Keeper

Jul 22, 2010 The Reading Countess rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: realistic-fiction

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. I was doubtful when I picked up Kathi Appelt's book, despite so many trusted readerly friends urging me to do so. Her Underneath was one of the few books I abandoned in recent years, and I couldn't sell it to any of my student readers (though one marked it as her cornerstone book of the year). But with so much attention being given to Keeper, my summer reading wouldn't be complete if I didn't turn the pages on this one. Sadly, as I began reading, I found myself thinking it would rate just as Und...more I was doubtful when I picked up Kathi Appelt's book, despite so many trusted readerly friends urging me to do so. Her Underneath was one of the few books I abandoned in recent years, and I couldn't sell it to any of my student readers (though one marked it as her cornerstone book of the year). But with so much attention being given to Keeper, my summer reading wouldn't be complete if I didn't turn the pages on this one. Sadly, as I began reading, I found myself thinking it would rate just as Underneath did: in the "abandoned books" shelf. Oh, how wrong I was.

There is so much right with Appelt's book. Her story builds slowly, adding important tidbits of information to the reader bit by bit. The clever way she zig zags back and forth from the present to the past builds real muscles for younger readers, and creates a sense of interest and drama that wouldn't be present otherwise. The intense love that Signe felt about Keeper and Dogie made me fall in love with all three of the characters. Even BD the dog and Captain the seagull had distinct personalities fleshed out as the book ran along! I loved the wonderful mix of genres, and how not until the end of the book does the (younger) reader realize the magical elements were merely a figment of a ten year old's overactive imagination. But isn't that what life should be about? We should hold onto the magical elements no matter how old we are, like Mr. Beauchamp and his dutiful one-eyed cat(s). Appelt's Keeper is proof that family, no matter how it is formed, is a keeper.

Sadly, I do have one concern about this magnificent book. Although I have placed Keeper on top of my middle grade son's stack of books to be read, I do have a sense of worry when I think about adding it to my own fifth grader's bookshelves. Initially, I listed Keeper as a possible read aloud. I know now, after having read it, that I would not. But would I put it on the shelf of my classroom? My heart says, "YES!" My fear holds me back. It saddens me that I have even an ounce of fear about parent complaints where Mr. Beauchamp and Jack's relationship are concerned. According to respected reviewers, the recommended age ranges from 8-12. But still, I worry. To me, love is love. To the world it can be an area of great discord.

Gems:
-Sometimes knowing how long you had to wait for something made the waiting easier. (p. 82)
-The entire four page explanation of how Dogie knew he loved Signe.
-"an invisible spider of worry crawled up her spine." (p. 184)
-He frowned, then found a dishcloth and covered it. It reminded him of the way people cover a person's face after they've died. Sadness inched its way up his fingers. (p. 311)
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Dec 04, 2012 Ed added it

Appelt, Kathi. (2010). keeper. New York: Simon & Schuster/Atheneum. 409 pp. ISBN 978-1-4169-5060-8 (Hard Cover); $16.99.

Ten crabs work magic on Keeper and turn what should be a perfect blue moon day into a perfect nightmare. Keeper creates the perfect plan for repairing damage. The key is finding her mermaid mother.

Somehow I missed reviewing this marvelous book last season! I love writing in which central metaphors are reinforced by the text structure—that perfect blend of form and style. I...more Appelt, Kathi. (2010). keeper. New York: Simon & Schuster/Atheneum. 409 pp. ISBN 978-1-4169-5060-8 (Hard Cover); $16.99.

Ten crabs work magic on Keeper and turn what should be a perfect blue moon day into a perfect nightmare. Keeper creates the perfect plan for repairing damage. The key is finding her mermaid mother.

Somehow I missed reviewing this marvelous book last season! I love writing in which central metaphors are reinforced by the text structure—that perfect blend of form and style. In this book we have repeated phrases and images returning over and over and over again—just like the tides and the moons that are so central to this story: “Easy peasy,” “If you give a wish…,” “You stupid crabs,” “Questions for the universe.” See also the way the page is formatted on page 337 (or 130 or 173 or 275 or 337). Throughout this novel Appelt uses repetition and page layout to reinforce the meaning. Another astonishing notable aspect of this book is its love story between Mr. Beauchamp and Jack in a middle grade book. There is no problem, no repercussions, no judgment—just two boys and then later two old men holding hands. There is no need to justify, there is just a long overdue acknowledgement that love has many forms of expression that are appropriate for a children’s book. Likewise we have Doggie with his dreads (385) and no explanation from Appelt germane to his race. Appelt very subtly shows (without telling) many things in this book. Perhaps my favorite comes at the end. Doggie has been practicing and practicing his two word love song, which he can sing without hesitations, but cannot say. However, when he thinks Keeper may be lost at sea, he is able to shout, without stuttering, very clearly and very emphatically (pp. 371-373). Contrast this with Doggie’s attempt to say Keeper on page 152 and 154. And on page 376 Doggie says clearly and without thinking about talking, “Let’s just wait.” On page 157 we know that Doggie has trouble with words that begin with L. Appelt does not need to mention that on page 371 this is the first time Doggie has not stuttered when he speaks. He does not stutter for the rest of the book and I really appreciate the fact that Appelt does not feel the need to mention whether or not he is cured (because chances are that he stuttered saying his wedding vows). Doggie is Doggie, the man Signe and Keeper love—with his speech impediment, with his hair, with his skin color—just the way he is and it isn’t necessary to highlight these details because what is important is the love he has for Signe and Keeper, the love he has always had. The magical realism works with this story and allows the reader to accept the coincidences of the luck charm and of Jack. It allows space in Keeper’s heart for her mother without painting a rosy picture of the mother. This allows the central theme of “What is family?” to sail more freely.
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Aug 16, 2012 Becky rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: middle-grades, summer-2012, young-adult

