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Rating: 
Summary: Yes, Stephanie is real in all ways.
Review: As an elementary school librarian, I had the pleasure ofintroducing this treasure to many classes the last few years. All ofthe above reviews are valid for me. While discussing how unique each person is, I always get asked about Stephanie. I promised the students I would go to Lake Merrit and look for her, see if she truly exists and if so, if she's still there. Yesterday (5/22/00) was the magic day. She and Ms. Polocco have been close friends for years, and it was right that the author write about the warmth of Stephanie's character. I could not have been welcomed more graciously, and Stephanie, on her own time, will be meeting with the students at my school. I also learned that the other main character, Fondo, is connected with Ms. Polacco's nephew to whom the book is dedicated. If you can take only one fiction (?) book with you on a desert island, each time you reread this, you will have new joy in your heart.
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Summary: people like us
Review: Ask most parents what they think of when they think of the elements of a children's story and you're very unlikely to get the following: a jaded Vietnam vet and an elderly, slightly "off" homeless woman who hang out in a city park in Oakland; a "throwaway" child who is on the verge of getting lost in the system; a blind goose -- not the kind who wears granny spectacles and a yellow bonnet, but one that is very seriously disabled. And yet, here they are, right in this children's book, which just so happens to be a favorite in our home.Perhaps this book has been important to my children because it represents a more realistic slice of life to them -- before we were a family, they, like Fondo, were lingering in the foster care system. And, every day where we live, we see homeless people and folks who exist in their own version of the world. For some children (and some parents), this might be an "uncomfortable" book, but I think it's an important one for kids of all backgrounds, especially when parents and kids can read this book together and talk about the "differentness" that is represented there -- not just in terms of Fondo and his plight, but also in terms of the supporting characters and the ways that they make a place for themselves in this very real world.
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Summary: This is a book that really can reach your heart.
Review: I use this book in my classroom where I work with kids who have ADHD and other learning diabilities. I first discovered this book while searching for another by the same author. My daughter and I sat in the floor and read it. She is a child who has never felt like she fits in. She said that Fondo was like her. When Fondo miraculously finds his place in life I told her that all of us have a place in this world, it just takes some of us longer to find it. The other day I read this book to my class, sharing the same message with them. I noticed a girl crying afterwards. She raised her hand and said, "This book tells me that there is hope for me. I can belong somewhere." Now, there is no way that the kids in my class see her as they did before. They have reached out to her. This book has an important message for us all.
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Summary: Great book for literature circles
Review: This book is a great book for starting discussions in literature circles. It pairs nicely with other picture books like Fly Away Home by Eve Bunting and Way Home by Libby Hathorn (unfortunately out of print). Paula Fox's chapter book "Monkey Island" also connects nicely.
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