Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

This book does a phenomenal job of being engaging and fun despite material that could so-easily delve into dark and disturbing. The author walks that precise line of creating empathy without creating too much distress for young readers. I have no qualms letting my 10-year-old or even 8-year-old read this one. It *does* talk about homelessness and its side effects for a young child, but somehow the imaginary friend (who's introduced in the first line as a surfboarding cat who's holding an umbrella) makes things lighthearted and safe, even while you recognize that he's a sign of emotional distress. FOR PARENTS - CONTAINS SPOILERS If your child is sensitive (like mine are), it may help to know that the imaginary friend is silly enough to break up the tension on a regular basis. Many of the most-difficult moments of the book happen in the past (from the previous time this boy had to live in the van with his family and their puppy for 14 weeks), so you know they eventually made it out. And although he mentions having seen his dad cry (the only time he had seen such a thing), most of the darker moments focus on things like the van being smelly, or how he didn't like his younger sister kicking him in her sleep (so he decorated a cardboard panel to put in between them). There's a lot of generosity/kindness from strangers, which helps a lot even though they *were* still living in a van, which keeps you empathizing with them but not spiraling into despair. There are also a couple of places where he says "I know other people have it much, much worse, but I still hate this," which again triggers empathy and understanding, without minimizing what anyone has to go through... making you aware of those darker stories, but not taking you into them. Finally, fortunately, at the end of this novel, the family finds a temporary place to stay (an old, run-down, one-room apartment) so again it's clearly not sunshine and roses, but hopeful. The author truly does a masterful job of introducing this difficult topic in a way that creates empathy while being enjoyable and (for most kids) non-traumatizing. UPDATE: If you like this book, "The Benefits of Being an Octopus" by Ann Braden is also excellent for cultivating empathy