were.
For starters, Drizzle is 358 pages, which puts it in YA range according to many standards, but the main character is eleven and the book is recommended for grades 4-6, clearly upper middle grade or tween range. I won’t pretend to understand how Van Cleve pulled off all of her tricks, but as for how she got away with delaying until page 75 to introduce the main plot when so many of us labor to work it in by page 5, that I get. Now to be fair, she does foreshadow the main plot and she opens the novel with this scene:
But then, on one rainy Monday afternoon, the twentieth of September, I found her, lying faceup, in between the P and E of the PEACE maze. The toes of her silly slippers pointed up to the gray sky as rain washed over her cheeks. I turned to see that all around us the rhubarb plants swished their wide green leaves over their heads, pointing to her body. The lake began to roar as if there were a windstorm, even though there wasn’t. I turned back to Grandmom and begged.
Please wake up, please wake up.
See what I mean? Fearless! And the first line of the novel is “The mist is back.” So there is a hook and the reader is carefully drawn into world of the story. But otherwise, Van Cleve spends 75 pages introducing us to Rupert’s Rhubarb farm and the mysterious nature of the place is so compelling you won’t even notice the main plot, though hinted at, hasn’t started. She uses the time to introduce characters, all of them memorable, and themes she’ll spend the novel discussing, one of the central ones being science versus mysticism—fascinating stuff for a middle grade novel or any novel.
Our heroine is plucky contrarian Polly Peabody, an eleven-year-old after my own heart; after everyone’s heart. You’re going to love her. She’s shy sometimes, arrogant at others, a genuine hero, and readers will definitely identify with her. I want to talk about her most controversial action in a moment, but that means I’m going to enter spoiler territory, so I’ll go ahead and finish the review first. Drizzle is a great book and you don’t want to miss it. It’s funny and an all around good time, but there’s plenty of substance as well. Go order your copy, read it, and then come back for the rest of this blog post in which I spoil something major and discuss Van Cleve’s prose style.
Those of you still reading, I warned you. There is an element in Drizzle a little like a standard Disney cartoon. There are dragonflies and rhubarb plants that communicate with Polly through body language and they are her friends the way Ariel has that singing crab, or Belle has that talking candlestick. One rhubarb plant in particular, Harry, is Polly’s best friend. Harry is no throw away character. He is a genuine best friend to Polly. She shares her secrets with him and they have a true relationship. She even introduces him to other characters. He’s a rhubarb plant, but he’s personified and is a character in the story.
I have long been of the opinion that it takes far more courage to be controversial when writing for children than when writing for adults. Kids are much tougher than adults often give them credit for, but don’t tell that to some parents or teachers. For crying out loud, people in this country protested Harry Potter. In the adult fiction world, one has to write American Psycho to generate controversy, but write one gay character into a popular children’s book and national headlines are made.
When at last the main plot is introduced—the farm is up for sale and the plant life is revolting—Polly becomes very upset. She goes to her friend Harry for answers and believes he has betrayed her. So… she shreds him. I’m not talking like hurts him a little. No. She rips him limb to limb until he is murdered and there is no Harry left. She feels very guilty afterwards and her remorse is a major motivation later. And this is a magic farm in which no one ever drowns, so there’s at least a chance Harry the chocolate rhubarb might be brought back to life.
Still, this is an event that will divide readers, I think. Not kids. Kids will be fine with it. But it may upset some parents to read a book in which the eleven-year-old protagonist commits such a violent act. And it is brutal. As I think you can surmise from the “finding Grandmom’s body” scene I reproduced earlier, Van Cleve isn’t handling the reader with kid gloves. She doesn’t condescend, nor does she revel in being intentionally nasty. She simply tells the story in the most effective way possible.
I, for one, loved the scene in which Polly shredded Harry. I laughed and laughed, partly because I was so shocked, and partly because I have always prayed for a children’s story in which one of those annoying cutesie wootsie sidekicks is horribly mangled. More though, I truly admire the courage of Van Cleve’s convictions. She didn’t truckle. She told the story she wanted the way she wanted, something we don’t get to see nearly enough of. And more, the scene works. It flushes out some of the most interesting aspects of Polly and it is integral to the plot. But it will offend the delicate sensibilities of some adults, I’m sure.
