Jumping the Scratch

August 21, 2006
It has been a rough year for 11-year-old Jamie Reardon. In short order, his cat, Mister, died, his father ran off with another woman, and the boy and his mother moved to a trailer park to live with his aunt Sapphy who, because of an accident at the cherry factory where she used to work, has lost her short-term memory and needs them to take care of her. Jamie is also suffering from being the new kid in school and bearing the brunt of a bully's attention. But worst of all is the dark secret that sits deep in Jamie's heart, a secret that he can't share with anyone, and that he would give anything to forget. Spinella brings a lovely sensitive quality to his narration of Weeks's novel, which is reminiscent of the old 1980s television series The Wonder Years
, as an older, wiser Jamie looks back at an important, troubling and powerful earlier time in his life. Spinella's insightful performance brings notes of pre-teen innocence and angst to his characterization of Jamie, and is sure to connect with young listeners. Ages 10-up.

November 1, 2006
Gr 5-8 -In Sarah Weekss novel (Laura Geringer Book, 2006), 11-year-old Jamie Reardon cant believe how his life has unraveled over a short period of time. Just a short time ago, he lived in Michigan with both of his parents and his cat, Mister, and life was as normal as cornflakes. In less than a year, Mister was killed in an accident, his father left home with another woman, and he and his mom moved to Wondrous Acres, a trailer park, to help his Aunt Sapphy who lost her short term memory in an accident. And things get even worse when hes not accepted in his new school and is bullied. In addition, Jamie must avoid Old Gray, the manager of the trailer park, because of an unspeakable (sensitively revealed) incident that took place on Christmas Eve. Jamie spends his days trying to avoid Old Gray and helping Aunt Sapphy to find a trigger that will spark her memory, or jump the scratch. In a satisfying ending, Jamie finds his trigger in the friendships he forms with an author who visits his classroom, an eccentric classmate, and a resident of the trailer park. Actor Stephen Spinella does a fine job narrating the story from the point of view of a young man remembering an important event in his life. His reading is done with great empathy, and he defines the supporting cast of characters with appropriate voice inflections. A must for fans of Jack Gantos and Kate DiCamillo.Jo-Ann Carhart, East Islip Public Library, NY

Copyright 2006 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

February 1, 2006
Gr. 4-6. Life has turned sour for Jamie Reardon. His father has taken off, and now Jamie lives with his mother in his aunt Sapphy's trailer. Sapphy, who was hit in the head at her factory job, has lost her short-term memory, so every day, Jamie or his mother must explain again why they are with her. If Jamie's trials at home aren't enough, he is teased at school, and his diffidence is the bane of his teacher's existence. The best part of the story is Jamie's relationship with Sapphy, one vaguely suggestive of the daughter and mother in Weeks' " So. Be. It. "(2004). Jamie transcends the repetitiveness of their relationship by coming up with sensory clues to jump-start Sapphy's memory, at first with no success. Then a neighbor girl hypnotizes Jamie, evoking the memory of his recent abuse by a caretaker at the trailer park. Jamie's emotional reaction to the incident he was trying to suppress shakes Sapphy and returns her memory. The abuse story, mostly a device, is not well integrated into the narrative, with almost everything happening offstage. But the characters are well drawn; readers will care about them and applaud their well-deserved triumphs.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2006, American Library Association.)

July 1, 2006
After his father leaves and his aunt Sapphy suffers brain damage from an accident, eleven-year-old Jamie and his mother move into Sapphy's trailer. Jamie helps Sapphy regain her short-term memory, while he is tries to forget an episode of sexual abuse at the trailer park. The ending is predictable and feels rushed, but endearing secondary characters strengthen the story.

(Copyright 2006 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)

May 1, 2006
Gr 5-7 -After his father runs off with the cashier at the MicroMart, Jamie Reardon and his mother move from Battle Creek to Traverse City in northern Michigan to live with Aunt Sapphy at the Wondrous Acres trailer park. His aunt had an accident at the cherry factory and is unable to make any new memories. Jamie wants to find the magic trigger that will help her memory get unstuck, or jump the scratch, like a needle on a record. Ironically, he is trying to forget what happened on Christmas Eve involving a button pressed into his cheek, the taste of butterscotch candy, and Old Gray, the manager of the trailer park. The memory haunts his days and inhibits his making friends or doing well in school. Weeks alludes to sexual abuse, but with a broad brush and no graphic details. When Jamie tells Aunt Sapphy, just to unload his guilt and speak the words, she jumps the scratch and gets him help. Weeks perfectly captures not only the guilt, shame, and pain of the abused boy but also the tenor of a fifth-grade classroom from the point of view of a new student who is friendless, targeted, and belittled by an insensitive teacher. Touches of humor ameliorate the pain and poignancy. Another winner from the author of "So Be It" (HarperCollins, 2005), which also looks at the redemptive power of memory." -Connie Tyrrell Burns, Mahoney Middle School, South Portland, ME"

Copyright 2006 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.