A Newbery Award winner by Christopher Paul Curtis, the story is told by Kenny Watson, a preteen black youth living in Flint, Michigan.  Kenny lives with his parents, Daniel and Wilona, big brother, Byron and little sister, Joetta.  They live a nice life; mom stays at home, dad works at the auto plant and the three children go to school.  Mom is from Birmingham, where the winters are not so brutal as Flint.

When Byron is deemed uncontrolable and a trouble maker, his parents decide to send him south to spend the summer, hoping Grandma can straighten him out.  After careful planning by mom, the family loads into the "Brown Bomber", dad's big car and start the trip south, deciding not to take the 3 day trip but to drive straight through.  On the trip, the parents give the children a warning that they are going is nothing like where they are from.  "Separate but equal" still exists in the south.  The black population must keep in their places.  Civil rights is a very hot topic.

When the family arrives, the children find that the warnings their parents have given are true.  Kenny sees a big differece in what is acceptable here as apposed to Michigan.  It is also so hot that the children can't sleep.  They have a few adventures.   One scary adventure Kenny has is a battle with the "Wool Pooh",at Collier's pond, where he almost drowns until Byron saves him.  The next day is Sunday and Joetta goes to Sunday School. Kenny stays home, worn out from his near drowning that neither his brother nor he told their parents about.  Kenny goes outside to rest under the large magnolia tree, but before he rests much he is shaken awake by a loud noise and then frantic cries and running toward the church.  Kenny is fearful and heads toward the church himself, worried about little sister Joetta.  He sees bodies pulled from the bombed church and thinks one may be Joetta.

Fortunately, Joetta is safe and she tells Kenny that she thought she saw him motioning for her to come back home so she didn't go to church at all.  Kenny is puzzled but so shocked about 2 terrible events in several days that he withdraws from life.  Mom and Dad now decide that Byron can't stay so they load up the car and drive back home.

Kenny is still withdrawn.  He does not talk to anyone, quits spending time with his friends and retreats behind the sofa in the living room.  His only hope, he feels, is the healing power of "The Watson World Famous Animal Hospital" where the family's pets go when they are sick or injured.  He remains there hoping to feel better.  It takes some consideration from his parents and his brother to lure him out, and finally Byron is able to get him back to his regular life. 

The book is about social change and how you deal with it, as seen through a small boy's eyes.

I liked this book.  It is a series of short stories about a small town in Maine called Crosby.  The inhabitants of ths small town are somewhat sad to see progress come to the village, including Olive, a math rteacher and her pharamacist husband, Henry.  The short stories revole around the town's people and the Kitteridge family.  Olive, a grumpy, frumpy stick in the mud type lady, has something to say about all the goings on in her town and most of it is not pleasant to hear.  She is  appalled at what goes on and the problems that seem to visit Crosby. 

Although each story is not about Olive and Henry, she plays a part in each section.  Although she is not an overly friendly favorite in the town, she gives sound advice and guidance and seems to at times, be the town guardian.  At the end of the book, the reader will find a softer, gentler side of Olive and she becomes more likable,

After I read the book, I saw a lot of Olive in me and in others.  Olive may have been an old, opinionate grouch, but her advice is usually sound and she is a strong shoulder to lean on.  I guess every small town needs an Olive to look out for it.

I have always liked Betty White and the way she says something serious and makes it funny.  In this book, drawing from a lifetime of lessons learned, Betty tackles topic like friendship, romantic love, aging, television, fans, love for animals, and the new world of celebrity.  She tells humorous stories about her seven decades career in Hollywood.  One time she had a crush on Robert Redford.  Betty's beauty regimen is, I have no idea what color my hair is and I never intend to find out.  She discusses the Facebook campaign that helped persuade her to host Saturday Night Live despite declining the host job three times.  Betty touches on her childhood, her funny parents, early days in show business, as well as her present popularity.  She wanted to be a park ranger or writer when she grew up, but I think acting fits much better.  Betty still finds time to be an advocate for animals and has visited many times with Koko the signing gorilla at the San Francisco Zoo.  Betty says, "I stay in show business to pay for all my animal work."

I plan to keep watching her latest television show "Hot in Cleveland".  It's is so funny and Betty makes aging not look so bad.  This book is funny, sweet, and to the point-just like Betty White.

Hannah Bryant is living secluded on a granite quarry island off Maine. She’s content to work on her paintings and other art on the island she inherited from her great-uncle Arlo.

Hannah is happy her artwork is selling and providing her with a good living.  She has lived like a hermit for six years but one summer day a dog washes up with the tide.  Next, a teenaged boy is sent to her by her half-sister.  Will is on the run from his abusive father.  With two living things dependent on her for survival, Hannah finds she must put her work aside and deal with the outside world.  With Will’s presence come more people intruding on Hannah’s isolation.  Hannah befriends Zee, the local boat delivery service girl and Zee’s father and grandfather.  The last to show up is Hannah’s half-sister Emily. She is pregnant by Will’s manipulative father and looking for a place to hide until the baby is born.  Hannah faces emotional challenges as a series of family secrets are uncovered that intertwine this group of people together.  Hannah begins to question the way she has lived her life and understands the difference between solitude and loneliness.

She weighs the solitude against the meaning of home and connection.  This is a story about losing faith and finding love.

The characters are not perfect but start to reveal him or her self, each becoming more realistic.  The island has its own personality and evokes the sights, smells and sounds of the ocean effortlessly.  This is a powerful well written novel that the library will be using for its July book discussion.  Come join the group.

The Long Goodbye and Angels Don't Die by Patti Davis are two books I read concurrently.  Patti Davis is the daughter of former President Ronald Reagan and Nancy Davis Reagan.  In these small books Patti Davis regrets the years she lost being angry with her parents.  Both Patti Davis and her father held polar opposite political stances for years.  Each person played out these differences in very public venues.  Fortunately, Ms. Davis was able to make amends with her father before he became too ill and he was was unable to communicate.  Of her two parents, Patti Davis particularly loved her father.  She recalls the many spiritual lessons he taught her.  At the age of forty-two Ms. Davis was able to come to a deep understanding of her mother.  They were really able to rely on each other during the final illness of her father.  Alzheimer's disease from which President Reagan died is a particularly long, slow demise. 

In my opinion Patti Davis is an excellent writer.  I enjoyed the descriptions of the emotions she and her mother experienced.  I am glad she and her parents were able to reconcile before it was too late.