Crunch

August 23, 2010
In Connor's (Waiting for Normal) lighthearted yet realistic fourth novel, the Marriss family's five siblings are used to being self-sufficient. They live in the small town of Rocky Shores where they grow fruits and vegetables, have a few goats and chickens, and run the Marriss Bike Barn repair shop. It's a carefree summer until a gas shortage hits and their parents get stuck on the road, leaving 14-year-old Dewey and his older sister, Lil, to manage their contrary brother Vince, the five-year-old twins, their crabby neighbor, and the increase in demand for bike repairs all on their own. "I felt a sense of something—freedom or ownership. I liked it. But already I was thinking that I wasn't sure how long I wanted it to last," says Dewey. The pair slowly becomes overwhelmed and concerned as a result of the imminent grocery paucity and an increasing number of bike thieves. Connor paints an optimistic, mildly cartoonish, and endearing picture of a do-it-yourself family who discovers the power of collaboration. Ages 10–up.