Kimberly FuscoReviews

This is the story of an orphan girl named Bee who lives with a traveling carnival. It's set during WWII, but all the action is in small town America. Bee has a large birthmark on her face which attracts unwanted attention and bullying. When the story begins her only friend is Pauline, the young woman who has taken care of Bee since her parents died.

Bee narrates the story with a calm and steady fortitude that only rarely dissolves into sadness. Her voice was at times charming, soothing, and a bit stiff to me. It's difficult to describe, but I think some examples will do. She often speaks in precepts:

"When you are sleeping in the back of a hauling truck you do not want anybody coming in and bothering you."
"Generally, it is not a good idea to fret too long over things like ladies who disappear."
"As a general rule of thumb, it is a good idea to think about other things when you are bothered."
"Generally, when you find yourself in a bad situation it is a good idea not to make it worse."

Right from the beginning, Bee tells us why she has so many adages to live by: "When you have a diamond on your face, you have rules about things."

The story takes a turn when Bee decides to leave the dull and difficult carnival life to find a new home for herself, her dog, Peabody, and her favorite pig, Cordelia. She is guided by a woman in an orange floppy hat, who, Bee realizes, is only visible to Bee and Peabody. As is almost always the case in stories such as these, Bee discovers strength and confidence she didn't know she had. (Interestingly, she turns into a bit of a bully herself when given the chance to get back at one of her tormenters.)

Besides the obvious theme of thriving despite your hardships, there were also themes of acknowledging the hardships of others, making your own family, and discovering your past. This book stands out from other "triumphing over adversity" stories and "non-traditional family" stories because of the magical realism elements and the distinctness of Bee's voice. The plot sort of ambles but the mystery of the lady in the orange floppy hat should keep readers turning the pages.

middlegrade fiction; being teased at school for very visible birthmark having ghost friends that no one else can see historic fiction (ww2 era).

During the Great Depression, Charlie Anne's widower father leaves home to go build roads with the CCC, leaving his children in the care of a distant cousin, Mirabel who is a fierce task-master. Their neighbor, Old Mr. Jolly, a childless widower, leaves for bit and returns home with a radically modern new wife, and an adopted daughter, just Charlie Anne's age, Phoebe, who is black.
Charlie Anne and Phoebe quickly become fast friends, much to Mirabel's chagrin. Almost no-one in the small town are happy to see Phoebe being treated as a family member by the Jolly's, but this being a YA novel, you know that things are likely going to turn around and be good in the end. That's one of the things I like about YA novels.
Generally, the most sympathetic character in a book told in first person is the narrator, but Charlie Anne is sometimes kind and likable, but sometimes head-strong, ornery and occasionally a bit mean. Little sister, Birdy, and Phoebe are the more sympathetic characters. But of course, deep down, Charlie Anne is good, and learns a handful of lessons herself during the course of the book.

First of all let me say that this is my #1 book for upper elementary for 2017. In all honesty it deserves an award. Rosie is the perfect protagonist. She is stubborn, independent, feisty, and rough around the edges, but you can't help rooting for her. With a narcissistic mom who prefers to be a lawyer, a kindhearted, loving father who has just had a stroke, and a grandfather who doesn't want to raise another kid, Rosie endures. She's a fighter. When her mom comes back to town to settle things after her dad's stroke, she just makes everything worse. She gives away the one bright spot in Rosie's life. Her dog. Being a fighter, Rosie is determined to get her dog back. On her dad's hand-me-down bike she races around town every day looking. When she finally gets a tip that "crazy lady" Swanson may have her dog, she is fearless. She schemes and plans a way to get her dog back. When one plan fails, she comes up with a new one. Nothing will stop her, especially stories about a crazy lady who shoots squirrels in her barn.

The cast of characters is superb. From her militaristic, cantankerous grandfather, to the shy, Monopoly-loving foster boy next door, and all the characters in between, Fusco has worked magic. These characters come alive. The author airs their dirty laundry in full view, but does it in such a way that you can't help but feel empathy. You will come away feeling like you want to meet these characters. They are described so perfectly that you will think they must really exist somewhere, that maybe this book is really a memoir.

