Flower Power

Emily Walters Gregor is a graduate student in 20th-century American
literature and an ESL writing tutor at the University of Minnesota.

The Orca Currents series offers books for “reluctant” young-adult
readers, with straightforward vocabulary, interesting subjects, and
fast-paced plots. Flower Power is a story about several days in the life
of 12-year-old Calendula Powers, during which her mother has chained
herself to her neighbour’s old maple tree, which divides their
property, to prevent it from being cut down. Callie embarrassed by her
mother’s activism, but following her mother’s instructions,
organizes a press conference. However, she soon becomes annoyed by the
reporters who are more interested in how Callie feels than why her
mother is chained to a tree. She is also annoyed by the adults around
her who cannot seem to come to a reasonable compromise, and worried
about who will buy groceries while her mother is preoccupied (Callie and
her mother live on their own). But she doesn’t worry for long. A third
generation of Powers—Callie’s grandmother—arrives to help remind
her of the “Power’s power” to accomplish almost anything.

Flower Power is an amusing and engaging novel, with interesting
characters presented primarily through dialogue. Callie is a young
protagonist, however, which may limit the book’s appeal for older
readers. Recommended.