I am double minded about this book. As an adult I really enjoyed it - 4 stars worth. I really appreciated Appelt's poetic writing style and the self discovery that Keeper goes through during this story. I loved the community that the story is set in - the depth of relationships is important to the book. I also enjoyed the elements of fantasy and magic int he story. Are merpeople real?

On the other hand, as a teacher, I am more ambivalent about it. I think that it might be "a tough sell." First of...more

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Jun 12, 2012 Liviania rated it 4 of 5 stars

I promised I'd review more middle grade fiction and I'm keeping that promise. I first became aware of Kathi Appelt last year, when THE UNDERNEATH received the Newberry Honor Award. I haven't read it yet, unfortunately, but I did jump at my chance to read KEEPER, a novel about a ten-year-old Texas girl who believes in magic.

It was supposed to be a wonderful day for Keeper, her guardian Signe, and the other residents of Oyster Ridge Road - Dogie and Mr. Beauchamp. But everything went wrong, and no...more I promised I'd review more middle grade fiction and I'm keeping that promise. I first became aware of Kathi Appelt last year, when THE UNDERNEATH received the Newberry Honor Award. I haven't read it yet, unfortunately, but I did jump at my chance to read KEEPER, a novel about a ten-year-old Texas girl who believes in magic.

It was supposed to be a wonderful day for Keeper, her guardian Signe, and the other residents of Oyster Ridge Road - Dogie and Mr. Beauchamp. But everything went wrong, and now Keeper slips out while everyone is sleeping to find her mermaid mother Meggie Marie with BD (Best Dog) and Captain (a watermelon-loving seagull). KEEPER is postmodern magical realism for kids.

But as an adult, it's a fairly harrowing reading experience. Like the narrator, an adult reader knows the danger of a young girl alone in a boat catching the outgoing tide. Unlike Keeper, the adult reader doesn't believe the mermaids will be waiting. Yet as intense as the sense of danger could be, Appelt keeps everything on a slow boil.

She slips into a variety of POVs - all animal and human characters get their say. She also slips back and forth in time, all the way back to old Mr. Beauchamp's young love in Paris. (Her matter-of-fact treatment of homosexuality is welcome and appropriate to the age group.) Her language is lyrical and lulling, obscuring the dark undercurrent, much like the sea that is integral to KEEPER's story.

I also love the illustrations by August Hall. They're simple and bold. My favorite may be the fist time we see Signe, young and fierce. Hall illustrates a nice mix of dramatic and intimate moments, which contributes to the tone of the novel, which remains calm no matter how badly things go wrong.

Most middle grade books don't end in senseless tragedy, so I wondered how Appelt could reach a satisfying end. But she does, without betraying the characters or the story. If you're looking for action and adventure, KEEPER might not be the best choice. But it's still a good summer read that will make you long for a nice bowl of gumbo. (less)

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Mar 06, 2012 IndyPL Kids Book Blog rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: kid-life

Keeper’s made a mess of some things that are really important to her and she’s got a plan to fix them. The plan includes her boat, her dog and the mother she hasn’t seen since she was three. Her dog is loyal and her boat is well-built but the ocean is unreliable and dangerous. And her mother, well, she is unreliable too, but Keeper thinks she can help, Keeper thinks she is the ONLY grown-up who can help…because she’s a mermaid.

Wishes. Before today, Keeper had made plenty of wishes, like wishes o...more

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Oct 16, 2011 Sinai rated it 2 of 5 stars

When I first started reading Keeper, I thought this was going to be a fantasy book. Hardcore fantasy with a whole world like Atlantis or something. But...it's honestly a story about a 10 year old girl, who believes her mother is a mermaid, and therefore, when the worst day of her young life happens...she goes to look at her. This will not have repercussions of course...she has the perfect plan! Which she memorizes to be sure nothing goes wrong. This includes--sneaking out into a row boat onto a...more

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Jul 11, 2011 Jo Sorrell rated it 4 of 5 stars

I definitely recognize the writing style of Kathi Appelt. The characters Dogie, Signe, Keeper, Mr. Beauchamp are the only people who live on Oyster Ridge Road on the banks of the Gulf of Mexico in
Texas. With them is Dogie's Dog Too, BD or Best Dog, Captain an injured seagull who is best friends with BD.Oh yes and Meggie Marie who is gone when the story begins. She is Keeper's mother. Let me know what you think of her.
The story gets pretty harrowing when Keeper goes out in the boat to try and re...more

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Jun 22, 2011 Alan rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy, mermaids, middle-school

