“Suddenly, things seemed good and possible in a way that they hadn’t before.”
Some children’s lives are so much harder than others. They crave stability and love. Kate DiCamillo does a good job of taking her readers into the worlds of children who face tough lives. In Beverly, Right Here, she continues the story of one of the girls from the Raymie Nightingale book. Beverly’s father left when she was young, but she remembers him and misses him. Her mother drinks a lot and Beverly doesn’t feel cared for. When Beverly’s dog dies, she no longer feels anchored to home and runs away at the age of 14.
I have read just about every one of Kate DiCamillo’s books. I put Beverly, Right Here on my holds list with my local library as soon as I saw DiCamillo had a new book out. My favorite books by her are The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane, Flora and Ulysses and The Magician’s Elephant. She is probably the most famous for Because of Winn-Dixie.
Beverly decides to take care of herself in the town not too far from home. She gets a job bussing tables at a restaurant. An older woman waves to her as she walks by the trailer park and strikes up a deal with Beverly. Beverly can stay with her if she drives her to the VFW. Beverly also meets a boy about her age at a local store. All the people she meets starts to draw Beverly outside of herself and she finds herself starting to care about them, even though she just wants to be on her own. She learns that friendship is important and that she is not alone.
While this series is not my favorite of DiCamillo’s, I do appreciate the messages she is conveying about hope and love that some children need to hear. The book is probably better for older elementary or middle school readers to deal with the running away and Beverly’s mom’s alcoholism.
Do you enjoy Kate DiCamillo books? Which one is your favorite? Share on the blog!