Yesterday we celebrated Fathers' Day, an occasion of the many roles fathers can play in their children's lives: passing on knowledge and traditions, protecting and providing, supporting and encouraging, serving as role models, and just plain sharing good times. But not all father-child relations are crafted from the stuff of Hallmark cards. Some are sources of pain and confusion. This is the case with Marco and Isaac, narrators of Ernesto Cisneros' Falling Short.
Marcos is a well organized, self disciplined, gifted and talented academic whiz kid. Unfortunately he's also very short, uncoordinated, not into sports, and in touch with his feelings—all of which spell loser to his estranged dad. Try outs for the school's basketball team are coming up. Marcos thinks that if he makes the team his dad will begin to take an interest in him.
His best friend, Isaac, is a star athlete, but a very unsbtellar student. Starting sixth grade, he resolves to be more organized and keep up with his academics. Maybe then his estranged and separated parents won't fight as much. Maybe they can get back together, something his father's alcoholism and his mother's desire to protect him from it doesn't bode well for.
This engaging narrative is pitch perfect tor middle grade readers, especially those who have relationships with their own dads that are painful and problematic.
On a purrrsonal note, it looks like we've got some serious heat coming up as in temps in the 90s. At least we won't hit three digits like in some parts of the country.
A great big shout out goes out to my readers with hopes that you'll take the dangers posed by extreme heat seriously and stay cool and hydrated.
Jules Hathaway
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