ATOS Book Level: 5.0
Interest Level: Middle Grades (MG 4-8)
AR Points: 8.0
Lexile: 770L
Word Count: 53741

A story of family, not of blood, but family nevertheless. In this one we meet Keeper a ten year old girl. Keeper lives on Oyster Ridge Road outside the town of Tater on the coast of the Gulf of Mexico in Texas. Keepers mom, Meggie Marie went into the Gulf to have her child and partially because of that and the fact that the last time Keeper saw her mom was when her mom swam into the Gulf and kept...more

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Apr 24, 2011 Amy added it

Shelves: 2011, fiction_j

Keeper's flighty mother left her when she was just three, leaving the girl with a makeshift family: Signe, Dogie, Mr. Beauchamps, BD, Too, and Captain - all the human and non-human residents of Oyster Ridge Road. To lessen the pain of her mother's disappearance, Signe tells Keeper that she is a mermaid who swam away when Keeper was just a tiny child. And for the most part, Keeper is happy with her cobbled-together family, despite the absence of her biological mother. How can you miss someone tha...more

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Apr 23, 2011 Kerry rated it 3 of 5 stars

10-year-old Keeper lives in a small Texas fishing town with a woman named Signe and her dog BD (Best Dog). Signe and her boyfriend Dobie have taken care of Keeper ever since Keeper's mother (a mermaid named Meggie Marie) went back to the sea when Keeper was three. The trouble all begins when the crabs Dobie catches to make a special blue moon gumbo--a treat for the rare blue moon eve--talk to Keeper and ask her to release them. She feels obligated to let them go, and when she does she starts a c...more

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Mar 09, 2011 Sarah BT rated it 4 of 5 stars

Rating: 3.5 Stars

Keeper is a quite beautifully written and lyrical book. Although the book comes in at 400 pages, the chapters are short and the pages read quickly, so the book never feels too daunting.

The plot jumps around from present day to past and from this evening to earlier that morning. We slowly see Keeper's story unfold and see what went so terribly wrong on her blue moon day to make Keeper end up in a boat in the middle of the night. Not only do we get Keeper's story, but we are intr...more

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Feb 26, 2011 Susan rated it 4 of 5 stars

I found this at Powell's on sale, and autographed. I used my "random page" test and knew I must take this home to read with my daughter.

I'm usually a biography person because they are linear and easy to follow. This book was a pleasure from beginning to end, and unexpected. I was delighted by the back stories belonging to each character and found myself wanting to live on Oyster Ridge Road with these true friends.

I would recommend this book to anyone. My children begged for me to read this to th...more

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Feb 19, 2011 Becky rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2011, youth, fiction

4.5 stars. This is a very, very good book. A wonderful book. I love how the author plays with words. Poetic.
Genre-bending. Mostly realistic with a bits of the mystical/fantastical/mythological/magical thrown in. Does knowing the thoughts of animals make it fantasy? Does the possibility of mer people make it fantasy? Does the story of Jacques de Mer make it mythological? Is it a fairy tale? Or are these things simply part of a 10-year-old girl’s rich imagination? How to classify? Is it necessary...more

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Jan 11, 2011 Minli rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: middle-grade, mythic, yay-diversity

Keeper is really a three-star book for me, writing-wise, though emotionally it's probably 4 stars. Perhaps it's 3.5 stars? Ten-year-old Keeper lives in a small neighbourhood on the Gulf coast down in Texas, passing her days by helping Dogie wax surfboards and listening to Mr. Beauchamp's stories. She has no blood family--her mermaid mother swam away when she was a toddler, though she has a loving surrogate mother in Signe. On the day of the blue moon, everything goes wrong--broken treasures, ang...more

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Dec 29, 2010 nicole added it

Shelves: 2010, cybils, couldnt-finish

At first, I fell for this book hook, line a sinker - Keeper's mysterious birth origins and the plight of ten crabs and GOOD LORD GUMBO IN THE FIRST CHAPTER. I am a city girl, who prefers to work with city kids, but have always been and will always be drawn to stories of the sea. I can't even recall how many times I re-read Jacob Have I Loved as a little girl, but I can recall the jolt I felt re-reading it as an adult. My memories of Sara Louise are stronger than those of my own life at that time...more

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Dec 07, 2010 Bobby rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: kidsstuff, fantasy

Keeper is a 10-year-old girl living in a remote Texas area near the Gulf of Mexico. Because of a series of unfortunate incidences, Keeper believes she's upset everyone she loves. Seeking guidance, Keeper steals away in the middle of night and heads off in a rowboat searching for her long-gone mother, who Keeper believes is a mermaid.