Okay. I see that this review is too long, so I’ll stop here. Except I really want to praise Kathleen Van Cleve’s writing style. Her prose is funny and often lyrical, while clear and effective. There are many passages I highlighted and would like to reproduce here, but what struck me most is her use of white space. The book is 358 pages, it’s true, but it doesn’t feel like it. This is because of frequent paragraphing and use of white space. The pages fly by and I bet young readers are thrilled by how quickly they’re able to read a big book. I’m going to leave you with this passage that I think really best illustrates how Van Cleve uses white space to increase suspense and the pace. It, of course, can be found on page 75:
We both turn to the Umbrella at the same time.
People are screaming. Screaming.
I don’t understand at first. But I look closer and see the people on the individual swings spinning around, out of control—I hear the clickclickclick of the rising Umbrella shaft, relentless, unstopping.
I’m close enough that I can see Chico waving his hands like a banshee behind the controls.
I look up to the Umbrella again, just as the platform seems to slip just a little and the screams become even more awful.
The Umbrella.
It’s stuck.
Visit me at WWW.MIDDLEGRADENINJA.BLOGSPOT.COM to read an interview with the author, as well as other writer interviews and book reviews.
May 26, 2025
Read this as a kid and just read it again and tbh still so good.
April 8, 2018
Polly Peabody's family lives on what can only be called a magical farm. Their house is a castle. Nobody can drown in their lake. The insects are surprisingly intelligent. And it rains every Monday at 1:00 p.m., without fail. Which does wonders for their rhubarb crops. But events conspire, and it looks as if they might lose the farm.
Rhubarb and emerald rings. School bullies and best friends. Dragon flies and dark towers. Sabotage and saving the farm. Absolutely fun, uplifting without being overly sweet. Deals practically with so many monumental things: mean girls, phobias, grief, regrets, resilience, future plans, and pulling together as a family in the face of losing what's most precious.
Rhubarb and emerald rings. School bullies and best friends. Dragon flies and dark towers. Sabotage and saving the farm. Absolutely fun, uplifting without being overly sweet. Deals practically with so many monumental things: mean girls, phobias, grief, regrets, resilience, future plans, and pulling together as a family in the face of losing what's most precious.
February 25, 2022
Meh. The story was not as magical as I expected. My fault, probably, as I mistakenly thought this was by the same author as Savvy Our heroine was a "flight" person when faced with almost the worst bully I've read. It was frustrating. Had a nice ending. The reader only differentiated a few of the voices. While it was still easy to follow, it was not as enjoyable.
Read
January 24, 2020DNFed at 50 pages.
I just don't think it's going to be too spectacular. I like sweet and whimsical but this is a little too much. It's also not particularly written, and I think it'll have some good themes later but I don't know if I trust this to do them well. :/
I just don't think it's going to be too spectacular. I like sweet and whimsical but this is a little too much. It's also not particularly written, and I think it'll have some good themes later but I don't know if I trust this to do them well. :/
October 15, 2025
Read this book as a kid and wanted to see if it still held the same magic. It is definitely a children’s book. Pretty good though - I can see why I liked it.
March 22, 2010
Polly Peabody knows that her family’s rhubarb farm is something special, even something magical! They grow Giant Rhubarb that is helping close the hole in the ozone and chocolate rhubarb that tastes like a sweet but is a vegetable. They have a lake that you can’t drown in no matter how long you hold your breath, a castle to live in, and gems sprout from the ground. And every Monday at 1:00 pm exactly, it rains. But then one Monday it doesn’t. And other things start to go wrong on the farm. The rhubarb begins to wilt even though it is being watered by hand. The umbrella ride fails when people are riding it. A strange fog is starting to cover some of the farm. It is up to Polly to find out what is causing the damage and save their farm. To do that she will have to face her fears, uncover family secrets and trust in the magic of the farm.
This enticing tale is a pleasure to read. Van Cleve has created the farm of childhood dreams filled with dessert that is healthful, carnival rides, friendly bugs, animated plants, and much more. She writes with a light friendly tone that never gets bogged down in elaborate descriptions or overwriting, which is a fear with books of this sort. Instead, she allows the magic to shine and the imagination to soar.
Polly is a great protagonist who is painfully shy, bullied at school, and yet one of the most fascinating people you could meet. As she learns that she is much braver and more skilled than she ever dreamed, Polly begins to let others into her world and make friends. Yet it is not that simple, and her struggles with self-reliance, family secrets, and friendships make for great coming-of-age story material.
