A review by bickie
Sadie and Ratz by Sonya Hartnett

2.0

Not sure what to think about this book; Sadie and Ratz are the main character's hands. They can be mean, and they take out their anger on Baby Boy, a 4-year-old who blames them for mishaps around the house like marker on the wall, spilled milk, and a missing leg on a pet stick insect. There is no real resolution except that Baby Boy's hands, Colin and Scraps, are uncovered as the culprit when a clock is smashed. Thoughtful readers will see how children can get pegged as "bad kids" and "good kids" who then are given the benefit of the doubt or not in certain situations. Some children are able to deal with their impulses and violent feelings better by holding them at a certain distance (like Sadie and Ratz); Hannah takes responsibility for controlling them, thinking it might be time for them to have a vacation (despite the hands still being attached to her body, the characters leave).