THE BOY ON CINNAMON STREET

Author (last name first):
Stone, Phoebe
Publisher, Date of Publication: 
Arthur A. Levine/2012
Grade Level/ or Age Level:  

3rd and Up
Classification: 
Fiction 

Louis Terrace has a secret admirer. He writes her notes and draws hearts in pink chalk on her patio for her. Her best friends, Reni and Henderson(who is also Reni's brother), help her figure out who this person is. Reni believes that it is a boy in her school named Benny McCartney. On the same night Louise gets the note, Benny had delivered pizza.
The thing about that night is, her grandparents, whom she lives with, had a strange reaction to Benny that settles in the back of her mind. Reni is so sure he is the one that Louise decides to agree with her. They set out to get Benny's notice while at the same time Henderson suddenly becomes despondent and uses the novel he is writing as his excuse for all the drama. 

As Louis visits Reni, she is desperate to leave her home and be a part of Reni's family which seems to be such a cohesive unit. She even asks Reni to influence her mom into allowing her to stay.She is especially desperate when her Grandparents try to encourage her to remember her mom and her dad calls, reminding her that he prefers someone else's daughter over his own.

When Reni's older sister decides to have an art show, they see it as the perfect opportunity to talk to Benny who will be attending. Instead Louise realizes Benny was not her secrete admirer and Reni's sister takes advantage of this. Crushed and heart broken, Louise runs away to the home she used to own and faces memories of that night where she found her mother who was devastated and depressed by the divorce. Henderson helps her face that night and she eventually realizes that he is the secret admirer.

Reviewed By: Nicola Clement (Midwestern State University Student)