Growing Up

Barbara M. Buetter conducts creative-writing workshops for children and
is the author of Simple Puppets from Everyday Materials.

This collection of stories about formative childhood experiences deal
with such themes as friendship, recovering from the loss of a
grandparent, and the resolve and spirit of youth in pursuing a goal. The
seven stories tell of a girl’s love for her grandmother and ballet, a
boy’s determination in repairing an old boat, a boy’s ingenuity in
building a dune buggy, family memories associated with trees in the
garden, finding and healing an injured squirrel, repairing an old
carousel horse, and making paper snowflakes with a grandparent.

The book’s clean presentation and line drawings are well suited to
the simple storylines. Children will enjoy the direct language and
universal themes, although the book’s nostalgic tone may appeal more
to adults. Character development is minimal, and conflicts are quickly
resolved. For the most part, the stories involve a simple recounting of
events, with little tension and little insight into the characters’
feelings or thoughts. Recommended with reservations.