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| ‘Ida B’ a sweet look at a child’s mind |
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| Written by By Tara Roberts -Argonaut | ||||||
| Wednesday, 07 September 2005 | ||||||
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While the New York Times Bestseller List is full of murder mysteries
and self-help books, some college-age readers may feel tempted to
return to the simpler literature of their youth. Katherine Hannigan’s
debut children’s novel, “Ida B,” (published in 2004) is just such a
book to pick up and spend an afternoon enjoying. The story follows impertinent, imaginative fourth-grader Ida B. Applewood as she faces a string of significant changes in her life. After her mother is diagnosed with cancer, Ida B’s freewheeling, independent schedule of wandering through the woods, playing in the brook and being home-schooled is destroyed. She unwillingly returns to public school (which she was pulled out of after a traumatic experience in kindergarten), and to make matters worse, her family is forced to sell a portion of their land to pay her mother’s medical bills. Hannigan does an admirable job of avoiding melodrama by deftly shaping Ida B’s attitude toward the situation. While some authors would have made their hero a sweet, stoic child ready to sacrifice for the good of her family, Hannigan makes Ida B real. She gets mad. She throws fits. She is selfish, stubborn and at times downright mean — just like any sad, confused kid might be in such upsetting circumstances. To readers, Ida B’s actions are also funny (though she approaches them as quite serious). In an effort to drive out the new neighbors, she posts signs with messages such as “Danger: Tsetse Flies,” “Ferocious, ravenous giant malamute escaped from pet store in vicinity” and “Plague of locusts expected this year.” She calls the school bus the “Yellow Prison of Propulsion.” And when she is entirely fed up with things not going her way, she attempts to force her parents to sign a contract saying they will do as she asks from then on. Ida B’s precociousness is mostly endearing and entertaining, but Hannigan goes a little over the top. A key part of the story is Ida B’s connection to her family’s land, but her continuous talking to the trees is annoying after a while — she is far more interesting when interacting with humans. Hannigan makes some good points about preserving beautiful places, but gives Ida B environmentalist tendencies a bit too far beyond her years. The story ends with a clearly (though slowly) changed Ida B, but doesn’t bend to the temptation of a perfect ending — Ida B doesn’t get her way in all things, and some damage is irreparable. Readers will be as thankful for the imperfect ending as they are for the imperfect protagonist, and leave the book feeling refreshed and relaxed. Here’s hoping that Hannigan joins the ranks of so many wonderful children’s book authors these days and continues printing unique stories for young and old alike to enjoy.  Add as favorites (15) | Views: 646
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