Keeping Safe the Stars - Hardcover

O'Connor, Sheila

3.83

869 ratings by Goodreads

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0399254595 ISBN 13: 9780399254598

Publisher: G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers, 2012

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When crisis hits, a young girl becomes the only one left to take care of her family

Pride, Nightingale and Baby are the Stars. Orphaned and living with their grandfather, Old Finn, in rural Minnesota, the children, like their grandfather, are wary of outsiders. They believe, as Old Finn taught them, in self-reliance.

But then Old Finn falls seriously ill and is taken to the hospital all the way in Duluth, leaving the children to fend for themselves. Pride, as oldest, assumes the lead. Though she makes mistakes, she keeps them afloat; they even earn money for the bus trip to Duluth. But when they finally see Old Finn, he can't walk or even say his own name, and Pride knows her days of keeping safe the Stars are drawing to a close. Self-reliance can't make Old Finn well again. But maybe, just maybe, a secret from Old Finn's past might make a way for them to stay together after all.

A poignant story about family and love, Sheila O'Connor has delivered another extraordinary and mesmerizing tale.

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About the Author:

Sheila O'Connor lives in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

From School Library Journal:

Gr 5-8-Pride is only 13, but when her grandpa, Old Finn, is admitted to the hospital, she is left to take care of her younger sister and brother, Nightingale and Baby. Smart and resourceful, the siblings construct a plan to maintain normalcy at all costs, earning money to buy groceries and even continuing on with their homeschooling. Soon, though, youthful gumption isn't enough. And then Old Finn is moved to a bigger hospital miles and miles away. Desperate to stay together and avoid a group home like the one they were placed in after their mother died, the children learn to face the truth, accept help from the various adults they meet along the way, and set out to find the woman who wrote Old Finn love letters. Smart kids who fend for themselves is an interesting premise, but it's hard to read the adult characters who end up watching over these youngsters; none of their motivations for wanting to help ever seem clear. While the story is filled with charm, the one-dimensional characters, 1974 setting, and slow pacing feel forced.-Jennifer Miskec, Longwood University, Farmville, VAα(c) Copyright 2011. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

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