The Vacation by Polly Horvath (0-374-38070-8)
Horvath’s new book is a wonderful mix of humor, poignancy and eccentricities. Henry’s parents head off on a trip to Africa, leaving him with his two aunts, Mag and Pigg. Mag gets very ill and upon recuperating, decides that they all need to go on a vacation. Hopping into the car, the three travelers head off and have a series of adventures on the open road. From a disappointing beach visit to floating down the Everglades to eventually losing Pigg in Oklahoma, the stories string together with a rhythm that replicates car travel. The pacing of the novel is perfection as is the vivid characterization of the two aunts and Henry.
This is a wonderful one to read aloud to classes, because there are plenty of laughs to match the insights that Henry comes to realize. Recommend this one to both parents and teachers to share with kids. As for kids, I think this will take some hand-selling to persuade them to try it out, but if they have read and enjoyed other Horvath novels, many of them will be more than willing to look past the cover and head off on this wonderful road trip.