A large part of the book’s appeal is the tension between the magical and the mundane. Polly has to face school and all of its pitfalls as well as the desperate situation of her home and family farm. While magic is involved, it actually makes Polly’s personal life outside of the farm more difficult. The tension of classmates, news reporters, and magic make this book very special.
Highly recommended, this book is perfection for fans of Savvy by Ingrid Law. It would make a wonderful classroom read and will be happily devoured by children who enjoy a lot of chocolate with their rhubarb. Appropriate for ages 9-12.
This enticing tale is a pleasure to read. Van Cleve has created the farm of childhood dreams filled with dessert that is healthful, carnival rides, friendly bugs, animated plants, and much more. She writes with a light friendly tone that never gets bogged down in elaborate descriptions or overwriting, which is a fear with books of this sort. Instead, she allows the magic to shine and the imagination to soar.
Polly is a great protagonist who is painfully shy, bullied at school, and yet one of the most fascinating people you could meet. As she learns that she is much braver and more skilled than she ever dreamed, Polly begins to let others into her world and make friends. Yet it is not that simple, and her struggles with self-reliance, family secrets, and friendships make for great coming-of-age story material.
A large part of the book’s appeal is the tension between the magical and the mundane. Polly has to face school and all of its pitfalls as well as the desperate situation of her home and family farm. While magic is involved, it actually makes Polly’s personal life outside of the farm more difficult. The tension of classmates, news reporters, and magic make this book very special.
Highly recommended, this book is perfection for fans of Savvy by Ingrid Law. It would make a wonderful classroom read and will be happily devoured by children who enjoy a lot of chocolate with their rhubarb. Appropriate for ages 9-12.
November 8, 2010
In Drizzle, narrator Polly Peabody lives on a magical rhubarb farm where it rains every Monday at 1 PM exactly. The rest of the area is in the dry Midwest, but the Peabodys always have rain. Until one day they don’t.
And that’s just the beginning of their problems.
Without the rain, the rhubarb begins to die. Polly’s brother Freddy gets ill. And now Aunt Edith wants to sell the farm. If the rain does not return, then the Peabodys might not have a choice.
Polly is determined to save the farm, but is there anything an 11 year old girl can do?
This book is perfect for the people who loved Savvy and have been looking for something similar. It has the same kind of feel to the book and style of writing. Both books have a magical component to them although the magic is not as prominent in this book as it is in Savvy. Also in both books, the main character really has to discover who she truly is and not rely on her preconceived notions of herself.
However, Drizzle is certainly it’s own novel. The magic and plot and setting of the novel are distinctive and creative. I like the world that Van Cleve creates for Polly to live in. And despite Polly’s constant tears and assertions that she’s a coward, she actually is a strong female character that I think girls can identify with.
A good individual read for ages 8 & up, We here at BookPeople would recommend this as a good bedtime book for parents to read a loud to their kids aged 7-12. The book is broken up into many small sections that are the perfect size for before bed reading.
And that’s just the beginning of their problems.
Without the rain, the rhubarb begins to die. Polly’s brother Freddy gets ill. And now Aunt Edith wants to sell the farm. If the rain does not return, then the Peabodys might not have a choice.
Polly is determined to save the farm, but is there anything an 11 year old girl can do?
This book is perfect for the people who loved Savvy and have been looking for something similar. It has the same kind of feel to the book and style of writing. Both books have a magical component to them although the magic is not as prominent in this book as it is in Savvy. Also in both books, the main character really has to discover who she truly is and not rely on her preconceived notions of herself.
However, Drizzle is certainly it’s own novel. The magic and plot and setting of the novel are distinctive and creative. I like the world that Van Cleve creates for Polly to live in. And despite Polly’s constant tears and assertions that she’s a coward, she actually is a strong female character that I think girls can identify with.
A good individual read for ages 8 & up, We here at BookPeople would recommend this as a good bedtime book for parents to read a loud to their kids aged 7-12. The book is broken up into many small sections that are the perfect size for before bed reading.
June 3, 2013
Finally, a heroine I can identify with. She's afraid of bugs and afraid of the dark. And she believes in magic. Real magic -- not the kind where you take a quarter from behind someone's ear. She talks to plants == and they talk back. She lives on a rhubarb farm, but not just any ordinary rhubarb farm. They grow chocolate rhubarb, a vegetable that tastes better than a Snickers bar. But the farm is in trouble. You see, every Monday (except one) for 86 years it has rained at 1 pm on Monday. The one Monday it didn't rain was when Polly's older brother Freddy was born. And now the rain has stopped. The plants are dying and Freddy is really sick. It is up to Polly to figure out how to save her family's farm and her brother's life.
