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Becca #2
Becca Fair and Foul
When eleven-year-old Becca returns to her grandmother’s rustic cottage for another summer, she finds herself seeing her beloved island in new ways. A hunting owl mistakes a bobbing ponytail for prey. A cozy sleepover on the beach takes on the tinges of a nightmare when a family of river otters shows up to claim their territory. An argument between a nestbound baby eaglet and its haranguing mother reaches operatic dimensions. Becca finds a dead bear on the beach and helps to give it a burial at sea.
Then there are dramas of the human variety. Aunt Meg is grieving over a miscarriage, and Aunt Clare’s medical work in Africa has brought on a sadness that even the love of family and the island’s beauty can’t cure. And there is the burning question of whether Aunt Fifi and the local plumber will ever become an item, and would that mean losing the only plumber on the island?
Meanwhile, cousin Alicia claims to be too old to participate in the kids’ summer project — a performance of The Tempest, a play that seems to find unsettling echoes in the natural surroundings Becca thought she knew so well.
Then there are dramas of the human variety. Aunt Meg is grieving over a miscarriage, and Aunt Clare’s medical work in Africa has brought on a sadness that even the love of family and the island’s beauty can’t cure. And there is the burning question of whether Aunt Fifi and the local plumber will ever become an item, and would that mean losing the only plumber on the island?
Meanwhile, cousin Alicia claims to be too old to participate in the kids’ summer project — a performance of The Tempest, a play that seems to find unsettling echoes in the natural surroundings Becca thought she knew so well.
184 pages, Hardcover
Published May 1, 2018
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59 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
February 20, 2019
The writing felt a little choppy, in the way the author took us from scene to scene during Becca's summer spent swimming and putting on The Tempest. There's family drama and gentle humour, and I could easily see the trees and water by Becca's Gran's place from the author's descriptions.
August 31, 2019
It took me a while to appreciate this story. The author's style reminds me of books written decades ago, and I wish I could say how or why. I would like to read the first Becca book now and perhaps better understand the story. Meanwhile, I really rate it 3.5, but gave it a 4 for original writing style and a story with the independent-thinking Becca.
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June 7, 2018Review originally published: https://bysinginglight.wordpress.com/...
It’s always fun to come across a book that makes you wonder if the author took a look in one of your old diaries. Becca Fair and Foul by Deirdre Baker is one of those books. I picked it up from our new book shelf at work, attracted by the cover, and was hooked by the first page. It seems that there’s a first book, Becca at Sea, which I haven’t read.
At any rate, this book takes place over one summer on an island in Canada (I believe near Vancouver? I was a bit muzzy as to geography), where Becca and her cousins have come to stay with their grandmother. Her friend Jane is there too, and she and Jane decide to put on a Shakespeare play (with the unwilling help of cousins) to raise money to buy a better sailboat than the one they currently have access to.
As a kid, this would have been absolutely catnip to me. I loved sailing and boats, and my siblings and I often spent part of the summer at our grandparents’ house by the sea, with our cousin. (Not, alas, on an island.) I read just about every nautical-themed book I could get my hands on and, though my exposure to Shakespeare was probably limited to Lamb’s Tales From, I would have sympathized deeply with the desire to put on a play.
As an adult reader, all the old nostalgic love for those things is there. But I also admire the way that Baker takes what on the surface is a rather adventurey story and makes it a vehicle for exploring Becca’s very late elementary/early middle school experience of life. This is the summer when she notices and is hurt by the death of the animals around her, even though it’s a natural part of life. The summer when her aunts are hurting and there’s nothing anyone can do to truly fix it. It’s not a morbid or a sad book, but it does go a lot deeper than the initial premise suggests, allowing the lovely descriptions of the island and funny moments with the other inhabitants to exist alongside Aunt Meg’s pain over her stillbirth and the burial of the bear.
