A Spool of Blue Thread follows several generations of a family and the house they live in, which is treated like a secondary character. The main characters are relatable and well-rounded people, and the writing style is vivid and conversational. This is a story about family bonds and complicated love, anchored near Baltimore. A social worker named Abby is getting older and showing signs of cognitive impairment, so several of her children move in to help out. The result is relationships get both strengthened and strained, and long-held secrets are revealed.
I found the first half (about Abby and Red and their children) much stronger and more interesting than the second half (about Abby's parents, Linny and Junior). I'd recommend this novel to readers who enjoy well-written fiction about real people and authentic relationships (nothing to do with magic or mythical creatures or dystopian worlds). It's worth your time and attention. Tyler is a gifted wordsmith and an excellent guide through what matters most in life -- family and love. This is a beautifully written book with very well-developed characters. It's a unique story with a point of view that doesn't get written about enough. Woodson is an excellent writer. The book is a moving portrayal of close friendships between adolescents. I like how it handled the descriptions of D being a foster child and her birth mom showing up. She usually refrains from misbehaving and rule-breaking because she wants to stay in her foster home -- not to be adopted, but to eventually reunite with her birth mom. It treated her being in foster care as just a part of reality, which I appreciated. Too many times, novels and movies portray adoption and/or foster care as a monumental crisis for the character, or a horrible secret to hide. I find Woodson's portrayal to be much more true to life. As a mother of two adopted boys, I realize things have changed a lot over the last 20 or 30 years in this country with regards to adoption. It's good for modern stories to reflect that.
Middle-schoolers and high-schoolers will find this book engaging and interesting, even if they don't have personal experience with adoption and race issues. Shannon Gibney has given us a moving portrayal of transracial adoption, showing us how it feels for a black child or mixed child to grow up with a white family. The protagonist, Alex, doesn't always handle her challenges well, but we as readers are with her all the way on her journey toward more self-acceptance and self-understanding. The characters, especially Alex and her sister Kit, are well developed. The vivid storytelling made this book worth the time to read. For the most part, I thought the ending was satisfying, except I would have liked to see more discussion about Alex learning from her mistakes (mainly lying to those she loves).This book is well-suited for middle-schoolers and high-schoolers.
This is a touching and unique story that I would recommend to anyone, especially kids ages 8-12. It's a story about resilience, courage and family bonds. Bud, a black boy who lost his mother during the Great Depression, runs away from a mean foster family near Flint, Michigan. He learns important life lessons during his journey through a Hooverville, packed with people looking for work and food. His travels land him with a band of musicians, as he searches for his father. The characters are well-developed and strong. The voice of Bud truly feels and sounds like a 10-year-old's. The plot is interesting and well-paced.
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