Sparks, Beatrice, ed. Finding Katie; the diary of Anonymous, a teenager in foster care.SPARKS, Beatrice, ed. Finding Katie; the diary of Anonymous, a teenager in foster care. HarperCollins. 181p. c2005. 0-06-050721-7. $5.99. JS From start to finish, this diary is literally unreal. Chock-full of melodrama, Katie's story has more holes in it than a woodpecker woodpecker, common name for members of the Picidae, a large family of climbing birds found in most parts of the world. Woodpeckers typically have sharp, chisellike bills for pecking holes in tree trunks, and long, barbed, extensible tongues with which they impale tree. Her father, a Hollywood mogul, alternates between buying her lavish gifts and getting drunk, then "grabbing me in a real hurting way." Mom is presumably pre·sum·a·ble adj. That can be presumed or taken for granted; reasonable as a supposition: presumable causes of the disaster. a druggie drug·gie also drug·gy n. pl. drug·gies Slang One that takes or is addicted to drugs: "They're like druggies, but without drugs; they're drugged on their own apathy" but, like Dad, is a cardboard character who evokes wildly inconsistent feelings in her daughter. In a typically vague, pivotal scene, Katie's father takes her to a place where "People were ... it wasn't really dancing. It was too obscene for words, and my beautiful dress was being torn to shreds." Katie swoons from the few sips she's had to drink, then blacks out. Dad calls Katie a "ho" and a "slut," hits her, and dumps her out on Skid Row skid row a run-down area frequented by alcoholics. [Am. Culture: Misc.] See : Alcoholism Skid Row district of down-and-outs and bums. [Am. Usage: Brewer Dictionary, 1008] See : Failure . From there Katie goes to a Salvation Army Salvation Army, Protestant denomination and international nonsectarian Christian organization for evangelical and philanthropic work. Organization and Beliefs The Salvation Army has established branches in 100 countries throughout the world. shelter, then on to foster care, where she misses the "dear nuns" of her Catholic school days, and nurtures a young abused girl with miraculous results. The purple prose includes phrases like "my insides were gleefully glee·ful adj. Full of jubilant delight; joyful. glee  ful·ly adv.glee dancing" and a poem by Katie that begins "Please stop dear tears / You're splashing in my ears." Brief information in the back relates to child abuse and crisis hotlines. Fans of other titles edited by Beatrice Sparks (e.g., Go Ask Alice) will find this to be more of the same. The short diary entries, fast pace, and easy vocabulary might appeal to reluctant readers, and it's innocent enough fare for middle school students. Otherwise, save your money. Jessica Swaim, Cataloger, Cherry Creek Sch., Denver, CO J--Recommended for junior high school students. The contents are of particular interest to young adolescents and their teachers. S--Recommended for senior high school students. |
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