Sugar, with her natural gift for rubbing down imperfections, will win readers’ hearts.Ī young British Nigerian girl tangles with her hair’s true power. Quirky supporting characters-both human and dog-add to its appeal.
Sugar’s voice is convincing, both as storyteller and young writer her natural good humor shines through what could be a sad story indeed. B., the sixth-grade teacher who encourages her writing and stays in touch and, finally, Lexie and Mac, experienced foster parents who provide a safe haven but know when to let go. Can Reba develop the strength to resist him? Luckily, this resilient child has always had the support of other adults: first her grandfather, King Cole then Mr. Sugar’s mother, Reba, has trusted her gambling husband too many times. Her chronological first-person narration works, with notes, emails and poems to document the pain of dealing with an unreliable father, the difficulty of leaving a familiar home and beloved teacher, and the conflicted feelings of a child in a good foster-care situation. Newbery Honor winner Bauer ( Hope Was Here, 2000) has created one of her strongest young women yet in the character of Sugar, writer of thank-you notes and poetry, dog-walker, parent-educator and trust-trainer. Through months of homelessness and her mother’s breakdown, sixth-grader Sugar Mae Cole and her puppy, Shush, demonstrate what it means to be sweet.
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