December 9, 2010
Drizzle was a very interesting book. It was about an eleven year old girl named Polly Peabody. She lives on a 'magical' farm. It rains every Monday at 1:00pm. But when that stops, her Brother, Freddy, gets very sick, and her Aunt Edith tries to sell the farm.Polly beleives that she can do something about that. She beleives that she could somehow make it rain again. When things get tough Polly knos that she will need to do something. After Freddy goes into a coma, everybody worries. So she will need to face her fears in order to save him. She will need to go into the Dark House to find the secret to making it rain! (in her case, Drizzle!)
October 31, 2013
I read this on Jill's recommendation after liking A Tangle of Knots so much. This was one good too, but not quite as wonderful. Polly and her family live on a magical farm where it rains every Monday at exactly 1:00. The farm thrives under the rain - especially the chocolate rhubarb (which is rhubarb that tastes just like chocolate - can't someone invent this?!). The farm is famous, and tourists make it a frequent stop on their travels. But one Monday the rain just stops, and doesn't come back. No one knows why and no one can make it start again - and in the meantime the plants are dying. Can Polly figure out the mystery and make it rain again before it's too late?
October 4, 2011
This book tried hard to be great, but didn't measure up. It reminds me of Savvy, but more forced. The idea of vegetables that taste like chocolate is a little much, and the rest of the story is about as far fetched. The characters are also a bit odd - the genetic magical mutation is interesting, but it's manifestation is not as successful as Harry Potter's scar. Also the mix between science and magic just didn't work.
January 24, 2022
This reminded me of Fortune's Magic Farm in a good way, so if you liked that, try this! If you didn't like that, try this anyway! I could also see the future movie version of this trotting down the pike--which is a weird thing for a book purist--but could be a good thing for reluctant readers as this is a very vivid read.
September 8, 2024
Decided to reread a favourite of mine when i was a kid. The book is a short read, paced well, has very interesting characters and is set in a fun and magical world. Would highly recommend this to young readers.
June 7, 2010
Enjoyed this. Liked the premise very much as it had a fresh, original feel to it.
August 8, 2010
This is my all time favorite book EVER!!!!! It is amazing, there are no words to explain it enough!!!!!!!
September 10, 2010
I luuuuv this book it gas such creativity and I love the big giant umbrella swing and the diamonds in the dirt :)
September 14, 2010
I learned that even when you are young you can complete any challenge that is through at you.
October 11, 2010
easy world to fall into, written with grace, charm and wit.
March 21, 2016
Readers of Ingrid Law's Savvy series or others in the genre of magical realism will find much to like here. Chocolate rhubarb, anyone?
August 30, 2016
I really enjoyed the first half of this book, then it all went downhill from there. The ending was so painfully slow and repetitive.
May 16, 2021
I had my eyes on this book since I was in elementary school, and it took me almost 10 years to finally read this. I remember how much this book stuck out to me as a kid: the chocolate rhubarb, the umbrella ride, the mystery, and the element of magic that the farm possessed. The only reason I ended up reading this book now was because I randomly had a flashback about this book and I was determined to read it. I finished it in a day, and now that I've read it, I don't know how to feel. I wouldn't say that it didn't live up to my expectations, because it certainly lived up to my expectations of any children's book, but I certainly did not enjoy this as much as I would have if I read this when I was a kid.
I did really love the premise of this story, the mystery of the story is amazing, and the stakes of this story are incredibly rough and dark. It's amazing that Polly, yet alone anyone else, was ever able to deal with the pressure's she did while she was trying to figure out what was going on with the farm. Especially near the end of the book, I was on the edge of my seat and I couldn't stop reading; I was just that intrigued. Another big aspect of the book, and in my opinion the strongest opinion of the book, was the setting. I loved how magical and beautiful the farm was, and I could feel the pull to it that Polly felt. I truly wish it could be a thing in real life that I could have gone to myself. The farm is so whimsical and full of wonder, and I enjoyed learning more and more about the magic that the farm possessed as the book went on. It truly felt like I was a child again, constantly imaging that the world around me was teeming with magic and wonderous secrets.