Appelt isn't a straightforward storyteller, as we also learned in her magnificent "The Underneath" and her style can be challenging. Her ultimately rewarding method...more

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Nov 27, 2010 Lisa rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: mock-newbery-2010

Keeper is ten years old and believes her mother is a mermaid who has returned to the sea. She lives on a small sandy stretch of beach off of the Texas Gulf Coast with Signe, her adoptive mother, Dogie, who rents surfboards to toursits, and their neighbor, an elderly seaman. The cast of characters includes a charismatic seagull, 2 dogs, and an ancient cat. The story is blend of magical realism and a coming of age story as Keeper realizes that her mother may not be what Keeper has always believed....more Keeper is ten years old and believes her mother is a mermaid who has returned to the sea. She lives on a small sandy stretch of beach off of the Texas Gulf Coast with Signe, her adoptive mother, Dogie, who rents surfboards to toursits, and their neighbor, an elderly seaman. The cast of characters includes a charismatic seagull, 2 dogs, and an ancient cat. The story is blend of magical realism and a coming of age story as Keeper realizes that her mother may not be what Keeper has always believed. The story centers around one day, a summer blue moon, full of promise and potential that turns into an unfortunate cascade of accidents big and small that ruin the day. Keeper, sure that everyone she loves is mad and disappointed in her, decides to call upon Yemaya, the queen of the mermaids, to help her find her mother to put things right. While Signe is decidedly practical and mature for a twenty-five year old saddled with the sudden burden of caring for a child when Meggie Marie abandons her responsibilities, she fails to see the magic around her. Mr. Beauchamp, the elderly neighbor, knows there are inexplicable things in the world and that love should be embraced when it finds you. He pines for a lost love from his youth. Dogie, suffering post traumatic stress from his time serving in the war, loves Signe, but cannot find the words to tell her. The night of the blue moon was supposed to make everyone's dreams come true, until 10 crabs wreak havoc on the day.

I liked parts of the story but I found the repetitiveness of significant lines a bit gimmicky and tedious. It seems like the story was as slow to come in as the tide Keeper is waiting on to take her to her mother. And perhaps, Appelt meant for just that rhythm. I did not particularly care for it. And while love can and does take many forms, I found it a bit surprising that Henri's lost love was Jacques, a merman. It's my favorite of the KC Mock Newbery nominees so far, but I am hoping the selections will get better! I just don't see this title appealing to a lot of young adults. Much the same with The Underneath, which I did like very much, but hasn't been popular with my students at all.(less)

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Nov 10, 2010 Eva Mitnick rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: children, fantasy

The beginning of this book finds 10-year-old Keeper and her dog BD on a very small boat in the middle of the night, scolding 10 crabs and waiting for the tide to rise so that she can free the boat from the pier it's tied to. Why is she on the boat? Why is everyone so mad at her? And what on earth do those crabs have to do with anything?

From that moment in time, the story begins swooping and spiraling, sometimes back in time a little to that morning before everything got ruined, sometimes way bac...more The beginning of this book finds 10-year-old Keeper and her dog BD on a very small boat in the middle of the night, scolding 10 crabs and waiting for the tide to rise so that she can free the boat from the pier it's tied to. Why is she on the boat? Why is everyone so mad at her? And what on earth do those crabs have to do with anything?

From that moment in time, the story begins swooping and spiraling, sometimes back in time a little to that morning before everything got ruined, sometimes way back to when Keeper was a little girl, or even farther back to when Keeper's ancient neighbor Mr. Beauchamp was a teenager in France, before catching up to Keeper again and taking her out to sea on that little boat. This indirect, circling-back narration is much like the flight of a crooked-winged seagull named Captain, who can't fly straight at something but must curve around to it.

The cast of characters is small, and each one of them has his or her unique history and part to play. White-haired, even-keeled Signe is Keeper's astonishingly young guardian, Dogie is the young proprietor of a local surf shop housed in an old bus, Meggie Marie is Keeper's long-absent biological mother (and possibly a mermaid), and Mr. Beauchamp is an old man who has never quite stopped hoping to be reunited with his long-lost love. And then then are the non-human characters, who (as anyone who has read The Underneath knows) are just as important as the human ones - the dogs BD and Too, the mysterious one-eyed cat Sinbad, the even more mysterious Jacques du Mer, and my own favorite, Captain the seagull.

Though the backgrounds of these characters couldn't be more different, the 10 years they have spent all living in the same sparsely populated region of the Texas coast has woven their fates together in some strange and unpredictable ways - and when Keeper frees some crabs that were meant for a very important gumbo, she sets off a string of events that ends with a most satisfying Happy Ever After for all involved.

The narrative style varies a bit from character to character and chapter to chapter, sometimes employing those short, choppy, emphatic sentences that were so effective in The Underneath, sometimes filling up paragraphs with dense evocative prose. A few of the 120 chapters are so short that they serve as little poems, as in Chapter 91:

"BD. BD. BD. BD. Her heart thumped.
Keeper called and called and called. No BD.
Only a fin.
Circling."

The narration gives Captain, strangely enough, quite a vast and baroque vocabulary for a bird who thinks about food with 90% of his brain and about his friend BD with the other 10%, and whose only spoken word is "c'mon!" Not only does Captain (or the narrator, rather - but still, it's clear that this is what is going through Captain's head) twice quote the poem Jabberwocky by exclaiming "calloo callay!" but his love for watermelon inspires this passage: "...his favorite, his most beloved, his all-time highest exalted sublime most delicious stultifyingly extremely wonderful marvelous fantastic yes yes yes: watermelon!"

