Review by Booklist Review
Ten-year-old Josephine lives with her mother, who was recently forced to sell most of their belongings before they moved into a trailer in a run-down trailer park. Too angry to be civil, Josephine blames her mother and threatens to run away. Storming out of the trailer, she soon meets Lisa Marie, a friendly girl who welcomes Josephine, tells her about the other residents, and seems content living at the trailer park. When the two decide to search for and rescue another girl who was abducted the previous year from her mother's trailer, the story takes an unexpected turn toward mystery and adventure. In the end, Josephine comes to appreciate both her mother's choices and the strengths of their new community. The author of young adult novels such as Artichoke's Heart (2008), Supplee offers an involving middle-grade tale. Josephine is a likable protagonist who gets caught up in a complicated, possibly dangerous predicament. With a 1974 Tennessee setting and well-drawn main characters, the novel takes readers on a journey with a rewarding conclusion.
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
Following a devastating warehouse fire that destroys her mother's sewing business in Tennessee, 10-year-old Josephine Willoughby and her mama must move into Happy World Trailer Park ("Dandiest Little Place on Earth!"), leaving behind what Jo thinks of as their "pretty life." A "rusty pipe fixing to burst" after the event, Jo is impulsive and sharp-tongued, mourning the sudden relocation and the loss of her friends. She nevertheless forges a reluctant bond with neighbor Lisa Marie, who introduces Jo to the park's rhythms and residents, including Lisa Marie's tender great-uncle Buster Lee as well as withdrawn Helen-Dove, whose daughter Molly was kidnapped a year earlier. As Jo spends the summer of 1974 on outings with Lisa Marie and accompanying her loving and pragmatic mama on seamstress jobs, Molly's disappearance is never far from her mind, and she's drawn to investigate the girl's whereabouts, despite warnings. Brimming with 1970s references and featuring a vivid setting and flawed, richly drawn characters, this immersive middle grade debut from Supplee (Somebody Everybody Listens To) offers up an eloquent portrayal of life's variability through a protagonist learning to search for the "sweetness in this life." Most characters default to white. Ages 8--12. Agent: Ginger Knowlton, Curtis Brown. (Oct.)
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Review by School Library Journal Review
Gr 4 Up--This funny, moving historical fiction novel set in Tennessee in the summer of 1974 is perfect for fans of such modern classics as Kate Dicamillo's Because of Winn-Dixie and Sheila Turnage's Three Times Lucky. Ten-year-old Josephine is having a tough summer. After a fire rips through her mom's business, they are forced to sell many of their possessions and leave their comfortable apartment downtown to move to "Happy World Trailer Park." Rundown and filled with a bevy of unique 1970s characters, including a motorcycle couple, a hippie couple, and a cranky, "hateful" landlady, the cheerfully named trailer park seems to mock Josephine who struggles to accept her new reality--and isn't afraid to say so! She is particularly focused on two of her new neighbors: Lisa Marie, a girl her own age who lives with her "granddaddy" and her Uncle Buster Lee, and Helen-Dove, a mother whose 10-year-old daughter Molly was recently kidnapped by relatives. Josephine fixates on Molly's disappearance and is determined to help find her, eavesdropping and looking for clues to her whereabouts around the trailer park. Readers will easily warm to Josephine, a memorable heroine who is charmingly imperfect and full of vim and vigor. She struggles to keep her always honest but sometimes unkind thoughts to herself and frequently lets her imagination run wild. Supplee has imbued the text with a southern vernacular and sense of place, along with a cast of lovable, realistic characters who are allowed to grow and change with the circumstances of their lives in a satisfying way. VERDICT An excellent, emotional novel sure to make an impact on readers young and old.--Kristy Pasquariello
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Review by Kirkus Book Review
It's 1974, and Josephine and Mama have given up their tony apartment and moved into the Happy World Trailer Park, in Glendale, Tennessee. Only problem is, it isn't a happy place. With Josephine's dad gone and Mama's sewing business suffering financially, they have no choice. The limited third-person narration describes Josephine's views of "every miserable thing there was to see in Happy World," from the rundown trailers to the residents who are facing challenges. Josephine meets Lisa Marie, who's also 10 and who lives with her grandaddy and great-uncle. Lisa Marie tells her about a girl from the neighborhood named Molly, who was kidnapped nearly a year ago and hasn't been found. Molly's mom looks as if she's barely hanging on. Josephine is struggling, too, but she's convinced that she and Molly have "a kind of sisterhood," and she's sure that if she can rescue Molly, her own circumstances will become bearable. Things move quickly after Josephine recognizes and interprets a clue that might point to Molly's whereabouts, leading to a thrilling and dangerous climax. The resulting relationships forged are well worth it all. Josephine's resilience and ability to reassess herself and her situation are admirable. Difficult topics such as divorce, poverty, abduction, terminal illness, and incarceration are thoughtfully and age-appropriately explored. Most characters are cued white. Colorfully relayed and gratifying to read. (author's note) (Historical fiction. 9-12) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
