Come Fall

Starred review from July 12, 2010
Fairy tale charm and magic are woven into the everyday struggles of three middle-school children, when Bauer (No Castles Here) expands on a plot line from A Midsummer Night's Dream, about a boy whose presence disrupts fairy land's harmony. Bauer's third-person narrative alternately focuses on new kid Salman, a perpetual foster child; Lu-Ellen, the "designated buddy" assigned to help Salman acclimate to seventh grade; and Blos, a socially challenged student who befriends them both; along with first-person chapters from Puck, servant to Shakespeare's Oberon and Titania, who bicker over Salman's fate. Supernatural elements, such as a crow that links human and fairy worlds and the astonishing fecundity of Salman's foster mother's garden, soften but do not blunt the harsh realities faced by the protagonists. Bullies, mental health difficulties, sibling rivalry, social services, and school bureaucracies all provide mystifying obstacles for the children to navigate. While the forbidding social milieu, abetted by fairy mischief, threatens to destroy their spirits, the power of true friendship prevails in this magical yet realistic tale that, quite rightly, makes middle school feel like a trip through a dark and scary forest populated by not-so-friendly creatures. Ages 9–12.

June 15, 2010

As school begins, three teens form an unlikely but comforting friendship with some outside intervention. Lonely since her best friend moved away, eighth grader Lu is seventh grader Salman's "designated buddy." A foster child with no known parents, dark-skinned Salman wears worn clothes, a "hungry look" and stands out in the mostly white junior high. Determined to keep a low profile, Salman avoids Lu, but her persistent, easy friendliness gradually disarms him. Weird, tactless and gangly, Lu's classmate Blos has "never learned how to fit in" and gravitates to kind-hearted Lu and Salman. Step by step, the three become friends despite their ostracization by classmates. Eventually their friendship is tested and proved when Salman's living situation is threatened. The third-person narration alternates among the three teen protagonists, punctuated by the first-person voice of Puck, an interfering character transplanted from A Midsummer Night's Dream. Unfortunately, Bauer's introduction of this Shakespearean subplot proves unlikely, unconvincing and unnecessary in an otherwise genuine, heartwarming story of friendship with teen characters capable of standing on their own. (Fiction. 9-12)  

(COPYRIGHT (2010) KIRKUS REVIEWS/NIELSEN BUSINESS MEDIA, INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.)

September 1, 2010

Gr 4-7-Salman, an orphan in his umpteenth foster home, has an uncertain life with an abusive man who does not want him around. Lu, a shy girl who is lonely since her best friend moved, feels lost at times with all the changes. Blos, one who sees things differently, puts people into two categories: those who avoid him and those who make fun of him. These young people discover the true meaning of friendship when they are thrown together at Riverfalls Junior High, where an unlikely bond occurs under the worst of circumstances. This tale is told from a variety of perspectives, including Puck, from the faerie realm. The story flows well, though readers may wonder why the faeries are muddling in the characters' lives, and it is not explained until the acknowledgments at the end. The characters are well developed, authentic, and have distinct voices. The friendships they build are believable, as are the problems they face. Even Lu, who has a great family, has social issues that are easy to relate to. The book turns out to be a pleasant account of making new friends and what it takes to be one, regardless of what others think. Students who enjoy realistic fiction with a touch of fantasy will enjoy this story with a feel-good ending.-Mariela Siegert, Westfield Middle School, Bloomingdale, IL

Copyright 2010 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

July 1, 2010
Grades 4-7 In Shakespeares A Midsummer Nights Dream, a fairy queen and king quarrel over an Indian changeling. Although the boy speaks no lines and never appears in the stage directions, Bauer wondered what happened to him. The result is this touching blend of realism and fantasy when South Asian Salman Page, whos been in and out of foster homes and has an uncanny ability to communicate with crows, enters seventh grade at his eleventh school. Always on the move, Salman has trouble making new friends, as do his designated buddy Lu Zimmer and their fellow classmate with Aspergers-like qualities, Blos Pease. Added to the mix is fairy servant Puck, who gathers information on the foundling from his crow spy. Their alternating viewpoints reveal how the tweens cope with such dilemmas as unfit foster parents and the school bully, form a mutual respect amid their differences, and gain self-confidence. Weaving in magic, dreams, doubles, contrasts, and other elements from the original play, Bauer spins an enticing variant.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2010, American Library Association.)

July 1, 2010
The action in Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream is provoked by a quarrel over a changeling child fairy queen Titania has sworn to protect. In this novel Bauer takes the changeling and places him in a modern-day, small-town middle school, where the boy, Salman Page, meets up with his "designated buddy," Lu-Ellen Zimmer, and a boy named Blos Pease who appears to have Asperger's syndrome. Salman has learned in his years in a succession of foster homes to be as inconspicuous as possible, but being in many settings has also given him a quick understanding of people, and he values Blos's disarming honesty and realizes that Lu could be not just a designated buddy but a friend. Meanwhile, Oberon and Titania continue to quarrel, making fairy Puck (who narrates his own chapters) cause problems in school for Salman and Lu. The interweaving of magical and realistic elements works surprisingly smoothly, and a crow provides the connection between worlds as it bonds with both Puck and Salman. Despite its Shakespearean roots, this is a very accessible story. Salman, Lu, and Blos are distinctly and sympathetically drawn, and some of the most heart-wrenching and beautifully written passages are in the form of Salman's language arts assignments, showing how even mundane schoolwork can draw forth great expression. The book is an excellent introduction to Shakespeare's play, and initiates will enjoy picking up little references such as Blos's name (a riff on Peaseblossom), but this is, on its own, a compelling story about friendship and trust.

(Copyright 2010 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)

January 1, 2011
In this modern-day Midsummer Night's Dreaminspired novel, foster child Salman Page befriends his "designated buddy," Lu-Ellen Zimmer, and a boy named Blos Pease who appears to have Asperger's syndrome. Meanwhile, fairy Puck (who narrates his own chapters) causes problems. The interweaving of magical and realistic elements works smoothly in this very accessible story about friendship and trust.

(Copyright 2011 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)