Sometimes this kind of self-conscious language breaks the mood or splashes a bit of cold water in the reader's face. That "calloo callaying" seems downright silly to me, given that it's a seagull who is saying it - a seagull brimming with brio and personality, it is true, but not one that has read Lewis Carroll. And some other stylistic decisions seem mannered, as when Keeper (or the narrator on her behalf) spells out words periodically for emphasis, something that happens in the first few chapters and then is dropped for some reason. Or maybe it continues and I just didn't notice because by then I was fully immersed in the story.

That's the thing about Keeper. All that circling and swooping, all those characters with their small contributions that end up making one intense story - these serve as threads that draw the reader further and further in. By the satisfying and happy ending, I was fully committed, heart and soul, and so of course needed to blow my nose and wipe my eyes. The emotions of Keeper and Signe, and of Mr. Beauchamp, are so masterfully drawn that I defy you to stay unmoved.

And August Hall's artwork is a lovely complement to this tale that is anchored in reality but has some supernatural elements swimming in the depths. The jacket art, with Captain's wing providing white space for the author and title, is particularly compelling, but I am also fond of the drawing of a fierce Signe holding young Keeper - all the love that Signe feels for Keeper is there.

So - despite finding some of the narrative quirks not wholly successful, I'm recommending this highly for ages 9 - 12. (less)

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Sep 27, 2010 Stacy rated it 1 of 5 stars

Mothers of potential readers of this book should read this review...

I decided to give Kathi Appelt one more try (The Underneath, remember?) And I knew I wouldn't be disappointed! This one bugged me too! Bad attitude, eh? Classic example: (it's referring to a seagull pet named Captain and a young girl named Keeper)

"Keeper would sometimes hand over something else, a strawberry or a potato chip or even his favorite, his most beloved, his all-time highest exalted sublime most delicious stultifyingl...more Mothers of potential readers of this book should read this review...

I decided to give Kathi Appelt one more try (The Underneath, remember?) And I knew I wouldn't be disappointed! This one bugged me too! Bad attitude, eh? Classic example: (it's referring to a seagull pet named Captain and a young girl named Keeper)

"Keeper would sometimes hand over something else, a strawberry or a potato chip or even his favorite, his most beloved, his all-time highest exalted sublime most delicious stultifyingly extremely wonderful marvelous fantastic yes yes yes: watermelon!

Captain loved watermelon.

Yep. He would do just about anything for a big, juicy chunk of watermelon. Anything, anything, anything." p. 181

But I felt I should warn you about this book. She likes words, as we know, and therefore her 2 books have lots of pages. However the pages turn quickly and each chapter lasts about 4 pages at the most. So I found myslf past the halfway mark, already deep into the main story and reading to find out what finally happens to Keeper--trying to figure things out. Then as I begin chapter 58 on page 223, I suddenly discover much to my suprise that Henri Beauchamp, the 'Grandpa who wasn't really her grandpa' had a gay lover at the age of 15. It describes him letting himself remember way back when, walking beside the plaza in his small French village by the sea, him finding Jack and then gives details of their gay encounter. Now this book is not adult fiction, or even in the TEEN section (which would still anger me). This book can be found in the CHILDREN'S section! That makes me so angry that this author made plans to weave a tale that seems to be meant for young children and then she bombards them with a sudden gay love interest that no one is prepared to have to deal with. There is no kind of warning on the cover or jacket description (which there definitely should be in my opinion, it being a children's book.) And if I'm not mistaken, I think this might be a Newberry Honor book. Shame on her. This one got left unfinished. I don't even want to know how it ends.(less)

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Sep 02, 2010 Elizabeth rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: j-fic

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Aug 27, 2010 Sharon rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: juvenile-fiction, fantasy

I'm not big on animal fables, but Kathi Appelt's "The Underneath" was one of my favorite books written the year it came out. That being said, maybe I just set the bar too high for this book. It immediately invites a lot of comparison to "The Underneath" with a very similar style of poetic, lyrical writing, short vignettes, and the weaving of mythology (in this case mermaids and guardians of the sea) into a very well-defined setting (in this case, small coastal town in Texas).

I love Appelt's styl...more

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Jul 26, 2010 Karen rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: animal-stories, friendship, magic, survival

I liked this book much more than Kathi Appelt's The Underneath - so I was pleasantly surprised. The lyrical writing, engaging story, suspense, beautiful illustrations and short chapters kept me very engrossed. I was very touched by Keeper's plight and her relationship with the adults in her life -- but my emotional connection was mainly as a mother myself. Not sure how kids will react to this book. It's a bit of a challenging read due to multiple points of view (including both humans and animals...more

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Jun 14, 2010 Suebee rated it 3 of 5 stars

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. I loved Appelt's Newbery-honor winning "The Underneath," and I couldn't WAIT to pick up her newest novel, Keeper, for ages 9-12. Betsy Bird gave it a wonderful review and it's on the short list for 2010 Newbery contenders. For me, it was an emotional read but I don't know what kid I would recommend this to. It's themes are very adult and the slow pace and themes about guilt and family and forgiveness not for many kids. That's why I hope it doesn't get the Newbery.