There is so much to learn from this book. First of all, every kid needs a dog. There's a reason they are man's best friend. After you read this book, go get your kid a dog. Secondly, don't think you know what's really in a person's heart. Both Rosie's grandfather and the town recluse are not who they appear on the surface. They are both storing a mega load of love that is difficult to see until you really get to know them. Rosie learns all of this by the end of the book. A true gem and a must for every school library.

CHASING AUGUSTUS by Kimberly Newton Fusco follows a child on a quest to find her dog.

Rosie lives with her grandfather in a dusty small town. She’s angry that her absent mom gave away her dog and becomes obsessed with finding it. Along the way, she interacts with a variety of quirky characters.

Librarians will find this book appealing to middle grade readers who enjoy realistic stories of friends, family, and dogs. The book is broken into four parts with short chapters making it nice for small group reading assignments. Pair the book with other family and dog stories such as Because of Winn Dixie.

Published by Knopf Books for Young Readers, an imprint of Random House on September 19, 2017. ARC courtesy of the publisher.

This book was a slow burn. Bee's life has not been easy. When she finds herself on her own at a young age, a woman who she's seen her whole life shows up and gives her a home when she needs it most. Thing is nobody else can see her aunts. She's raised in a traveling show during WWII, and while she has some great people looking out for her, there are some nasty ones too. She's born with a large birthmark on her face which she thinks make her seem a freak. Eventually she learns she's got lots of good going for her too.

Very well written book!

Narrated by Ariadne Meyers. Twelve-year-old Bee is an orphan who's been raised on the carnival circuit by a young woman named Pauline. Bee loves Pauline who accepts and loves her completely, fondly describing Bee's port-wine stain on her cheek as a kiss from an angel. Sensitive Bee is very self-conscious about the stain, hiding it with her hair. But the carnival breaks off for other locations and Bee and Pauline are separated. Bee stands fearfully on the threshold of having to rely on her inner strength, with the help of two grandmotherly ghosts who hold the key to Bee's past. Meyers reads with a sweetness and compassion that Bee's story needs. Bee's transformation seemed a bit long as was the story, and the grandmother ghosts felt conveniently plopped in there. In the end, though, Bee's happy ending was satisfying.

Set in the 1940s, we meet Bee, a lonely girl living with a traveling circus that finds it's way into Vermont. Bee, cared for by a beautiful young woman who's taken her under her wing after Bee's parents died in a car accident, really doesn't know of another way of living, even though her and Pauline dream of moving into a real, live home someday, complete with a white-picket fence and gingerbread trim. Bee has to stay clear of the circus show owner, Ellis, however, as he has his eyes on her and her birthmark. Her diamond, as she calls it, and the source of much staring, teasing, bullying, and insecurity. Bee hides it behind her hair, pulling it tight across her cheek, as she endures the stares and cat-calls of the local townsfolk. Ellis literally drools, imaging all the money he could make by charging folks a nickel to take a peek at "the freak". Someday, someday.

And yet, there is much more to this tender story than side-show antics. After beautiful Pauline runs off with the first boyfriend she's ever had, Bee decides to leave too, taking her scruffy little dog and a runt of a pig, to get away from Ellis, and to search for home. Following the "lady in the orange hat", Bee discovers an abandoned old house to live in with her imaginary aunts. All seems to be going well, until a prying neighbor starts asking too many questions and Bee finds herself in jeopardy of losing the only real home she has ever known.

With this striking cover, this book will mainly appeal to girls in grades 4-6. Bee makes for strong heroine, and young readers will be turning the pages to find out the ending to Bee's compelling story.

Excelent read.

Three and a half stars. I liked the characters and the story. I had a hard time suspending disbelief in some places.

Cute story!

What a sweet book. I'm so glad a friend let me borrow this so I could read it. I like it when books that have important messages for kids (and adults...), don't beat you over the head with the message. Books like this one, that assume the reader is intelligent and can think for themselves will be around for a long time.

The language was beautiful, the characters were wonderfully written, and it was all quite magical.

