What Happened on Fox Street by Tricia Springstubb

Last week, at our Cover to Cover visit, Sally handed me an ARC of WHAT HAPPENED ON FOX STREET by Tricia Springstubb. I hadn't planned on reading it right away-my stack is huge. But I did. I finished it this morning and thoroughly enjoyed it. Thinking back on the book now that I have finished it, it is all about the characters. The people on Fox Street will live with me for a very long time.

Mo Wren, her little sister and her father live on a house on Fox Street. She has always lived there. The street is one with many people who have watched Mo and her sister grow up. People she counts on. But the family is dealing with grief--the loss of Mo's mother a few years back. This is the story of Mo and her family and friends and holding on to what she can and letting go of other things.

I found myself tabbing several pages with text I loved. One of my favorite passage came early in the book and it captures one of the lessons Mo learns through this story:
"Every person you pass on the street, or wait behind in line, or see sitting alone on her porch-every one is summoning up the courage for some battle, whether you can see it or not."

This is a quiet book--seems to have the feel of a safe street with neighbors you trust. But there are so many little things to think about. Mo Wren is a thinker--she thinks a lot. And as a reader, I found myself doing a lot of thinking too--issues of grief, hope, family, race, betrayal and more come up. But they are quiet issues--they happen in the book as they happen in real life--as part of ordinary days.

I can see this as a read aloud or a book talk book for older elementary kids. Definitely glad I made the time to read this one.