What I Call Life

Cal Lavender's mentally ill mother has a breakdown, and Cal is taken by social services and put in a group home with four other girls. The home is kept by an elderly woman that everyone calls "The Knitting Lady." In addition to the usual group home duties, the Knitting Lady teaches all the girls to knit, and tells them stories, which they love. Cal struggles because she believes her mother will come get her in the next day or two. Everyone else, including the other girls in the home, know that isn't very likely. Cal's story is interspersed with a tale the Knitting Lady tells of Lillian, a girl from long long ago, who was also in a situation similar to that of the girls in her care. Cal slowly learns to accept the reality of the show more situation, and grow fond of the other four girls. show less

Book talk:
My name is Cal Lavender. I'm living in a pumpkin house with four other girls and the knitting lady, but this is NOT my life. My real life is with my mom when she isn't having an episode, like the latest one she had in the library. I was taken by a policeman to this orange house, but I WON'T be staying because like I said, this is not my life. Living in the pumpkin house with me is Whitney, who has been in many other foster homes. Whitney says whatever is on her mind, and it usually starts with the phrase, 'Man-oh-man!' I am TEMPORARILY in a room with Whitney and another girl, named Amber. Amber never speaks, but what she does do (Though I have not personally seeh her do this) is pull out all her hair. That's right; she's bald. show more She and Whitney obviously have problems way bigger than mine. All I need is for my mom to prove that she can take care of me and I will be leaving the pumpkin house. Until then, the knitting lady is teaching me how to knit. She says you can tell a lot about a person from their knitting. Do you think she can tell that I have been taking care of my mother instead of the other way around? Do you think she can tell that Cal Lavender does everything right, the way she is supposed to? Can she tell this ISN'T my life? I'll tell you one thing she can tell, she tells a really good story. show less

In the audio presentation, the story came off a little more precious and dear than it might have if I had read it in print. The other girls Cal meets in the Pumpkin House seemed more innocent and untouched than their histories indicated.

Cal Lavender is sent to a group home after her mother flips out in a store. Cal along with four hurt, troubled girls live in the "Pumpkin house" along with the eccentric old women know as the "knitting lady."

Placed in a group foster home, eleven-year-old Cal Lavender learns how to cope with life from the four other girls who live there and from their storytelling guardian, the Knitting Lady.

From Booklist
*Starred Review* Gr. 5-8. After her mother has a breakdown in the middle of the public library, Cal is taken to live in a group home, which houses five other girls from troubled families. The young residents of the orange-colored Pumpkin House wear their wounds inside and out: Whitney is brash, bubbly, and determined to find her long-separated sister; timid Monica is whiny and full of complaints; Fern is an incessant giggler who sports a black eye; quiet, intelligent Amber has pulled every hair from her head, eyebrows, and all. Cal just feels different. She's sure she is not a whiner, not a fusser; she shows no emotion, and she's very organized. After all, she has held herself and her mother together for all of her 11 show more years. The Knitting Lady, the girls' tiny, elderly guardian, slowly begins the girls' healing process by sharing her love for knitting and storytelling. As the girls experience quiet time, reflection, and bonding with each other and their guardian, the Knitting Lady helps the girls recognize their own goodness and worth. Wolfson paints her characters with delightful authenticity. Her debut novel is a treasure of quiet good humor and skillful storytelling that conveys subtle messages about kindness, compassion, and the gift of family regardless of its configuration. show less