One complaint I do have about this book is how much the author tried to accomplish that didn't get finished. Van Cleve bit off a bit more than she could chew, and although I like what she did, it didn't really work out in every single scenario. The library turret didn't really do anything else, and I wish it could have been a bit more prominent, or it could have been cut out completely. I also think the whole thing with the diamonds didn't work out. It was mentioned on the back of the book and it seems like it would be very important, but it ended up having nothing to do with the book and should have completely been cut out. Another thing I didn't really like was the inconsistent plot holes.
I did really love the premise of this story, the mystery of the story is amazing, and the stakes of this story are incredibly rough and dark. It's amazing that Polly, yet alone anyone else, was ever able to deal with the pressure's she did while she was trying to figure out what was going on with the farm. Especially near the end of the book, I was on the edge of my seat and I couldn't stop reading; I was just that intrigued. Another big aspect of the book, and in my opinion the strongest opinion of the book, was the setting. I loved how magical and beautiful the farm was, and I could feel the pull to it that Polly felt. I truly wish it could be a thing in real life that I could have gone to myself. The farm is so whimsical and full of wonder, and I enjoyed learning more and more about the magic that the farm possessed as the book went on. It truly felt like I was a child again, constantly imaging that the world around me was teeming with magic and wonderous secrets.
One complaint I do have about this book is how much the author tried to accomplish that didn't get finished. Van Cleve bit off a bit more than she could chew, and although I like what she did, it didn't really work out in every single scenario. The library turret didn't really do anything else, and I wish it could have been a bit more prominent, or it could have been cut out completely. I also think the whole thing with the diamonds didn't work out. It was mentioned on the back of the book and it seems like it would be very important, but it ended up having nothing to do with the book and should have completely been cut out. Another thing I didn't really like was the inconsistent plot holes.
May 14, 2024
There was so much to enjoy about this novel and I loved watching all the different elements of this story come together.
Polly lives on a magical farm and her life’s just perfect. Until everything starts unravelling and no one but her can save it. The rest of her family refuse to even fully acknowledge that there's a problem.
Polly shares a special connection with the farm’s animals and plants, and she knows something’s wrong, but the rest of her family won’t believe it. So, she sets off to discover what the problem is, and how she can solve it. As she does, she discovers this puzzle is more complicated than she could’ve thought. There are family secrets, a deep betrayal and a cool teacher, and it’s up to her to put the pieces together with the help of her magical friends and save her home before it’s too late. Or is it already?
This story has magic, adventure, mystery, a strong female character, a strong family connection, and lots of depth, and it all wraps up beautifully. There was so much going on that I barely even noticed the lack of romance.
In my mind, this is a foundational fantasy that's up there with Savvy and Howl’s Moving Castle. I'm not sure how I went so long without reading it.
Children who enjoy magical worlds and animal/plant lovers will want to check out this sweet, cute story. Older readers will find lots to enjoy here as well.
Similar recommendations:
Content:
Violence: scary animals, sick character in the hospital
Polly finds her dead grandmother lying on the grass surrounded by jewels.
Aome gross/scary scenes involve bugs, including a squirrel sized cricket jumping at Polly, talking spiders, and slug quicksand that almost traps Polly. There are also plants with a mind of their own, who almost hurt people to save themselves .
Religion: praying and a (fake) seance
Polly prays for various things she wants by crossing herself. Once, she prays in church (no service that day). A Halloween party celebrates their annual rhubarb moving. One character claims to talk to spirits, and even holds something she calls a seance, where she gives advice to everyone present. Polly’s family doesn’t believe in it.
Polly calls Aunt Edith her “personal goddess”, and once thinks "this must be how Eve felt when she was in the Garden of Eden looking at the serpent."
Romance: clean
Polly’s sister has a boyfriend. He kisses her on the cheek once and tells her she looks like a “sҽxy pirate", after she hurts her eye (relayed with a blush). One quote which can be misunderstood that "a man is relieved and gay when he has... done his best."
Other: magic
Polly lives on a magical farm and speaks to plants and animals. They speak back. At the end of the novel, Polly discovers she can There’s a scientific explanation given for this process, too, explaining how it happens.
Polly lives on a magical farm and her life’s just perfect. Until everything starts unravelling and no one but her can save it. The rest of her family refuse to even fully acknowledge that there's a problem.
