Road to Tater Hill by Edith M. Hemingway

Hemingway, Edith M. Road to Tater Hill, 213 p. Delacorte (Random), 2009. $16.99. Content: G. Every summer Annie, 10, looks forward to summers at her grandparents’ mountain farm. This summer, however, while Dad is off serving his country in the Air Force, Annie’s baby sister is born early and dies – leaving Mom almost comatose and everyone else treating Annie like a baby. She must find her own solace in the mountains, the river, and an unlikely friendship with Eliza, a woman who is now living alone in an old, abandoned cabin. Together, the two may be able to work through their feelings of loss and grief. Ms. Hemingway paints a beautiful portrait of the stages of grief and healing and combines it with a love of her own mountain home that shines clearly through. How I wish the protagonist were five years older – I envy the elementary level teachers who should all read this with their students. EL – ESSENTIAL, MS – ADVISABLE. Cindy, Library-Teacher