Ebb & Flow by Heather Smith

 


Smith, Heather. (2018). EBB & FLOW. Toronto, ON: Kids Can Press. ISBN 9781771388382.

 

Last year, Jett and his mother had moved to a new town for a fresh start after his father went to jail. When he befriended Junior, a boy with a difficult home life, Jett found himself in a cycle of bad decisions. Junior lived in a shed with his father behind the house of his relative and her special needs adult son. Jett befriended the adult son, whose behavior was more on the level of a 6-year-old. Thinking he had a stash of money, Junior and Jett planned to steal it. When they are caught, Junior assaults the man while Jett stood back and watched. Junior went to jail and Jett was let off with a stern warning. But his guilt and sadness over losing his friend punished him far worse. After these events, his mother sends him back to where they came from to spend the summer with his grandmother. While there, he must face what happened, and an even deeper dilemma, whether or not to visit his father in jail. Will a summer spent with his unconventional grandmother help Jett find his way to redemption?

 

This novel is written in free verse. It offers a terrific opportunity for classroom discussions about the many ways to tell a story and how a small number of carefully chosen words can have an enormous impact. It also highlights the positive character traits of empathy, courage, and responsibility. The engaging narrative and the mystery of Jett's secret keep the attention of reluctant readers throughout the book.

When I first began reading this book,  it was not obvious why it was listed on the USBBY Outstanding Books list. I went as far as to re-look at the list to make sure it was there. I realized these characters were Canadian and the story was taking place on the East Coast of Canada. Canadians are so similar to Americans it was difficult to find any cultural markers. I did pick up a few subtle things. It says that they ate fish and chips. That is a British dish, so it points to the British heritage in Canada. In the book, Jett is called “love” as an endowment, which also points to British culture. The name of the prison Jett’s father is in is called Her Majesty’s Penitentiary. The reference to royalty is a British custom. One reference I found in the book was about the French Language. The French also had a lot of influence in Canadian history. Jett and his grandmother are discussing the word bonfire. Jett makes the comment that “bon” means “good” in French. I know I was reaching with these cultural markers from the book. I have learned to be more aware of them while reading.

 

2019 USBBY Book List

2019 Canadian Children’s Literature Award

Publishers Weekly:  “Smith’s sparse language exposes the heart of Jett’s anguish and destructive anger; he’s a realistically complex character whose emotional development unfolds organically through Smith’s quiet storytelling.”

School Library Journal: “Full of charm and small bits of wisdom, this redemption story will find wide ­appeal among fans of middle-grade realistic fiction.–Elaine Fultz, Madison Jr. Sr. High School, Middletown, OH”

 

Other books by Heather Smith:

Baygirl:  ISBN 1459802748

The Agony of Bun O'Keefe:  ISBN 0143198653

Chicken Girl: ISBN 0143198688

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