(Image from Barnes & Noble)

Dashel Pearl isn't the most conventional of fathers, but he loves his family and would never abandon them.  Would he?  The longer he's gone, the harder 11-year-old Early worries.  Where has her missing father gone?  Is he ever coming back?  

Wherever Dashel has disappeared to, he's left a huge mess behind him.  Not only has he broken his family's hearts, but he's crossed some very dangerous people.  The thugs claim Dashel stole something from them.  Early doesn't know what that may be, she only knows that they will stop at nothing to get it back.  The Pearls can't return to the apartment the thugs ripped apart, but where else can they live?  With barely a penny to their names, they have no choice but to hole up at a homeless shelter in a dingy, rundown section of Chicago. 

As everyone else's faith in Dashel fades, Early knows she has to hold fast to her hope.  It's all she's got left.  Besides, she's found some clues to her father's disappearance, hints that indicate he didn't flee by choice.  No one believes her, but Early knows her dad—he moved to his own, unique rhythm.  If she can just figure out the puzzle he's left behind, she can find Dashel.  

All Early wants is her family back together in a home where they can live in peace and safety.  But as things come to a boiling point, Early knows her wish may be nothing more than an impossible dream.  

Hold Fast, a new middle grade mystery by Blue Balliett, is my second venture with this author.  And I feel the same way about her latest as I did about The Danger Box—it's enjoyable, just not exceptional.  The Pearls are certainly sympathetic characters, and lovable ones.  They've got a different kind of rhythm to them, which makes them not just fun, but uniquely so.  I cared about what happened to them.  The plot of the book moves pretty swiftly as well.  It held my attention and kept me guessing.  Overall, though, the story didn't knock my socks off or anything.  It's a decent book, just not an oh-my-gosh-you-need-to-drop-everything-and-read-this-now one.  

(Readalikes:  Reminds me a little of The Danger Box by Blue Balliett)

Grade:  B-

If this were a movie, it would be rated:  PG for scary situations

To the FTC, with love:  I received a finished copy of Hold Fast by Blue Balliett from the generous folks at Scholastic.  Thank you!   

(Image from Indiebound)

No one understands 12-year-old Zoomy Chamberlain like his grandparents do. Gam keeps him supplied with fresh notebooks and purple pens so he can turn his obsessive worrying into nice, orderly lists, while Gumps' gentle humor keeps everything on an even keel. The kindly couple, who've cared for Zoomy since his birth mother left him on their front porch wrapped in nothing but an old sweatshirt, make him feel safe and loved. So what if he's a little odd, can't see very well even with his Coke bottle glasses, and has no friends his own age? Zoomy's perfectly happy to craft his lists, help Gump at his antique store, and tend the garden with Gam.

When his father shows up out of the blue, Zoomy's peaceful existence erupts. Buckeye Chamberlain's a drunk who's caused Gam and Gumps nothing but trouble. He barely acknowledges Zoomy's existence, staying at the house only long enough to dump a box in the toolshed. It's only after the police come around, informing the Chamberlains that Buckeye's driving a stolen pickup, that Zoomy gets curious about the box. Inside, he finds a crumbling journal full of lists, notes, and scientific observations. The almost inscrutable entries look so similar to Zoomy's lists that he feels an instant connection with the author of the diary. He wishes he knew who wrote it. The only clue is a date: 1835. There are plenty of old books in Gumps' antique store, so Zoomy knows it's probably not valuable. Except, what if it is?

The more Zoomy examines the diary, the more he learns - about friendship, family, and a world-reknowned scientist whose obsessive compulsions seem awfully familiar. Zoomy's fascinated by the journal and, even though he knows he should turn it over to the police, can't make himself give it up. With Buckeye on the loose and a strange man watching Zoomy's every move, things are getting downright dangerous for the boy who craves calm. Can he solve the journal's mystery before someone takes it from him? Or should he turn it over to the police before Buckeye makes good on his threat to harm the two people Zoomy loves most?

The Danger Box by Blue Balliet is the kind of adventure that will appeal to readers of all ages. With a cozy, small-town setting, warm, interesting characters, and an intriguing, unique mystery, it's a fun, heartwarming story that manages to be both exciting and educational. I enjoyed it immensely.

(Readalikes: Um, I can't think of any. Can you?)

Grade: B-

If this were a movie, it would be rated: PG for some mature themes (alcoholism, child abandonment, etc.)

To the FTC, with love: I received a finished copy of The Danger Box from the generous folks at Scholastic. Thank you!