Every year, I look forward to reading all of the nominees. They are by and large well-written books, destined to become classics.
This past week I read I, Emma Freke, a 2014 nominee by Elizabeth Atkinson, which I enjoyed but have conflicted feelings when it comes to recommending it to children.
Emma's mother did not say her name out loud before she bestowed her with a name that sounds awfully like "Am a freak." That's just one of Emma's problems.
She has no friends at school.
She's 11 years old but very tall and thin for 6th grade.
She is nothing like her short, buxom, vibrant, extroverted, dark-haired, Italian mother, Donatella.
Her mother has never told her who her father is.
Her mom is a serial dater. When her mother's latest boyfriend discovers that Emma is not some college kid working at the family owned "Freke Beads and More" but is actually Donatella's daughter, he-gone.
Donatella frequently stays out late into the night on her "dates" and forgets to wake up and open the shop. Emma picks up all the slack.
Emma does have one best friend, Penelope from across the street. Penelope was adopted by the "two gray moms" from Liberia. Homosexuality is never mentioned. In fact the two gray moms are never actually in the story, just referred to.
Emma's mother gives her one real birthday present for the first time ever, a book entitled How to Learn at Home the Cosmic Way: Levels 6-12 (published 1978), and tells Emma that she never has to go back to school. She will be homeschooled at the library by her Italian grandfather (Nonno) and work in the shop in the afternoons. Donatella "says" that she's taken care of everything.
When Nonno refuses to go to the library (too many unmarried women), Emma goes alone and inadvertently tips off a suspicious librarian who in turn calls the school.
The suspicious librarian is one very cool chick named Stevie, and Stevie ends up being Emma's school-appointed tutor for the remaining few weeks of school.
Meanwhile, Penelope suggests to Emma that maybe she is adopted too, and she has list of convincing reasons. Emma confronts Donatella with this hypothesis. Donatella reveals that Emma is indeed the daughter of the long-gone ex-huband, Walter Freke. They divorced a year before Emma was born, but apparently he came back for one last "visit."
Donatella gives Emma an invitation to the annual Freke family reunion in Wisconsin, that recently came in the mail and together they make plans for Emma to fly to WI by herself, with all of her camping equipment, to find the family where she will (hopefully) fit in.
The Freke family pronounces the name "Frecky." Emma does find friends and cousins and physical similarities with the Freke side, but she also learns that too much structure and control is just as bad as too little. She comes home with a new-found appreciation of Donatella's loving if lax ways.
Penelope gets exactly what she wants for her tenth birthday, a surprise trip to Liberia, and a new baby sister. In a downright adorable scene, Penelope reveals her "present" to Emma and explains that she was allowed to choose the baby's middle name, Emma.
It is hard not to like I, Emma Freke. I love Emma and sympathized with her problems. I adore her spunky and wise friends, Penelope and Stevie the librarian teacher. But Donatella's philandering and somewhat dishonest ways make it impossible for me to recommend this book for middle-schoolers. I would not hesitate to let my high-schoolers read it, but not many high-schoolers are interested in a book about 11 and 12 year old kids.
Sharing this with the Marvelous Middle Grade Monday folks.
No comments:
Post a Comment