Polly shares a special connection with the farm’s animals and plants, and she knows something’s wrong, but the rest of her family won’t believe it. So, she sets off to discover what the problem is, and how she can solve it. As she does, she discovers this puzzle is more complicated than she could’ve thought. There are family secrets, a deep betrayal and a cool teacher, and it’s up to her to put the pieces together with the help of her magical friends and save her home before it’s too late. Or is it already?
This story has magic, adventure, mystery, a strong female character, a strong family connection, and lots of depth, and it all wraps up beautifully. There was so much going on that I barely even noticed the lack of romance.
In my mind, this is a foundational fantasy that's up there with Savvy and Howl’s Moving Castle. I'm not sure how I went so long without reading it.
Children who enjoy magical worlds and animal/plant lovers will want to check out this sweet, cute story. Older readers will find lots to enjoy here as well.
Similar recommendations:
Content:
Violence: scary animals, sick character in the hospital
Polly finds her dead grandmother lying on the grass surrounded by jewels.
Aome gross/scary scenes involve bugs, including a squirrel sized cricket jumping at Polly, talking spiders, and slug quicksand that almost traps Polly. There are also plants with a mind of their own, who almost hurt people to save themselves .
Religion: praying and a (fake) seance
Polly prays for various things she wants by crossing herself. Once, she prays in church (no service that day). A Halloween party celebrates their annual rhubarb moving. One character claims to talk to spirits, and even holds something she calls a seance, where she gives advice to everyone present. Polly’s family doesn’t believe in it.
Polly calls Aunt Edith her “personal goddess”, and once thinks "this must be how Eve felt when she was in the Garden of Eden looking at the serpent."
Romance: clean
Polly’s sister has a boyfriend. He kisses her on the cheek once and tells her she looks like a “sҽxy pirate", after she hurts her eye (relayed with a blush). One quote which can be misunderstood that "a man is relieved and gay when he has... done his best."
Other: magic
Polly lives on a magical farm and speaks to plants and animals. They speak back. At the end of the novel, Polly discovers she can There’s a scientific explanation given for this process, too, explaining how it happens.
March 7, 2020
“Drizzle”, by Kathleen Van Cleve, is a story of fantasy and fiction, a great book to read if you like some mystery among the magic of this coming-of age novel.
The story begins at Rupert's Rhubarb Farm, a magical farm where plants taste like chocolate. Polly Peabody had just lost her grandmother so her aunt Edith had come to run the farm in her place. All women in her family are given an emerald ring, but she lost it after her grandmother died. She has a best friend named Harry and he is a chocolate rhubarb. Polly has always been close to her aunt, they even had the same crooked finger, a trait passed through her family to some. Aunt Edith has left the farm soon after an argument with the rest of the family because of wanting to sell the farm. Every Monday at 1:00 it rains on their farm until one day it stops. Before Edith left she showed Polly a secret place in the castle on her farm, Enid’s turret, inside are talking bugs and vines, plus a small library. As the farm is dying, Polly with the help of some of her new friends from the turret and other clues given by the farm, rushes to solve the mystery of the rain. She will break her fears, discover her family’s mystic secret and use it to make it rain again. Then all is right on the farm and Polly makes it rain every Monday at 1:00. Did I mention they live in one of the driest, hottest sections of the country in the Midwest? Their farm is the only place it rains. It proves just how supernatural the farm is.
I enjoyed “Drizzle” because of the elements of fantasy and how Polly’s character is developed through the story. For one she learns to not fear bugs and she gets over her school bully. Also she gets rid of her irrational fear of the Dark House that she thought was haunted, which led to her making rain since she finally went inside it. If you enjoy coming-of-age novels with a little magic this a great book to read and is appropriate for all ages. Also I was curious about the book at first because of the Umbrella Ride on the cover. It was described as a ride where as told in the book would, “ have individual umbrellas hanging from spokes supporting the canopy.( Those are scary swing-like rides that twirl and sway back and forth as the ride rises and falls) It was what caught my attention at first because I wanted to ride it.(pg. 21)” It also seems that Polly discovers in the story that her crooked finger has some sort of power. Again I love anything out of the ordinary and maybe you do too. Another point I enjoyed about the book is how emphasized the magic of nature. The earth is precious and we should be saving it as it tells us, just like how the entire farm warned Polly of the farm being up for sale, and dying. She followed the advice of her grandmother who said, “Trust the plants...The plants will never steer you wrong...(pg. 118)” Nature is a powerful thing. In general if you enjoy reading about the unordinary this coming-of-age novel is perfect for you. I hope you enjoy this book no matter your age.