While I do admire the depth that the story reaches, and the handling of the various sadder moments in a way that felt just right for a sensitive tween reader, I do want to mention that the story at the same time feels limited. Everyone is white, and one of Becca’s aunts is a doctor with an AIDs center in Africa. Ultimately, Jane and Becca decide to give the proceeds of their play to this aunt, for her research and to help save the grandmothers and children there. In that sense it feels like a very old-fashioned book, and not in a good way. I really wished that this storyline had at least been counterbalanced with the presence of some people of color on the island or in the main story itself, or with someone more mature than the kids providing some pushback to the white saviorism there.
So, ultimately this is one that I personally really enjoyed both on a nostalgic level and as an adult reader–there are some really funny scenes, some really heartbreaking ones, and a keen description of both the nature world and Becca’s growing awareness of life. But I also had some reservations about it, so I’m not entirely sure who I’d recommend this book to. All the same, if you also love anything set by the sea, or quiet books about growing up, this might be a great fit.
It’s always fun to come across a book that makes you wonder if the author took a look in one of your old diaries. Becca Fair and Foul by Deirdre Baker is one of those books. I picked it up from our new book shelf at work, attracted by the cover, and was hooked by the first page. It seems that there’s a first book, Becca at Sea, which I haven’t read.
At any rate, this book takes place over one summer on an island in Canada (I believe near Vancouver? I was a bit muzzy as to geography), where Becca and her cousins have come to stay with their grandmother. Her friend Jane is there too, and she and Jane decide to put on a Shakespeare play (with the unwilling help of cousins) to raise money to buy a better sailboat than the one they currently have access to.
As a kid, this would have been absolutely catnip to me. I loved sailing and boats, and my siblings and I often spent part of the summer at our grandparents’ house by the sea, with our cousin. (Not, alas, on an island.) I read just about every nautical-themed book I could get my hands on and, though my exposure to Shakespeare was probably limited to Lamb’s Tales From, I would have sympathized deeply with the desire to put on a play.
As an adult reader, all the old nostalgic love for those things is there. But I also admire the way that Baker takes what on the surface is a rather adventurey story and makes it a vehicle for exploring Becca’s very late elementary/early middle school experience of life. This is the summer when she notices and is hurt by the death of the animals around her, even though it’s a natural part of life. The summer when her aunts are hurting and there’s nothing anyone can do to truly fix it. It’s not a morbid or a sad book, but it does go a lot deeper than the initial premise suggests, allowing the lovely descriptions of the island and funny moments with the other inhabitants to exist alongside Aunt Meg’s pain over her stillbirth and the burial of the bear.
While I do admire the depth that the story reaches, and the handling of the various sadder moments in a way that felt just right for a sensitive tween reader, I do want to mention that the story at the same time feels limited. Everyone is white, and one of Becca’s aunts is a doctor with an AIDs center in Africa. Ultimately, Jane and Becca decide to give the proceeds of their play to this aunt, for her research and to help save the grandmothers and children there. In that sense it feels like a very old-fashioned book, and not in a good way. I really wished that this storyline had at least been counterbalanced with the presence of some people of color on the island or in the main story itself, or with someone more mature than the kids providing some pushback to the white saviorism there.
So, ultimately this is one that I personally really enjoyed both on a nostalgic level and as an adult reader–there are some really funny scenes, some really heartbreaking ones, and a keen description of both the nature world and Becca’s growing awareness of life. But I also had some reservations about it, so I’m not entirely sure who I’d recommend this book to. All the same, if you also love anything set by the sea, or quiet books about growing up, this might be a great fit.
February 23, 2018
When eleven-year-old Becca returns to her grandmother’s rustic cottage for another summer, she finds herself seeing her beloved island in new ways. Things start to go not very smoothly. Plumbing problems at the house, animals which get out of control, a new boat to buy and many other family dramas that make this story delicious. Many teens and adults may remember their own summer vacations and have a smile while reading. One of my concerns is that it took me quite a while to get used to the number of characters the story has, too many to remember, but the action goes fast, many things happen and that was the quick rhythm you get. Sweet, sometimes a little bit gloomy but on the whole, we need to understand, it is the essence of life. Fresh and with not a super complex plot, but enjoyable.
