Abstract
Reviewed by: Saturdays with Hitchcock by Ellen Wittlinger Rebecca Linares Wittlinger, Ellen Saturdays with Hitchcock. Charlesbridge, 2017 [272p] ISBN 978-1-58089-775-4 $16.99 Reviewed from galleys R Gr. 5-8 For twelve-year-old Maisie, watching old movies at the Lincoln Theater every Saturday with her best friend Cyrus provides a much-needed escape from the uncertainties she faces in real life. Her grandmother's increasing forgetfulness and her family's tight financial situation mean everyone but Maisie is less than thrilled when Uncle Walt—who is an actor in Hollywood—comes to stay after a recent on-set injury. Since Uncle Walt is one of the few adults who always understands her, Maisie is delighted, and when she finds herself in the center of a middle-school love triangle between herself, Cyrus, and their new friend, Gary, she needs Uncle Walt's guidance more than ever. The book provides entertaining yet affecting portrayals of the different types of love young people experience and witness—from love between family members and friends to budding romantic love to even love found late in life, which Maisie witnesses through her grandmother's unexpected reconnection with an old flame. The use of first-person narration adds authenticity to Maisie's [End Page 97] perspective as readers gains insight into her inner thinking and responses to pivotal life situations (e.g., when Cyrus tells Maisie that he is gay and that he likes Gary). Wittlinger presents a moving coming-of age story that will feel relevant to tween readers, particularly those wrestling with the notion of what it means to grow up and what it means to experience and witness love in its many forms. Copyright © 2017 The Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois
Published Version
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