A Simple Case of Angels

by Caroline Adderson

Nicola’s adorable little dog, June Bug, keeps getting into trouble. She steals the neighbor’s turkey, yanks down the Christmas tree and destroys Mum’s almost-finished giant crossword. Everyone is mad, and it looks as though June Bug’s days are numbered.

Will doing a good deed make up for June Bug’s bad behavior?

Nicola certainly hopes so. And when she and June Bug come across a new nursing home in the neighborhood, it feels like a Sign. They volunteer to become regular visitors at Shady Oaks, certain that June Bug’s cute tricks will cheer up the elderly residents.

In fact, they could all use some cheering up. It’s the holiday, and yet everyone seems to be cranky and off balance. Nobody has put up any lights, Nicola’s grade five teacher is inexplicably crabby, and Nicola’s big brother Jared stays holed up in front of the computer playing Inferno 2, eagerly sending winged creatures into a fiery abyss. Even Nicola is not herself, and when a new girl, Lindsay, tries to be her friend, Nicola finds herself being uncharacteristically mean, because Lindsay seems to be one of those hair-and-jewelry girls who wants her own subscription to Bride magazine for Christmas.

But Nicola’s mother won’t let her visit Shady Oaks by herself, so when Lindsay offers to go with her, Nicola agrees. And the girls discover that something unusual is going on at the home, where it seems that a few of the more remarkable patients are being kept against their will. Freeing them will bring out the very best in Nicola, and especially in June Bug.

Genres: Animals, Canada, Childrens

136 pages, Kindle Edition

First published August 25, 2014

About the author

Caroline Adderson grew up in Alberta. After traveling around Canada, she moved to B.C. to go to university and has mostly lived there ever since. She started writing seriously after university, eventually going on to write two internationally published novels (A History of Forgetting and Sitting Practice) and two collections of short stories for adults (Bad Imaginings and Pleased To Meet You). When her son was five, she began writing seriously unserious books for young readers (Very Serious Children; I, Bruno;and Bruno For Real). Her contribution to the Single Voice series is her first really serious book for young readers and her first book for teens.

Caroline’s work has received numerous prize nominations including the Scotiabank Giller Prize longlist, the Governor General’s Literary Award, the Rogers Writers’ Trust Fiction Prize, and the Commonwealth Writers’ Prize. A two-time Ethel Wilson Fiction Prize and three-time CBC Literary Award winner, Caroline was also the recipient of the 2006 Marian Engel Award, given annually to an outstanding female writer in mid-career in recognition of her body of work. She also won the 2009 Diamond Willow Award—voted on by lots of nice kids in Saskatchewan—for her children’s novel Very Serious Children.

Caroline keeps writing for readers of all ages every day. She also does a little teaching at Simon Fraser University and hangs out with her husband, a filmmaker, their 10-year-old son, and their naughty dog, Mickey, a Jack Russell terrier who is very lucky to be cute or she would never get away with all she does. Caroline’s advice to young writers is to read, read, read and write, write, write, and never get a Jack Russell terrier.

Reviews

[Lisa · Rating 3 out of 5]

I work in a public library and the children's librarian recommended this book to me. I liked it but I didn't love it. It wasn't too "kiddy". I recommend it for older children, even young adult. Hell is talked about throughout the book. Not as a cuss word, but the main character Nicola is afraid her dog June Bug is going to go to Hell because she misbehaves so much. She goes to a church to confess for her dog, and thinks if June Bug does one good deed she will be absolved of her "sins". Nicola and June Bug start visiting residents at Shady Oaks retirement home and through a series of events Nicola starts believing three of the residents are in fact angels. I really liked the relationship and interactions between Nicola and her older brother Jared, younger brother Jackson and her parents Mina and Terence. Especially with Jared, you could tell underneath all his angst he loves his sister. I want a dog like June Bug. :) It was a little disconcerting at first when the author writes "Leave the door open, Mina called". "To Nicola, Mina said, I don't want Jared closing himself in there with a girl". Whenever the parents talk or are mentioned the author uses their names and not "her dad" or "Nicola's mom". Sometimes it would take me a second to remember who Mina and Terence were. I wish we got to know the three residents Nicola believes to be angels more. They have their big reveal at the very end of the book and then they are not heard from again. It got a little "preachy" at the end when Nicola and her friend Lindsay start seeing what they think are "signs" from the angels. The main message is love everyone and be nice to them especially elders and strangers because you could be entertaining angels.

[Barbara · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fifth grader Nicola Bream notices that things just don't seem the same at school this year. Her best friend has moved on to another group, the playground is considered dangerous, and even her teacher is grumpy. At home, Nicola fears that her parents are going to banish her beloved dog June Bug because she keeps getting into trouble. Although she is a very sweet dog, she finds it hard to resist Christmas ornaments and turkey and nipping humans on the nose. Although Nicola considers her just to be someone who sits near her at first, her classmate Lindsay becomes more than that after accompanying her to a nursing home with June Bug. Both girls are shocked at the conditions of the home and the mysterious luminous quality of three of the residents, and they become determined to set things right. I enjoyed June Bug's antics and Nicola's persistence and the steadiness with which the relationship between Nicola and Lindsay grew. It's pretty clear that a good deed or two can make up for a mistake or two. Some readers will love the fact that they never learn what was up with those nursing home residents while others will find that frustrating. I prefer to wonder at the marvels myself since I don't want all of life's little (and big) mysteries to be solved for me.

[Lisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book really took off at the end and I loved the way the author tied everything together at the end.

[Jenneffer · Rating 5 out of 5]

My 8 year old and I really enjoyed this book. We loved how the main character, Nicola, faces challenges at home and school, and finds solace with her pup and a new friend. She opens her heart to accept things she otherwise wouldn't have. There is lots of humor with dog challenges.

[Cat Gray · Rating 3 out of 5]

It had a very sweet message about reaching out to help others.

[Cheryl]

also ebook WI MORE

[Jeffrey · Rating 4 out of 5]

At first, I found the narrative just a little flat but Adderson won me over. It's wonderful in terms of drop-kicking into the world of the Bream family and their puppy June Bug who appears to be nothing but trouble but who turns out to be a mischievious little angel after all! Sure to delight younger readers with its zaniness!

[Jen · Rating 3 out of 5]

This chapter book explores hell and angels and the relationship with personal responsibility and what the angels do to help you. It is volunteering that gives Nicola the biggest reward, not the angels.

[Rachel Sharpe · Rating 2 out of 5]

Thought I was getting myself into a nice realistic fiction book.


Nope.

[Madison · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a a nice story. My favorite part was when she went to confess for her dog and when the patients grew angel wings.