School Library Journal Review
Gr 6-9-Eleven-year-old Early Pearl, her little brother, Jubilation, and her mom are stunned when father Dash disappears one day on his way home from work as a page at the Chicago Public Library. When their apartment is broken into, most of their belongings are stolen and the family is threatened. They find themselves in an unexpected situation-living in a shelter. The loving circle of four is reduced to a nervous, uncertain, unmoored, and frightened trio struggling to hold on in an alien environment. As Early plays detective to try to figure out what might have happened to her beloved dad; she discovers that he held an extra job that involved taking inventory of a mysterious collection of books and thinks this position could play a central role in his disappearance. Early's mom starts to unravel, Jubie acts his age, and Early is far wiser than most tweens. While there are some flaws here-Early is too mature for her age, her dad is very naive, etc.-the story and characters are compelling. Bahni Turnpin narrates Balliett's story (Scholastic, 2013) in a warm, expressive voice, and her pacing and intonation are perfection. Her recitation of the Langston Hughes poetry that is incorporated throughout the novel is excellent.-B. Allison Gray, Goleta Library, CA (c) Copyright 2013. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Publisher's Weekly Review
Eleven-year-old Early loves her family: her father, Dashiell (called Dash), who works at a library and enjoys wordplay of all kinds; her mother, Summer (called Sum); and her little brother, Jubilation (called Jubie). Together they call their family "DashSumEarlyJubie," delighting in how their names "click" together like magnets, the family members fitting together perfectly in a happy unit. But after doing some off-hours work cataloging books at home, Dash mysteriously disappears, criminals threaten the family and tear apart their apartment, and Early and her mother and brother end up out of money and trying to survive in the city's shelter system. It's up to Early to solve the mystery of what happened to her father and reunite the family. Balliett's novel is perfect for audio: Dash's talks with his family are full of alliteration and rhymes, and he often quotes the poems of Langston Hughes, which later give Early clues to solving the mystery. Narrator Bahni Turpin's superb reading brings out all the musicality and rhythm of the text, and she creates authentic, distinctive voices for a multitude of characters of varying ages and accents. Ages 8-12. A Scholastic hardcover. A Doubleday hardcover. (Mar.) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.