Reaching for Sun

Zimmer, T.V. (2007). Reaching for Sun. New York: Bloomsbury.

181 pages.

Appetizer: Josie Wyatt is in the seventh grade. She lives with her mom (who is almost never around since she's trying to complete her college degree) and her grandmother. She hates school. She's never met her father. Her family has had to sell most of their farm land and must watch subdivisions for the rich be built around their house. She is bullied by most of the kids at school. And she has cerebral palsy.

Reaching for the Sun is set over (just about) a year as Josie makes her first friend, deals with her grandmother's deteriorating health and struggles to find the words to get her mom to let her not participate in a summer clinic designed to help her with her show more cerebral palsy.

This novel in verse is written by Tracie Vaughn Zimmer, a local author who I have heard speak a couple of time, and who (full-disclosure!) made contact with the literary agency that would eventually represent me. So far, this is my favorite book by her. Josie's voice is honest and poignant. The moment that really drew me in was when she thinks about what type of man her absentee-father must be:
"I wonder
if he ditched me and Mom
when he found out about my disability,
or if it gave him the excuse he needed--
typed letter left behind in the mailbox,
no stamp.
I wonder if I got my straight
blond hair, blue eyes,
and cowardice from him,
and whether he's real smart,
rich, and now got himself
a picture-perfect family" (p. 15)
Ouch!

Throughout the book, there are also illustrations of a flower growing in the bottom right margin of each page. As you go through the story, Josie grows and blossoms as a character and the flower grows and blossoms too. I thought this was a wonderful touch that complimented the content and name of the story beautifully.

Overall, I found Reaching for Sun to be a very touching and realistic story of a girl coming into her own.

Dinner Conversation:

"The last bell rings,
but
I'm hiding
in the last stall
of the girls' bathroom
until I hear
voices
disappear behind closing
classroom doors.

Only then
do I slip out
into the deserted hallway
and rush to room 204,
a door
no one
wants to be seen opening.

Not even
me." (p. 3).

"With my odd walk
and slow speech
everyone knows
I've got special ed,
but if I wait
until the hall clears,

taunts like tomatoes
don't splatter
the back of my head" (p. 4).

"Mom wants me
to love school like she does,
follow her lead to college,
make my mark:
the first astronaut with
cerebral palsy,
or at least
a doctor or lawyer,
something with a title or abbreviations, I guess.
But Mom's dreams for me
are a heavy wool coat I
wear, even in summer." (p.46).

Tasty Rating: !!!! show less

There are some books that will just stick with you wherever you go. Tracie Vaughn Zimmer’s newest novel Reaching for Sun is definitely one of those books. Heart-warming and inspiring, this novel follows 11-year old Josie – who has cerebral palsy.    

This book is AMAZING! Although it’s quick (it’s only 144 pages) and the actual “text” is fairly simple, the story itself is beyond complex. Readers will definitely be able to relate to Josie on a variety of levels, and they will find themselves laughing and crying along with Josie.

I’ll admit something: I’m not the biggest fan of free verse. I picked Reaching for Sun up, and decided to give free verse another try. But…holy cow! This blew me away! It hardly feels like show more you’re even reading free verse. There is so much figurative language implanted everywhere – it truly adds to the emotional aspect of the story. I mean seriously…this is phenomenal! I will definitely be reading free verse again if it’s this good!

“...My thumb will always be pasted to my palm, and my left wrist and shoulder connected by an invisible rubber band called cerebral palsy.”
~ page 6

My only critique is that the plot starts off just a *tad* slowly, but then it quickly picks up. (I know -- picky, picky…)

I’d definitely recommend this to anyone interested in free verse or realistic fiction. This is definitely a story you won’t forget! Tracie Vaughn Zimmer…I am definitely reading more of your stories! show less

Josie makes her first real friend, deals with the aftermath of her beloved Grandma's stroke, and learns to voice what she wants for her life in this brief novel written in verse. Josie has cerebral palsy and resents all the therapy she must endure. There are moments where the poetry sparkles.

Zimmer writes this book in free verse and beautifully tells the story of a teenage cerebral palsy girl and a year of her life. The book opens with Josie hiding out in the bathroom stall until right before the bell rings so she can avoid being picked on by students at school. She is very close with her grandmother, experiences a strained relationship with her mother who has a hard time just accepting Josie's condition, has no relationship with her father (who bailed on the family because of Josie's condition, and has no friends. Life on the family farm, that has been handed down each generation, is in stark contrast to the newly constructed mansions the wealthier families live in behind the farm. Surrounded by land and her grandmother's show more flowery gardens, Josie enjoys home life, especially during Christmas break when she doesn't have to attend school and hide out in the bathroom. Completely friendless, Josie meets new-to-the-neighborhood Jordan who is extremely bright. The two strike a close friendship and are teased at school "about being in love-the genius and the 'tard." (70) The friendship grows and Josie is happier than she has ever been. As summer approaches, Josie learns she will have to attend "clinic" and Jordan will be leaving for a four week long science camp. Completely annoyed with her mother's insistence on being in therapy, she decides to lie and say the sessions end early so she can spend time with Jordan before he leaves for camp. Her grandmother finds out, threatens to tell if Josie doesn't, then has a stroke. The guilt and shame of lying to her mother, grandmother and friend are dealt with while her grandmother is recovering in the hospital. Zimmer creates a lovable character and reminds YA that disabilities do not make someone lack the need to be loved and accepted by one's peers. The author develops characters who explore the difficulties of being different- Josie with CP and Jordan with intelligence- giving YA something to think about. The age recommendation for this book is right on. It is also a book that could be used in high schools, however, to encourage low readers. show less

In brilliant poetic verse, Josie, a seventh grader afflicted with cerebral palsy, tells the story of one full year of her life from winter to fall. She describes her awkwardness in school as she shamefully attends classes in the dreaded room 204 - a classroom designated for special ed. She explains how she rarely sees her mother since, as a single parent, she is working two jobs and getting a degree. And she tells us of Gran with whom they live on her family-owned farmland. Gran, who is the main care-giver to Josie, is a garden enthusiast and fosters her love and knowledge of plants onto Josie. When Josie meets a new neighbor-boy, Jordan, who happens to adore science life, it seems that finally Josie has connected with someone who looks show more beyond her disability and appreciates who she truly is. Splendid garden metaphors are planted throughout the verse which will appeal to lovers of language. On the other hand, the short verse form makes for a quick read which will appeal to reluctant readers. show less

I didn't think I would like this book initially, since it is written as a series of free verse poetry. It was, however, quite wonderful.

Reaching for Sun was a great lazy-day read that took me only about an hour from start to finish. It is written in a series of free-verse poems, which I love.

I’ve come to find out that formatting is a big deal when it comes to novels in verse. All of my favorite books in verse share a common thread, the format, which is short and sweet. The lines are all short and to the point, each poem containing its own heading, kind off like a chapter title, that ties in with what is being said. This book was also broken into seasons, which I really liked. I thought it worked really well with the book because the story has so much to do with gardens and plants, which all change due to the season.

The author made it easy to get into Josie’s head. show more Her thoughts were so true, so pure, so real. This was an uplifting, heartfelt story of a young girl finding her place and her voice in life. show less