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bgirl1214's review
5.0
It is a great book because it was filled with Langton Hughes literature, and it plays with words in ways that it's inspiring. It is an amazing page-turner, definitely one of my favorite books for now on.
smlunden's review
3.0
this book is hard for multiple reasons. it gives you a close up and personal account of what it is like for a child to be homeless. it is therefore very sad and the voices were mostly weepy (even so, I liked the actress), but also extremely educational and mind-opening.
but half of the problems seemed to be caused by the fact that the 4 year old knew everything and kept blurting it out all over the place. I kinda hated the mom and the 4 yr old, because basically their place in the plot was to mess things up worse for the main character. and i definitely do not get along with books that can make me dislike a 4 yr old.
but half of the problems seemed to be caused by the fact that the 4 year old knew everything and kept blurting it out all over the place. I kinda hated the mom and the 4 yr old, because basically their place in the plot was to mess things up worse for the main character. and i definitely do not get along with books that can make me dislike a 4 yr old.
thebookaneer's review
3.0
They have always been four, Dashsumearlyjubie, a family that held tight to each other, loved each other, learned from each other and was happy. That is until Dash, the father, was hit by a truck and disappeared one snowy day. Summer, the mother, Early, the daughter, and Jubie, the young son, are distraught, knowing that their father who worked as a page at the Chicago Public Library was not the kind of father to walk away from them. Then one night, masked men break into their apartment with guns, steal all their books, and destroy their home. Forced to live in a shelter, Early takes it upon her self to solve the mystery of her father's disappearance and find them a new place to live. Guided by her father's favorite book, The First Book of Rhythms by Langston Hughes, she follows the sinister trail of betrayal and lies to find what is really going on while struggling to keep her family from falling apart.
This was a beautiful, poetic book that is absolutely in love with language. I was itching to read it out loud. The Pearl family loves words. They keep a book of new words that they discover and love. At the beginning of each book section is a word that has multiple definitions which encapsulate the next movement of the piece.
Towards the middle, I began to lose interest because not much was going on, but Balliet kept pulling me back in with the beautiful words, the strong bonds of love, the exploration of Langston's work that was the only thing that kept Early going, and the strong feeling of magic realism just in the corner of your eye. It is also a good introduction into the life of a homeless family, and I would probably read it to a class for both poetry and social justice.
A really beautiful book. I am going to pick up The First Book of Rhythms now.
This was a beautiful, poetic book that is absolutely in love with language. I was itching to read it out loud. The Pearl family loves words. They keep a book of new words that they discover and love. At the beginning of each book section is a word that has multiple definitions which encapsulate the next movement of the piece.
Towards the middle, I began to lose interest because not much was going on, but Balliet kept pulling me back in with the beautiful words, the strong bonds of love, the exploration of Langston's work that was the only thing that kept Early going, and the strong feeling of magic realism just in the corner of your eye. It is also a good introduction into the life of a homeless family, and I would probably read it to a class for both poetry and social justice.
A really beautiful book. I am going to pick up The First Book of Rhythms now.
elllie's review
3.0
Plus six stars for the sensitive and (from my perspective) realistic portrayal of the shelter system.
Minus one star for the dad wanting a library science degree. I'm just not a fan of pandering to librarians.
Minus one star for the overuse of loving words. I see this theme show up in kids books ALL THE TIME and while I'm sure there are some kids who love words, the proportion of KIDS WHO LOVE WORDS in books and the proportion of KIDS WHO LOVE WORDS in real life are not even close.
Minus one star for the fairly far-fetchedness of the mystery.
There was a lot going on in this book and while I LOVED Blue's portrayal of how one might find themselves in need of shelter services (seriously, this should have been the whole story), and her language was lyrical and beautiful, those things bugged me enough (I put this book down for a month once the LIS thing showed up - blech) that I had to knock it down a bit.
Minus one star for the dad wanting a library science degree. I'm just not a fan of pandering to librarians.
Minus one star for the overuse of loving words. I see this theme show up in kids books ALL THE TIME and while I'm sure there are some kids who love words, the proportion of KIDS WHO LOVE WORDS in books and the proportion of KIDS WHO LOVE WORDS in real life are not even close.
Minus one star for the fairly far-fetchedness of the mystery.
There was a lot going on in this book and while I LOVED Blue's portrayal of how one might find themselves in need of shelter services (seriously, this should have been the whole story), and her language was lyrical and beautiful, those things bugged me enough (I put this book down for a month once the LIS thing showed up - blech) that I had to knock it down a bit.
hezann73's review
3.0
I actually thought the middle section of this book was the strongest. The parts when the family are all together actually seemed the weakest to me. OK for 4-5th grade, but only for true fans of the author
alitza724's review
3.0
I listened to the audio. I think I would have liked it more if I had read it rather than listened. I didn't care for the narrator and I found the use of the repeating word (click, circle, etc) annoying which, had I been reading the book, I would have just glossed over those chapter headings.
The story itself was ok, but since I listened to it in short bursts, I had trouble getting into it.
The story itself was ok, but since I listened to it in short bursts, I had trouble getting into it.
zipperbee's review
3.0
I really enjoyed Balliett's Calder series, so I went into this book with pretty high expectations. Even though those books got weaker as they went along they were so fresh and smart, I couldn't get enough! Hold Fast is a much different book. For starters it's meant for younger readers, but I also think for struggling readers.
I liked the characters and the family enough, but I was never fully engaged with them or their story. Sure I wanted them to find their missing dad and to attain a better standard of life, but it was a weak follow-the-numbers feeling.
If I recall correctly I read this slowly over a week. I just couldn't get into it, although technically it should've been a quick read.
I liked the characters and the family enough, but I was never fully engaged with them or their story. Sure I wanted them to find their missing dad and to attain a better standard of life, but it was a weak follow-the-numbers feeling.
If I recall correctly I read this slowly over a week. I just couldn't get into it, although technically it should've been a quick read.
sonshinelibrarian's review
5.0
A beautiful, moving, heart-warming, and heart-wrenching book. I loved Balliett's trilogy starting with Chasing Vermeer and so I grabbed this when I saw it come in. It was even better. Not only was there the intricate and interesting mystery, which she writes so very well, but there is a lovely commentary on the realities of homelessness and shelter life. It is stark and real and scary without being preachy or hopeless.
A wonderful and important book that should go on every teacher's reading list and shared with many, many children.
A wonderful and important book that should go on every teacher's reading list and shared with many, many children.