The book started slow for me, a...more I loved Appelt's Newbery-honor winning "The Underneath," and I couldn't WAIT to pick up her newest novel, Keeper, for ages 9-12. Betsy Bird gave it a wonderful review and it's on the short list for 2010 Newbery contenders. For me, it was an emotional read but I don't know what kid I would recommend this to. It's themes are very adult and the slow pace and themes about guilt and family and forgiveness not for many kids. That's why I hope it doesn't get the Newbery.

The book started slow for me, and it bothered me even more than "The Underneath" - the repetition in which Appelt repeats certain phrases or rehashes what's happening. I mean, it's over 100 short chapters, but most of about 80 chapters is about Keeper, a 10 year old girl, waiting for her boat to drift out to a sandbar. Most of the "action" is told about in recollections about what happened earlier in the day.

Keeper is 10 years old and lives in Tater, a tiny sea town south of Galveston, Texas. She is taken care of by Signe, a young woman with "spiky white hair" who is setting out to make crab gumbo on this, the night of the blue moon. We learn that Dogie is a dreadlock-wearing surfer (and ex-soldier from NJ) who has Keeper work as his "waxwing" (waxing surfboards), is practicing a "Marry me" song on his ukelele to sing to Signe that very night. Well, Keeper believes that her true mother, who left her when she was 3, is a mermaid, and Keeper feels as though she has mermaid blood, and the crabs "speak" to her not to be put in the gumbo. While Signe goes to the store, Keeper lets the crabs out of the pot, ruining the gumbo, accidentally breaking Signe's mother's wooden bowl (her only family memory). Keeper brings her dog, BD, to Dogie, to apologize for letting the crabs out, and the dog accidentally causes a ruckus which breaks Dogie's ukelele. Mr. Beauchamp, their only other neighbor, and his cat, Sinbad, also are disturbed by the dog, which knocks over his flowers, his night-blooming cyrus, which only bloom once a year.

Keeper, feeling so guilty about all this, decides to go out to the sandbar where she believes Meggie Marie, her mother, has been living as a mermaid for 7 years, and ask for Meggie Marie's help. Keeper gets in a bit of trouble when the tide washes her past the sandbar, knocking BD out of the boat. A seagull named Captain cries "C'mon! C'mon! in his seagull voice, waking up Dogie's dog Too (for Best Dog Too). Dogie, Too, and Signe eventually wake up to find Keeper washed ashore on the sandbar and BD on the shore. A merman from across the ocean in France felt someone wish on a "porte de bonheur" (good luck charm) and he pushed Keepr and BD to safety. Dogie asks Signe to marry him that very instant.

Interwoven into this story are two love stories - the story of Dogie and Signe, of course, and the story of how Signe has loved Keeper after Meggie Marie exhibited some crazy behavior on the night of Keeper's 3rd birthday...spinning her in the ocean in a wooden bowl, almost drowning her, forcing Signe to yell at Maggie to leave.

However...the love story that will make many pause is the story of two fifteen year old boys whose fingers intertwine, whose love and affection are shared. We learn that the old Henri Beauchamp, Mr. Beauchamp, grew up in a small village in France where he met a strange boy with blue eyes named Jack. Jack is tossing coins into a fountain one day. The boys fall in love and hold hands. ( We later learn that Jack is none other than Jack de Mer, a merman, whose true nature is shown by an old mer-woman who pushes Jack into the fountain and he turns into a "sea monster.")

Nevertheless, Henri loves Jack and hopes to see him again...but years pass as he spends his life alone on Tater's coast. The book ends with them being reunited because of his helping Keeper.

Got all that? Whew. Not for everybody. I don't think I'll get it for my K-4 library.(less)

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May 26, 2010 Margo Tanenbaum rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy, mermaids

I'm hoping this one makes the short list for the Newbery...This is one of the most beautifully written children's novels I've read in some time. Our heroine, called by everyone Keeper, is a 10-year old girl whose mother left her when she was 3 in the care of her roommate, Signe. Born literally in the sea, Keeper believes her mother is a mermaid, and that her mother literally swam away from her to join the other mermaids. Keeper has made a life for herself in a tiny community on the Texas coast w...more

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May 21, 2010 Nicola rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: arc, own

Reason for Reading: Mermaids are another of my favourite mythological creatures to read about in novels. I actually had no idea the author was a newbery honor winner, although I have heard of her other book, I have not read it and didn't know who wrote it.

The book has a simple plot. Living on the Texan Coast in an isolated area close to a small town in three houses are Keeper and a young woman who is not her mother, an old man who has forgotten how old he is and a young man who runs a surfboard...more Reason for Reading: Mermaids are another of my favourite mythological creatures to read about in novels. I actually had no idea the author was a newbery honor winner, although I have heard of her other book, I have not read it and didn't know who wrote it.

The book has a simple plot. Living on the Texan Coast in an isolated area close to a small town in three houses are Keeper and a young woman who is not her mother, an old man who has forgotten how old he is and a young man who runs a surfboard rental shop. These people are Keepers "family" and she loves them very much but one day Keeper has a bad day and everything she does goes wrong and she hurts each one of these people. Living a life filled with tales of the sea and a strong belief in mermaid lore, since she herself is half merfolk she sets off under the stealth of night, on the night of the blue moon, to make her way to a sandbar out in the ocean with her dog BD and a segull named Captain to call her mermaid mother back to ask her help on fixing everything that has gone wrong.

