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    Homesick
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    Homesick
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    Homesick
    Ebook156 pages2 hours

    Homesick

    By Kate Klise

    3.5/5

    ()

    Currently unavailable

    Currently unavailable

    About this ebook

    Benny's parents are splitting up. His mom leaves home after a fight about a mysterious splinter that is rumored to be part of an important relic. Benny's dad has always liked clutter, but now, he begins hoarding everything from pizza boxes to old motorcycle parts.

    As his house grows more cluttered and his father grows more distant, Benny tries to sort out whether he can change anything at all. Meanwhile, a local teacher enters their quiet Missouri town in America's Most Charming Small Town contest, and the pressure is on to clean up the area, especially Benny's ramshackle of a house, before the out-of-town guests arrive.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherMacmillan Publishers
    Release dateSep 18, 2012
    ISBN9781250008435
    Unavailable
    Homesick
    Author

    Kate Klise

    Kate Klise is the author of several picture books and novels, including Grounded and Homesick. She frequently collaborates with her sister, the illustrator M. Sarah Klise. Kate travels all over the country speaking to classrooms about her work. She lives in Norwood, Missouri.

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    Reviews for Homesick

    3.5/5

    33 ratings7 reviews

    What did you think?

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    Review must be at least 10 words

    • 4/5
      Benny is working through a lot his parents have just split up and he is being largely neglected at home. His dad is a hoarder and conditions in his home are deteriorating rapidly. While he has lots of adults from his small Missouri town involved in his life, seems they should have taken a more active role to care for him. The town is awarded America's Most Charming Small Town, based on an entry that is largely fictionalized. When a tornado rips through town it is a perilous time but also a blessing in disguise. A fun, quick read.
    • 3/5
      Benny's parents are splitting up. His mom leaves home after a fight about a mysterious splinter that is supposedly part of an important relic. Benny's dad has always liked clutter, but now, he begins hoarding everything from pizza boxes to old motorcycle parts.
      As his house grows more cluttered and his father grows more distant, Benny tries to sort out whether he can change anything at all. Meanwhile, a local teacher enters their quiet Missouri town in America's Most Charming Small Town contest, and the pressure is on to clean up, especially Benny's ramshackle of a house, before the out-of-town guests arrive. (from the book jacket)
      My Opinion
      Another Sunshine State Young Reader's Award nominee. I read this book in one day. It was interesting and easy to read. I will admit to watching the tv shows about hoarding from time to time. So, I do have an interest in this kind of situation. Mostly, I'm trying to figure out how to keep my house from becoming over-cluttered. I figured, the more I see how bad it can get, the more inspired I will be to clean up.
      Anyway, about the book, Benny is a strong boy and he tries hard to help his father. But his father thinks everyone is trying to steal his "treasures". Benny feels helpless and lost
      The book is set in 1983, and Benny's father has some ideas about the future that are a little ahead of his time.
      "I've told you, Nola. It's coming. A giant computer network that'll link everyone in the whole wide world. Once we're all connected by computers, I'll be able to sell my collection, piece by piece, right here from the living room. I'll make money twenty-four hours a day."
      Benny has people in the small town that support him and that keeps this from being too sad. Because in reality he is on his own.
      Recommended to
      Another good book for 4th thru 8th graders (and adults too). This one is for kids who prefer their fiction a little more realistic but still charming.
    • 3/5
      Good middle school story set in the 1980's. The MC is a boy living with a father who hoards everything. Mom has had enough of this and she leaves. The setting is a very tiny Missouri town. Good characters. Well written. 2014 middle school SSYRA .
    • 5/5
      Such a sweet book. The perfect palate cleanser after the bag of rocks that was "Gone Girl" and the sharp tongued vapidness of "Before I Fall."
      This book left me feeling charmed and peaceful and entertained. It reminded me a lot of Wes Anderson movies.
      Katie Klise, why haven't we met before? Heaven knows i've shelved countless copies of your books at work, but I am only now reading one! Shame that.

    • 4/5
      Benny's mom has left causing his dad to become more of a hoarder and even more distant. Teased at school, Benny turns to a friend of his father looking for help. With the help of his friends, Benny comes up with different plans and is not the kind of kid to give up when something doesn't go as planned. With an unforeseen twist (pun intended, but you will have to read the book to understand), Benny's life is turned around and good things happen for him, his family and his town.
    • 4/5
      This book reminds me very much of Gary Schmidt's Ok for Now, one of my favorite YA novels of all time. Benny Summer is the victim of his father's benign neglect and hoarder tendencies, and his mother has left them both, but luckily, he lives in a town full of characters who all care deeply for both of them. When a disaster hits their small town, it's Benny who has the strength to help his friends and his father. Funny and quirky, middle school kids who like mostly realistic fiction will enjoy this book.
    • 3/5
      Benny Summer is caught in the middle of an impossible argument between his parents. His father is a hoarder and his mother just wants everything cleaned out. When she can't get his father to clean out his "collection" she deserts Benny and moves to Louisiana. Benny is left to make sense of his father's mess.Kate Klise makes you root for Benny and creates a cast of quirky characters from town to look after him.