Beholding Bee is a story of courage, friendship and self awareness. The book takes place in the early 1940's when the world is still in the midst of WWII. Bee who has been orphaned after her parents were killed in an acccident, is being raised by Pauline who is part of the carnival her parents worked for. Bee is a bright young girl who is self conscious about the large birthmark on her face which she refers to as her diamond. Pauline takes good care of Bee but the life of a carny isn't an easy one. Ellis, the owner of the carnival is a bully and treats all his workers poorly including Bee. When Pauline leaves to manage a carnival on upstate New York, Bee decides to make it on her own. She travels until she happens upon a house with gingerbread trim and moves in with the two elderly women that live there, who are only visible to her and her puppy, Peabody. While living with her Aunts Bee begins to grow and finds the strength to stand up for herself. This story is quite a gem and will appeal to fans of historical fiction and the author, Claire Vanderpool.

Beatrice is an 11 year old orphan who travels with the carnival and lives with Pauline, who looks after her, in a hauling truck. During the days the two of them work in the hot dog cart and at night they read stories, swim, and dream of finding a real home. They have a family of sorts including Bobby who looks after the pigs and Eldora the fortune teller. In charge is Ellis who runs the show and who is keeping Bee around until she can earn her keep in the look-see booth. Bee has a diamond shaped birthmark on her face and this is an oddity that Ellis is sure people will pay to look at. Life is hard but tolerable for Bee. She spends a lot of time avoiding the cruel taunts of children who visit the carnival. Things begin to change for Bee when Pauline finds a boyfriend and leaves to help run another carnival. Bobby who has been teaching her to run leaves soon after and with Ellis threatening her new dog friend, Peabody, Bee decides it is time for her to find a new life as well. She goes on the run and finds a house the color of buttercups, with blueberry shutters. It has gingerbread trim on all the windows that looks like frosting dripping down. Inside the house are two elderly ladies who take Bee and Peabody and Cordelia the pig in offering them a home. One of the ladies is the lady with the orange flappy hat who has been visiting Bee for a while at the Carnival and who nobody else ever seems to see. With the encouragement of the ladies Bee learns to make her way in the world. She attends school and must interact with other adults and children. She makes a friend, discovers herself and learns to face challenges from those who taunt her.

I love the stories told by Kimberly Newton Fusco and this may be my new favourite. It is beautifully told. I could hear the sounds of the carnival, I could see the school room and I could smell the roses around the cottage. I fell in love with the characters; they made me both laugh and cry. I waited with anticipation to find out what would happen to Bee and if things would turn out the way I thought they should. I wanted to know if Bee would ever understand why nobody else could see her mysterious carers. This story is set in 1942 and a background of wartime rationing and men away gave context to the behaviours and attitudes of the people Bee encounters. It all comes together in a story that is just beautiful and simple and a pleasure to read. Oh and I especially liked the dogs name ;-)

Young Bee is an orphan. When her parents are killed while working for a carnival she is allowed to stay on with Pauline. Pauline raises her until their boss sends Pauline away. Then her friend Bobby, who runs the pig races goes off to work in a factory. Bee has always felt alone, but never as alone as she does now. She is born with a birthmark that covers one side of her face. This subjects her to taunts and teasing. Now her protectors are gone. Bee decides it is time to leave the carnival and find a permanent place to stay. She and a dog she had found set off until they find the perfect gingerbread looking house. There she finds Mrs. Swift and Mrs. Potter. Mrs. Potter has been visiting her since her parents died. The problem is no one else can see her or Mrs. Swift. Through their love and lessons Bee must learn to stand on her own and become the person she was born to be. You must read this book. I was sucked in emotionally form the beginning. You want to pity Bee, but at the same time you want to scream at her to stand up to those who bully her. It is a story that takes place during the time when America is at war with Japan. Families are separated and people are bullied for all kinds of things. Being different brought out the bully in people you wouldn't expect to be bullies. There are lessons for everyone to learn. Kids will love this book because they will be able to relate to the different types of bullying. They will learn because they will be able to sympathize with the victims. This is a book that not only kids but adults will enjoy. If I could make it a rule every school would read this book at the beginning of the year. In many ways it reminded me of the book Wonder. If you liked that book you will LOVE this one.

Lovely, spare story -- the short chapters make it relatively unintimidating. A good story about a stutterer finding her voice; the rural New England setting is somewhat unusual, as is the solitary survivalist aunt character. But honestly, in most ways it isn't especially distinct from other "flaky mom abandons kid(s)" stories, and I haven't found that it stuck with me.

