Ferris by Kate DiCamillo

In the 1970's south, Ferris and her family are having a crazy summer. There are raccoons in the attic, Ferris' artistic uncle in the basement, and Ferris' sister is determined to become an outlaw.  Most of all Ferris' grandmother, Charrise, is seeing a ghost. Ferris is worried about her grandmother who has been ill, and so she and her best friend, Billy, undertake to fulfill her grandmother's and the ghost's greatest wish.

Kate DiCamillo has had such a wonderful career. She has written two Newbery winners, one honor and two Theodore Geisel winners.  The thing that she is good at is writing heartwarming relationships between children and the adults in their lives. This book is along the same vein.  The main relationship in the story is between Ferris and her grandmother.  It is a sweet relationship and the book, as a whole, is a feel-good type of book.  The writing is very lyrical. If you have a poetic heart, you will enjoy reading it.  It is so poetical that I never really felt like Ferris was a real child. Her thoughts are all too deep and self-aware.  It is if Ms DiCamillo was trying to take her own thoughts and musings about life and cram them into a 10-year-old's mind. I enjoyed reading the book, and I think a lot of children who have sensitive spirits would enjoy it, but it felt more like her Tale of Despereaux than Because of Winn Dixie.  It is a fairytale set in a retro US south setting. (240 p. 2024)