Catching a Storyfish
Janice N. Harrington
Publication Date:
4 Apr. 2023
Format:
Paperback / softback
ISBN 9781662660078
Winner of the Paterson Prize for Books for Young People
Arnold Adoff Poetry Honor Award
This lyrical middle-grade novel-in-verse celebrates the power of story and of finding one's individual voice.
Keet knows the only good thing about moving away from her Alabama home is that she'll live near her beloved grandfather. When Keet starts school, it's even worse than she expected, as the kids tease her about her southern accent. Now Keet, who can "talk the whiskers off a catfish," doesn't want to open her mouth. While fishing with her grandfather, she learns the art of listening and gradually, she makes her first new friend. But just as she's beginning to settle in, her grandfather has a stroke, and even though he's still nearby, he suddenly feels ever-so-far-away. Keet is determined to reel him back to her by telling him stories; in the process she finds her voice and her grandfather again.
A Cooperative Children's Book Centre Choices Selection
Information
Book Type: Junior ChapterAge Group: 8 to 12 years
Traffic Lights: Green
Class Novel: Yes
Good Reads Rating: 5/5
Literary Rating: 5/5
Review
When Katharen’s family moves from their home in Alabama to be closer to her grandfather, she struggles to fit in at school. The kids make fun of her due to her broad Southern accent. The only balm for her loneliness is the time she spends with her grandfather fishing: he spins her tall tales of catfish, teases her and shares unexpected wisdom.
As time passes, Katharen makes a friend in spelling wiz Allegra, who she calls “Allie-gator”, and slowly starts to fit in. But just as life is finding a new uneasy rhythm, Katharen’s grandfather suffers a stroke. Now instead of sitting in a boat with him while he tells her stories, she’s sitting in a hospital room.
Their school is visited by a storyteller from Tenessee, and Katharen rediscovers her love of storytelling. She enters and is honourably mentioned in a statewide short story competition, but she knows that the important thing isn’t the winning—it’s the writing. With her grandfather talking again, Katharen knows the power of storytelling now more than ever.
A gentle and touching verse novel that uses several different kinds of verse. An explanation of ten different types of poem is included at the end with specific examples of how they are used throughout the book. Overall, this is a wonderful read both for the emotional impact and the structure.
Themes
verse novel, moving, new school, friendships, stroke, intergenerational relationships, fishing, storytelling, bullying
Content Notes
Not applicable.
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