Publish May 1st. 2018
Publish May 1st. 2018
May 8, 2018
I was so pleasantly surprised at just how sweet and charming this little story was. It's not particularly exciting or filled with action. But it's got this almost indefinable quality that had me grinning through most of the book. It left me feeling ... content. I'd absolutely recommend this one. Especially for girls. From 8 to 108. I was given a copy of this book by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
February 18, 2018
An idyllic summer vacation at her grandmother's island cottage on Hornby Island offers Becca plenty of opportunities to relax, spend time with family and friends, and enjoy nature. In this sequel to Becca at Sea, the young protagonist is busy trying to put on a production of The Tempest, a challenging Shakespeare play that needs the talents of Becca's older cousin Alicia, who refuses to lower herself to participate in the project. Becca plans to use the proceeds from attendees to buy a new boat, but changes her mind after learning of a more worthwhile use of the money. While Becca still loves the island, she also comes to recognize some of its dangers as river otters interrupt an overnight camping trip, a dead bear washes up on shore, and an eaglet struggles to fly. Then, too, she watches love bloom between her aunt, Fifi, and Merlin, the island's resident plumber, both lovers of Shakespeare. Any large family that has ever tried to eat out while its members are indecisive about what to get will be able to relate to the family's trip to several takeout joints where things go wrong at every turn. Readers who loved the classic Anne of Green Gables may enjoy this series as well since they have a chance to watch its characters develop and explore new identities. Gently but effectively told, this story about family will resonate with many young readers. The earnestness with which the play is rehearsed, and the mishaps that befall its actors will remind readers, even some older ones, of some of their own summer experiences when everything seemed so terribly important and urgent.
February 6, 2019
This novel is a delight for outdoorsy adventurers, budding thespians, and animal lovers.
Staying with her Gran on an island for the summer, Becca decides to raise money for a sailing dinghy by putting on a production of The Tempest with her friend Jane and her cousins. While this goal might seem ambitious, Becca and Jane are supported in their dramatic venture by their quirky adult family and friends. If only they can escape Gran’s scrabble sessions, sea asparagus stir-fry, and inexhaustible chores….
The novel’s great strength is in its flow of tactile, closely observed moments where human and non-human worlds collide. Instead of bending nature to suit human purposes (as Prospero does in The Tempest), Baker lets her young characters be led by their observations of a fascinating and mysterious natural environment. Drowned bears and trapped birds help Becca rethink the behavior of her cousins and aunts, as well as the play she’s taken on. As Becca’s Gran would say, “Nature isn’t fair or unfair…It just is.” Like Gran, nature can be a tough teacher, but (like Gran, again), nature also provides moments of unexpected humor. Tip: don’t kiss sea anemones and make sure your sea asparagus is washed.
With Becca’s summer freedom balanced by her increasing recognition of adult sadness and loss, this book and its predecessor, Becca at Sea, should appeal to fans of Jillian and Mariko Tamaki’s This One Summer.
Staying with her Gran on an island for the summer, Becca decides to raise money for a sailing dinghy by putting on a production of The Tempest with her friend Jane and her cousins. While this goal might seem ambitious, Becca and Jane are supported in their dramatic venture by their quirky adult family and friends. If only they can escape Gran’s scrabble sessions, sea asparagus stir-fry, and inexhaustible chores….
The novel’s great strength is in its flow of tactile, closely observed moments where human and non-human worlds collide. Instead of bending nature to suit human purposes (as Prospero does in The Tempest), Baker lets her young characters be led by their observations of a fascinating and mysterious natural environment. Drowned bears and trapped birds help Becca rethink the behavior of her cousins and aunts, as well as the play she’s taken on. As Becca’s Gran would say, “Nature isn’t fair or unfair…It just is.” Like Gran, nature can be a tough teacher, but (like Gran, again), nature also provides moments of unexpected humor. Tip: don’t kiss sea anemones and make sure your sea asparagus is washed.
With Becca’s summer freedom balanced by her increasing recognition of adult sadness and loss, this book and its predecessor, Becca at Sea, should appeal to fans of Jillian and Mariko Tamaki’s This One Summer.
December 17, 2018
The small size of this book deceives-not an easy reader but easy to read. The eleven year old main character's voice reads a bit older than her story.Cool readers will skip the first page with its plot drops and all will start..to be made clear on page two.
