17. Criss Cross by Lynne Rae Perkins

CRISS CROSS by Lynne Rae Perkins (Harper Trophy, 2005)

GENRE: Contemporary

HONORS: John Newbery Medal Winner

REVIEW:

A series of short chapters chronicle how a group of fourteen-year-olds spend their summer, crisscrossing with each other along the way.  Debbie wishes for something good to happen to her soon to break the monotony that her life has become.  Hector has a summer of self-discovery as he becomes aware that he is changing, but he has no idea into what.  The book tells of the everyday kind of experiences of Debbie and Hector, along with their friends Patty and Lenny.  While telling of the ordinary things that happen, Criss Cross highlights the social awkwardness that accompanies this age, as well as the burgeoning romance that lies beneath.  Just as in real life, the characters do not understand all of the opportunities shown to them, but they continue to grow in the process.

OPINION:

Being aware of the controversy surrounding this novel, with some reviewers loving it and others hating it, I started reading it with the expectation that I would be among those that did not understand why it was awarded the Newbery.  However, I found myself really enjoying the novel and genuinely interested in the lives of the characters.  There is a sort of dreamy quality to the book that I appreciated.  Also, I was not bothered by the lack of adventure, but rather embraced the ordinary feeling of the characters’ lives.  I can definitely understand how others could feel negatively about this, though, depending on their tastes.  For that reason, I can see some tweens putting down the book without a concrete storyline to lead them through the story or with very little drama to hold their attention.  This is especially true for reluctant readers.  I would recommend this novel to older tweens that enjoy books about self-discovery and lean toward the more contemplative works of fiction.

IDEAS:

This book would obviously go well in a library display for Newbery Medal Winners, as well as a display showcasing books about tweens on summer break.  It would also be a good book to include as part of a summer reading program for older tweens, allowing them to follow the experiences of other tweens as they maneuver through summer break.