There's something about Eileen Spinelli's writing that I just love. I can't put my finger on what exactly the quality is, just...something. She has a way of writing quiet little stories that have heart and hope. Her book Where I Live ranks among my top 10 favorites of all-time for kids, and now she has The Dancing Pancake, in the same vein. It's just a lovely little piece of work.

Bindi's life is in an upheaval right now. Her dad has moved out, and now she and her mom and moving from their home to a small apartment over the new restaurant her mother and aunt are opening. She's unhappy--she wants her father to come back home and for life to be normal again.

Here are some things I specifically appreciated about The Dancing Pancake:

-- it's written in easy-flowing verse, so the story moves quickly.

-- Bindi is a real girl with real feelings. Sometimes she behaves in ugly ways or says ugly words, but she usually regrets that later. Her words and actions are all pretty spot-on for a young girl in Bindi's situation.

-- Bindi and her mother attend church each Sunday. That in itself I find a good thing, but I especially like the way Spinelli writes about it as if it's just a regular, routine part of Bindi's life. It's not the focus of the book, but it is a part of who she is. And I like that, because that's me. That's my kids. It's much of America, but it's often left out of stories. So I was glad to see it included here.

** SPOILER ALERT: NEXT TWO PARAGRAPHS **
-- Bindi's homeless friend doesn't want a "home". When Bindi and her family and friends raise the money to provide an apartment for the lady, she soon abandons it--she can't see the stars on the inside. I found this a realistic portrayal of some homeless people today. Society tries to give them a safe, indoor home, and they just don't want it. We don't understand it (and neither does Bindi), but it's a life many of them choose.

-- Bindi's dad doesn't come back home, but he does emotionally reunite with Bindi's mother. It seems to me that many books for children that deal with parental separation and divorce focus on how the child handles the finality of the divorce. And that's a good thing, because so many of our children are living that story. But there is hope for some marriages, and I thought it was nice to see that, for a change.

All in all, Eileen Spinelli has the capacity to make me tear up a little but end with a hopeful smile.... Huh. I guess I do know what I like about her writing, after all.