Coping with the unusual is definitely something that's on my mind these days. All the mysterious happenings in this story kept me hooked.
Description from the publisher:
SoHo, 1981. Twelve-year-old Olympia is an artist--and in her
neighborhood, that's normal. Her dad and his business partner Apollo bring
antique paintings back to life, while her mother makes intricate sculptures in
a corner of their loft, leaving Ollie to roam the streets of New York with her
best friends Richard and Alex, drawing everything that catches her eye.
Then everything falls apart. Ollie's dad disappears in the middle of the night, leaving her only a cryptic note and instructions to destroy it. Her mom has gone to bed, and she's not getting up. Apollo is hiding something, Alex is acting strange, and Richard has questions about the mysterious stranger he saw outside. And someone keeps calling, looking for a missing piece of art. . . .
Olympia knows her dad is the key--but first, she has to find him, and time is running out.
Then everything falls apart. Ollie's dad disappears in the middle of the night, leaving her only a cryptic note and instructions to destroy it. Her mom has gone to bed, and she's not getting up. Apollo is hiding something, Alex is acting strange, and Richard has questions about the mysterious stranger he saw outside. And someone keeps calling, looking for a missing piece of art. . . .
Olympia knows her dad is the key--but first, she has to find him, and time is running out.
All the Grey’s on
Greene Street by Laura Tucker was published by Viking, an imprint of Penguin Random
House, in 2019.
Why you want to read this book…
All the aspects of the art studio, the artist loft and Ollie’s lifestyle
were intriguing, but what really tugged at my heart was the predicament Ollie
was put in. Reading about how Ollie tried to cope with her father leaving and
her mother’s depression made for a strong, emotional experience. I also really enjoyed all the details about
art!
Opening:
May Day is the
first day of May.
“Mayday” is a radio
signal used by ships and aircraft in distress.
This spring, May
Day was the first day that my mom didn’t get out of bed.
If you’re a writer…
You might be interested in the way the author left space for the reader
to interpret and think about what is going on. The way the author described the
art techniques put me right there in the moment. This is a good book to study
to see how different threads of plot are wound up and tied together at the end.
I hate charcoal. You’d think I’d like it because
there’s no color involved, but I hate the horrible scratching sound it makes
against the paper and the smudgy mess of it.
If you’re an educator or parent…
A great story for a read aloud to open up discussions about feelings,
different kinds of families, and coping with family troubles. The art and the
mystery give the story lots of ways to interest readers.
If you’re looking for another great list of middle
grade books to read, check out Marvelous Middle Grade Monday on Greg Pattridge's blog.
Sounds like a good read. I really am curious about what happened to her dad.
ReplyDeleteThis sounds like a great book! The numerous mysteries sound compelling, and the focus on art reminds me in a few ways of another book I read once, Under the Egg. Thanks for the great post!
ReplyDeleteThis sounds like a terrific book. I do love a good mystery. Thanks for the heads up.
ReplyDelete