Jacob Have I Loved

Review 11 (EC)

Paterson, Katherine. Jacob Have I Loved. New York: Harper Collins, 1980. Print.

Annotation: A young girl's story about finding her place in the world.

Justification for Rejection: One of the biggest draws I have to this book is to its sense of fun and adventure. The protagonist, Louise Bradshaw, or Wheeze, as she is nick-named, has plenty of unique characters surrounding her, and with whom she interacts as she tries to figure out who she is and how she fits in the large-scheme of the world.

From crab fishing, to roaming around the bay-town, to meeting who they believe to be a German spy, Wheeze and her buddy 'Call make the best of their summer days with endless imaginations.

Author, Katherine Paterson does a wonderful job of crafting the characters and plot. Although I might not laud how dynamic the characters are, there is an appeal in their constancy and semi-predictable nature.

There are bits of humor as well as seriousness that balance quite well in this book.

Although I feel this book has many things going for it, it was a fun read. I feel it lacked to reach a certain level to merit my nomination for the Printz Award.



Genre: Coming of Age, Historical Fiction