The Best of Arlie Zack

Elizabeth St. Jacques is the author of Echoes All Strung Out and
Survivors: The Great Depression, 1929-1939.

Having recently moved with his mother to her hometown in the West,
12-year-old Arlie Zack’s life has been anything but joyful. There are
problems at his new school with teachers, homework, and friends and
extra chores to do since his mother broke her arm, and now he has been
assigned the job of shoveling the sidewalk for Mrs. Spinx, a spooky
little old lady. As if things weren’t bad enough, deep inside of Arlie
is a constant ache for the father he has never seen. It’s enough to
make anyone short-tempered.

But Arlie discovers that Mrs. Spinx (who claims to be 210 years old) is
more special than spooky, while her gifts of a rock, conch shell, and
knitted toque help him to see certain unpleasant truths about himself.
With the help of his good friends, Jan and Max, Arlie finds that the
world is pretty good after all.

This warm and gentle story has been carefully thought out, each
character brought to life through telling dialogue and colorful action
that are pleasingly balanced between comedy and drama. So proficient is
the author at maintaining credibility that when moments of pure fantasy
occur, you find yourself almost believing the unbelievable. Particularly
appreciated is the deft pacing. Scenes move so quickly and smoothly,
it’s like watching a movie. Hats off to Hazel Hutchins (and to Ruth
Ohi for her splendid illustrations) for a marvelous read. This story
will be hard to beat. Highly recommended.