Chasing Augustus

Starred review from June 1, 2017
Could Rosie's life be much worse?While still a baby, she was abandoned by her emotionally distant mother to the care of Rosie's father, so she could "make something of herself." He and her "big lug" of a dog, Augustus, were all a girl could need. But a year ago, her father suffered a disabling stroke, and her mother returned home just long enough to give her dog away. In the far-from-tender care of her grumpy, bewildered, but loving paternal grandfather--and under the threat of being taken away by her mother--Rosie has spent the past year desperately searching for her dog, thinking of little else. Her gripping, animated narrative--she's given to employing medieval-style curses she and her papa have invented--is spun out across a dismal landscape of struggling but colorful and richly developed (though mostly default white) characters. There's Phillippe, neglected by his mentally unstable mother, constantly hiding within a giant overcoat, and now in Mrs. Salvatore's loud but tender foster care; Cynthia, another neglected child, who can rarely stop talking; a mute, outsider woman, Swanson, who has an undeservedly fearsome reputation; and Mr. Peterson, a teacher who could make all the difference if Rosie would let him. Ultimately, it's Rosie's heart and determined spirit that see her through to a hopeful, well-deserved resolution. God's bones! Magnificent. (Fiction. 10-14)

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June 1, 2017

Gr 3-5-Rosie has had a very difficult year. That's what her fifth grade teacher writes in the comment section of her report card, and it's true. Until now, Rosie has lived a charmed existence with her doughnut shop-owning, book-loving father and her very bad (but very lovable) dog, Augustus. But then one terrible day, her father has a stroke and Rosie is forced to live with her tough-as-nails, anchovy-eating grandfather. Things become even more unbearable when her estranged mother makes a quick trip from California to get Rosie's life in order-and gives away Rosie's beloved Augustus and won't reveal where she sent him. As Rosie embarks on a relentless quest in search of her BFF, she encounters obstacles (her prickly grandpa, her rickety and dangerous bicycle, and the swirling grit that blows through the sandpit-ridden town where she lives), with little help from others. But Rosie won't quit, and her journey takes her to unexpected places. Readers' hearts will ache along with Rosie's as she struggles to find not only her dog but also love and belonging in her harsh surroundings. The slow pace may test readers' patience. But where the novel may lag in plot, it makes up for in character, with a fleet of unforgettable personalities who both guide and thwart Rosie. VERDICT This heartfelt tale with a rewarding ending will appeal to young fans of Kate DiCamillo, Holly Goldberg Sloan, and Jennifer Holm. Recommended for libraries serving middle grade readers.-Laura Lintz, Henrietta Public Library, Rochester, NY

Copyright 2017 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

January 1, 2018
Rosie's father has suffered a debilitating stroke, her mother has moved away, and her gruff grandfather takes care of her (seemingly) begrudgingly. Before leaving, her mother gave away Rosie's beloved dog, Augustus. Rosie is determined to find him against all odds, and her obsession isolates her and magnifies her unhappiness. Rosie's eventual realization of the futility of attacking every obstacle in her path is abrupt but not improbable.

(Copyright 2018 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)

January 1, 2018
In her latest study of a young girl in crisis, Fusco's (Beholding Bee, rev. 5/13) setting of a town on the border of a huge sandpit serves as a metaphor for the main character. Rosie's life is indeed the pits: her father has suffered a debilitating stroke, her mother has moved away for fame and fortune, and her gruff grandfather takes care of her seemingly begrudgingly. But her papa always told Rosie she had grit, and here she shows as much of it as the sediment that covers the town and stings her eyes. Before leaving, her mother gave away Rosie's beloved dog, a big, slobbering mutt named Augustus. And Rosie is determined to find him, against all probability that he is still around, and over her grandpa's fierce objections. Rosie lets this single-minded obsession isolate her and magnify her unhappiness as she searches for, and then devises desperate schemes to retrieve, her dog. In so doing, she manipulates neighborhood children, refuses to do her schoolwork, and defies her grandpa. Considering the depth of her anger and resentment, Rosie's realization of the futility of attacking every obstacle in her path rather than trying to understand those challenges is abrupt but not improbable, and she is a character who will remain with many readers after they turn the last page. betty carter

(Copyright 2018 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)