The book is well written and has a dreamy, calm atmosphere even when Keeper feels that everything has gone wrong. The pace is slow. The book starts with Keeper in the boat and then goes back to explain everything that happened that day to get her to this point. Along the way, we get the backstories of the people (and animals) inhabiting her world. This takes perhaps the first half of the book. Then the second half takes Keeper on her journey out to sea and reveals secrets of those back on shore culminating in the worst bad thing that has gone wrong all day. There are some magical elements to the story which are not explained in any sense as to whether they are real or dreamings. It is up to each reader to decide for themselves.

I'm having a hard time coming up with a rating for this book as I'm caught in the middle as to whether I really liked it. I certainly enjoyed the characters, they were all brought to life for me and I appreciated who they were and what they had experienced very much; I just wish something actually happened to them in this book. The plot is simple and dragged out but the book does leave one feeling tranquil most of the time. I think what I may be trying to say is that the writing is almost like poetry and that just may be my problem; I'm not big on poetical writing. I think this may be one of those books that you're either going to love or just could do without. (less)

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Jul 12, 2011 Josiah rated it 2 of 5 stars

Even in prose, the writing of author Kathi Appelt has a palpably lyrical feel to it, as if it's really poetry under guise of standard sentence structure. Her way with words is of expert quintessence, and the quiet strength of her poetic expressions never flags at any point throughout her books.

Using the same tone and style as the acclaimed The Underneath, recipient of a 2009 Newbery Honor citation, Kathi Appelt brings to us another story made out of narrative strands too numerous to count at f...more Even in prose, the writing of author Kathi Appelt has a palpably lyrical feel to it, as if it's really poetry under guise of standard sentence structure. Her way with words is of expert quintessence, and the quiet strength of her poetic expressions never flags at any point throughout her books.

Using the same tone and style as the acclaimed The Underneath, recipient of a 2009 Newbery Honor citation, Kathi Appelt brings to us another story made out of narrative strands too numerous to count at first, but which slowly come together as one as the plot reaches its climax. All of the divergent paths in this book seem to be centered around the young girl named Keeper, who after a personally disastrous night that ended with everyone she knew being angry with her (or so she thinks) is now adrift in a small boat with no one but her canine friend B.D. (Best Dog), trying to find some way to make up for the unintended damage that she has caused. As the novel moves along, we see some of the vague plan that Keeper has in mind: Row out toward the sea, try to see if she can get the attention of her mother (who left years ago and whom Keeper knows is a mermaid), and then ask her what she should do about the situation. A real mermaid is sure to have healing words that can remedy Keeper's chagrin, as well as the power to comfort her own daughter when she desires such comfort the most. So Keeper is on her journey over the water in a little boat with her B.D., trying to make sense of what she's doing as she heads toward her date with destiny.

So many plot branches exist in Keeper that I'm not going to attempt to get them all straight here, but they do all intersect eventually, and by the end of the story they do all matter, though there may be times while you read that you wonder about that. The lessons that this book has to offer are as subtle as the writing of Kathi Appelt, but careful readers will pick up much of value in these pages, and come to understand themselves better through the esoteric odyssey played out by the novel's characters.

I appreciate the sensitive, endearing writing style of Kathi Appelt, and I enjoyed reading Keeper. The three hundred ninety-nine pages really went by quite quickly, the story being at all times readable and interesting. I think that I would give two and a half stars to this book. (less)

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Jan 05, 2011 Miz Lizzie rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: adoption, childrensbooks, dogs, families, girl-power, realistic-fiction, secrets, usa, texas, boats, nature, mermaids, animals

Keeper has had a very bad day. The day before a blue moon, traditionally celebrated by the few folks living on the coastal Oyster Ridge Road in Tater, Texas with Signe's crab gumbo, Mr. Beauchamp's night-blooming cyrus, and, this time, a very special two-word song by Dogie. Keeper had been looking forward to this blue moon for a long time. When she manages to thoroughly spoil it, she decides to set out in a small boat to a famous sandbar in the sea to find her mermaid mother and ask for her help...more

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Jun 06, 2010 Sandra Stiles rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: young-adult

I really enjoyd this book. There are many stories that take place in this book that are intertwined. On the day of the Blue Moon Signe starts her Crab Gumbo. Earlier that morning Dogie had gone out and caught the crabs. He is preparing to ask Signe to marry him. Their neighbor, Mr. Beauchamp has awaited this for a long time. His cyrus flowers only bloom on a blue moon. Then Keeper ruins it all. She believes the crabs have called to her to set them free. Why does she believe them? She has been to...more

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May 11, 2010 Alayne Bushey rated it 4 of 5 stars

Keeper is a ten-year old girl living on the edge of the Gulf of Mexico in Texas. Keeper’s mother, Meggie Marie, left her when she was a child so she lives with a young woman named Signe, and her dog named BD (short for Best Dog). Signe tells Keeper that her mother was a mermaid and went back to the sea after Keeper was born. So Keeper grows up believing in mermaids and fairytales and that she’s a special girl with special mermaid abilities.

