My Father’s Words by Patricia MacLachlan - OPTIONAL

My Father’s Words by Patricia MacLachlan, 144 pages.  Katherine Tegen (Harper), October 2018.  $16. 9780062687692

Content: G

BUYING ADVISORY:  EL – OPTIONAL, ADULTS - ADVISABLE

AUDIENCE APPEAL: LOW

Fiona, 5^thgrade, and her brother Finn, 2^ndgrade, are reeling from the sudden death of their father – killed when he swerved his car to avoid a child chasing a ball into the street.  Thomas, a former patient of their psychiatrist father, asks if he can call Fiona once a week just for two minutes to tell her something great about her father. Something to help her as she works through her grief.  Luke, Fiona’s classmate and their neighbor also is worried about the siblings, especially because Finn is so angry at the child who was chasing the ball.  Luke finds a flyer for a dog rescue agency nearby that is looking for people to help and gets the others involved reading to and walking dogs during the summer.  Gradually, children and dogs find peace.

I get that MacLachlan was trying to write book for children who may by coping with grief or a book for children to use to talk about who people work through grief, however I have a feeling that they only thing they will take from this is that having a dog will solve all your problems.  The character of Thomas is based on a real person from MacLachlan’s own adulthood – where the interaction makes sense; for him to want to talk to a 10-year-old once a week, even if it is a short interaction is a bit weird.  As much as I personally enjoyed reading this book, I can’t see it finding a wider audience on its own.  And if I were a child and someone handed this to be as bibliotherapy for grief, I would be underwhelmed.  While it is a lovely little book, it is really meant for adults, not children.

Cindy, Library Teacher