Kate DiCamillo
Candlewick Press, Somerville, Mass. 272 pages
What a delightful story! We live in dark, difficult times with an uncertain future. This is a book for just such a time. It will restore your spirit and give you a glimpse into what friendship might look like among people different from each other. The author’s brilliance is her capacity to bring this delight from real characters who experience real suffering. She has done this previously with “Flora & Ulysses” and famously in “Because of Winn Dixie.” In this story, Raymie Clarke wants deeply to find her estranged father. She devises a plan that includes winning the Little Miss Central Florida Tire Competition to gain attention to woo him back. But Raymie has competitors: Louisiana Elefante and Beverly Tapinski. As the story develops, the three face their own sorrows and questions and becomes friends through it all. It is quite remarkable that such dark events as death, loss and loneliness can be communicated through the lives of these young adults. They become the “three rancheros” facing challenges none knew were possible by relying on their friendship. Along the way, there are poignant encounters with neighbors and nursing home residents that illuminate the heart of each one. To find out how Raymie Clarke becomes Raymie Nightingale, read the story. As Louisiana says, “It’s important to be on your toes because you just never know what might happen next in this world.”