Next to Keeper and Signe lives Mr. Beauchamp, an old man...more Keeper is a ten-year old girl living on the edge of the Gulf of Mexico in Texas. Keeper’s mother, Meggie Marie, left her when she was a child so she lives with a young woman named Signe, and her dog named BD (short for Best Dog). Signe tells Keeper that her mother was a mermaid and went back to the sea after Keeper was born. So Keeper grows up believing in mermaids and fairytales and that she’s a special girl with special mermaid abilities.

Next to Keeper and Signe lives Mr. Beauchamp, an old man with a one-eyed cat named Sinbad. Mr. Beauchamp is waiting and wishing and hoping that someday he’ll be reunited with the boy with blue eyes. The boy he met when he was so many years younger. The boy he ran from and could never find again.

Down the road from Mr. Beauchamp is Dogie. Dogie runs a surf-board rental shop and Keeper likes to work with him. Dogie is in love with Signe and on the day the book begins, he’s practiced a two-word song that he’s going to sing for Signe that night. Keeper can’t wait for Dogie’s two-word song.

Everything is supposed to go perfectly that night, the night of a blue moon. Signe will make her blue moon gumbo, Mr. Beauchamp’s night flowers will bloom and he’ll be done waiting, and Dogie will sing his two-word song. But Keeper messes it all up. Wracked with guilt Keeper turns to the only person who can help her, her mother, Meggie Marie the mermaid. Desperate to find her mother so she can fix everything, Keeper embarks on an ocean-bound journey and gets swept away into danger and desperation.

Keeper reads as a children’s book should read, simple language, pictures to enhance the imagination, a fun story with adventure and a little girl who doesn’t know better. But underneath the fairytale of talking crabs and seagulls who eat watermelon are adult topics. Unwed mothers who abandon their children, a scary birth scene in the middle of the ocean, age and death, a veteran traumatized from his experience in the war, and love that doesn’t necessarily meet everyone elses expectations. These are real-world scenarios placed in a children’s book and I can’t imagine an eight year old, no matter how mature, understanding some of the more difficult themes.

Another detail that makes Keeper more than a children’s book is the narrative. The storytelling isn’t linear; it doesn’t follow a set arc. We are with Keeper on her journey, and then we flashback to what happened to Signe when she ran away from home, and where Mr. Beauchamp lived when he was younger, and what happened to Dogie to make him stutter the way he does. Beautiful literary themes all of them, but I do caution anyone who wants to get this book for their child that they should expect some question-and-answer sessions to follow.

I loved Keeper for containing the topics it did, for being mature and expecting more from a child reader. For containing hints of Lewis Carroll’s Jabberwocky (Oh frabjous day, calloo callay!). And like Lewis Carroll’s works, I loved it for being a tad dark and ominous. It doesn’t patronize to the younger audience, it exposes the fact that the world we live in is not a fairytale and that’s okay. Through the childlike language is a story about a group of people who care for each other, individually unique humans, tragically brought together, but living happily in the “world unto itself.”
(less)

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Dec 18, 2010 Treasa rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: chapter-books, children, fantasy, grades-3-5, mermaids, mock-newbery, non-traditional-families

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. Ten-year-old Keeper has made a complete mess of things. Now she is in a boat, determined to find her mother, who is (so Keeper believes) a mermaid. Bd, her dog, joins her for this adventure as she tries to fix things for Signe, the woman who has taken care of her for her whole life; for Dogie, the man who has taught her to wax surfboards and who wants to marry Signe; and for Mr. Beaumont, the grandfather-like man who lives next-door and tells Keeper stories about mermaids. Keeper loves her littl...more Ten-year-old Keeper has made a complete mess of things. Now she is in a boat, determined to find her mother, who is (so Keeper believes) a mermaid. Bd, her dog, joins her for this adventure as she tries to fix things for Signe, the woman who has taken care of her for her whole life; for Dogie, the man who has taught her to wax surfboards and who wants to marry Signe; and for Mr. Beaumont, the grandfather-like man who lives next-door and tells Keeper stories about mermaids. Keeper loves her little world - just the three houses with the 4 people and their animals all along the coast of Texas. But she's ruined things, and she is convinced that finding her mother is the only way to fix them.

I had mixed feelings about this book. This is another one that I had to read for a mock Newbery. There were things I loved about it - for example, I loved the way the chapters told the story from all the characters' points of view, including the animals; I thought the use of flashback to tell the back story in bits and pieces was very powerful. I both loved and hated the fact that the bulk of the book takes place in a few hours during one night - part of me felt it was possibly the longest night ever, at least to read about, but the other part of me loved the intensity of being there for every minute of the adventure with Keeper (and most of me agreed with BD that the whole thing was a bad idea). But there were plenty of things I didn't really like about the book. It is a strange combination of reality and fantasy. And, really, if there are going to be mermaids in the story, why wasn't Keeper's mother a mermaid? I mean, I do actually understand why she isn't a mermaid and everything - that did all make sense. But to find out that she isn't a mermaid and then to find out that these other mermaids are real almost at the same time was a little weird. It's just a strange combination that I didn't quite like.

Overall, interesting book. I enjoyed the way it was written and would definitely try other things by this author. But I don't know if it's worthy of the Newbery - it didn't seem quite that amazing to me.(less)

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