Pick-Up Sticks

Joan Buchanan is a writer, storyteller and instructor and author of
Taking Care of My Cold.

Ellis won the 1991 Governor General’s Literary Award in children’s
literature (text) for Pick-Up Sticks, her third novel. The novel is set
in Vancouver and features Polly, a 13-year-old who lives with her mom, a
stained-glass artist.

The story gets under way quickly, when Polly learns that they are being
squeezed out of their small apartment because their elderly landlord is
selling the house to developers. Polly is angry and doesn’t want to
move. Her mother tries but is unable to find a comfortable place that
they can afford. Blaming her mother for their predicament, Polly decides
to stay with her uncle’s family, a family that reflects the worst of
yuppiedom. Living there, Polly learns what she values the most.

This is a book about friends, relationships, and family. The details
and dialogue are best when they directly or incidentally describe
Polly’s world (such as the workings of the business operated by the
family of her best friend, Vanessa; or the warmth and simplicity in her
relationship with Ernie, her landlord’s mentally handicapped son).
Polly’s odd realizations about everyday events are apt; for instance,
when she is riding the bus, passengers suddenly look like Martians to
her, or while she is sitting in a meeting, people look like puppets. As
well, the story line is topical and all too familiar to those living on
low incomes in big cities. On the critical side, in a short climactic
section concerning Polly’s cousin’s friends, the dialogue seems
forced and at times too grammatically correct.

Overall, Ellis creates a world and an atmosphere that will involve
readers, particularly 11- to 13-year-olds. I look forward to her next
book.