The story begins at Rupert's Rhubarb Farm, a magical farm where plants taste like chocolate. Polly Peabody had just lost her grandmother so her aunt Edith had come to run the farm in her place. All women in her family are given an emerald ring, but she lost it after her grandmother died. She has a best friend named Harry and he is a chocolate rhubarb. Polly has always been close to her aunt, they even had the same crooked finger, a trait passed through her family to some. Aunt Edith has left the farm soon after an argument with the rest of the family because of wanting to sell the farm. Every Monday at 1:00 it rains on their farm until one day it stops. Before Edith left she showed Polly a secret place in the castle on her farm, Enid’s turret, inside are talking bugs and vines, plus a small library. As the farm is dying, Polly with the help of some of her new friends from the turret and other clues given by the farm, rushes to solve the mystery of the rain. She will break her fears, discover her family’s mystic secret and use it to make it rain again. Then all is right on the farm and Polly makes it rain every Monday at 1:00. Did I mention they live in one of the driest, hottest sections of the country in the Midwest? Their farm is the only place it rains. It proves just how supernatural the farm is.
I enjoyed “Drizzle” because of the elements of fantasy and how Polly’s character is developed through the story. For one she learns to not fear bugs and she gets over her school bully. Also she gets rid of her irrational fear of the Dark House that she thought was haunted, which led to her making rain since she finally went inside it. If you enjoy coming-of-age novels with a little magic this a great book to read and is appropriate for all ages. Also I was curious about the book at first because of the Umbrella Ride on the cover. It was described as a ride where as told in the book would, “ have individual umbrellas hanging from spokes supporting the canopy.( Those are scary swing-like rides that twirl and sway back and forth as the ride rises and falls) It was what caught my attention at first because I wanted to ride it.(pg. 21)” It also seems that Polly discovers in the story that her crooked finger has some sort of power. Again I love anything out of the ordinary and maybe you do too. Another point I enjoyed about the book is how emphasized the magic of nature. The earth is precious and we should be saving it as it tells us, just like how the entire farm warned Polly of the farm being up for sale, and dying. She followed the advice of her grandmother who said, “Trust the plants...The plants will never steer you wrong...(pg. 118)” Nature is a powerful thing. In general if you enjoy reading about the unordinary this coming-of-age novel is perfect for you. I hope you enjoy this book no matter your age.
March 12, 2023
This book was weird! I really liked it. I read a lot of fantasy and a lot of children's literature and while this book had many hallmarks of both genres, it also had its own unique thing going on and that was refreshing.
Let's describe the plot as though it is a realist novel ... Polly Peabody is a middle-grader who lives on her family farm, which is open to the public for viewing. Her dad is a scientist and her mother works on the farm. She loved her Grandmom, who died a few years ago, and she idolises her aunt Edith, who was a top shot journalist before she returned to help run the farm four years ago after Grandmom died. Her older sister is beautiful and a bit mean and her older brother is popular and nice. She has trouble making friends at school because she thinks they all think she is weird. There is a particular mean girl who bullies her and encourages other children to call her names after they discovered a minor physical deformity Polly has. She is about to start at a new school and hopes this year will be better.
This is all absolutely true. But now for the weird ... The plot (which I'm about to describe) sounds like the book is maybe going to be a farce or a parody, but it's completely straight, which made it really awesome. Ok, so the family farms rhubarb - both the normal kind, and chocolate rhubarb (which tastes like chocolate) and Giant Rhubarb (which is used to help protect the ozone layer). Although they live in a very dry part of the country, it rains every Monday at 1pm over their farm. People come to see the farm and the rain and to ride on the Umbrella, a theme park ride they offer at the farm. Polly lives in a castle. The farm is full of weird, overlarge insects and Polly's best friend is a rhubarb named Harry. (I particularly love that bit).
It takes the story a while to get going, and after the problem is introduced it takes Polly a long while to figure things out, but in the meanwhile we readers get to find out increasingly weird things, all the while Polly is living an otherwise normal middle-graders' life, with a cool science teacher and the opportunity for new friends and self-growth. Were there some inexplicable things and things that I didn't quite believe even for the setting (think spiders)? Absolutely. But was it fun? Yes. Yes, it was. I'd like to read more by this author.
