Details
Synopsis
When Ritchie's younger sister Rosie gets very sick after their mother suddenly goes away, Rosie begins to receive letters from a lonely troll, and these letters help Ritchie cope with his mother's absence, his father's seeming indifference, and the fifth-grade class bully.
| Size | | Length: | 119 pages | | Height: | 8.8 in | | Width: | 6.0 in | | Thickness: | 0.5 in | | Weight: | 9.6 oz |
Industry Reviews
Gr 4-5 Ritchie Willis, 10, has a lot to be unhappy about. His mother has had a nervous breakdown; his taciturn father refuses to provide explanations; his little sister, Rosie, is ill; and the class bully constantly threatens him. Rosie's favorite book is The Three Billy Goats Gruff, and she believes that a troll dwells under the bridge over a nearby creek. Then a mysterious letter arrives for Rosie from a self-proclaimed ``small and insignificant'' troll named pod. Ritchie's skepticism is apparent, but as the letters keep coming he decides that to determine the identity of a human writer would be to surrender to the mundane. Set in the American midwest in 1939, this multilayered novel explores the weaknesses and strengths of family relationships and peer rivalries in a poignant, realistic manner. The letters encourage Ritchie to cope rather than cower, enabling him to reassess the value of friendship, the importance of self-reliance, and the joy of accepting in his heart what his sense of logic cannot. A suspenseful story that extends the borders of readers' imaginations while delivering a subliminal message of optimism. Joanne Kelleher, Commack Public Library, NY
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