Bluish - Hardcover

Hamilton, Virginia

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0590288792 ISBN 13: 9780590288798

Publisher: Blue Sky Press, 1999

Synopsis

A touching novel that explores the unbreakable bonds of friendship follows a young girl called Bluish by the other children because leukemia makes her pale and Dreenie, who finds Bluish fascinating and encourages her friend Tuli to look beyond the color and see the person within.

About this title

Review:

Bluish is unlike any girl 10-year-old Dreenie has ever seen. At school she sits in a wheelchair, her skin so pale it's almost blue. Dreenie, herself new to the New York City magnet school, is fascinated by her, but wary as well. Unaware that the name Bluish could have derogatory connotations ("Blewish," for Black and Jewish), she fixates on the moonlight blue skin tones of this curiously fragile child. Together with Tuli, a bi-racial girl who pretends to be Spanish (often with poignantly comical results), the three carefully forge a bond of friendship, stumbling often as they confront issues of illness, ethnicity, culture, need, and hope.

This novel has an edgy quality that may disconcert some readers until they find the rhythm. Bouncing back and forth between Dreenie's first person journal entries and a third person narrative, the motion is a little unsettling. The overall theme is powerful, however, and Virginia Hamilton's skill in addressing the intense and subtle nuances of female friendships is impressive. No surprise, there; with over 30 books for young readers under her belt, and an armful of honors including the Newbery Medal for M.C. Higgins, the Great, three Newbery Honor Awards, the National Book Award, and many more, Hamilton is a formidable voice in children's literature. (Ages 9 to 12) --Emilie Coulter

About the Author:

Virginia Hamilton (1936-2002) changed children's literature for generations of readers, winning every major award in her field across the globe. Her awards and honors include the Newbery Medal, the National Book Award, the Boston Globe-Horn Book Award, the Hans Christian Andersen Medal, a MacArthur Fellowship, and four honorary doctorates. Virginia was married to Arnold Adoff, and they have two children and one grandchild.

About this edition

• Publisher: Blue Sky Press
• Publication date: 1999
• ISBN 10: 0590288792
• ISBN 13: 9780590288798
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 128
• Illustrator: Dillon Leo & Diane