Let's describe the plot as though it is a realist novel ... Polly Peabody is a middle-grader who lives on her family farm, which is open to the public for viewing. Her dad is a scientist and her mother works on the farm. She loved her Grandmom, who died a few years ago, and she idolises her aunt Edith, who was a top shot journalist before she returned to help run the farm four years ago after Grandmom died. Her older sister is beautiful and a bit mean and her older brother is popular and nice. She has trouble making friends at school because she thinks they all think she is weird. There is a particular mean girl who bullies her and encourages other children to call her names after they discovered a minor physical deformity Polly has. She is about to start at a new school and hopes this year will be better.
This is all absolutely true. But now for the weird ... The plot (which I'm about to describe) sounds like the book is maybe going to be a farce or a parody, but it's completely straight, which made it really awesome. Ok, so the family farms rhubarb - both the normal kind, and chocolate rhubarb (which tastes like chocolate) and Giant Rhubarb (which is used to help protect the ozone layer). Although they live in a very dry part of the country, it rains every Monday at 1pm over their farm. People come to see the farm and the rain and to ride on the Umbrella, a theme park ride they offer at the farm. Polly lives in a castle. The farm is full of weird, overlarge insects and Polly's best friend is a rhubarb named Harry. (I particularly love that bit).
It takes the story a while to get going, and after the problem is introduced it takes Polly a long while to figure things out, but in the meanwhile we readers get to find out increasingly weird things, all the while Polly is living an otherwise normal middle-graders' life, with a cool science teacher and the opportunity for new friends and self-growth. Were there some inexplicable things and things that I didn't quite believe even for the setting (think spiders)? Absolutely. But was it fun? Yes. Yes, it was. I'd like to read more by this author.
March 16, 2018
This looked like a silly, fun kids' book, and I must admit, it was extraordinarily creative. I found it to be a bit too preachy for my taste however, and even though the author sorta made it OK in the end, she sorta didn't either. The preaching was—Farmers are stupid and less important than those with "real" careers. Personal desire is greater than responsibility. Individual wants supercede group needs. Women who decide to do certain things with their life are of less value than women who choose to do "better" things with their life. There was also the cliche "blondes are always obsessed with their looks", although this seemed to be reconciled by the end, so I dismissed it.
I also took issue with something the main character did. The MC's best friend is a plant named Harry. Now Harry doesn't talk, but he is sentient. He communicates by moving his leaves, etc. This happens in the first part of the book, so I'm not spoiling anything, but the MC gets mad and rips Harry to shreds. I know he's "just a plant", but she didn't react like she had just killed her best friend. She acted like she just accidentally ran over a squirrel in the road. I found that part very disturbing since, as I said, this looked like a silly, fun kids' book.
Pros:
Well written
Very creative
Fun
A good mix of SF and fantasy with an excellent surprise at the end
Well paced
A clean read
Cons:
The items I mentioned above
There were several errors, but I dismissed them as that seems the norm anymore
Some of the characters' reactions seemed forced, unnatural
All in all, it's not a bad book, but I recommend knowing the things I mentioned before making any decision about it.
I also took issue with something the main character did. The MC's best friend is a plant named Harry. Now Harry doesn't talk, but he is sentient. He communicates by moving his leaves, etc. This happens in the first part of the book, so I'm not spoiling anything, but the MC gets mad and rips Harry to shreds. I know he's "just a plant", but she didn't react like she had just killed her best friend. She acted like she just accidentally ran over a squirrel in the road. I found that part very disturbing since, as I said, this looked like a silly, fun kids' book.
Pros:
Well written
Very creative
Fun
A good mix of SF and fantasy with an excellent surprise at the end
Well paced
A clean read
Cons:
The items I mentioned above
There were several errors, but I dismissed them as that seems the norm anymore
Some of the characters' reactions seemed forced, unnatural
All in all, it's not a bad book, but I recommend knowing the things I mentioned before making any decision about it.
May 2, 2024
I really enjoyed the story of this book, but I have one critique. Why did Beatrice have to be the only Black person and why did she have to be a cook? Couldn't Basford have been her nephew or something and then could have also been Black? I also found it a little off putting that the only Latino person happened to be a farm worker. Like people who aren't white can do other think than what is stereotypical or historical. We live in the 21st century, people from diverse backgrounds should be able to do whatever they want, especially in a book where you can write the characters in any way you wish. I think it's important to represent different types of people in books, especially books aimed towards younger audiences. Other than that, the story was really cute and I loved seeing all the pieces come together in the end.
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