** spoiler alert ** 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)