Savvy Sequel: Mo Wren, Lost and Found Review

A sequel to a beloved book (and I LOVED What Happened on Fox Street- click here to see how I gushed over it) is a tricky thing, particularly in realistic contemporary fiction, in which there is nothing other than character development driving subsequent books. In science fiction or fantasy plot arcs are often created over multiple books and include world building and tangential journeys in addition to character development. Mo Wren, Lost and Found, is a highly satisfying sequel to Fox Street. It is simultaneously quieter and crunchier than Fox Street, which is perfectly in keeping with Mo’s age and development.

The Wrens have sold their house on Fox Street and moved to East 213th, a street with no name, only a number. Although Mr. Wren is putting everything he has into opening a sports bar and family restaurant called The Wren House, Mo is worried. It takes more than hard work and faith to get a business off the ground. Mo is worried about a lot of things lately. She is worried about Da, who is ill but refuses to move in with Mercedes and her family; she is worried that Pi Baggott will forget her; she is worried about her new school. But most of all, she is worried about the curse that supposedly hangs over her new home.

This is a book about small moments, despite some big issues: Mo returning to Fox Street for the first time after being away for a few weeks; the sight of the freshly painted walls in the Wren House; being asked to be someone’s partner for a class project; realizing your little sister is not so little anymore, etc. Tricia Springstubb handles these mini-milestones sensitively and with the kind of freshly scrubbed language I have come to love and expect from her.

I say this book is crunchier because Mo is a bit older a bit more prone to angst and wallowing in worry and self-pity. This is not a bad thing- in fact it is perfectly in keeping with her age and situation- but some readers may be looking for a little more sunshine in their middle grade novels. While things end very well, there are some rainy moments, more-so in this book than in Fox Street. 

The most pleasant surprise in this book was the development of Dottie’s character. There are still vestiges of her “Wild Child” persona, but Dottie has grown into a charming and optimistic social butterfly. It is Dottie who first learns to adjust to the Wren’s new surroundings and Dottie who is doing the cheering up this time around. I liked this role reversal between the sisters. Mo still has lots of big sistering to do, particularly when Dottie’s beloved pet lizard Handsome Wren goes missing, but Dottie is given plenty of opportunity to shine.

I very much enjoyed returning to Mo’s world, so lovingly and carefully built by Tricia Springstubb, an author who is bound to become a household name in contemporary middle grade fiction. This is a great read for fans of The Penderwicks, Waiting for Normal, Olive’s Ocean or lovers of “real stories” age 8+.

Mo Wren, Lost and Found is available now in hard cover from Balzer + Bray, an imprint of HarperCollins.

Foxes, Friendship, Finances: What Happened on Fox Street

Ramona Quimby meets The Penderwicks

Even without the adorable graphic of a cuddly looking fox curled up in the O of Fox, I would have snatched this book up based on the title alone. I love vague, suggestive titles that refer to some life changing event, such as What I Saw and How I Lied, or How I Live Now. I think it harkens back to the most intriguing title of my childhood, What Katy Did.* What Katy actually did proved to be a bit of a let down. Not so with the mysterious events alluded to in the title of What Happened on Fox Street. 

To the outsider, Fox Street is kind of a run-down place, but not to Mo Wren. Mo loves everything about it. In fact Fox Street is only missing three things: Mo’s mother, who died very young, Mo’s best friend Mercedes, who is about to come for her annual summer visit, and a real, live fox. But Mo is certain that foxes do live on Fox Street, and is determined to discover one before the summer is out. But things get complicated when Mercedes announces that this may be her last summer and Mo discovers that her father is thinking about selling her beloved home and moving the family across town.

I love summer stories, and this book has all the heat, secret forts, popsicles and thunderstorms a girl wants in a summer book. I know that fall is the big season for books, but I do think it’s a bit odd that HarperCollins is releasing this in late August- you’ve missed out on a whole whack of summer readers. Perhaps the paperback will be a spring/summer release. But I digress.

Tricia Springstubb is officially one of my new favourite authors. Right from the first page, she pulls you into the rhythm and routines of Mo’s life. Her writing is fresh and inspired. I loved every single one of her characters, who leap right off the page and into your heart, from Mercedes’ formiddable grandmother to Mo’s little sister, the Wild Child. The tone and style of her writing reminded me of Jeanne Birdsall, who writes the fabulous Penderwicks books, except Springstubb’s setting is not quite so middle class and her characters have a bit more grit, not that I would call this a gritty novel. It is just as lovely as The Penderwicks, but with a different set of issues brought on by economic status.

Personally, I think the timing is just right for a book that features a family struggling with money, and how this affects kids. There were more than a few aspects of Fox Street that reminded me of Beverly Cleary’s Ramona books, specifically Ramona and her Father, in which Ramona’s father loses his job and the family has a serious readjustment period. Although it was published in 1977, the subject matter is completely relevant, if not the bell bottoms in the illustrations.

And yet Fox Street isn’t solely about money issues. Some of the action is informed by them, but ultimately it’s a story about family, friendship, community, and hope. What Happened on Fox Street, to me, is an example of pitch-perfect middle grade. Look out for Tricia Springstubb- she’s definitely an author to watch.

What Happened on Fox Street will be available from Balzer and Bray, an imprint of Harper Collins, on August 24th, 2010.

*Not to be confused with the Lost episode What Kate Did, which was definitely NOT a let down. I can only imagine the title of this episode is a nod to the classic (and yet disappointing)novel of my childhood. Oh Lost, how I miss you and your plentiful cultural references…