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Skies Like These (2014)

by Tess Hilmo(Favorite Author)

3.76 of 5 Votes: 1

ISBN

0374369984 (ISBN13: 9780374369989)

languge

English

genre

Historical Fiction

publisher

Farrar, Straus and Giroux (BYR)

review 1: Twelve-year-old Jade has been sent to Wyoming to spend the summer with her aunt who runs a canine boarding business. Aunt Elise gave up her high-pressure job with a law firm back in Philadelphia for a different kind of life in the West. Jade falls in love with all the wonderful dogs and spends time with a local boy, Roy Parker, who is convinced that he is a descendant of Butch Cassidy. I enjoyed watching Jade come out of her shell, have a few adventures, and take a risk or two, but I also enjoyed watching Roy recover from his big disappointment and realize that are many ways to be a hero. Cowboys aren't the only ones that can act in a heroic way. The book is filled with plenty of humor and some zany plots hatched by Roy who is determined to find a way to get his father's h... moreardware store open once again. But sometimes the things we want for others aren't what they actually want. Filled with heart, hope, and some terrific characters, this book would be a delightful read aloud for middle graders returning from their own summer vacations. I think they'll enjoy the descriptions of wisdom gleaned from nights spent on the rooftop gazing at stars just as meaningful as I did. I enjoyed this title just as much as the author's earlier With a Name like Love. She certainly understands families and family dynamics.
review 2: My copy was provided by Netgalley.Jade has always had the same summers of never going anywhere, of doing nothing but sitting in front of the TV. She's never experienced an exciting summer, but her parents have decided to ship her off to her aunt's house so she could finally have an adventure.And she certainly found an adventure. In Wyoming, she meets Roy Parker, a twelve-year-old boy who thinks he is descending from the actual cowboy Butch Cassidy. Roy wants to have his own adventure like Butch so when a hardware chain store shuts down Roy's father's store, Roy is determined to drive the owner out of town, just like the real Butch Cassidy would. Roy tries to get Jade to be his sidekick, the Sundance Kid, but Jade doesn't know if what Roy is trying to do is right or not. Even though Roy is trying to help his father, he's also hurting others in the process.This is a book about learning what's right and what's wrong. Roy wants to fight for what he believes in no matter what, even if his actions are illegal. Jade wants to help Roy's family, but she doesn't want to hurt anyone. She tries to think things through and help people the right way. Even though she doesn't want to disappoint Roy, she wants to help everyone and not just him.I liked all the details about Wyoming and the Wild West. I learned about the Wild West and the adventure. As the characters learned about the true adventure of the west, I learned about it as well. I felt as if the descriptions transported me directly to Wyoming even though I've never been there in real life.There were actual problems that were faced and defeated. I'm sure many readers have had a parent that lost their job and the readers wanted to help their parents in any way they could. Of course, I'm sure they never thought to rob a bank like Roy did, but Skies Like These taught you to think your problems through. If you use your head, you can do anything, no matter how impossible it may seem.This book can be considered unisex so anyone can read this book. The main character may be a girl, but Jade didn't think about fashion and "girl things" all the time. Roy was a big part of the book making it seem as if the book isn't just a girl book. I'm sure numerous readers will want to pick this book up, no matter the gender. This book was delightful and funny. I enjoyed it and flew right through it. This was definitely a fun, quick read. less

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