Tess’s mother is her
teacher and Tess’s father is her boss and Tess would have it no other way. Tess
and her family live on the Island of Bethsaida off the coast of Maine. Her
father catches lobster as a profession and his eleven-year-old daughter likes
to work at his side. Tess is used to cleaning out the traps and filling them
with bait. She also enjoys measuring and banding the live lobsters that they
will sell at market. Her father lets her set her own lobster traps to make
money. She’s saving for college and an outboard motor for the skiff she is
working on.
During the school
year, her mother is the only teacher in a two classroom schoolhouse.
Unfortunately, the state is considering closing the island school due to a
decrease in the juvenile population on the island. If the school is closed,
Tess’s family would have to move to the mainland. Her mother would need a new
job and Tess would need a new school. Her father would still be a lobster man, but
it would be harder for Tess to join him. And her heart’s desire is to follow in
her father’s footsteps.
The grownups on the
island come up with a plan to save the island school. Several of the families
have agreed to each foster a child which would increase the juvenile
population, save the school and provide a home for a child in need. It seems
like a win-win situation. During summer vacation, the foster children arrive. The
families hope the children will settle in and be prepared for school in the
fall.
Tess has her own ideas
of what it will be like to have an older foster brother. She gets her
information from books. Her favorites are Anne of Green Gables and The Great Gilly Hopkins. Tess really
hopes that Aaron will fit right into island life like Anne did. Tess thinks he has
every reason to love Bethsaida and will want to stay forever. As much as Tess
and her family have studied all of the rules, guidelines and suggestions for
supporting and encouraging a foster child, a family is never fully prepared for
the unique individual that they will be sharing their lives with.
Thirteen-year-old
Aaron hasn’t seen or heard from his mother for a very long time. He still
maintains the hope that someday they will be together again. The hardest thing
for Aaron is the not knowing. Where is she? How is she? Is she working towards
getting him back? Why can’t they communicate? Aaron is not prepared to commit
until he has some answers. Luckily, Tess is willing to help… attempt to control
the situation.
She’s just not
prepared for Aaron’s red hair. Tess lives by a set of sailor superstitions
including, “A redhead on a boat is unlucky.” The book is full of her good luck
advice and she keeps a pocket full of good luck charms. But will they be enough
to keep Aaron?
Touch Blue is a 2013 Bluestem Nominee,
recommended for kids in 3rd through 5th grade. My guess
is that girls will enjoy the book more since the main character is a girl – a lobster
girl! Even though Aaron is a very important character in the book, it still
might not be enough to grab a boy’s attention. He is a budding musician who
makes his mark on the island with his trumpet playing. Turns out, he can also
play a mean piano. My favorite lines in the book come from the last page: one
fisherman says, “Ohhh. Tough words from an organist.”
The reply? “You know,
the organist controls how long the service goes on Sunday…” Excellent ending!
Satisfied!
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