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 This Week’s Teen Book:
Bluefish
by
Pat
Schmatz
Thirteen-year-old
Travis
has
a
secret:
he
can’t
read.
But
a
shrewd
teacher
and
a
sassy
girl
are
about
to
change
everything
in
this
witty
and
deeply
moving
novel.
Travis
is
missing
his
old
home
in
the
country,
and
he’s
missing
his
old
hound,
Rosco.
Now
there’s
just
the
cramped
place
he
shares
with
his
well-meaning
but
alcoholic
grandpa,
a
new
school,
and
the
dreaded
routine
of
passing
when
he’s
called
on
to
read
out
loud.
But
that’s
before
Travis
meets
Mr.
McQueen,
who
doesn’t
take
"pass"
for
an
answer—a
rare
teacher
whose
savvy
persistence
has
Travis
slowly
unlocking
a
book
on
the
natural
world.
And
it’s
before
Travis
is
noticed
by
Velveeta,
a
girl
whose
wry
banter
and
colorful
scarves
belie
some
hard
secrets
of
her
own.
With
sympathy,
humor,
and
disarming
honesty,
Pat
Schmatz
brings
to
life
a
cast
of
utterly
believable
characters—and
captures
the
moments
of
trust
and
connection
that
make
all
the
difference.
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