It’s not easy to write good (as opposed to entertaining or easily marketable) children’s fiction. Lois Lowry is simply the best. This story — originally published in 1987 and about to be reissued — is about 12-year old Rabble (short for Parable) Starkey and her single mother (a mere 26 — you do the math) and how they both “grow up” while living with Rabble’s best friend, Virginia, when Virginia’s mother becomes mentally incapacitated and is taken away.

Lowry’s messages are foundational — not particularly humorous or designed to artificially raise self-esteem — but to help characters and readers alike understand life. She writes about what is important, what is valuable, and what each person can do to move forward successfully. Loved every minute of reading.

Lois Lowry is a YA/middle grades literary legend for good reason. I loved the way she captured character voice in this story, and it would be a wonderful text for upper elementary and beyond. A wonderful exploration of growth and selfhood, resonant with the themes of coming to know the world.

Okay, I want to start this off by saying I absolutely LOVE The Giver and was super excited about this one. But honestly it kinda fell a little flat for me.

Rabble Starkey by Lois Lowry
Originally published in 1987

I am so glad this gem of a book is being re-released. It does have an old-fashioned feel to it, as it’s written in the first person by a thirteen-year-old girl from a small rural town, and even she admits that her grammar isn’t all that good. But the layers upon layers of emotion can be peeled away slowly, or completely, by any age group reading this short novel, so that, as an adult, I felt that perhaps I was seeing more depth than my grandchild might. Rabble has had a rocky childhood, as has her loving young mother. They both have also made some good choices and had some lucky breaks. The best of these is working for and living with a family that provides not only wages, but a best friend for Rabble, and love and stability, too, as they navigate their futures together. The rockiness is shared by many of the characters in this story, not in specific detail but certainly in complexity. I think readers will enjoy the common sense, practicality, and good advice Rabble shares in abundance with her unseen audience. She is wise beyond her years. But, sharing her wisdom, that’s Lois Lowry’s gift to all of us.