This was a fast, enjoyable read. A bit hard to believe in places, but I guess that's why it's called fiction.

Reads like Because of Winn-Dixie mixed with a story involving friendly ghosts.

Background: Bee is a young girl who works for a traveling show. Her parent died when she was about 4 about she has since lived with the show and a teenager named Pauline. Bee is not your normal girl, she is special. she has a diamond on her face, a birthmark. She hates people staring but sometimes they cannot help it.

Review: This was a story about self-discovery, growth, and acceptance. Beatrice, Bee for short, does not know how to deal with how her appearance is taken by others, so she has turned inward. The book is her struggle through this time of bullies, not just children her age, but adults too and how to stand up to them. Bee must learn that independence and strength is all she needs to succeed and become a better person.

I loved this book, I did not want to get out the car (where I listen to my audiobooks). The storytelling was wonderful, from Bee's point of view, it was a combination of frustration, sadness, happiness, and stubbornness all rolled into one package, Bee.

The author uses some fantasy, some history, and some playful takes on coping that were expressed well.

The one issue that I had, was that I felt like a few things were left unresolved in the end. Bee is able to complete her journey, but in the process some loose ends were not cleared up.

I would recommend this book to anyone, Middle Grade readers and adults and teens who like contemporary reading. It was very nice

I really liked this book and the message behind it. It would be a good fit for a fourth or fifth grade girl, but I think boys can read it too. I hate to pigeon-hole books as "boy" or "girl" books. I most liked the friendship that developed between Charlie Anne and Phoebe. I also think Rosalyn, who adopted Phoebe after her mother (and Roselyn's childhood friend) was killed in an act of racism, is such a powerful mother figure for the motherless Phoebe.

I also love the transformation of Aunt Mirabel. She came off as this total hard-a$$ but in the end you could tell that she really did care about the kids. She was just overwhelmed. I think her eventual acceptance of Phoebe after the accident by the river was her turning point, but you also saw that she had a big heart when she went to the Morrell's and Thatcher's.

Her character, as well as Charlie Anne and Phoebe would spur great conversations!

admit it. I have a thing for scratchy old farm women who are hard on the outside, soft on the inside and full of solutions to life's problems. That's why I like Richard Peck's A Year Down Yonder and A Long Way to Chicago. And that's also why I like Tending to Grace by Kimberly Newton Fusco. Grandma Dowdel and Agatha Thornhill are birds of a feather, scruffy old hags with hearts of gold.

When city-bred fifteen year old Cornelia is thrust upon her country Aunt Agatha because her mother is running off to Las Vegas with her boyfriend, C-c-c-cornelia's world is torn apart. She is sure her mother will be coming back soon, even though the signs point elsewhere. Because of her stutter, Cornelia tries to be invisible. Agatha won't hear of it. She's a 'stand up for yourself' type of person.

Fusco's writing is so expressive, from the beginning, comparing Cornelia's life to a clothesline, through to the end, as both Cornelia and Agatha learn things about the other. Tending to Grace has mountains and frog races and fiddleheads and fun. It's a feel good book, so feel good and read it.

This Nutmeg nominee is a good example of historical fiction. It is set in the 1930's during the Depression in a rural area. Some of the themes that are covered are dealing with death and hard times, racism, and friendship. There are lots of strong female characters in this book as well and I would recommend it to fourth grade and up.

sweet book about a young girl in the rural south and how she changes those arounbd here when she befriends a local african american girl. 4th -5th grade readers.

I just finished this book over the long weekend. I found this to be an accessible book for a 4th to 5th grade reader. In fact I was book talking this one to a group of 4th graders last week in the library and one girl who raises and shows cows checked it out. She is in the middle of it and really loving it. Now I teach in a rural school and many of my students live on farms so this book has contextual appeal for them. The language is simple and the details of Charlie Anne’s circumstances are portrayed in language and manner that children can identify with despite the reach of history. I believe this to be one of the book’s strengths overall. Through Charlie Anne’s eyes you see how poverty, loss, hope, anger, and love look. These are timeless elements that cross history effectively. This straightforward story is also a simple transition into a standalone fiction book. The characters are well defined and the plot is definitive creating a positive reading experience for the young reader.