And then one day you grew up. On Thursday you're jumping out the second story window onto the pile of stuffed animals you tossed down to cushion your fall. Then Friday, your scared of elevators, hoping with all hope not to plummet to the ground. Yet every now and then there's that voice in back of your head (long forgotten) whispering to you how you used to love to fly.
Well, this voice, that so often whispers to me in the night, must still be ringing strong in the mind of Katherine Hannigan. With the simple poetic style of writing from a nine-year-old's mind, Katherine Hannigan made me laugh, cry, think, and breathe a sigh of relief while reading "Ida B. ... and Her Plans to Maximize Fun, Avoid Disaster, and (Possibly) Save the World
." (I mean really, who could resist such a title).This novel discusses environmental issues, health, public and home education, as well as the fabulous nature or the creative, ah inspiring, resourceful character Ida B. Your able to sit down at a coffee shop and finish this story in a mere few hours, if you'd like. And the story will transport you to the days on the playground, the days you knew trees could dance and talk, and most importantly, the days when a person listening to your voice--truly listening--was all you needed to be connected and rooted in your true self.
So take the time to talk with Ida B., making sure to call her Ida B. not Ida when you ask her to play a round of dodgeball in life. And remember her words, "... sometimes, when you haven't talked with a friend for awhile, even if it's strange and stiff and you don't quite know what to say, it can still feel better than ever." (p. 227)