Becca's courage, curiosity and wit pull her and her friends into what seems at first a simple challenge, to get money enough to buy a new boat during their summer vacation on Gran's island. Mini-plots pop up like dandelions. Will Jane's stinky house discourage Merlin enough so he will leave and abandon Gran? If Alicia refuses to play a part in the challenge:to make money from a performance of THE TEMPEST,(to buy the boat) why does she have a dog-eared copy of the play in her sleeping bag? Which animals that live on the island throw Gran's house into an uproar: bear, mink, eagle,otter or worse yet, woodpecker? will Auntie Meg's care for patients change Becca's mind? What was wrong about Fifi and Merlin's both being crazy about Shakespeare. And Lucy, who would have dreamed what happened to her on her way to rehearsal after working in the garden mart.
Believe me, chugging along with this sly and intimate tale will involve and delight readers.
Becca's courage, curiosity and wit pull her and her friends into what seems at first a simple challenge, to get money enough to buy a new boat during their summer vacation on Gran's island. Mini-plots pop up like dandelions. Will Jane's stinky house discourage Merlin enough so he will leave and abandon Gran? If Alicia refuses to play a part in the challenge:to make money from a performance of THE TEMPEST,(to buy the boat) why does she have a dog-eared copy of the play in her sleeping bag? Which animals that live on the island throw Gran's house into an uproar: bear, mink, eagle,otter or worse yet, woodpecker? will Auntie Meg's care for patients change Becca's mind? What was wrong about Fifi and Merlin's both being crazy about Shakespeare. And Lucy, who would have dreamed what happened to her on her way to rehearsal after working in the garden mart.
Believe me, chugging along with this sly and intimate tale will involve and delight readers.
May 28, 2018
What more can I say? I felt so happy after reading this book. I hope book #3 is being written as I write this so that it will be available when this contended feeling begins to disappear.
Becca, her new friend, Jane, and Becca's two cousins, Lucy and Alicia, are getting ready to perform "The Tempest"! But it is amazing to find out what else is making summer fly by so fast.
Deirdre Banker explains much in her Acknowledgements at the end of the book. One decision was to have the girls donate the funds they raise by putting on the play, to 'Grandmothers to Grandmothers Campaign of the Stephen Lewis Foundation'. https://www.stephenlewisfoundation.or...
Becca, her new friend, Jane, and Becca's two cousins, Lucy and Alicia, are getting ready to perform "The Tempest"! But it is amazing to find out what else is making summer fly by so fast.
Deirdre Banker explains much in her Acknowledgements at the end of the book. One decision was to have the girls donate the funds they raise by putting on the play, to 'Grandmothers to Grandmothers Campaign of the Stephen Lewis Foundation'. https://www.stephenlewisfoundation.or...
August 12, 2018
A perfect summery read.
August 11, 2019
Delightful
December 22, 2024
all the best book are written for 11 year old girls!
#1 aunt fifi and merlin fan
#1 aunt fifi and merlin fan
September 26, 2025
To Becca and Jane, a summer production of Shakespeare's The Tempest seems like the perfect way to raise money for a new sailboat, and a great way to escape Gran's endless list of chores. Between distractions from wildlife and family drama, though, how will they get the play ready in time for their performance date?
Interest Level: ages 9+
Reading Level: ages 8+
OVERALL RATING 9/10
This book perfectly captures the childhood feeling of purpose and dedication that comes with a big, self-led project. As Becca and Jane piece together their play, the drive and enthusiasm is contagious and inspiring. I love this story as a representation of how capable kids are when given the time and space to be themselves! The story feels so real and is beautifully told, right down to the smallest details.
Interest Level: ages 9+
Reading Level: ages 8+
OVERALL RATING 9/10
This book perfectly captures the childhood feeling of purpose and dedication that comes with a big, self-led project. As Becca and Jane piece together their play, the drive and enthusiasm is contagious and inspiring. I love this story as a representation of how capable kids are when given the time and space to be themselves! The story feels so real and is beautifully told, right down to the smallest details.
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews