Galante, Cecilia. The world from up here. Scholastic Press, 2016. 309 pgs. $16.99. ISBN:978-0-545-84845-9. Gr. 4+. P8 Q8
Wren is not very sure of herself, she never raises her voice, always agrees with her friends and never has gone far from her home. When her cousin Silver and Aunt Marianne arrive in her home town, Wren feels, or sees the difference in their approach to life, how different it is from her life. Silver is care free, a free spirit, she is not impressed bythe boys who follow her around. When her mother takes ill Wren and Russell, her little brother who has autism, have to stay with her Aunt Marianne. The move throws the two cousins together and Wren soon starts to question her own life and sees her friends in a new light. Wren’s mother is mentally ill. It is Silver and Wren who find the cause of the mental block that Wren mother has. When the trauma of Wren’s mother’s life is revealed, she finally starts to get well.
Verdict: Mental health and autism are both subjects that many of families in our school and communities are dealing with. This would be a great book to give to younger students to read to see that others face similar problems. I also like the personal growth that Wren goes through.
November 2017 review by Carol Bernardi.
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