Linda Urban (A Crooked Kind of Perfect) once again creates a snapshot of a young person's life that focuses sharply on her emotional evolution.
Mattie Breen is about to start fifth grade. This will be her fourth school. Mattie is excited about her latest move, however, because she and her mother are back in her mother's childhood home, and Uncle Potluck is there. As the "director of custodial arts" at Mitchell P. Anderson Elementary, Uncle Potluck will be at her new school, too. Mattie follows him around, meticulously taking notes in her notebook, which she calls "Custodial Wisdom." These range from practical pointers ("When going to investigate a leak, bring a bucket"), to advice that also applies to larger situations: "Fix things before they get too big for fixing."
Uncle Potluck likes to tell stories. He says that when he talks to the moon, the moon talks back. "Hound dog true," he explains. Mattie used to tell stories, until last year, when a classmate got hold of one of her stories and bullied her ever after. Now Quincy, a neighbor's niece who loves to draw as much as Mattie loved to write, seems to be making overtures of friendship. But Mattie doesn't know if she dares open up again. Uncle Potluck helps a bit behind the scenes, but Mattie also learns to help herself. She discovers she may have something important to say after all. A masterpiece of understatement. --Jennifer M. Brown, children's editor, Shelf Awareness